How To: Stay Inspired
Rabu, 10 April 2013
We've been talking a lot on here on topics for those of you who are new bloggers and ways to start up your blog. But what if you've been in the game for a little while now (or a long while!) where lots of blogging stuff has become old hat? What if blogging has become a chore or a burden, where getting to your posts seems more like a to-do task than a joy? I know I've been there before where my blog suddenly feels like a "have to" instead of a "want to". Where I sit down to write a post, but my mind is blank with absolutely no idea what to say.
I want to talk about ways you can stay inspired to keep creating new content for your blog. It's not an easy task to come up with original, fresh, new content all the time. Even the best bloggers out there will tell you that they hit a rut now and then. Blogs that have teams of people have the advantage of a few minds working on ideas, so they're less likely to hit a wall. But for the majority of us that are a one person team it can be a challenge. I know that I have definitely gotten burnt out on blogging. And I want to tell you - there is no shame in that! None at all. That's just being real about how blogging affects you.
So, how can you stay inspired to keep on creating new content and finding the "want" again in your drive?
1. Take a blog break. This seems counterproductive, but trust me on this on. Decide to just walk away from the computer and not think about blogging for a week. Giving yourself the freedom to just not worry about it anymore can be a great catalyst to let your creative thoughts take over & run free. I have "unplugged" for a week in the past it's been very cleansing and re-energized me with a lot of new ideas for content.
2. Go outside. Go for a walk, go to the park, explore your city, take a bike ride. Do something, anything, that is outdoors. Even if it's cold! Being away from technology and being in the midst of nature can often be incredibly inspiring to us. In the summer I love long walks around my little town and to get a chance to go hiking in the mountains.
3. Create for no one else but you. Instead of thinking about how this project can turn into a tutorial - just make it and enjoy it! Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in creating material for blog posts that it can become overwhelming. Or like a task to complete. Some of my favourite projects have come out of just making something for my own personal want. It's even generated ideas for more projects to use for tutorials.
4. Expose yourself to creative sources other than blogs & Pinterest. Pick up a magazine, read a book, watch a program, go to an art show, take a sculpting class. We can get caught up in the comparison game with other blogs out there, so it's essential to just stop reading them for a little while. This also helps push you to come up with your own content instead of finding yourself mimicking another person's post. Being inspired by other people's work isn't wrong at all - I'm sure lots of us do it. It's just easy to get into the habit of doing it regularly, which isn't new content for you.
5. Spend time with your friends & family. I often find inspiration for blog posts when I hang out with my family. Hearing someone else's thoughts may spark an idea for me, or a suggestion for a new recipe may get me baking that weekend. People are an AMAZING source of inspiration - take advantage of it! Have coffee with a girlfriend, play with your kids for the rest of the day, have a great chat with your husband (or wife!)
What are some ways that you guys find inspiration to keep blogging or to create new content? We'd love for you to share so everyone can have more ideas!
How To: Add Pages on Blogger
Selasa, 09 April 2013
Yesterday we wanted to get to know you and your needs as a blogger a little better so we asked what it is that you need help with. We got several emails and some comments and we plan to answer every one we can. Today we are answering Angie's question on how to add pages to her blog Keith & Angie Pope. We will be showing this for Blogger.
Step one:
You are going to want to create or download an image for the page[s] that you are wanting to add. I simply created one using PicMonkey by uploading a downloaded banner and adding 'SPONSOR' to it. This is the image that will be clickable for your new page on your blog.
*Repeat for any other pages you want to add
Step two:
Upload your image to an image hosting site [I use Flickr]. Keep this window open because you're going to come back to it in a later step.
*If you do not wish to use HTML for your pages, you can simply skip these two steps
Step three:
Head on over to Blogger and click on 'Pages'. You'll then click on 'New Page' then 'Blank Page'. Add a title and any information you want for this new page. Once you added your content be sure to preview to check and make sure it looks how you want it. If everything checks out, publish like you would a blog post. Then be sure to click 'Save Arrangement' located in the top right corner of your Blogger dashboard.
Once you're back on your 'Pages' screen, if you wish to use HTML for your pages when in public view of your blog, choose from the drop down menu next to 'Show pages as' and click 'Don't show' [shown in these brackets on the image below]. This option makes it where the default pages menu isn't shown on your public view of your blog and allows for the HTML [clickable images] to act in their place.
*If you are not using an image for your pages you are done!
Step four:
Head on over to your 'Layout section and click on 'Add gadget' under your Header section. Select 'HTML/JavaScript' and paste this code:
<a href="PAGEURL" target="_blank"><img src="IMAGEURL" alt="TITLE" width="0" height="0" /></a>
Fill in any of the information in RED. You can find the page URL by clicking on 'view' under the page you created. Your image URL will be from the image you uploaded earlier on your image hosting site. The title is the name of the page you created. For the width and height numbers, simply put in the appropriate dimensions that would be proportionate to your blog and under your header. [Your image hosting site suggests different sizes you could use; I would go with the smallest to second smallest proportionate [not square unless your image is square] image size and grab that URL. ]
Repeat code and fill in all appropriate information for each new page.
Once you have pasted the code[s] and filled in the information, save it, preview your blog to make sure it all looks right, then click on Save Arrangement.
If you are needing any help with any of the HTML or would like help in creating page images, please let us know! You can email us at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Getting To Know You: Blog Help
Senin, 08 April 2013
Our main goal here at B.You is to make sure we provide you with the most current and up to date how to's and advice on blogging. Though we are comprised of a diverse group of contributors, we can't possibly cover everything out there for you so we are wondering; what do you need help with? Do you need to know how to create a blog signature and install it? Are you looking to open up an Etsy shop and need help? Are you wondering how to even blog at all? Are you thinking about introducing a paid sponsor program? Let us know what you need help with and we will answer your questions in a post. You can email us at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com.
New Weekly Link Up
Rabu, 03 April 2013
We are excited to announce that every Thursday we will be hosting a Bloglovin' Link Up! You can come by and link up your Bloglovin' accounts then hop around and find some new blogs to follow. With Google Reader and GFC disappearing in July, this is a good way to get a head start on building up your daily reads on a new site and find some new friends in the process!
If you're interested in being a guest host, please leave us a comment below or send us an email at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com. Being a guest host is a great way to build a following and get your blog out there even more. We would love to have you be a part of the hosting team!
Be sure to come back tomorrow to link up your Bloglovin' accounts!
How To: Add A Pin It! Button To Your Blog Posts
Selasa, 02 April 2013
If you have a blog, more than likely you're pinning your posts. Much like we do here, you have an image you pin either to a Pinterest board containing all of your blog posts or another board about blogging. But aside from you pinning your posts, your readers can pin them too! The easiest way to allow for your posts to be pinned is to add a 'Pin it!' button to the bottom of your posts. In just a few simple steps you can expose your blog to hundreds of thousands more potential followers.
Step One:
Upload a 'Pin it!' image to an image hosting site [I use Flickr]. You can find one by doing a Google search for a Pinterest image or you can create one yourself. I created my own for my personal blog A Fox & A Wolf by using PicMonkey. After your image is uploaded, find the image URL.
Step Two:
Head on over to Blogger and go to 'Template' and then 'Edit HTML'. Click 'Expand Widget', hit CTRL>f and search for <div class='post-footer'>.
You're going to want to paste this code above that:
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="INSERT IMAGE URL"/></a>
Where it says 'INSERT IMAGE URL' you're going to want to paste your Pinterest image URL that you uploaded to your image hosting site. Click 'Preview' to make sure the code copied correctly, then 'Save Template'.
Now you are on your way to having the best exposure on blog posts and your blog in it's entirety. You can view B.You's board on Pinterest here.
If you have any questions about adding the 'Pin it!' button to your blog, please leave us a comment below or send us an email at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com.
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