Some Favorite Fonts: Part 1

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden I've become utterly obsessed with fonts and all things typography!

I notice gorgeous eye catching fonts everywhere! Magazines, books, posters, stores, packaging- it's kind of all I see! I've even, hehe, said aloud once or twice, "Hey, that's the __________ font!" Oh boy.

What?!?! Who have I become? My husband, that's who. He's obsessed with typography- actually requested (and received) a book for his birthday last year FULL of nothing but 60's and 70's popular fonts. I laughed at him then. Now...I merrily stick my foot in my mouth.

Either that, or I've become a genuine blogger. Yeah, I guess that's more fitting. Bloggers LOVE fonts! The more fonts one has, the merrier! What better way to vamp-up your cute blog post pictures than with some snazzy fonts! And I have a blog. So, according to grade school mathematics:

(Me + Love of Fonts) + Owning a Blog Myself = A Bonafide Blogger

Anyway, now if you're anything like me, you fiend for new fonts. You search the web and Pinterest for any font you can get your hands on. Even more, you giggle with delight at FREE new fonts. Squeal!

Well friend, you're in luck! Luck, I say! Here are some of my favorite fonts- fonts that you most likely have seen time and time again on my blog! Oh, and yeah- they are totally free for all your blog picture bedazzling fun!

Learning Curve // Sketch Block // Simply Glamorous // Sail // Wisdom Script // Matilde // Mailart Rubberstamp // Before the Rain // Marcelle

Blog Tips: Giveaways

No matter what type of blog you have, running giveaways is a great way to gain exposure, followers, and success; especially if you're new to the blogging community.

When I made the move over to the Blogger platform in December and had my new blog design and name reveal in January, I had a huge giveaway that included ad space, products, and gift certificates from other bloggers in the community. I went from having just a handful of followers to over 100 in just a weeks time. But you can't just post a giveaway on your blog and let it sit there hoping people will come and enter. Today I am going to share with you the types of giveaways you can run, who you can get involved, how to run a giveaway, and how to promote it so that not only your giveaway can be successful, but your blog as well.

Types of giveaways/who's involved:

Self Sponsored:

Self sponsoring means that you are the only sponsor/provider of a prize and no one else is involved. Sponsoring your own giveaway can be great if you have product or ad space to offer.  If you have a shop or make your own items/products or have ad space to giveaway you can set your own limits. You can giveaway anything, really! When I co-blogged for Sew Basted I Wanna Purl, we gave away thrifted craft books and purchased craft items, so it doesn't necessarily have to be something you've made. 

Paid Sponsored:

Paid sponsored means that a company, blogger, or person has either given you cash, check, or product/incentive to host a giveaway and will provide in addition to payment a prize for the giveaway. I have hosted several of these and am always happy with the results. These are great because you get to try out product [if thats their form of 'payment'], make new friends, and help out another blogger/comapany/person. But they're even more great because the sponsor will be sharing the giveaway via their social media sites as well so thats double exposure for you! But they're not just giving you something to host a giveaway; typically they want you to write a paid sponsored post on the product or service so be sure to do that when you run the giveaway!

Blogger/Shop Sponsored:

A blogger/shop sponsored giveaway basically means that another blogger or bloggers [or shop owner{s}] is donating ad space, gift cards or product for the giveaway. Typically you will host these with your months sponsors in an effort to gain more followers for yourself as well as your sponsors. Some of your sponsors may just be bloggers, some of them are both a blogger and shop owner so they will donate either ad space or product or both. Some bloggers host this type of giveaway by having all of the sponsors involved donate money toward a gift card. These are my favorite because every blogger out there I follow usually does Target or Starbucks and I am all about both, especially since there is a Starbucks in Target! 

How to run a giveaway:

Plan:

Before you get all gung-ho and publish a giveaway, you need to give it some thought. 

• Why do you want to run a giveaway? 
• Are you wanting to have one because you reached a certain amount of followers? 
• Do you want to host one with your month's sponsors?
• Is a giveaway something you want to do every month? 
• What type of giveaway do you want to run? 
• Self sponsored, paid sponsored, blogger/shop sponsored? 
• Who will you get involved? 
• If its a paid sponsored giveaway you either need to contact the company, blogger or person or maybe they've already contacted you? 
• What are you giving away?  
• Product? Ad space? Supplies? Someone else's product/services?
• How long will the giveaway last?
• How should people enter?
• How many winners?

Once you have a plan, you can start to execute it. Contact anyone you want involved and sort out the details with them. If it's a paid sponsored giveaway, usually the company/blogger/person will give you guidelines. If you have other sponsors, they'll let you know what they can give. But no matter who is involved, you'll need to get information from them.

Entries for the giveaway:

There has to be something that the readers need to do in order to enter the giveaway. You can have them do one thing or ten things; but whatever it is, you need to be sure you're very clear about it. Here are some ideas [and things I've used in the past] for my giveaways:

• Leave a blog post comment [could be anything or specific to the giveaway]
• Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Bloglovin', GFC, Hello Cotton, etc. [and/or any of your sponsors of the giveaway]
• Subscribe to RSS feeds
• Fave their Etsy/Storenvy/Big Cartel shop
• Pin an image or the giveaway

The entries are almost endless depending on the type of giveaway you're having and what you're giving away. If you have a sponsored giveaway, be sure to ask them for any links they want as entries so they can gain the same exposure as you and make it fair for them for sponsoring. 

What to include:

When you have your plan for the giveaway knocked out, all parties involved contacted and info collected, this is what you are going to want to include in your post [typically in this order, though not necessary]:

• Giveaway header image
• Introduction to the giveaway
• People involved [include images of them or their product with captions of who they are or what it is and any links to their blog, social media sites, shop, etc]
• Information on how to enter
• Timeline for giveaway
• Terms & Conditions
• Entry form
• Be sure to thank everyone and wish them luck!

Entry Forms:

I only know of two ways to have people enter a giveaway; by leaving a comment with any information required on that particular post or through Rafflecopter. 

If you're using Wordpress or another blog platform that does not allow you to embed codes into posts you can have entrants leave a comment on the post stating that they've followed you, liked you, etc etc. Then you can use a site like random.org to choose a winner by entering in their names. This is an okay way to have people enter, but I suggest using Rafflecopter. This is why:

Rafflecopter allows you to fill out a form with all of the links and info needed for your entries and gives you a code to embed into the HTML portion of your blog post. When people come to your post to enter the giveaway, they simply follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter form and all information is stored on your account where you can check entries and see that information. Rafflecopter is also awesome because when the giveaway has ended, you're able to have the Rafflecopter form choose, at random, a winner for you and post it on the form which will show up on your post. You can then contact your winner via the information they provided. See, amazing. It practically does all the work for you! Since switching to Blogger, this is the only thing I use for my giveaways. It's free, too!

Promoting your giveaway:

Once you have the post written up, previewed [to make sure everything looks correct and the entry form shows up], and is published, now it's time to put it on blast. There are so many ways to promote your giveaway! 

• Sharing via Google+
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Facebook
• Email
• Instagram
• Giveaway link ups
• Giveaway groups on Facebook
• At the bottom of any following blog post

If any sponsors are involved be sure that they share via their social media sites as well. This is the part that gains you more exposure, followers, and success!! Initially sharing the giveaway is great, but be sure to do it a few times a day, daily, until the giveaway is over. Let all your friends, family, bloggy friends and community know that you're having a giveaway. Have a reminder at the bottom of any blog post you publish after the giveaway, too, so that any new follower who didn't know about your giveaway now does. Promote, promote, promote!

As a blogger we are already promoting ourselves daily so this should be the easy part for you! 

Be sure to make your giveaway fun! Light up your post with bold letters and colors; include photos or giffs; talk highly of your sponsors and anyone involved! 

And well, since I'm writing up a post on running giveaways, we thought it would be fun to run a little giveaway ourselves! All of us contributors here feel that building up the blogging community with unique and original bloggers is super important. With plans of highlighting bloggers in future monthly posts series, what a better way to kick that off by giving away a prize of being a solo featured blogger for May?? 

If you're the winner, we will feature your blog/shop in a post in May with links to up to 4 additional social media sites, a photo of you and/or product you make, as well as a little blurb so that our readers can learn a little bit more about you and go check you out! The giveaway will end Monday, April 29th and the winner will be announced/contacted the next day! The featured post will go up May 6th! Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Thank you for all of your guys' support! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tips: Be Consistent Without Blogging Every Day

One of the most important things in blogging is figuring out a schedule. When you first start your blog, as we have gone over in the past, you should figure out a schedule that works best for you. Over time, as your content changes and grows along with your blog, your schedule may change as well. But you don't have to blog every day, or even every other day, in order to keep your readers engaged and your blog a success. Here I will share with you some tips on how to keep consistent with posts.

Content:

I suggest keeping a blog notebook with you at all times. I carry around one with me in my purse so when I get ideas for a blog post I can jot it down real quick. Making sure that you have a list of ideas for posts can help keep you on top of your blog to make sure you don't run out of content, keeping you consistent.

Blog Schedule:

Whether you have had your blog for years or are just starting out, having a blog schedule is key. You could set the schedule so that you blog [meaning, posts are published or scheduled to publish, on these days] Monday, Wednesday, Friday and have weekends off. Or you could only blog Monday and Friday. Whatever day[s] of the week you plan to have posts published, keep to that schedule. In the above mentioned notebook, you could write next to each idea the day/date you plan to have the post ready by to be published, keeping your ideas for content just as organized as the days you want them to be published on. Once you have your blog schedule figured out, it would be a good idea to write up a post or include in your 'About Me' or 'About this blog' section what days you will have posts for your readers. This will give them a heads up on when they can plan to visit your blog and read new content.

Blog Series:

Many bloggers out there, myself included, have one or two weekly blog series that they do. They could be anything from blog hops to Instagram updates to what you're currently up to. Whatever series you plan to have, be sure to stick with it and publish them on the same days every week. It will give your readers something to look forward to every week to either link up or read and wont leave them hanging when they visit your blog on Monday when your 'Monday Madness' series isn't there. 

Change:

All bloggers grow within their blogs which means content will change and grow as well. Maybe the schedule you set for yourself isn't quite working out for you a year down the road and you may need to blog more or blog less. Making the transition in your schedule can be sudden or subtle, but whatever your approach I suggest giving your readers a little heads up. If your weekly link up is becoming too much for you, but you have dozens of participants, plan to send them an email or in your final link up mention that this week will be the last week and to thank them for their participation and support. Or if you've blogged only two days out of the week and your blog has grown as more ideas pour in, you could give a little reminder at the bottom of your posts that you have more content to offer them or even write up a new post mentioning the growth of your blog. Change in your blogging schedule can be a smooth transition for you and your followers as well. 

Keeping your readers/followers engaged is very important so when you stay consistent you can keep the love and support of them through out your blogging career. You don't have to blog every day to be consistent and as long as your readers know when to visit your blog and you follow through with a post, your blog will flourish and be as successful as you want it to be. 

We would love to come check out your blogs! Leave a link to your blog in the comments below so we can come say hi! Thanks!

How To: Import Blogs From Google Reader to Bloglovin'

Yesterday we shared with you some news about Google Reader and GFC going away soon and that Bloglovin' is around to help! We also mentioned that you can import your blogs from Google Reader in to Bloglovin' without having to manually enter each link. What a life saver! We had some people ask us how to do that so we are going to share the 'how to' with you today.

Step One:

Log in to your Bloglovin' account and go to settings. Scroll down to the 'Import Blogs' button and click that.

Step Two:

Select Google Reader

Step Three:

Confirm importing from Google Reader

Step Four:

Select 'allow access'

Step Five:

You will get a screen like this that shows your importing process

Once it's complete, it will take you back to your Bloglovin' home page and all of your favorite blogs will be there ready for you to read!

How To: Make a Blog Picture Watermark using Photoshop

Watermarking. We've all heard of it- we've even seen it on our beloved bloggers' pictures- but how do they do it?? It's got to be easy, right?

Well it is. 

In these following steps, I am going to show you how to make a basic watermark for all of your blog pictures, using Photoshop (my editing photo program of choice). These steps are for a text-based watermark! Believe me, it looks daunting, but it's rather easy! I promise!!! 

Seriously, if I can do this, ANYONE can. Totes.

1.

Like I stated earlier, we'll be using the Photoshop editing program for this How-To :)

So, open your photoshop program and open a new Document:

File > New

I generally like to start on the bigger side of things, always. It is so much easier to shrink something to the size you need rather than try and blow it up. Once saved small, anything blown up will pixelate and look grainy. So, save big, edit to a smaller size if needed- always.

When creating new watermarks (or any other brush for that matter) I like to open a new Document at 1000x1000 pixels wide. Hit "OK" once done.

2.

Once your new Document is opened, we can begin creating your fancy new text-based watermark!

1. First, select the "Type" tool on the left hand tool bar. 
2. On the top you'll see your "font" box- by clicking that arrow, a menu will drop down and you can scroll through until you find a font you like best!
3. Once you found the font you like, click it!

3.

Next we will need to change the font color- I recommend using white or black to begin with- I usually choose black.

1. On the left hand tool bar click the "Foreground Color Box". A new window will show up.
2. Drag your cursor to your color- again I suggest starting with white or (my preference) black!
3. When color is chosen, click "OK".

4.

Next we will need to pick a font size- I generally like to begin with an 8-10pt font size. We will resize this later.

Just click the menu at the top and find the font size you're comfy with.

5.

Now, in your white Document box, click your cursor somewhere on the left hand side. Make sure that "Type" tool on the left hand menu bar is still clicked.

Start typing your desired watermark text. I'm just going to simply do my blog name- Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe :)

6.

Once finished, click on the "layer 1" box on the right menu to set your text. The box should be highlighted.

7.

Now we will need to resize that text!

1. With your watermark's layer box highlighted (clicked and set) press buttons "command" and "t" at the same time, on your keyboard. If you're using a PC, you'll press buttons "ctrl" and "t". This will create a box around your text for easy resizing (and moving). You can let go of keyboard buttons now :)
2. Again on the keyboard, press and hold the "shift" button. While holing that shift button, drag your cursor to the corner of your box and drag out as far as you can go in your white document. When done, let go of mouse cursor and then "shift". By holding the "shift" button, you can resize your picture/text at an equal proportion. If you do not hold "shift" your text/picture can resize disproportionately. If at any time you mess up, just hit "command" and "z" at the same time (ctrl and z for PC) and it will take you back one step. 
3. Hit enter when sized to your liking. This sets it.

8.

Now we are going to crop our text and get rid of all that extra space.

1. On the left hand menu, click the "crop" tool. 
2. Starting at one corner of your text, drag a box around your text, as close to the actual words as possible, without cutting anything off. You can also bring the sides in manually once this box is created OR push them out a bit if you got too close.
3. When ready, hit "enter" on your keyboard.

Again, remember- if at ANY time you mess up a step- simply hit "command" and "z" on your keyboard at the same time. This will bring you back one step/undo last step :) 

9.

Once cropped, on the top menus, go to:

Select > All

This will select everything you've cropped in your new box/the entire image.

10.

Next, again on those top menus, go to:

Edit > Define Brush Preset

This creates your brush which will become your new text watermark!

11.

A window will pop up asking you to name your new brush. Go ahead and do so :) Hit "OK" when done.

Your watermark brush is now created!

12.

Now for the fun stuff! How to actually use your watermark!

Upload your photo to Photoshop.

1. Then on the left hand menu bar click on the "brush" tool.
2. Next, on the right hand side there will be another little menu, click on "brush". 
3. Scroll through all the possible brushes you can use for future projects ;) until you find your created watermark brush. Look closely! Once found, click it! 

13.

Now...

1. At the bottom right you'll need to click that "create new layer" button again. By doing this you'll make sure you are creating/editing/having fun with only your watermark created.
2. Make sure your new layer is highlighted, if it's not- click it. 

14.

Now "stamp" your watermark wherever you'd like! I stamped mine at the bottom left hand corner- it's hard to see because it's black. 

We'll need to change this watermark to another lighter color for this particular picture. Where I wanted my watermark to be, the picture had a lot of dark colors- so black won't work. Remember- because my "foreground color" box shows black, when I "stamp" my watermark it is going to show up black.

With watermark layer still highlighted, go to:

Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation

15.

 A window will show up allowing you to change that watermark color!

1. Play around with those 3 arrows! By moving them left and right you'll see you can choose from a variety of colors! For my watermark, I simply want white. To do so just move that bottom arrow all the way to the right- or until it says "+100".
2. Viola!

16.

Remember, if you need to move your watermark around, or resize it you can do so by simply pressing "command" and "t" at the same time on your keyboard when your watermark layer is highlighted. Holding "shift" and dragging any corner allows you to resize it, and clicking in the center of your box and dragging around allows you to move it around!

When done, hit "enter"on your keyboard.

Neat right?! 

Once you get this technique down, make sure you play around! There are so many lovely things you can discover, like making a multiple font watermark or image watermark. This is also a great way to make a custom brush for arrows, little banners, fun shapes, etc.

If you have an image you like, you can skip to steps 9 on and basically make the same thing. Just make sure your background of your image is transparent. Making one from scratch on Photoshop will do that for ya!

Got questions? Need help? We're here to help! Just email us and we'll get you back on track in no time!

Blog Tips: Promoting Your Blog by Joining Blog Hops

  Promoting your blog is one of the best things you can do to attract followers. There are so many ways to do so, a lot of which we have already covered. One in particular is joining Blog Hops. Blog Hops (or Link Ups) are a blog link up hosted by one or many bloggers and is usually set on a certain day of each week, where other bloggers can come link up their blog with the chance of other bloggers hopping back to their site. A pretty simple concept to get your blog noticed by others, and it's basically like free advertising every week.

Rules

 Each Hop host might have a certain set of guidelines that need to be followed, which are pretty easy to follow through with. Most will have you Tweet out about the hop, away to attract other bloggers to come join in. They will also ask you to make sure you follow all the Hosts and/or Co-Hosts involved with that particular link, kind of like a "thank you" for hosting. And of course, what is a hop with out going to check out the others who have linked up. Some of these hops can attract HUNDREDS lovely bloggers to link up, some of which my stop by blog as well. So be sure to check out others, even leave a friendly comment letting them know you found them through "such and such blog hop" and you are stopping by to say hello. (Please don't ask for a return follow; I think we have covered that one already). Pretty simple rules. Some might ask for more or less, each hop is different and unique in itself.

Types of Hops

 If you have never joined a hop before, you might be asking yourself "Is a blog hop right for my blog??" The answer is yes! There are different types of hops out there, all pertaining to different aspects of blogging! So might be for your blog while others not. The best part is, there are so many to choose from.

GFC Hops: These hops are geared towards Blogger blogs that have GFC followers (Google Friend Connect). They are open to all blogs that use GFC (mainly those through Blogger). Here are a couple examples to check out:

• The GFC Collective: Starts every Sunday night 
• The GFC Hop: Starts every Monday

DIY/Creative/Craft &/or Food Hops: If you do a lot of DIY/Crafts or share recipes, then these hops are for you. Not only is it a great way to promote your blog, but also a great way to feature your latest project on your blog. These hops with ask you to link up a specific post from your blog, not a direct link to your blog. Here are some examples:

• Create & Inspire: Starts every Friday
• What I Whipped Up Wednesday: Starts Wednesday
• Whatever Whenever Wednesday: Starts Wednesday

Fashion/Style Hops: If you share those "What I Wore" outfit posts, then these hops are right up your alley. The blogs that host these hops with host them once a week. They will show you their outfit(s) for the week and then will invite you to link up you outfit post as well. Here are some:

• Style Sessions: Start on Tuesdays
• What I Wore Wednesday: Start every Wednesday 
• Casual Friday Link Up: Every Friday
• Sunday Style: Every Sunday

Social Media Blog Hops: These hops are not only for your blog, but for social media too. They will have you not only hop to the linked up bloggers blog, but also whatever social outlet they have linked up as well. Examples:

• Instagram & Vine Hop: Every Tuesday

Misc. Hops/Link Ups: These hops fall under various categories. They will have you link up a heart-felt post, things that are on your mind, VLOGS, etc.
Examples:

• Random Wednesday: Every Wednesday
• It's the Little Things: Every Friday
• Coffee Date: Every Friday

That's just a short list of the different types of hops or link ups out there. There are hundreds that go on through out the week.

 The hosts of these hops and link up also like a little recognition on your blog as well. Whether it be linking back to their blog in your particular post, putting up a their button up some where on your side bar, or you can create a separate page (so your side bar doesn't get cluttered) and put all the Hops and Link Ups you join on that special page and label in "Linky Party" "Link Ups" or "Blog Hops" just so those that want to see what link ups you join every week can see the list of them.

 Now that you are hopping, you might even have the urge to start your own Blog Hop. GO YOU!! It's a great way to meet new bloggers and for long lasting blog friendships!!

 Do you have a Blog Hop or Link Up that you either Host or Join that wasn't mentioned?? Leave us the name and link of it in the comments below.

Blog Tips: Promote Your Posts

Writing a blog post usually doesn't take 10 minutes and then you're done, ready to publish. Typically you spend hours writing it up, finding or making graphics, uploading and positioning photos. Sometimes a post develops over a couple of days. So when you hit publish, you want to make sure that you're getting the most out of your blog post - the most out of all that work - by promoting it as much as you can. I'll show you a few ways to do that to gain maximum exposure. 

Tagging - You want to make sure that before you even publish your post that you have tagged it appropriately. Take key words from your post, title, and subject and use them as tags. One word tags are best, as they keep it general and not too specific. The more specific you get the harder it is for your post to come up later. Most blogging platforms let you search for blog posts related to specific tags, which opens your posts to the entire blogging community. Not just that, but tags allow your posts to get exposure in Google searches. The more popular your posts get, the higher up on the search list they become. This is the biggest and best way to promote your posts.

Google+ - The first thing you're going to want to do after you hit publish {if you have Blogger and it  prompts automatically} is to share it with your Google+ peeps. When I hit publish on any of the blogs I write, a little box will pop up with a comment form for me to write a brief description of my post and who I want to share it with on Google+. I just fill that out and hit share. The people in my circles will get a notification that I shared a post with them and they'll go and check it out. If you have Blogger and that little box doesn't automatically pop up, head on over to your posts section and underneath the post you just wrote click 'share' and that box will pop up. What's great about sharing on Google+ is that Blogger makes it very easy for you to spread your posts to the people in your circle. It's almost effortless because there is no copying and pasting links. If you don't have Blogger, but are on Google+, simply head on over to your Google+ profile and share the post on your 'wall'. Everyone in your circle will see your update and will check out your post. 

Twitter - Once you've shared on Google+, you're going to want to share with your Twitter friends too. The best way to do this is to head on over to your posts and underneath the one you just wrote click 'view' and a new tab will open with that post. Scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on the Twitter share button. It will automatically share your post title with the link without you having to copy and paste anything. We like effortless, don't we? If you don't have that option of sharing at the bottom of each post, simply log in to Twitter and paste the link URL and share. If your Tweets are automatically shared on your Facebook wall, then great! One less step for you to promote your post.

Facebook - You can share on either your personal Facebook wall to let all your friends know about this awesome recipe you just put together or if you have a Facebook page for your blog, share it there. Or you can share on both accounts. My posts are promoted on both my personal and my blogs' pages so that my posts get maximum exposure. Your friends might get a little tired of seeing it on your personal page, but hey; they're your friends! They should support you, right? 

Pinterest - If your posts consist of images and/or graphics at least half of the time, you should create a board for your blog on Pinterest. We have one for B.You {a group board} that we each pin to that gets a lot of exposure. What is great about Pinterest and promoting your posts on it is that your pinned image for your post can get seen by not just the people following you, but by the entire Pinterest public as well with two ways; repins and your descriptions. Lets say you write a blog post about a recipe for a crock pot apple pie {does this exist, cause if it does I am soooo making it!}. You write up the post and include a photo graphic to pin and pin it to your blog board. In the pins description you write 'B.You: Easy Crock Pot Apple Pie Recipe'. Someone hops on Pinterest and searches either 'easy crock pot recipes' or easy apple pie recipes'; your pin will come up. People will check it out, love it and repin it. The more repins it gets, the more popular it becomes and the more exposure it will get. And chances are that if someone has taken the step to visit your pin, they're going to check out the rest of your blog too. 

Instagram - So, remember that awesome post you wrote about an easy crock pot apple pie recipe? Take that photo graphic and share it on Instagram. Write a comment saying something like 'Shared this easy apple pie crockpot recipe today on the blog! Check it out! (Link in profile) #crockpotrecipe #applepierecipe #food #byou #foodblog #desserts'... you get the picture. Your friends are going to see it, they're going to want to check it out, maybe even share it and recommend it to their friends. And all those hashtags you used? People who don't follow you will find your photo, like it, then head on over to your blog post to check it out. I've gained a lot of followers and views on Chevron Stitches just by using hashtags in my photos. It's like 'tagging' on your blog posts, but for pictures. 

Digg, Delicious, and Reddit - These bookmarking sites are great to promote your posts on because like Google search, your posts becomes open to the public searching for related posts. Submit each post and you will start seeing your traffic pick up within just a few days. 

Contacts - Belong to a group on Facebook that is a community of bloggers and networkers? Share your post on the wall. Have a list of blog contacts? Send out an email with your latest blog post to them and ask them what they think. Add your latest blog post to the signature of your email. Are a part of a blogging community like the Better Blogger Network or Networked Blogs or Blog Catalog? Share your post with your friends or exchange links with other bloggers. 

Other Blogs - Maybe you have a chance to guest post on another blog; share a post from your blog on theirs linking back to your blog. Another way to promote with other blogs is by commenting on relevant blog posts linking back to your post. Remember to keep it genuine and authentic - that blogger isn't going to want to visit your blog if you sound fake. 

Other Websites - There are websites out there that will allow you to submit your blog for their visitors to see. Amazon, IFITT, Alltop, Syndic8, and Demand Studios are examples of websites that allow submissions of blogs and posts to be distributed and shared with other websites. Amazon will even pay you if someone reads what you have submitted through their Kindle Vendor section! I highly recommend visiting these sites and checking them out as a way to promote your posts. You could also search for 'syndicate websites for bloggers' and a whole list will come up with other websites to submit your blogs on. Remember to also visit those blog network sites to gain a following like the ones mentioned above in the contacts section as well as Bloglovin'!

It might seem like a lot and incredibly overwhelming, but you don't have to utilize every single option here. More than half of these options have scheduling posts, updates, etc available which will give you more time to brainstorm more posts! 

Check back soon as we will share with you how to schedule posts, updates and more or multiple social media websites! 

Blog Tips: Social Media

 So you have your blog up and running. Your followers are slowly trickling in, slower than you might like but they are there. I am sure you are wondering, "How do I get my blog out for all to see??!" Well this is where Social Media comes in. Don't be scared, social media will be come your partner in crime in this blogging world! It's time to embrace it and use it to your advantage. I like to think of social media as free advertisement in away, you just have to know how to use it to receive it's full benefits.

 I will share some tips and tricks for a few of the major social media outlets that are out there and how you can use them to gain more traffic to your lovely blog.

Facebook
 We all know about Facebook, unless you live under a rock of course. If you haven't already, you should get yourself a Facebook Fan Page. Yes, you now have FANS! Creating a page for your blog is a great way to help share with others your posts and direct traffic back to your blog. But it is also a way for you to stay connected with your readers, where you can ask questions, share fun things/ideas and such.

When you get to this create a page section, you want to use the Brand or Product section. You will then select Website in the drop down window and then type in your blog name in the allowed area, agree with the Facebook terms and TADA! You have a fan page. From there Facebook guides you through how to get it all set up: how to post, invite friends to be fans, update information, add a picture and cover photo, etc.

 I suggest that you keep the same design scheme you have on your blog over on you Facebook page.  If your blog and Facebook page look completely different, it might be confusing and your readers might not think they even go together, which might mean less followers. Use the same photo you have on your blog as your profile picture, if they see your photo they will automatically connect the 2. Also, try and have your blog header as your cover photo. You can easily do this through PicMonkey:

 You can arrange the photos to your liking, until you think it reflects the look on your blog. Then plug it in on your fan page. PicMonkey's FB Cover is perfect, because the size is perfect so your image wont look wonky or distorted once you have uploaded it.
 Now you can start sharing your page to share all your posts. Just copy and past the post's URL link into your status area. I like to give my new posts a brief description with something to draw the reader in to want to read more, but don't give to much away, that's what the entire blog post is for. Once you start gaining more fans, you can start interacting with them more. Stuck on what to write for a new blog post, ask them a question and get feedback, this is a great way to get your brain going.
 When you are logged into you fan page account (not your personal) go and like other blog's fan pages, and comment on their pages with your blog account. It's a great way for not only the other bloggers to see you have a page, but also for those bloggers fans to see it too. Which then will direct traffic to your Facebook page, which will eventually mean back to your blog. Win/Win situation!

Twitter
 Twitter is probably one of the best known social media tools used by bloggers. It's another great way to stay connected and follow all your favorite blogs. When starting up a Twitter account or if you already have one, you want your Twitter handle to go with your blog (just like your Facebook page). The nice thing about if you already have an account, you can easily change it to match your blogs name. If they already know your blog name, when they go to interact with you via Twitter they will automatically think to type in your blog name. So if it's different, they may have a hard time finding you or even just remembering what it is. For example: My blog name is Antlers & Roses so my Twitter handle is @antlersandroses.
 Like I mentioned above with keeping the same design going on your Facebook page, you're going to want to do the same on Twitter too. Since starting my Twitter account a few years back, they have made some great changes which allows you to design your profile page.

 I used my header as my background and the same photo that I have on my blog. You can then plug in your blog address to link it all back to your blog, home base!
 Now when sharing your posts, I have found that using Bitly to shorten my URL posts is the best method. Not only does it shorten your link and help you track clicks, but it leaves you more room to add more info with in that 140 character window. If you don't use Bitly, definitely check it out.
 Of course interaction with others on Twitter is always a must. I pop on through out the day to see what's new and reply back to those who have caught my attention. I have made new "friends" on Twitter by just browsing and checking out what's "happening" in the world of Twitter, which then led me to find their blogs and in turn them following mine.
 Another great thing on Twitter is you can do fun shout outs to either your followers or to those who have ad spaces on your blog (if you are doing them). Most of them that I have noticed tend to fall on a Friday, Follow Friday. Use the hash tag #FF and tag all of those wonderful blogs who you want to show some love too! Now of course you can do this any day of the week, not just Friday. We all love getting special shout outs when it's unexpected too.

Pinterest
 Pinterest, the best thing since sliced bread! Or as my Husband likes to call it, a ridiculous waste of time (he's obviously never used it before!) Pinterest is the best way to keep all those projects that are floating around the web organized and in one easy accessible spot. I am sure you have tons of boards for various things; DIY, Food, Fashion, Hair & Make Up, Organizing... The list can go on and on really. Now it's time to use Pinterest to your advantage!
 If you don't already have a special board for you blog alone, then you need to! I have mine named after my blog itself which keeps it pretty easy to find when pinning and those that are following that board know that that board contains posts directly from my blog. When ever you have a new post that you feel is "Pin Worthy" go ahead and pin it to your blog board! I usually title with with "New Post" and a brief description for it too. Now what I also do, that I have seen that some others don't agree with, is I post it to other boards it applies to. Say it's a DIY post then I will also pin it to my DIY board. If it contains some good information as well, I will also pin it to my Good To Know board as well. Some say that this is Pinterest spam, and that no one wants to see the same pin pinned 5 different times. But most of the time those that are following you, aren't following all your boards. Say you only pin that DIY project only onto your Blog board and there are say 20 people who only follow your DIY board and don't follow your Blog board, then you are missing out sharing this post with those 20 people. It's all a matter of opinion on how much to pin or not. Use your own judgement.

Instagram
 Instagram is probably one of my MOST favorite of all Social Media! I am constantly on there posting pictures of the kids, what's new, the typical outfit post, and of course information on new blog posts! Yes, use Instagram to share your blog posts! Now of course you're going to want to get your Instagram account to mesh with all of your other media outlets. Same picture, add your blog URL, you know the drill. I find it's best to post what best reflects your blog. So I blog about family, creative projects, fashion outfits, home life. So I try make sure my photos reflect that.
 Now like I mentioned, you can also share your blog post through your Intsagram photos. Most of the posts I share from my blog have pictures in them. So I get on my blog through Safari and save the picture I want to share. Then load it on to Instagram with a brief description and then let those know who are viewing the picture that I have a link to my blog in my profile.
Example:

Also, if you haven't started using Hash Tags yet, you need to start. Hash tags are key words used for searching specific things. As you can see I used the hash tags #blog #blogger #blogpost #blogging #antlersandroses When some one is searching these hash tags on Instagram (and/or Twitter) this photo will be in the list of results. Which then leads them to see that I have a link for them to check out (my blog). If your profile is private however, hash tags will not benefit you because your account is private and photos cannot be viewed by those who are searching.
 Sometimes you might write up a post that doesn't contain a photo. So how do you share that you have a new blog post?? Take a photo that you feel reflects that post. You can get really creative with it too, something that is eye catching always draws in those who want to find out more about the photo.

 I think I covered the basics to getting started with Social Media. There really is no right or wrong way to go about it. It's really about what works for you. Don't be scared to follow others and interact by commenting or "liking". It's all about getting your foot in the door to get you and your blog out there and noticed! And now that you have all your media accounts set up, you can create Media buttons for your blog that will direct  followers to which ever social media you are using. We can share all that in a different post!

If there was a topic that pertains to Social Media that wasn't talked about but you would like to know more or you just have questions you would like answered, feel free to leave a comment below!

Blog Tips: Blog Button Etiquette

Last week I shared with you how to make a blog button. Today I would like to share a little more in depth on that blog button so you can get the most out of it and make it look good, not lame. 

The first thing you need to keep in mind when you make/design your button is that it is a form of advertisement for your blog. Much like the billboards you see when driving on the freeway or picture ads in the magazines when you flip through them, your button is an image that is selling your blog. You want to make a button or two that represents your blog and you, so of course you want it to be the best. And remember that your button will be hanging out on someone's sidebar so making something that looks good is beneficial. 

There are thousands upon thousands of blogs out there all with their own design in mind. That means that their sidebars are different than that of another blogs size-wise and their vision for the size ads they choose to display are different, too. When I visit a blog and have finished catching up on my weekly reads, I head on over to their sidebar to check out their sponsors. Many times when scrolling through the ads I have come across a button that is smooshed and out of proportion. And that, right there, makes me not want to visit that blog; because it is not appealing nor attractive to me. So when you go out seeking to sponsor a blog, please pay attention to their size options. You may have made a button that is 300x300, but the spot you're looking to sponsor is a 300x150 size. Do not upload or submit a button that is not the ad spots actual size! 

So lets say this is the button you have:

300x300 size

But the ad spot you are wanting to purchase is 300x150. This is what your button will look like if you do not adjust it's proportions before uploading:

300x150 size

Is that attractive? Is that button going to make you want to visit the blog? No. It may make you stop and stare for a moment, but I would just be shaking my head. You do not want a button like that representing your blog. For me, it doesn't say much about the person who submitted that button in the first place. Yes, blogging takes up a lot of time and who wants to mess around with making new buttons in the first place? But when you really think about it, blogging isn't just about sitting behind your screen typing away; it's about social networking and getting yourself out there too. And advertising your blog is the biggest way to do that. So why not take some time to alter your button before you upload and submit? {P.S. The way to do that with a button like above is to simply remake it using the tutorial I gave you to the exact proportions}.

Now, if you have a picture for a button that you would like to submit:

300x300 size

But the ad spot you are wanting to purchase is 300x150. This is what your button will look like if you do not adjust it's proportions before uploading:

300x150 size

Though that looks absolutely hilarious, that is only what it will look like; a joke. So unless you're advertising for MADtv, you want to avoid doing this. How you ask? There are two ways and they're both pretty simple.

Open your image in PicMonkey or Pixlr {or any other photo editing program}. Select crop and crop your image to half the image size in height. So the original button image is 300 {width} x 300 {height} you'll crop the height in half which will make it look like this {depending on where your cropped area is}:

300x150 size

Another way that you can crop your image to the size you want is to crop the original photo that would be proportionate of a 300x150 size {ie: 600x300 or 850x425}. Original photo:

650x650 size

And here is it cropped to proportion:

650x325 size

Now that you have cropped the original photo to proportion, resize it to 300x150 {be sure to check 'keep proportion'}:

300x150 size

And once your photo is cropped to its size, you can then decorate it with your blog name and maybe a cute label or two to really make it your own {how to do this is found in the tutorial from last week}. You will then have a button that you can feel proud to hang out on another bloggers sidebar!

Making these simple adjustments take just a few minutes, are free, and very simple to do and they will benefit you and your blog in the long run. 

Oh and one last thing; if you are a blogger and are reviewing your paid sponsors before approving their ads and you see a smooshed up button... please, please send them a quick email to have them submit a proportionate button before you can approve it. There is no harm in asking because they may look a little silly for submitting one, but you'll look pretty silly approving and displaying one as well. I know that I like my ads on my sidebar to look proportionate and pretty; I'm sure you do too! 

If you need help making a blog button, resizing a blog button, or any other type of advertising/sponsorship help at all, please leave us a comment below or send us an email at b.you.blog@gmail.com.