answers: blogging.
several of you asked some questions about blogging. even though i've been at this for a year, i still have A LOT to learn, that said, here's a little wisdom i've picked up along the way:
advice for a new blogger?
the two things i did to get started (super basic) were find the right platform & figure out what i wanted to blog about:
there are a lot of platforms out there and the only one i've tried is squarespace, but i LOVE it. i had never done anything except go to a website/blog when i started t&f (i could barely upload photos on snapfish or use facebook properly!). the platform is sooo easy to use. squarespace does cost money (a lot of platforms, like blogger, are free), but it's not super expensive, and for me, it's been so worth it. the customer service is AMAZING. finally, i made this decision by finding some blogs i loved, noticed they were squarespace, and looked into it. the best part is, i was able to get up and running really quickly, but i've learned so much along the way. i still have a lot of things i'd love to figure out and am excited to continue to improve t&f in 2011.
what i wanted to blog about (as you can tell...) has been more of a journey. i have and probably always will, blog about about a lot of things: marriage, arts & crafts, travel, recipes, thoughtful gifts, good books & being a military wife. that said, what i've tried to do, is find my voice. and that's been the hardest part. how do i make this an authentic space that's worth your time and my time? for me, t&f has been an incredible blessing because it has been accountability to have time for creativity and intentionality in my life. i have cherished exchanging emails with readers and each of your comments. it makes this big old world feel a little smaller.
finally, i'd highly recommend setting up google analytics right away. squarespace gives me great metrics, but nothing like the detail you can get with google analytics. i only look at it once a month or so, but it's incredibly helpful.
how do you keep yourself organized when it comes to entries and links?
haha, wish i was better at both those things, but am so glad it seems like i am! i have a giant running sticky note on my imac about things i want to blog about & go there when i need a little inspiration. that said, this blog has also taken on the rhythm of our lives. where we're traveling. what we're eating. what i'm reading. so often times, i just sort of know what i want to blog about. i find the links for a post as i'm writing it. for the links i do in my happy weekend posts, i use google reader and "star" posts i want to highlight. i LOVE google reader.
how do you attach links to your blog ... when you can just click on a word in your text and it will take you to a new page?
that's a function that is super easy within squarespace (you click the link button & then go to "more options" to check the box next to "open link in new page"), but i'm pretty sure it's different within each platform.
one other thing it took me a while to figure out, the "linked within" function my blog & lots of others (the three posts beneath each post) is actually a program that is SO easy to use. you set it up and then it automatically does it for every post! go here to learn more.
what is your favorite part of writing this blog?
i'm going to talk a lot more about this next week on t&f's one year anniversary, but in short, it's so amazing to have this way to share the big and small moments in our lives. it's made us more likely to take photographs, reflect, think more intentionally about how we spend our time & ensure life doesn't get too busy for really important things like blueberry picking and weeknight mini date nights. and then, just when i think it doesn't get any better, i get an email from one of you or read a comment that totally makes my day.
thoughts Wed, January 19, 2011 at 12:04 PM
Reader Comments (4)
thank you for the tips!!
I really loved this ANSWERS post. It made me think twice about blogging, and I found myself nodding along as I read your words. OH, and I learned a thing or two! Thank you :)
this is great - awesome idea with the tips
(and i like that you're using squarespace - too many people on blogger and wordpress!)
Love this. Especially the what-is-your-favorite-part part. :)