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BLOGGIESTA.
Okay, so I’ve spent literally ALL weekend on this blog. Now, I am a slow worker and there isn’t much crossed off of my list but THAT’S OKAY you guys. I’ve done a TON of stuff that wasn’t on my list. I’ve finished a few of the minichallenges. And I’m gonna keep working.
Also, I still don’t know what the heck SEO and MetaTags are. I won’t lie. That is TOO MUCH of a job for this girl for only three days.
Also, I still don’t know what the heck SEO and MetaTags are. I won’t lie. That is TOO MUCH of a job for this girl for only three days.
Let’s check out what went down on the blog this weekend:
- HELLO NEW DESIGN! It looks great, no? Thanks to the fabulous Jacinda from The Reading Housewives for ALL of her help. She took time out from her Bloggiesta list to help with this – which wasn’t even on my initial list but was still important to me.
- I got a blog button. Again, thanks to Jacinda from The Reading Housewives for this. That girl is awesome. I was able to put my own grab code on it by using a post by Hafsah from IceyBooks.
- I put up social media icons and figured out how to make them link back to me (took forever!). I used this blog post to help me and it worked! So yay!
- I made a header for my Facebook page since it switched to the new timeline. Sometimes I have problems with my posts flowing over, but I’ll figure that out. (The thumbnails don’t want to show up.) It really looks nice, I think.
- I sat up Friday night cross-posting a few reviews to my Goodreads that had been left out. I typically do these when I post them on my blog, but had left some off lately. I did this in the middle of the night because it spammed my facebook peeps’ walls (Goodreads flows over if you have it on your timeline, which I do). As I figured, I got some weird messages about it. (At least I didn’t spam them during the middle of the day, right?) I also cross-posted a few reviews to Amazon that needed to go there. YAY!
- I updated my Review Policy and added a Contest Policy.
- I took a thing or two off of my sidebar and rearranged a little bit. I still think it needs some work since I added back the social media icons and blog button. But I can keep working on this.
- I set my blog up with dlvr.it which wasn’t the most necessary thing in the world for me, but will be nice for those posts that go up at weird times when I’m not able to tweet them immediately. I can always remove it if I don’t like it since I typically use bit.ly and am happy with it.
As I look at this list, it really doesn’t seem like all that much – but I’m still very happy with my results. I told you guys I’m a slow worker. This is absolute evidence of that because I’ve barely even left my seat since Friday afternoon (except to watch Firefly for a little while as I worked on the blog last night).
There are a ton of other things I wanted to do, and as I wander around everyone else’s blogs I will see even more things that I want to do. So they will just go on the list…which I won’t follow. Bloggiesta, for me, really is nice but three days isn’t long enough for the stuff like SEO and Tags. It’ll take me much longer to figure those out, but I am committed to it. And I’m very excited to use WLW on a blog post when I do one. I think that will end up being my favorite thing I’ve learned once I really get going with it. I spent all of my time doing cosmetic things and cross-posting instead of writing posts because that wasn’t something that I am very behind on.
Thank everyone for their help in answering questions (especially Jacinda) and thank everyone that stopped by and looked at things for me when I asked them to. Y’all are a great community and I’m so glad to be a part of it. Now I’m gonna spend the next few days wandering around looking at everyone else’s blogs post-bloggiesta.
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I’m gonna do it, you guys. I’m gonna do Bloggiesta for real. I’ve thought about it all year and I’m just gonna do it. Why? Because I need to do ALL THE THINGS to my blog and more. Plus all my bloggy friends are doing it and they are always teaching me things so I figure I should learn a thing or two or twenty this weekend.
Here’s the deal: I’m SURE I’m the last person to sign up. But I’m TOTALLY okay with this. I’m sure they’d love to have me!
The Details:
When: March 30 – April 1
What: Spend as much time as you can during this time
working on your blog – your own TO-DO list –
and learn from others in the process
Why: Because I need to and it looks fun. And I need to. Ha!
I’m not exactly sure how many hours I will be able to devote to this, but hopefully my family will help me carve out plenty of time. If not, I’ll shut myself up and disappear for three days. (I’m joking.) I’ll participate as much as I can!
I HATE making lists, but apparently that is one of the goals of this thing. So I will make a list but I’m not sure how well I’ll stick to it. Here goes:
My Bloggy To-Do List:
Make sure all reviews are cross-posted to Goodreads and Amazon.I need some buttons for my blog. Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc. And a blog button wouldn’t hurt.I need to spiffy up my Facebook page BIG TIME and make it work for me.- What the heck is SEO? I’m not even joking. I have TRIED to understand it but DO NOT. Somebody help me!
- Meta Tags? WHAT? That’s another one I don’t know about. Oh dear heavens. I have my work cut out for me this weekend…
- Figure out WLW & thanks to Jacinda from The Reading Housewives, I will probably be a pro at it before the weekend is over.
- I’d love to get a little further ahead in scheduling some stuff, if I can.
- I have an event planned for May (hmmm….) and I need to get some stuff rolling for that.
- ALL THE OTHER THINGS I need to do.
Everyone has started without me, so I’m gonna get going. I’m hopeful, oh-so-hopeful that I’ll come out of this a little smarter about tech-y stuff and a better blogger. I guess we’ll see on the other side of this weekend, right?
About Asheley
Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.
You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.
Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!
I'm in the same boat as you on SEO! That's my big goal for this bloggiesta!
Have you read these posts by April (Good Books and Good Wine)??
http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/2012/03/bloggiesta-mini-challenge-seo.html
http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/2012/03/seo-for-book-bloggers-a-guide.html
(I am determined to learn it!)
-Jac @ For Love and Books
Hey Jac! I HAVE read them, and I have them bookmarked. My problem with SEO mainly is that when people do posts like that – which are AWESOME and WILL BE helpful to me – I think it is probably assumed that the terminology is already known, and in tons of cases it probably is. But I'm not computer savvy, and reading both of those posts was like reading a total foreign language. So for me, I can't go thru April's posts and just set up SEO. It'll take me HOURS because I'll have to learn what ALL THAT STUFF means. THEN go and set it up.
Computer/tech stuff is just one of those things in life that I just cannot grasp the concept of very quickly. Like some people have a hard time with math or physics? Mine is computer stuff and stuff like this. Haha. So I have my work cut out for me. Hopefully this Bloggiesta can help me. I'm determined to learn it too!
You have a good looking list! Hope you have fun! Here's my list!
~Debz @ Debz Bookshelf
Thanks Debz! When I look at my own list, it makes me cringe at all that work! I'll just chip away at it…
SEO gets more simple once you read more and start using it…at least it was that way to me!
Let me know if you need any help with WLW, I'm here for you girl!
Which event is happening in May?!?!?! Can you tell?
Thanks Jacinda, you are so smart with this stuff…
Haha, May = 😉
Good luck with all you hope to accomplish 🙂 I love seeing everyone's goals – and getting ideas for ways I can improve on my own blog.
I did more improvements that WEREN'T on my list than were. But I'm really happy with what I did!
Ugh, Meta Tags and SEO, me too! Saw Books and Wine post on SEO (starred it as well) still wondering about the tags though…
STILL don't get 'em…
It's gonna take a while for this gal.
Go you!
I've done a ton of things but I've still got a ton that I want to do. More bloggiesta on my own, me thinks.
I love the last item on your list. This is pretty much how I feel. Everytime I check something off, I see something else I want to try. And, of course, there's those pesky kids I have to take care of during the day 😉 I figure I'll be visiting the mini-challenge lists long after Bloggiesta is over. Have a great weekend!
I said earlier that I've done more NOT on my list than ON my list. But I'm happy. And I'll keep working after today, so that's good…
I've never heard of SEO!! Enlighten me too!
This whole Bloggiesta thing has seriously been the best thing ever for my blog. I've had the intention of doing ALL THE THINGS to mine for awhile, but never the motivation. I was totally content to coast by on mediocre. Not anymore! (and not only my book blog, but my others as well. It's like a revolution around here this weekend)
I like what you've done with yours…great new buttons! Also, I didn't know you had a FB page. I've liked it! Also added you on Goodreads, because hello, we should totally be friends.
Happy Bloggiesta!
Thanks Ems! I saw you on my facebook page. THAT took forever, working on it. I still have such a long way to go and I'm gonna keep working long after today…
Good luck on finishing up your list today! Your blog looks great! 🙂
Thanks! I love my new design. I am nowhere near finishing up my list today because I still don't understand some of the stuff on it, but I've done a TON of stuff that wasn't on the list, so I'm very happy with the results of bloggiesta for me. But I'm still gonna keep working after today…
You got a lot accomplished! Nice work!
Thank you Shonda!
You've accomplished so much! Way to go! I completely understand the more time issue. We've actually tinkered with the idea of having the event stretch out over a week for that very reason, but I'm not sure my stamina is up for it. :oP
Hopefully you can continue to revisit the challenges on your own and still keep learning. Enjoy and thanks so much for participating in Bloggiesta! We'll see you again in September!
Thank you so much for everything. I've learned so much and am so happy with the results of everything. I'm thrilled to have been a part of it!