R is for Reviews

If I'm looking to invest in some technology or just change my usual brand of whatever it is, one of the first things I'll do is a quick search online for a review. They are extremely useful on sites like Amazon, and really do influence my decisions. But I don't think I've ever actually written a review. Even for the products I love. If I feel strongly one way or another about a product, then my blog would doubtless be a good place to share it. I'll have to make this one of my blogging goals.

Q is for Quality versus Quantity

I've touched on this hot topic in a previous post, but just how do you achieve that perfect balance of quality versus quantity? It'll be a different number for everyone but the answer is probably the same - enough that you enjoy posting and it's not an impossible challenge. If you have enough topics and time, then once a day (or even more) is perfectly achievable. If you're a bit pushed for time perhaps one post per week (or 2) will suffice. 

In the past I've posted 3-4 times a week, but even when I was at home all day, I still found that a challenge. It takes longer than you think to construct a good blog post, especially when you have to find the right photos, resize them and upload them too. I've definitely underestimated the time involved before, and forced myself to post too often. If I still want it to be enjoyable and not a chore, I think once a week is about right for me. When I'm being super creative and making new items for my shop I'd probably post slightly more often.

How do you achieve that balance?

P is for Projects

I'm a sucker for a project. Stick in the word challenge, assignment or project, and I'm in. I especially enjoy photography projects - they can really help spark your creativity, and it's nice to share your work with others who might be undertaking something similar. I've completed a couple of 365 projects and much easier 30 day projects. I'm much better at sticking to them over the summer months when it's actually light for more than a few hours a day, and when I naturally seem to have more creative energy. I love reading about fellow blogger's projects and seeing their progress. Again, that's another great way to feel inspired.

I can feel the need for a photography project coming on now.............

O is for Online Presence

There are so many ways to have an online presence these days, and it takes a lot of effort keeping them all updated. I don't really enjoy Facebook, so I save that for keeping up with closer friends (and hardly ever post anything). I do use Twitter and Instagram, but quite sparingly. I find them both a lot more user friendly than Facebook, and it's fun searching through images and tweets, but I don't post as often as I'd like. Pinterest is another of my favourite websites - I have loads of boards now. I've always been a big fan of a mood board!

I also have a page on portfoliobox.me which is basically a small portfolio of my photography and a place to keep all my links together. 

How do you keep up with your online presence? Without it taking over your real life? Do you find it more of a hindrance than a help?

N is for News

I'd like to make my blog slightly topical - not to say I want to write about the big issues happening in the world, but sometimes the smaller, or weirder, news stories I read online can inspire a blog post. For a while, when I was posting regularly, I did indeed post an 'in the news' topic each week. I wrote about robots and car eyelashes, all the important stories of the week.

I am not an avid news watcher. In fact, the only news I do watch is online. Most days I'll take a look at the BBC website, followed by the Telegraph. I admit that I only read the short interesting stories and often the 'most read' headlines. I love the weird news section on the Telegraph website, and their science stories. They can be much more inspiring and fun to write about than the heavier stories throughout the world.

J is for Joy

I find a lot of joy in stupid little things, but how do you get across that joy in a blog post? So many times I've found inspiration in the tiniest thing, and thought "that'd make a great post for today!". But when I start to form the words to describe it, they seem to sap all the joy away. If it's something that can be written about in less than 140 characters then I'd tweet it instead, or if it's visual then an Instagram photo would do. Plus, there is often such a delay in actually finding time to write something down that the moment is passed. You don't want to end up sharing everything immediately either as that might detract from real life. Perhaps the key is to simply write it as if you were telling a friend. 

I had an idea a while back for a project called something like 'it's the little things', where I share and collect all those simple things that make me smile. Seems like this might be the perfect time to start.

I is for Interviews

Interviews don't have to be with someone else. You can also interview yourself.  There are lots of quizzes and fun questionnaires you can share on your blog. Your readers can find out more about you, and you might just enjoy finding out about yourself a bit too. I personally love filling in questionnaires or making random lists of things I enjoy or things I want to do. 

Once I've found a good set of questions I'm definitely going to interview myself for my blog. I might even combine it with a 30 day or photography challenge.

F is for Followers

I have 152 followers as of writing this post. Most of these came from the first couple of times I completed the A-Z blog challenge. Some were from flickr groups and online courses I took. They were all from before I changed my blog title from ‘fur will fly’ to ‘flailing DORIS’, and I don’t even know if any are still active followers. It would be great to get some more followers, but for that I need to write more regularly. Perhaps then I can start actively looking for more. 

Then the question is, how do I get more followers? My brainstorming has come up with these ideas so far…..any others are very welcome!

• Host a giveaway (entry is by following blog)
• Link to new blog posts on social media – build up those followings first/as well. It’s easier to gain twitter or Instagram followers than blog followers
• Follow and comment on other blogs
• Post regularly
• Label and tag posts with common keywords
• Write about popular topics
• Make it easy for people to follow you
• Guest posts on other blogs or get other bloggers to guest on yours

E is for Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm goes a long way. It’s so nice to read a blog and really get a sense of how passionate the writer is about their topic. Of course it can be difficult to get that across, and more often than not something that sounds so much fun in your head doesn’t come out that way on the screen.

On my own blog, the fact that I have lost enthusiasm for blogging itself probably comes across. I need to get back into so many of my fun creative hobbies, that blogging has taken a backseat. Perhaps I need to see my blog as a good tool to encourage my creative outlets, not to take time away from them.

D is for Design

When I visit a new blog I can be very judgemental. If it doesn’t look visually appealing then I probably won’t stay long, and I certainly won’t return. The design is very important. Obviously everyone has different opinions on what they like, but for me……

• it should look full but not cluttered,
• clean and fresh,
• have big bright photos or images,
• have a readable font in a normal size (nothing too fancy or small),
• definitely not have white writing on a dark background,
• it should be simple to navigate – I especially want to find the about me section, the follow button and the blog archive easily

I can see I need to improve my sidebar areas and make sure navigation around the site is easy. My blog can look a little cluttered sometimes, but I like the double sidebar layout for now. Perhaps it looks cleaner with one sidebar and a larger blog post area, but then I find too many things listed in the sidebar so it becomes a longer process scrolling down to find things.

I’d be interested to hear what you think are the key design elements, and what changes you’ve made to simplify your own blog layout.

A is for Adverts (revisited)

I'm participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge again this year and when I was staring at the blank computer screen ten minutes ago I decided to look back at my previous challenge attempts for inspiration. Back in 2011 my 'A' prompt was adverts, and I thought it might be fun to show you some more of my favourites. As a general rule adverts are incredibly annoying and to be fast-forwarded through as quickly as possible, but every now and then there is a real gem amongst the rough. Here are a few I enjoy (and a link to  the old blog post if you fancy checking out some more).

1. Aldi 

2. Hastings Direct

3. Three

4. Thinkbox

5. Highland Spring (you have to watch this right until the end!)

6. McCain 

7. Ikea

8. Weetabix

Time to put my thinking cap on for 'B' tomorrow.............