Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – I

10th Apr 202010th Apr 2020 | Suzi Stamp

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Todays Blogging from A-Z letter is I, which in my A-Z of Blogging stands for Ideas and Instagram.

Ideas. Every blogger no matter what stage they are at in their blogging journey will have times when ideas flow really easily and other times where you think you will never have an idea for your blog again. I like to keep a notebook to hand and jot down any ideas that I may have, no matter how small they are. You can get ideas for your blog from so many different sources, I like to read news articles, books and other blogs but have got ideas from searching Google or Pinterest for different challenges and prompts too.

Instagram. Instagram, the photo-sharing, storytelling social media site can be used in so many ways by bloggers and it is really up to you how you utilise it alongside your blog. Some ways you can use Instagram are promoting your blog posts, giving your audience a glimpse into your life, doing challenges and adding them to your “story” such as the 30 Day Song Challenge, running competitions and giveaways, interacting with your followers and seeing what they are interested in and communicating with them in a different way. I love using Instagram to share bits of my life, outfits and things I am doing that may not get shared on the blog. (You can find me on Instagram here).

How do you generate ideas or use Instagram? I’d love to know, or any other thoughts you have on my topics for “I” so let me know in the comments!

Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – H

9th Apr 20208th Apr 2020 | Suzi Stamp

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The letter for today’s Blogging from A-Z Challenge is H which stands for HTML, Hosting and Housekeeping.

HTML. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is used to control how most web pages appear, from things like colour, font, margins, paragraphs, spacing and a whole ton of other things. A lot of bloggers will never really need to understand much about HTML other than copying and pasting certain bits of HTML code into their blog so that things can appear when viewed by the audience. Occasionally, adding in HTML will bring up errors but they can be easily fixed by doing a Google search on the error or asking in a forum dedicated to HTML coding.

Hosting. Hosting is where your blog is housed, where all the files are stored and where all the technical “background” things are looked after for you. There are 2 ways to get hosting for your blog, either through a dedicated blog platform (such as WordPress.com or Blogger for example) or you can self-host and take care of all the technical aspects yourself (such as through WordPress.org). Depending on your level of technical expertise and the amount of time you have should be the main factors in which you choose. I have my blog hosted through WordPress as I like to know that I have support from the WordPress team should anything go wrong. There are lots of pros and cons to self-hosting vs hosted and you should weigh them all up when making the decision.

Housekeeping. Housekeeping or blog admin (I like to call it Blogmin!) is all the things that you do on a weekly or monthly basis to keep your blog running smoothly and looking the best for visitors. Blogmin things include checking that all posts appear in the same format – things such as how and where images are placed, headings, paragraphs, that all links work as they should, that each post has been categorised and tagged properly and that the text used is legible and big enough.

What are your thoughts on HTML, Hosting and Housekeeping? I’d love to read about them so let me know in the comments!

Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – G

8th Apr 202028th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

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Today’s letter for the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge is G. G in my series for this challenge, the A – Z of Blogging stands for Goals, Graphics and Guest Posts.

Goals. Goals differ from blogger to blogger and can depend on many different factors including how long you have been blogging for. If you are setting yourself any kind of goal it is useful to follow the “SMART” rules – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Breaking down your goal like this gives you an idea of how you will meet that goal. There is no point in saying, for example, that you want to reach 1000 followers and then do nothing about it aside from post to your blog once in a while, you need to think about what you can do to make that goal reality, how you will get there when you want to reach that goal and if you can do it in that timeframe that you want. Getting 1000 followers in a month maybe attainable if you have been blogging for years and gain a few hundred followers a week, but as a new blogger, you need to be realistic and set a goal of maybe 10 followers in a month then increase the number of followers you would like month on month. My advice is to be realistic and re-assess each month how your goals are going and re-adjust the figures and your strategies accordingly.

Graphics. Graphics are images that are added into a blog post or to parts of your blog, such as your blog banner and should always be legible and fit with the theme of your blog or the post you are writing. You can use images you have taken, create graphics using software or add in stock images. Most bloggers will add at least one graphic to a block of text to draw in the reader’s interest, illustrate what the post is about and to add in a break in between a lot of text. There are a few simple rules when using graphics, that they are relevant, good quality and add to the text. If the graphics don’t make sense to the text, don’t use them, graphics are not always necessary.

Guest Post. A guest post is a post that you write for someone elses blog or that you invite other bloggers to write for your blog. This kind of post is usually asked for by the person who owns the blog and, should you be asked or chosen to write a post will usually follow a topic of the blog owners choice. If you want to find bloggers who are looking for guest posters I would search for tags such as #guestposterswanted on Twitter or other social media sites. Guest posts are a brilliant way to build backlinks (Which I spoke about here), reach new audiences, build connections and networks.

Do you have any other blogging terms for the letter G? Or do you have any thoughts on Goals, Graphics or Guest Posts? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – F

7th Apr 20206th Apr 2020 | Suzi Stamp

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Todays Blogging from A-Z letter is F and in my A-Z of Blogging, F stands for Facebook, Followers and Forward Planning.

Facebook. Facebook is a brilliant tool for promoting your blog posts to friends and family. It is also a useful tool to find other bloggers groups where you can share your blog posts or ask questions, find help and support or other like-minded bloggers to network with.

Followers. Followers are the readers who like your blog and want to keep up with all of your blog posts. Most blogging platforms have an option to follow a blog and new posts from the blogs that are followed will appear in a separate place along with other blogs that they follow. While followers are a brilliant thing to have, it is worth remembering not to get too hung up on how many followers you do or don’t have, many people may not use a blogging platform and just save your URL to their favourites on their computer and visit you that way.

Forward Planning. Forward planning is an essential part of blogging for many bloggers. Forward planning enables you to plan what you are going to write and when it will be published to your blog allowing you to spread your blog posts over the month. All you need is a diary or a spreadsheet that is set up like a calendar where you can jot down ideas for posts against the dates you would like them to appear. I like to use a spreadsheet as I can place ideas against dates and move them about if I decide to write something else for that day.

What are your thoughts on Facebook, followers and forward planning? I’d love to hear them so let me know in the comments!

Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – C

3rd Apr 20203rd Apr 2020 | Suzi Stamp

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Today’s Blogging from A-Z letter is C which, in my A-Z of Blogging means Call To Action, Categories, Comments and Costs.

Call to Action. A call to action is something that you add at the end of a blog post and asks your readers to do something, This action could be “pop over to my Instagram account and follow me to see what I have been up to” or “let me known what you think of this post in the comments”. It is something that you can use to interact with your readers and build up rapport. If you want people to comment or follow you on other social media channels, or to subscribe to a mailing list it is worth including a call to action in your blog posts.

Categories. Most blogging platforms allow you to add categories and tags to a blog post, I will be talking about tags later in this series so for now, I shall focus on categories. I like to think about categories as an index system which allows readers to find other posts related to that category, whether it is “recipes” or “gardening tips”. Categories help your reader to stay on your site for longer and read posts related to certain topics. If a reader likes the post they have just read they can easily find other posts on the same topic if you add categories to each post you share.

Comments. Comments are a brilliant way to engage with your readers and allow you to work out whether the things you post are having an impact. They allow the reader to voice an opinion and let you know what they think about the topic you have covered. When leaving a comment on another blog it is worth keeping in mind a few things – always be courteous, keep your comments relevant to the post and do not spam with “follow me”, “read my blog” or any other irrelevant comments. I, personally, delete any comments that are not relevant to the post or my blog especially any “read my blog” comments as I don’t want my readers to be bombarded with anything that isn’t relevant to my post.

Cost. Blogging can cost you thousands, or it can cost you nothing at all but it depends on what you want to do with your blog that matters most. I pay for my .com web address and also for having a premium plan on WordPress. If you are a hobby blogger then it may be worth just having the free services to start with then decide if you would like any extras that other plans can provide you. My advice would be to start off with a free service and test it out before committing to a paid plan if you would like any other services. I also pay for Canva which is a graphics software app that allows you to create banners, social media images and other things which can be useful blogging tools to add colour and pictures to your blog and social media feeds. But, it is ok to blog for free, just remember that it is your space and you can do with it what you like, and just because it is free it doesn’t make you any less of a good blogger just like spending lots of money on a blog doesn’t automatically make you a good blogger.

Do you have any thoughts, comments or additions to the letter C of my A-Z of Blogging? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Blogging from A-Z – A-Z of Blogging – B

2nd Apr 202028th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

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Today’s Blogging from A-Z Challenge Blogging from A-Z Challenge is all about the letter B, and in my A-Z of Blogging, B stands for Backlinks, Blog Challenges, Bloggers Block and Breaks.

Backlinks. Backlinks are nifty “mentions” by other websites who provide a link back to your blog and are used by places like Google to rank your website and helps them to decide whether your site is trustworthy. A really good way to get mentions and link backs to your site is to take part in things like Awards (you can check out my post yesterday to read about what awards are) as, usually, with these awards, you thank the person that gave you the award before completing the tasks set for the award. By paying these awards forward you can start to build-up backlinks. The best kind of backlinks to get are from bigger, trusted websites so look for opportunities where you might be able to write a guest post or an interview for them (I was featured on Mind who have provided me with a link back to my blog).

Blog Challenges. There are several different blog challenges, this one I am currently taking part in, Blogtober which takes place in October and Blogmas are the main ones that I try to take part in. Other bloggers try to take part in NaNoWriMo which is the National Novel Writing Month. Blog challenges can be both a blessing and a curse, there are many positives about undertaking a challenge – they push you to write nearly every day, help your writing skills, let you be more creative with your blog, give new ideas a try. There are some downsides too if you are not used to writing everyday challenges can push you to your limits in terms of the amount of time it can take up. it can be intense and sometimes it can lead to things like burn out. Before starting any challenge it is best to sit down and think about the topics you want to cover and the sort of things you want to write about and whether you can commit to it timewise. But, they re fun and you meet some other lovely bloggers along the way.

Bloggers Block. Bloggers block is much like writers’ block, you want to write but just end up sitting and staring at a blank screen for hours with this white noise fuzz in your head, and it is not fun, especially if you have a schedule and the pressure to produce something. One way to avoid writers’ block is to always have a notebook or a note on your phone where you write down any ideas that you may have for future blog posts, it doesn’t matter if these never get written or the list ever read, but having a list is a great fall back to have if bloggers block strikes.

Breaks. Taking a break from your blog every now and again is a really good idea, we all get some kind of annual leave allowance with our jobs which allow us to relax, recoup and re-energise ourselves and a break from blogging should be treated in much the same way. If you are forever working on your blog and not really getting where you want it is probably a good time to schedule a blog break where you can step away and disengage yourself for a bit. Taking a break can help you to re-think your blogging strategy and re-energise yourself, give you time to think and come up with fresh ideas. Taking a break should be encouraged and is never a bad thing.

What are your thoughts on backlinks, blog challenges, bloggers blocks and breaks? I’d love to hear your thoughts or any other “B”s that you could think of so leave me a comment!

April Blogging from A to Z Challenge

4th May 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

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The April Blogging from A to Z Challenge is now over and incase you missed the posts I had written for the challenge here is the full series. If you click on the letter it ~~will~~ should take you directly to that post!

How did you all get on with the challenge? Did you enjoy my posts? Please let me know in the comments!!!

AtoZ2019E — E is for Evening Skincare Routine

AtoZ2019M — M is for Morning Skincare Routine

AtoZ2019P — P is for Planning a Crafternoon

Z is for Zodiac

30th Apr 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today marks the last day of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and with that sees this post cover the last letter, Z, and the topic I have chosen is Zodiac.

I have always had an interest in the Zodiac, the traits of each Zodiac sign, whether they align with a person’s personality or not and the compatibility to other zodiac signs.

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Images courtesy of Pinterest

I was born on Friday 16th October which means I was born under the Zodiac sign Libra, the star sign of balance and harmony. According to research, the main traits of a Libra are (taken from this site)

Strengths:

Cooperative
Diplomatic
Gracious
Fair-minded
Social

Weaknesses:

Indecisive
Avoids confrontations
Will carry a grudge
Self-pity

Likes:

Harmony
Gentleness
Sharing with others
The outdoors

Dislikes:

Violence
Injustice
Loudmouths
Conformity

I have read about these traits and can honestly say that I agree with each and every one of them. I am a great believer in being fair and giving people a chance, I hate making decisions and can procrastinate when it comes to big decisions that will impact, not just myself, but others too. I hate confrontation and will do anything in my power to avoid any sort of conflict, the worst of this avoidance is that I can bottle things up, not talk about my feelings and that can have a negative effect on my health.

There are so many different things about the Zodiac that are interesting to me, and so much more that I could discuss about my sign, more in-depth things that could be considered but I want to keep this post short…

What is your Zodiac sign and what traits do you have that align with your Zodiac traits?

Y is for Yesterday

29th Apr 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

This is the 25th post in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge which means we are very near the end, just one more post after this one!

Today’s post is the letter Y and I’m going to share with you what I did yesterday!

Yesterday I awoke at just gone 9am which is pretty early for me on a weekend. The sun was shining and my room was really bright, it sounded pretty calm outside which was nice as the day before I had awoken to the sound of heavy rain and high winds.

I hadn’t planned on doing much, the weather for the weekend had been fairly inclement with forecasts of rain in between sunny spells so I didn’t really fancy venturing too far from home.

I decided that, after purchasing paint earlier in the week that the day would be perfect for me to start decorating my bedroom.

I got up and got dressed before having a cup of coffee and checking out the blogs I follow.

I decided that I would try out my new laptop, a Geo Flex which is a laptop that can convert to a tablet instead of using my trusty Dell laptop.

After breakfast of toast and marmite I made a start on setting up for decorating. I tidied up my clothes and put my washing away and then wiped down the skirting boards, hoovered the floor, moved the bed and dusted down the walls before making a start on the cutting in.

The colour I had chosen for my room was from B&Q and is called Shizuoka, I shizuoka you not! It is a lovely deep purple, almost aubergine purple colour, the pictures on the website do not do the colour justice.

By 2pm I had got the first coat of paint on the main wall. While it was drying I thought that it would be a good time to have some lunch. I had beans on toast, a coffee and caught up on some blog reading!

After I had finished eating I went back upstairs and put the second coat on the wall then made a start on the second wall before washing my makeup brushes while the paint was drying. I also put a wash load of clothes in the washing machine.

Once the both walls were painted I decided to paint the third wall before having a bath.

By the time I’d had my bath it was nearly 8pm and I was hungry and feeling a bit tired. I put my food into the oven to cook and did the washing up while waiting, I didn’t fancy anything much but made myself fish and chips. I then sat with Roxy and watched some of Gossip Girl on Netflix before heading up to move my bed back into place, put the rest of the furniture tidy and get into bed for a well-deserved rest!