NewbieBloggerInitiative

Stepping out of the Bloggers Box

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Are you a new, or even a veteran Blogger?  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve blogged because at one point in time you’ve asked yourself this question.  How do I get more traffic to my blog? Are you at that place in your writing that you struggle with and feel like people don’t pay attention to anything you post?

I’ve been blogging for around seven years total now, but honestly the first couple years of that seemed like such a struggle, because I was so focused on how many hits I was getting on my posts.  I didn’t have a clear idea of how my first couple of blogs needed to work and what I was even doing really.  I say all this because last year I discovered this amazing community called The Newbie Blogger Initiative which is what kick started my passion again for blogging.  I had only just created the idea of my current site A Hobbits Journey, but it wasn’t until I got involved with NBI in 2014 that things seemed to kick off for me. It was such a breath of fresh air to be involved with other bloggers, sharing their tips, struggles, encouragement, and even challenging you to become more involved into the “Blogosphere” community.  So if you are stuck in that rut, and have been working or grinding those blog post out, and just don’t seem to be moving along like you want or feel that you keep running into a brick wall…..Go check the NBI out, get involved, start re-thinking the way you blog, and don’t be afraid to step out of the box.

So if this sounds familiar to you? You get the heart to write this piece of art work, and drop it to your blog. You made sure a creative headline was added, you shared your post to Twitter, Facebook, and even Google+. Then you wait in breathless anticipation for your share count to skyrocket.  But it just doesn’t get the hits like you wanted.  Does this mean you failed and shouldn’t blog?  The answer is NO WAY, keep posting, keep trying, pursue this adventure but don’t just write for anyone write for you and do it because you love to write, not because you want 1000 views on a blog post.  Do we blog to get views, sure, we want our stuff to be viewed but don’t let it get you down when a post isn’t getting the numbers you wanted.

Maybe it’s a perspective change on what the vision of your blog is.  Why are you blogging, and have you branched out to try a few new ways to socialize your content?

Everyone is using Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to get their content promoted.  These networks are very popular and rightly so, as they offer such ease of use and they are a great way to connect.  Here are some smaller and less well known networks I’ve found over the past few months.  These sites seem to have very active, focused audiences, and offer less competition for attention, so your content will stand out and be easier to find.

  • Tumblr – Which is a microblogging site.  The user base seems to lean more towards the younger generation, which makes it a great platform to reach a very niche-based group.
  • Empire Avenue – Which is part social network, part social media marketing tool.  It uses gamification to enable the users to broadcast content across all the other social networks.  This seems to be very popular with small businesses, social media pro’s and bloggers.
  • Quora – Which is a website founded by two former Facebook employees.  It’s a unique site as all the content is created, edited, and organized by its user community.

Step outside the box a bit and try something new on your next post, because just sharing a link in your post isn’t enough to make sure it gets read.  Why would users click on your post, do they have a good compelling reason?  Here’s some out of the box things to try!

  • Dubbler– This app is available for iOS and Android.  Spark interest in your blog post and record an audio message that communicates your excitement and passion about the content in a way that text or static images can’t. Add an image, enter your blog post URL in the description and you’ve got a ready-made sound bite that can be shared with the Dubbler community, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
  • Vine – I know this is a crazy idea, but a Vine video is a great way to give viewers a 6-second teaser about the blog post contents. Vine has an active and growing community to share with. Additionally, you can also share to Twitter and Facebook. Since Vine is owned by Twitter, your video will display automatically when you tweet it, as well as provide a link to the blog post and specific hashtags. There’s another benefit of using Vine. Tweets with Vine videos are four times more likely to be shared than standard video, according to research by Unruly.
  • Instagram – Has a constant updating feed of images viewed by millions of people. Sharing your main blog image, overlaid with the post title, is a great way to drive traffic to your blog. Here’s how I drop my blog post images to Instagram.
    • Save your blog image to Dropbox
    • Access Dropbox from your mobile device
    • Upload the image to Instagram
    • Add any relevant hashtags and the URL of your blog post to the caption, using Bitly to shorten and track click-throughs
    • Be sure to @ mention anyone you referred to in your post
    • Remember to share your Instagram image to any of the social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, etc..

I hope you don’t mind stepping out of the box while you blog, because sometimes that can make the journey all the worthwhile especially when your hooked into a community like NBI.  So, what are you waiting for, get to blogging and don’t be afraid to change things up a bit.

scr.ee tags:

#Social

To Blog Or Not To Blog Tis The ?

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7 How-To Steps in Starting a Blog

I wanted to share some of my personal findings that have helped me over the years of blogging.  But wait, this article is being written for the “Newbie Blogger Initiative” and I said I was a “Newb” in one of my previous articles? This is only partially correct as I’m very new when it comes to the world of writing/blogging about games.  I’ve only been in this specific realm for about five months and loving every minute of it….though I’ve had a lot of experience in blogging I still count myself as a “Newb” in this realm.

I’ve been blogging around six years total and writing since childhood so I’m hoping some of the tips I’ve learned will be a benefit to you all on your journey.  Whether you’re blogging as an individual, for a community site, business, or whatever facet it might be this “How-To Guide” will hopefully benefit the start of something great for you.

To blog or not to blog is the question…Right?  It is if you’re thinking about starting a blog and a darn good logical question. What are the core pieces of this puzzle that need identified before diving head first into Blogging?

Let’s take a walk through some of the major questions I’ve heard and even asked myself over the last few years of blogging.

1. Why Start a Blog?

This may sound like an obvious question but blogging takes a lot of hard work beyond just expressing yourself in writing, so understanding your motivations will help focus your efforts.

Some Examples of Why People Blog:

  • To tell a story
  • To establish themselves in a specific niche of writing
  • AKA – writing for the Newbie Blogger Initiative about specific subjects
  • To make money
  • To support an already existing business

Before you take the leap of blogging and invest a large amount of time into something you may not have the patience, time, or even want to commit then try test driving a blog first.

  • Start a blog on a free hosting option like WordPress.com or even Blogger.com though I prefer “WordPress” either can help with getting a sense of what’s involved.

You could also write for another blog if that fancies you.  This gives you the benefit of blogging and gaining experience in the world without the worry of maintaining your own blog.  At times a good blog post could take you several hours to write, plus you have editing, formatting, links, images, and optimization so this is where the time investment comes in.  Sometimes writing for someone else has its perks as all you have to do is focus on the writing.

2. What’s the focus?

What will you be writing about?  Specific topics, genre based food, movies, business, etc.

A few things to consider when writing

  • What are you interested in?
  • What is your area of expertise?
  • What sets your blog apart from others?

Accept it, once people begin reading the material you’ve posted they will begin to categorize what they read.  Will people connect with what you write because they understand it and interested?

 3. What’s the name of your Blog?

How will you identify your blog? Include the site name (note: this isn’t necessarily the URL) and tagline.  Once you decide, it can be difficult to change your name.

  •  Make it Easy. Skip URLs that have dashes or are difficult to remember. Also consider if it’s available on the major social media networks.
  • Check that the URL is available. To me self-hosting a blog is best. Domain names are not expensive…so if you’re making the plunge grab it now so you don’t lose it.
  • Attention Grabber. Your blog’s name needs to hook people’s attention or they’re gone. Would you want to read something that didn’t interest you, or put you to sleep five minutes in?

4. Brand and Design (Logo & Layout)  

The brand is your personality, the core of what people connect with when they see your blog.  Design focuses on how your blog’s information is presented to viewers.  Though connected with branding as you want to stay consistent the design connects viewers with the content of your blog.  Consistency is the key to set your blog apart in terms of branding. Not sure how or where to start in branding your blog?  Take a look at the things that interest you and what sources you go to for that information.  How do they brand?  Is it consistent, simple, and easy to understand?  Get ideas from others who have already invented the wheel.

  •  The Theme. This is the frame of your site. It lets you control your content and how it will be formatted for webpages. A theme is independent from your content. Choosing a theme is personal preference but most free blog hosting sites offer themes you can try before selecting one.  You can also pick up premium (paid) versions of themes as well.
  • Content Management. How do you want viewers to see the information?  Navigation around your blog is crucial to keeping audience’s attention.
  • Posting Content. This includes the typefaces, margins, colors and other ways that you format your content to the viewers.

 5. Organization Skills – Got Them?

Do you want a blog that is well organized? Since a blog should be on-going, you should create a schedule for publishing on a regular basis so readers have something to come back to.

Things to Think of –

  • How frequently will you publish content?
  • What topics will you write on regularly?
  • Will you have a variety of writers as well as guest bloggers?

Regardless of how much you know about your topics, you need to be on top of the latest trends and continue to learn if you want to be relevant on up to date material.

6. Let it be Seen – (Optimization)

Even if you’re the next best top author out there it means nothing if no one can find what you write. Optimization means you can be found easier through search, social and mobile.

One of the easiest ways to optimize your site is building reputation through Social Media.  This means engaging in the social media craziness…which can be a tad scary and overwhelming at times if you don’t know where to start.  For some tips on where to get started check out an article I wrote called Typing Tid-Bits for Social Media

Optimizing your blog for searches involves some strategy at times. Mainly focusing on one specific keyword and making sure that the keyword is in the post, along with tags that link to what category someone may search for.

7. Building an Audience

First don’t forget what we talked about earlier…people have to know your blog exists and want to read what’s on it.  This can be one of the most difficult aspects of blogging.

How do you build an Audience?

  • You have to get traction.  Meaning you need to keep posting and build the material you have on your site.
  • Don’t give up if you don’t see a lot of movement on the site a month after starting it.
  • Get the word out about your blog how you will build that on-going audience.  Don’t just write for yourself as that’s no fun most of the time.  Make this blog an extension of your personality and drive it so people know what you have.
  • Be creative establishing your visual brand and creating your logo. For most bloggers, this is limited to the start up phase. Alternatively, you can put something together yourself and modify it once your blog gets going.

If you love to write and know you want to start a blog just remember that the writing portion is just one piece to the puzzle.  Don’t get discouraged by the process of blogging as it can be very fulfilling as long as it’s done correctly.  I hope this guide to starting a blog will help you in your journey and that these tips help attract an audience for your site.

Typing Tid-Bits for Social Media

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Social media can be an incredibly important tool for socialites, business owners, bloggers and website owners promoting content. One of the things it can also do is be overwhelming, frustrating, and leave you feeling like you have no idea what you’re doing. I’m hoping this brief how to will be of some assistance and help give a better understanding of how to use social media in a positive way.

Let’s start with the big question – Do you have a goal in mind for using social media, or is it just the fashion fad of the tech world and catch phrase that caught your attention?  All the cool kids are doing it right, so why not hop on that band wagon and try it out.  Or, did you have a vigorous planned out attack that you are prepping for and will do whatever it takes to achieve your goal?  Either way you look at it you’ve probably chosen to use social media for some purpose and there are still some basics that come in handy to know.

Not sure where to start with Social Media?

I mean there are so many choices… oh my head hurts and I just can’t figure it out.  For instance, you have Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram to list some of the big boys on the block. What do all of these social wonders have in common with each other? “They connect people to other people in the digital world” They help bring 140 character ideas to life, or allow family that’s a thousand miles across the world to view pictures of a new born baby, or maybe someone just wanted to take a picture of a turtle and post it cause they thought it was “Cute” yes I used the word cute and referenced it back to a turtle. Social media has a plethora of uses, but the best thing it does is make people just curious enough to click on whatever randomness you’ve decided to post, as long as you have people who follow you.

Well how on earth do you get people to follow you?  I mean real people you actually want to connect with.  Think of it this way…why do we decide to make friends with certain people but not others, or choose to like a particular brand of clothing vs. another, or even enjoy a Coke better than Dr. Pepper?  It boils down to personal preference and what you feel best connected with or feels that it brings some satisfaction along with it.  Social media is no different and if we want followers than we have to know how to provide something people can connect with and enjoy.

You can choose whichever social platform you like best but for what I use social media for I’m connected to about everything you can possibly think of.  They are tools for me to connect not only myself but others to what I’m putting down on the table.  I’m a blogger; specifically a blogger who loves to write about games, games of all types and I want my audience to know or at least feel connected to the things I write about.  Social media allows me to get my material out into the public viewing area where people can now choose to stumble upon it, or even search it out.  It becomes a two way street of I want to provide something of an entertainment value where people can then consume what they like of that material, but it also brings the option for them to comment, give feedback, critique, or even discard because they don’t like it.  I don’t like that last option but some people may just not connect with the material you publish on your social media sites.

Here are my four basic rules for posting to any social media hub and I hope you all can take some goodies away from this.  It has helped me tremendously in the past and I wish the same for all of you who read this article.

  1. The Topic – What Will you Post, What’s the Idea?

o   Do you have a specific topic your writing about, is it clear and make sense, write it out first and read it back to yourself first before you publish.  “Proof Read, Proof Read, Proof Read”

  1. The Audience – Who are you Connecting With, Does it Fit?

o   Pretty much what it sounds like, if you are a gamer and your writing about a specific game and doing reviews but your posting your material for an audience of cooks…. Well it really doesn’t fit the criteria of Connecting with the right audience!

  1. The Frequency – How often do you Post?

o   Keeping an audience connected not only comes down to the material you write, but how often you post, and when do you post.  Some social media posters try to stick to a schedule which is smart if you’re a business, but what if you’re a blogger posting about a new game you’re playing.  Does that still count… in my mind yes it does.  You still want to connect people to what you’re doing right? Hard to connect if you aren’t active.

  1. The Interaction – Reply, Reply, Reply

o   Don’t let a comment, or mention go unanswered.  Let your audience know you actually stay connected and reply back to comments they have left.  They wouldn’t have commented if it didn’t mean something, even a little to them.  How would you feel if you were the only one talking in the conversation and no one ever said anything back?  This is just the digital version of a conversation.

#SocialMedia

Why I’m Participating in NBI 2014

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What exactly is this thing called NBI?

Being so new to the blogging world of gaming and seeing a title like “Newbie Blogger Initiative” this really stood out in the crowd to me.  I’ve decided to pair with NBI and participate in a month long bloggers initiative as a “Noob” or “Initiative” as they call it.  The first time I had heard of NBI was through Twitter and specifically by a fellow Blogger & NBI Initiate Braxwolf Stormchaser who posted a link to the NBI site.  He posted a very simple statement on his Twitter feed “Oh, I’m Liking This” and for whatever reason that and the Newbie Blogger title that was listed next to the link caught my attention big time.  So, what does a curious guy like myself do but follow the link that was posted…and low and behold everything that NBI was doing peaked my eagerness to participate.

I’ve been blogging and writing for years so to say I’m a “Noob” at blogging isn’t quite the case, but I’m a “Noob” in the world of blogging about gaming.  Though I’ve been an avid gamer for a lot of years I’ve never even had a second thought about starting a blog for gaming or writing about gaming.  It was when LOTRO came out and Turbine announced the Free 2 Play option allowed me to step into the world of MMO gaming at my own leisure which sparked the interest to begin my blog.  The thought of a live interactive Middle-Earth was overwhelmingly awesome to say the least.  It wasn’t until January of this year that I finally took the plunge and started my blog www.ahobbitsjourney.com  and by starting I actually mean I bought the domain name from wordpress.com…so yes I took a big plunge into a really big pool.

I began writing under a pseudonym title of a character I created many years ago for a book I’m working on and decided to open a Twitter account to start publicizing my site which led to gaining some followers, and new acquaintances amongst the gaming community.  One of those acquaintances was Braxwolf who I mentioned earlier in this article, who also writes for the LOTRO Players team which led me to listening to their podcasts and plugging myself even farther into the gaming community…or at least trying to.  These last few months have been my first attempt into writing about games and has become such a passionate hobby for me.  I look forward each week to planning out new articles, connecting with new people, and growing in this very deep rooted community that has been formed. 

 Now that I’m writing about gaming, the thought of participating in NBI’s initiative brought even a greater sense of welcomed challenge to the table.  Since I haven’t had a ton of exposure in the gaming realm of writing I thought this would be a perfect chance to get involved and learn as much as I possibly could.  Though time is always a factor for me and I just never seem to have enough of it.  Like most I have a full time job, a wife and six year old triplets…yes I said triplets.  Needless to say I’m a tad busy outside in the real world which was a factor for me as I have to weigh out anything that would add to my already slim and un-forgiving schedule. The biggest deciding factor and the best one in my opinion about this adventure is my wife and I write and blog together so this has become a family event for us.  Though it feels weird calling myself a “Noob” after writing and blogging for so many years but in the same way I feel like a fish out of water in this new realm of writing.

My hopes for this event, though new…I know will be a great challenge and will open up opportunities and doors for area’s I’ve never even thought about before. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people, expanding my network and hopefully make some new blogging friends that one day might be able to co-write or host with on my website.

With all this being said this is why I’m participating and I’m super stoked to for all the events coming up with NBI 2014.

Gamer Communities Unite

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This year has been speeding by so quickly, and as a blogger that can be hard to keep up with at times.  I mean it’s already April…Oh My Gosh…The day in and day out of what is my next subject and what’s the next “Greatest” post I’m going to write.  Ok maybe not great, but for sure what’s my next post going to be.  With that being said I’d like to share something I stumbled upon and decided to participate in this year.  It’s called Newbie Blogger Initiative or “NBI” for short.  I figured I qualified since I’m such a “Noob” … oh wait I mean, “Newb”? See what I mean.

nbi-blog-logoThis is such an amazing initiative by an amazing group.  NBI is bringing a new level of awesome when it comes to teaching and helping us said “Newbs” get a well fitted foot in the door of the gamer’s world for “Blogging/You-Tubing/Streaming/Vlogging Etc. If you’re a curious type like myself go checkout NBI here and read up on their story, signup, and get connected with the community of bloggers who share in the love of gaming.

NBI is really encouraging and helping with group participation in events – Gaming Events that is.  Helping bring a community of strangers together through the power of online and allowing the creative to flow.

hearthstoneThe first event I’ve seen is a Hearthstone tournament…. “Long thinking of something to say PAUSE” I have it… I’m not one to play an online card game mainly because it’s not involving me slicing and dicing Orcs in LOTRO, Nabbing a few Headshots in SWAT on Halo 4 or Call of Duty, or even tanking for a group in WOW.  I can’t help it… I’m drawn to games like these!

MMO’s and FPS games have been my go to for a long time and the thought of playing a game like Hearthstone has never even crossed my mind.  This event and future events that NBI will be setting up will challenge a lot of gamers to connect in ways they never thought they would. People who have never played an online card game might just reconsider giving it a shot; I know I did…But all in all the best thing that NBI is doing is bringing the love of Gaming and challenging Bloggers who love to “GAME” to connect and bring something new to their audiences.

For myself, I’m looking forward to the Hearthstone event and the rest of the NBI events of 2014 along with all the challenges that they bring!