It was every bit as amazing as we knew it would be! Getting to meet old and new friends. Gals we have “known” online for years but finally having a chance to hug their necks, talk face to face and laugh until we cried. It was Haven…and it was a dream conference for the picket fence gals with the best moment getting to see each other for the first time in over a year!!
One of the highlights was getting to speak at in the “New Kids on th Block” session with my dear friend KariAnne of Thistlewood Farm and the fabulous Tauni of SNAP! and founder of the SNAP! Conference!
Even as a speaker in the session I learned so much listening to these talented bloggers. Often when sitting in on a session, it’s hard to absorb all of the amazing information, tips and ideas. We wanted to give a recap of our session for the attendees and share these valuable tips with our readers!
We also have a fabulous Blogger Extravaganza Giveaway that we are so excited about, so stay tuned at the end of the post!
KariAnne, of Thistlewood Farm opened our session with 5 Things Every Blogger should have on their blog! You can find her great tips by visiting her at Thistlewood Farm!
Up next, I shared Tips for Promoting Your Blog on other Websites! Here’s a recap of my portion of the session…
5 Reasons to promote your blog on other websites
- SEO-Search Engine Optimization
- Creates credibility
- Gets your content in front of a new audience
- Develops relationships with other bloggers
- Can lead to contributing opportunities with other blogs and websites
5 Options for promoting your blog on other websites
- Submissions to Photo Gallery Sites
- Submissions to Feature Sites
- Sharing on Commercial Websites
- Guest Posting for other bloggers and websites
- Linking posts to Parties
Submissions to photo gallery sites
Craftgawker, Foodgawker, Dwellinggawker, Stylegawker, Weddinggawker
Tastespotting, Looksi Square
Tips and Tricks:
Pictures need to be square, think about this when framing at least one of the pictures of your project.
Biggest reasons for rejection: overexposed, underexposed, white balance off, composition too tight, composition not clean
Be mindful about what is around the item you are trying to “showcase” better to be simple and clean than cluttered
Lean a little overexposed than underexposed. They love bright and light.
Avoid filters
Study the photos excepted on each site to learn what they like
No watermark
Submit, submit and submit again
Submissions to Feature Sites
Mod Podge Rocks, Washi Tape Crafts
Tips from Amy Anderson for getting featured on her sites:
“Search my site to see if I have anything similar. I’ve featured lots of frames, but you are more likely to get featured if it’s something I’ve never posted before.”
“I like to see pictures without flash. I really feature projects that have been taken with a flash.”
“Keep the e-mail short and to the point; while I love getting e-mail, I get a ton! It’s great to read what your project is about in just a few sentences.”
Roadkill Rescue, Knock-Off Decor, Furniture Makeover.net (new)
Tips from Beckie Farrant for getting featured on her sites:
“Both of my sites I have submit buttons and 95% of people that submit get featured.”
“Always looking for new content so as long as your pictures are big and beautiful and you have a before picture (specifically on Roadkill Rescue and her new feature site furnituremakeover.net which is still in the works) I will feature you.”
“Occasionally I will get a submission where the pictures aren’t big enough or light enough. I usually will respond and tell them to reshoot it to submit it.”
“Also imperative that they include a step-by-step tutorial of their makeover in order to get featured. I do not feature projects that just show the after picture without details how they achieved the look.”
“Goal is to inspire people to create the look themselves that is why it is so important to me to feature only tutorials.”
“On both Road Kill Rescue and my new site I am looking for more think-outside-the-box projects where they took one piece of furniture and turned it into another not simply a spray painted yellow dresser.”
“However, if the pictures are gorgeous sometimes just a spray painted yellow dresser will get featured simply because of the beautiful pictures.”
Centsational Girl “Best of the Blogosphere“
Sharing on commercial websites:
Guest Posting for other bloggers and websites:
Tips and Tricks:
Find out what they are looking for.
Realize you will be giving them your content, often original content, and weight the pros and cons of whether it is beneficial for you since you will be losing the ability to have it connected with your own blog.
Link Parties on other blogs
Tatertots and Jello- “Weekend Wrap-up” -weekly
SNAP! “Show and Tell” -weekly
Thrifty Decor Chick- “Before and After” -monthly
The Lettered Cottage, Southern Hospitality, Thrifty Decor Chick and Centsational Girl-seasonal themed parties
Savvy Southern Stye “Wow Us Wednesday”- weekly
French Country Cottage “Feathered Nest Friday”- weekly
Common Ground “Be Inspired” -weekly
HomeStories A to Z “Tutorials and Tips”- weekly
lots of other great blogs (large and small)
Tips and Tricks:
Find out if they do features or not. These are usually the most beneficial because you get twice the exposure if they feature your project.
Try to be one of the first few if possible for maximum click throughs but most party hosts will tell you that they do look through ALL of the projects even if the can’t visit every one of them.
Limit yourself to just a few parties every week. You can vary them but do not link to ALL of them. This not only affects your SEO with Google from having too many outbound links (it is viewed as “spam”) but is also frowned upon in the blogging community.
Put your best pictures from your post as the thumbnail picture and remember it will be a square so be mindful of cropping. Close up photos are best and will catch people’s eye the most. You can even use a “teaser photo” of an element from your project or post as long as it still gives a glimpse of what your project is.
5 Best Practices for Sharing
1. Do not sent generic mass guest post emails.
2. Do a little research.
3. Always follow the “rules” and “instructions” for parties when linking up.
4. Never share someone else’s content.
5. When you are featured or have a guest post on another website, be sure to share on your social media for further exposure and SEO benefit.
Saying there are too many blogs in the world, is like saying there are too many books. Find your voice and speak! Not everyone will be the next Steinbeck or Austen of the blogging world, but some of the smallest works of literature have had the biggest impact on the world. Impact your world right where you are!
Be sure to head over to visit Tauni of SNAP! for her ways for Bloggers to Work with Brands!
Now are your ready for a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away FIVE amazing prizes perfect for beginning and seasoned bloggers!
1 Winner will receive a Mini Blog Makeover from Key Lime Digital Designs worth $250.00!
1 Winner will receive Four hours worth of Blog Repair from Ms Fix It worth $160.00!
1 Winner will receive a Blog Consultation from KariAnne of Thistlewood Farm worth $95.00!
1 Winner will receive a Blog Consultation from Tauni of SNAP! worth $99.00!
1 Winner will receive a Social Media Consultaiton with Heather of At The Picket Fence worth $95.00!
1 Winner will receive a TICKET to the SNAP! Conference worth $350.00!
Good luck!!
Haven was a blast! One of my favorite parts (for real) was meeting both of you and giving you lots of hugs!!!!! I have such a soft spot in my heart for both of you!!!!!
Thanks so much for this great recap. I bookmarked it to go over it all!
I really need help with SEO! I’m just winging it right now!!!!
Lots of love the blessings to you darling girls!!! xo
Great tips ladies, bummed I missed your session I bet it was so fun!
I’m so glad you guys are sharing this great info. I didn’t make it to the session and picked up some great tid bits from this post. So great to see you beautiful ladies again. 🙂
I could use some help from someone who knows html like it’s their main language to tweek my theme and make it do exactly what I want!
Thanks for sharing this ladies! Wish we had one more day to visit more sessions! It was so nice to meet you both.
It was such a pleasure meeting you and sitting in on your class at Haven. I learned so much! Blessings! Lori
Thank you for sharing! And for hosting such a wonderful giveaway!:)
Hey, gals! It was great seeing you this weekend even if we were all going different directions! I would love to know if I’m maximizing my sidebar and how to ratchet up my photography even more. Thanks for the giveaway! I want to go to SNAP bad so a ticket would be amazing!
Pretty and sweet gals! Nice to see you again Heather and nice meeting you Vanessa.
What a great conference Haven seems to have been! Such great tips!! Thanks!!~~Angela
Awesome tips girls! I am so sorry I had to miss Haven this year. Sounds and from the looks of it, was a blast!~ Still lots to learn and I do a little something each day. It’s a fun ride out here for sure.
I loved seeing you all again (so sad there’s never enough time to truly hang out with everyone)! Bri had the opportunity to attend your class and loved it! Thank you for making her feel so welcome and inspired! 🙂
Great tips! I desperately need to change up my header…what a great giveaway!
~Sarah
Thanks for sharing all of this with those of us who couldn’t get to Haven! Sounds like you had a blast and I know you did a great job!
Heather, I enjoyed seeing you at Haven! Your class was great! You have certainly inspired me to get busy working on my blog! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! I learned so many awesome tips!
I was SO GLAD to meet y’all in person! What a joy to see you face-to-face.
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway; I’d love to be a winner! 🙂
SOOooooo fun meeting you ladies at Haven!! I was not able to attend your session so I was stoked this morning to see the info. here! THANK YOU!! The one thing I would like help with on my blog is design and layout! Love you gals!! 🙂
After seeing all of the wonderful posts it seems like Haven should be on my list along with Snap! for 2014!! Thanks for sharing all of this fantastic information.
I would love to win any of these great prizes. Definitely want to streamline and grow my blog and of COURSE I want to go to Snap!
Thanks for the great giveaway! xoxo
Awesome tips girls!! SOO wish I could have met you when we were arrived in Atlanta on Saturday! It sounds like Haven was TONS of fun too!! Hoping to get there next year 🙂 Thank you for sharing my party too! I would LOVE help with so many things with my blog- one thing would be with getting my blog set up and redesigned correctly.
Loved the class-learned a lot and look forward to applying it to my business and seeing it grow!
Thank you for your time and sharing your wisdom and knowledge-Erika
Thanks so much for leading such a great session at Haven! I was so in awe of all of y’all that my notes from the session are a little spotty, so I’m glad your post is so complete 🙂 I could definitely use help making my layout more reader friendly!
Wow…lots of great info. I have been a VERY casual blogger so far. My youngest will be starting kindergarten this fall and I think I will finally be ready to dig in and do this for real 🙂 I will be pinning this for future reference. Thanks Heather…so glad you ladies had such a great conference! Laurel
It was such a joy connecting with both of you this weekend! You girls are as genuinely sweet in person as you are on your blog!
I would love to win. I missed Haven this year and so wanted to come and learn some great information to help my blog grow. I am so glad for the great post today. Thanks.
Thank you so much for posting! I loved seeing you guys!
xo,
Debbie
I am fairly new to blogging and would love a blog consultation! Just a general gameplan on how to be most time effective and impactful with my blogging time. Thank you
Haven was a blast and y’alls session was my favorite! Even though I’ve been blogging for several years, I haven’t done anything to grow my blog as I should! Thank you so much for a fabulous presentation! I was also awesome to see you again and get a great big hug!!
Haven was amazing and it was so nice to finally meet you both…face to face!!! Thanks for this post and for the chance to win…my blog could sure use an update!!!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thanks for sharing these great tips and for the chance to help our own blogs!
Sorry, I forgot to say I could use help with finding followers!
Wow! Awesome post with tons of great information! Thanks ladies!
Whoops! I forgot to actually answer the question for the giveaway entry! I would definitely love to have help with the design!
So good seeing you again and your presentation was FAB! Learned so much.
I’d love to have you review my site a month after I go live so that you have something to review!
And you expect me to comment about a blog conference and all that great information instead of saying what I realllllly think about this post? Oh. No. Way.
Heather, you look MAAAARRRRRVELLLLLOUS!!!! As if you weren’t already my inspiration. Now, you rock times ten. Just beautiful.
Thank you so much Debbie! That means a lot to me! 🙂
Heather
This is amazing info, Heather!! I’ve pinned this post, as I know I’ll be referring to it over and over. Even those of us that have been blogging for years could benefit from fresh tips!
So great to see you at Haven — wish we could’ve visited a little more, but now that you’re in ATL area, I’ll look forward to seeing more of you! Have a great day!
xo heidi
I LOVED your class at Haven Heather and the information that you provided! I will be putting these into practice! It was so good to meet you and I hope we can meet again.
I would love to have a blog consultation with KerriAnne!
I would love to have a blog makeover. I’m still using the original WordPress look I got when I began my blog in January.
And one day… I am going to HAVEN!
Take care,
Ashley
I was so glad I chose to sit in on your session! Learned a ton, and then got to sit with Vanessa at lunch where she was super helpful and eager to share. Thank you girls for being so generous with your knowledge!
Deciphering ad networks is the biggest mystery to me right now, would love more knowledge on that.
Great post and awesome giveaway prizes! Thanks for the opportunity!
Pam
http://www.overthebigmoon.com
pam@overthebigmoon.om
We have been blogging for almost 2 years and have had great success. But, the last year we haven’t been growing as fast. We would love to know some tips and tricks for helping us start our growth back up!
Pam
https://www.overthebigmoon.com
pam@overthebigmoon.com
I would LOVE to know what the next step is. How should I organize what’s coming and figure out how to be more consistent? You’re the bomb.com 🙂
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your tips here. I couldn’t attend every single session! You know how that is. I have completely overlooked the sites where you can submit projects, like Beckie’s sites. Gonna do that, definitely. Did I say thank you enough?
Wow! I have so much to learn.. This is almost overwhelming but would love the opportunity to grow my blog. Haven sounds wonderful!!!! Boy, do I need the help!! Thanks for all the info and for such a wonderful giveaway! Blessings!
Heather it was so great seeing you again and meeting your sister for the first time. Haven was such a great experience and this is a great post, kinda wish I had taken the class now!
I can’t name just one – I’m still just getting everything together and realize there is so much I don’t know about getting it set up and going. Not only “making it pretty” but how to get all the right buttons on it for linking up,I need lots of help. Your class was by far the best for any beginner.
Are you serious?!? What an incredible giveaway! Thank you all so, so much!
Thanks for the great informational post! I am going to work several suggestions, this week. So sorry I missed the Haven Conference. I found out, too late.
I am new to blogging and I just feel my blog is missing …. something.