Blogging 201, Day Four: Give ‘Em What They Want

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“Only on the Internet can a person be lonely and popular at the same time” Allison Burnett

Blogging 201, Day Four: Give ‘Em What They Want

Time to take a step back. Live with the design you have for the day while we switch gears and start focusing on your content. We’re diving into stats to learn more about what your readers love.

Today’s assignment: Do a basic stats analysis to help you create an editorial calendar for the next 30 days.

Why do this? Because knowing which topics and posts are popular helps you to brainstorm new content your audience will love. Because knowing which days of the week your visitors are most likely to show up lets you plan to publish on your best days.

I have been following the statistics of my blog since day one, six months ago. Call it anal, call it interested, call it day job orientated motivation 😉 Keeping track on who, when, why is interesting. I quickly started utilizing the categories and tags for the posts. This helps on many levels; search, number or posts, statistics.

Due to working in full time employment in a completely different area means, that when I arrive back home, I start my second (albeit unpaid) job. This means all the brainstorming, writing and photographing happen between the hours of 5pm and usually 1 am, sometimes I am up until the sunrise next morning if I really have my inspiration on.

Since I am posting on daily basis now, with current setup of at least one poem and some photographs, there is no time to accumulate a backlog and vary the posting times. Luckily for me, this posting time (midnight for me) usually tends to be the busiest. Even my statistics sheet agrees!

My topics are as the blog tag line states: “Blog about everything and nothing and it’s all done in the best possible taste.” Meaning the content can be open to most every topic I can imagine. Possibly due to the simple fact, that humour plays a big role in most postings and adding photography to the mix, my followers seem to range from ages 0-100+ with all genders included. Of course it is impossible to please everyone all the time, but I do have quite a few returning visitors and I try to do the same to my followings as well.

For statistics there is one qualm I have: those people who are not part of the WordPress community, cannot press the “LIKE” button. My followers by email only, exceed by two thirds the number of followers in the community. This also means I don’t get feedback from the email followers, unless they write me email or respond in the other social media forums.

RANTINGS

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The Oracle of Delphi

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Photography and Poetry

“Heed these words, You who wish to probe the depths of nature: If you do not find within yourself that which you seek, neither will you find it outside. In you is hidden the treasure of treasures. Know Thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods”
~ Delphi Oracle

The Oracle of Delphi

If you have come to seek
The words of wisdom
Or maybe just a peak
Through the prism
Place your request
To the priestess
The Oracle
Of Delphoi

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Two Of A Kind

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Photography and Poetry

“Life is all about finding people who are your kind of crazy”

Two Of A Kind

One of them smaller
The other one taller
Side by side
Like Jekyll and Hyde
Pretty and ugly
Together quite snugly
Faded and colourful
Together more powerful

 

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Blogging 201: Day Three: Get Read All Over

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“What you do after you create your content is what truly counts” Gary Waynerhuk

Blogging 201: Day Three: Get Read All Over

Today’s assignment: Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, and familiarize yourself with the features of responsive design.

Why? Because a responsive website looks great on all screen sizes, from computer to tablet to phone. Because there are mobile tools built in to WordPress.com — there’s no need to know web development to have a mobile-friendly site.

I have been using the WordPress application on both Samsung and Iphone for a while. Not really for writing, but reading and follow up. I don’t recommend typing on the small device for a lengthy time. Posting on them, especially picture related topics can be tricky, as it sometimes is even with a proper computer 😉 But I did manage to write a poem on the phone yesterday at lunch with the “one finger method”. Editing happened later on the “real” deal.

I have showcased my blog on several occasions on the phone application and the look and feel is right for such a device as well. The theme and widgets flow nicely even on a smaller screen. Best test to prove the point is to take a complete novice to both smart phones and the world of blogging. After a few minutes with application install and demo on how the blog works, they got the hang of it and are now regular followers 😉

Having a background in web design and code, I usually test with the pages on several browsers and types of screens. With the Visual Theme, I have finally realized the looks of my personal blog. Suits me, got a few compliments and fits to various screens!

Blogging

Lazy Day

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Photography and Poetry

“I’m not lazy. I’m just in my energy saving mode”

Lazy Day

Sunshine, with a few fluffy clouds passing by
Sitting under a tree, letting out a sigh
Down the valley, up the mountains
The shadows are bouncing
The guardians of the palace
Keeping an eye on the chalice
A lazy gaze cast over the passer by
Stern look warning “don’t you even try”
Time is almost standing still
Nothing to do but chill
Another lazy day soon ending
To the evening light blending
Vacation time
The best of times

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The Gun Rap

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VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD:  Featuring the Gun Rap

Put your “bass beat” on for this one!

“When in Rhyme do as the Rhymers do”

The Gun Rap

My name is Gun
I am a lot of fun
Some call me ‘Nilla
I am here to chilla

Here are some facts
Seven to be exact
Guess that is the most
You’ll find about this host

I am a wannabe writer
And maybe a little brighter
Than you might think
While you let that sink

I will continue my rant
In the form of this chant
Even though I really can’t
Sing, dance or ant?

“What? Ant? That is not a verb!”
“I was trying to rhyme -erb”
“If you can’t rhyme, stay out of the kitchen”
“Why are you so bitchen?”
“Enough with the rhyme!”
“Fine! Now gimme a dime and lets get back to the rap!”

The three letters
Best defining my efforts
Photography, Poetry
And P…

“Oops, can’t say that out loud on television <smirks>!”
“We’re not on television! This is a written blog you dumbass!”
“Hey, you said ass! That is mighty sass of you!”
“Argh! I give up!”
“Great, now back to the rap!”

Well, the last of the three
Is for me to know and for thee
To find out
Oh, do not pout!

I am a non-smoker
And I like to play poker
No just kidding
Seemed more fitting

Now to end this rap
I had to fill the gap
And already told you more
Than I intended for

Word!

gun bw

VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD: Featuring the Gun Rap

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VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

I was nominated as a versatile blogger by Rogue vogue, very many thanks!
Check out the excellent blog!

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.

2. Include a link to their blog.

3. Pick 15 bloggers/blogs that you have recently discovered or regularly follow.

4. Nominate them for Versatile Blogger Award.

5. Share 7 facts about yourself.

My nominations are as follows:

Robin Seaton 
Oneta Hayes 
Musings of a frequently flying scientist 
This Mortal Flesh 
Manx Neill 
More than a dash of salt 
This & That
Lily pups life
Peace during the journey
One at the time
Denise Balog
Readhead reflections 
On the land 
Sandra’s place
My guilty pleasures 

So now, it is your time fellow bloggers, to share 7 facts about yourself!

 

Featuring: The Gun Rap (Some facts about me)

Unknown

The Sun

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Photography and Poetry

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you”

The Sun

Today something strange happened
Leaving most of us quite baffled
Something called “the sun” appeared
With its striking rays all of the sky smeared
Out from our caves we emerged
Rubbing our eyes in an urge

The sun boss, the sun!
Someone shouted
It was no pun
Even though doubted

There had been many a tales
Like someone seeing the whales
Of such oddities happening before
But never ever in the wildest dreams
Would we hoped to have scored
Or so it seems

Now, bearing witness
To this unusual event
The sun really existing
Like an early Christmas present

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After the rain

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Photography and Poetry

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet” Bob Marley

After the rain

The leaves are greener
The air is cleaner
The sky is bluer
Raindrops the only reminder
Of the storm now passed by

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Blogging 201: Day Two: Audit Your Brand

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“My blogging life is basically goalless. I like the zen nature of that, and paradoxically, it improves results” Seth Godin

Blogging 201: Day Two: Audit Your Brand

Some of us have purely personal sites to discuss the day-to-day, while others use our blogs as a springboard for other projects. No matter which describes you — or whether you’re a bit of both — you’re not just a blogger: you’re a brand.

Today’s assignment: audit your brand — look at all the ways you communicate information about your blog to make sure they’re consistent and focused.

Here’s a checklist to get you going:

* Does my theme match my blog’s intent? What about my font and color choices?
* What are my title and tag line saying? What about my post titles? My About page? My user name and nickname?
* Do the titles of my widgets contribute to my brand?
* Do I have a consistent visual identity? Am I choosing images that support my brand, both in posts/pages and widgets?
* Are there elements that are counter to my brand? Why have I included them? What role do they play?
* Does all this carry through in the other places my blog has a presence — Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or forums/sites where I’m active?

You can never go wrong with black background, white font and with a touch of gray, especially when photos are concerned. And since my blog is mostly about the photographs and the stories, then the outlook is excellent!

My current theme, The Visual Theme, serves well for both the written word and the images. The font and colours came with the theme and the simplicity pleases my eye at least for now. I have gotten a few compliments as well, so I know I am on the right track.

About the title: Rantings of a Third Kind, with the slug “Blog about everything and nothing and it’s all done in the best possible taste!” pretty much describes the nature of the blog, the writer and the contents. I do not really rant about things, but I like to keep that option open for the future;) I also have visions of adding more content like videos, short and longer stories, serials and photo stories to the site. A travel blog is in planning. Therefore I prefer not to tie the knot with any specific genre, format or subject.

A blog about everything and nothing.
Fiction, fact, poetry, odes, homages, photography.
Humour, yet some serious thoughts.
And it’s all done in the best possible taste!

My user name is my name. I also registered the domain for the site “rantingsofathirdkind.com” but am having second thoughts of actually implementing the name change. Especially after the linking done on so many sites already for the current name “gunroswell.wordpress.com”. But let’s see what happens with that later on. I still have the option to use it since it is already registered to me. I also have a domain for my user name “gunroswell.com” with a light site running on the same.

I have used widgets to create more visibility for searches and links. Also keeping a calendar of the posts on the main page. And of course advertising the community I follow.

I have accounts in Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Tumblr, LiveJournal and Pinterest. This to advertise my postings to a wider audience outside the WordPress world. I have quite a few hits on Google alone and if you Google my name, site or use any of the tags for example from the fandom/homage posts, you can be certain my links will pop up on the top 😉

For photographs, I have a share for Instagram, Flickr and recently also joined the 500px community.

Start introducing changes that reinforce your brand:

* Add or update a tag line to give more context to your title.
* Create a Gravatar that echoes your blog’s look.
* Customize your widget titles and comment prompt.
* Use your own photos to create custom image widgets or a custom header.
* Add a text widget with a pithy description of your blog’s mission.
* Create an email address for your site, using your custom domain or a free yourgreatblogname@gmail address.

Tag line:
Rantings Of A Third Kind
Blog about everything and nothing and it’s all done in the best possible taste!

Contact and email:
A separate page for the contact form:
https://atomic-temporary-83380856.wpcomstaging.com/contact/
The email address is set up for my domain and serves very well: gun@gunroswell.com

As far as the customization for fonts and such goes: I prefer to keep it more simple and not to add too many gadgets on the page. After all, the written word and photographs play the main role on my site 😉

ROATK