Saturday, June 13, 2015

Customize Your Blogger Blog

Using Blogger doesn't mean that you have to have a boring, cookie cutter blog. There are a couple of really easy ways to customize the design of your Blogger blog.

customize your blogger blog katieolthoff.com


Customize your Blogger Blog in 3 Easy Steps


Remove the Navbar:  The Navbar is the tool "glued" to the top of every blogger blog. But it's really easy to remove, and instantly makes your blog look more professional. Erin, from the blog Patricia's Daughter, has a great tutorial to remove the navbar (and a gorgeous blog design, to boot!)

Change the Favicon: Every website has a favicon associated with it.  Gmail's is a little envelope. Google's is a lower case "g." All blogger blogs automatically have a funny little "B" on an orange background.  You can see the favicon on the left side of your tabs.  Just like removing the navbar, changing your favicon personalizes and professionalizes your blog.

Sidebar Gadgets Without Titles: Have you ever wanted to upload a graphic to your sidebar without a title above it? Blogger won't let you publish a gadget without a title, unless you know this easy trick.




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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Why Blogger? (Instead of Wordpress)

Because I said so. (Just kidding! Sort of.)

I’ve been using Blogger for a long time.  And I’ve also been using Wordpress for a long time.  And I like Blogger better.  Way better.


Here’s why:

It’s free.  Wordpress.com is also free.  But there are many more options for customization on Blogger than Wordpress.com. And blogs on Wordpress.com cannot be monetized, although blogs on Blogger can.

Wordpress.org is very customizable, but it is not free. And the customization is so tricky, most people hire a designer to do it, which is also not free. Wordpress bloggers often hire people to do updates to their site as well.

Unlimited traffic. Google hosts your blog and doesn’t limit the amount of traffic your blog can handle.  Third party hosts (which you have to use when you use Wordpress.org) can do just that.  A viral post can actually shut your site down.  So when you have the potential for the most traffic, people may not see your site at all!

It doesn’t require plug-ins.  To add something to your wordpress site, you have to download a 3rd party plug-in.  This slows your site and opens it up to viruses.  I often hear wordpress users complain that they downloaded a new plug-in and it “broke” their site. No Bueno.
Blogger uses “gadgets” instead of plug-ins. These are basically snippets of html code that can be inserted in different areas of your blog, to do much the same thing that wordpress’s plug-ins do, without the security issues.

Google’s got your back.  Blogger is a Google platform.  And nobody hacks Google.  In the blogging groups I’m in, I’ve seen Wordpress sites get hacked (and shut down!) over and over.

You own your content.  Sigh.  If you google “Blogger vs. Wordpress” you’ll see people say that on Wordpress, you own your content.  You own it on Blogger, too.  You can check out Blogger’s Terms of Service agreement to see for yourself

I’m not the only one who loves blogger.  Here are a few BIG name blogs on Blogger:

Fresh Eggs Daily (300,000 monthly pageviews)
Thrifty Decor Chick (2.3 MILLION pageviews/month)
I Heart Organizing ( 2.7 MILLION pageviews/month and still  on .blogspot.com
Skinnytaste (3 million unique visitors per month)
Organizing Made Fun (600,000 pageviews/month)





And a few other articles that tout the benefits of Blogger.

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Friday, April 24, 2015

What you Need to Know Before You Begin Blogging


Where do I even start?

Six years ago, I was pretty sure that I could start a blog and become the next Pioneer Woman, just like that.  But it didn’t work out that way.

The truth is, blogging is more than meets the eye.  There is a LOT that goes on behind the scenes. 

Before you jump right in, you should know:

  • Blogging is writing.  It doesn’t matter if you’re writing about home décor or crafts to do with your toddlers or bicycling across the US.  Blogging is writing, and if you really hate writing, that’s going to be a problem. You don’t have to be a phenomenal writer to be a good blogger, but you do have to write.  And revise.  And edit.  (Or find someone to do it for you.)

  • Blogging is photography.  Almost all great bloggers are also great photographers.  You don’t have to be a professional, but there are some basic photography and editing skills you need. (I’ll cover those later.)

  • Blogging is technical.  As in, there is technology involved.  That technology doesn’t always cooperate, and it isn’t always easy to figure out.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

  • Blogging doesn’t happen overnight. You will hear crickets.  Probably for the first 6 months, or 50 blog posts, you will feel like you’re talking to no one.  NO ONE.  (Except maybe your mom.)  It takes time to build a following.

  • Blogging (and social media) is constantly changing.  You have to keep learning. And just when you feel like you’re caught up, it will change again and you’ll have to start learning again.


Still think you want to be a blogger?

There’s here’s a little encouragement for you from the amazing Ira Glass.

Ira Glass Quote Creativity



“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

(The free printable above is a gift for my email subscribers.  Subscribe below to print a high resolution copy!)
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

My Family's Farm: Non-fiction Children's Book about a Modern Turkey Farm






(If the slideshare doesn't work, download a PDF version here.)

A note from me, the author:

My Family's Farm has been a dream of mine for over two years, since I realized that there are very few children's books showing today's livestock farms.  Farms have changed over the past 50 years, but their portrayal has not.  This book is an effort to change that.

The book is meant to appeal to a broad age range.  The text at the top of each page, from 6-year-old Adam's perspective, is for younger children, while the in-depth information at the bottom of each page is directed at older students and adults.

Most of the photos in the book were taken by me, on our farm, but a big "thank you" goes out to Joe Murphy (Iowa Soybean Association), Iowa Turkey Federation, Bob Haines (Iowa State Fair), Minnesota Turkey and the National Turkey Federation for additional photos.  The turkey artwork was done by the uber talented Buck Jones.

I also have to thank the Iowa Turkey Federation for their support for this project. A special "thank you" to Gretta Irwin, Executive Director, and Sheila Larson, Director of Member Services, who were both vital to this project.

More thanks to my husband and sons for the photo shoots, Jenn at PDG Printing for helping with the logistics, and all the friends and colleagues who have read rough drafts of this book along the way.


For more turkey activities, including free printables, check out the Iowa Turkey Federation's website here.

And if you are a kindergarten or 1st grade teacher in Iowa, request your free copy of the printed book provided by the Iowa Turkey Federation here.  (All other requests, email katie@iowaturkey.org)
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Friday, March 20, 2015

What to Write About and Who to Write For

 
Blogs should add value to readers' lives.  Think back to your high school English classes.  Do you want your blog to be entertaining, informative, or persuasive?  Maybe all three? Some blogs are inspirational. Some focus on how-to's and life hacks. Some teach a specific skill, like cooking. 
What do you want your blog to do? And for whom?

Before you ever write your first blog post, take a few minutes to answer these questions:

1. What are you passionate about? What are you going to write about?

Ideally, they will be one and the same.

2. Who is your target audience?

Some people suggest you pretend your audience is just one person.  Who is that person? What do they care about? What impression do you want to give them?

3. What do you have to offer your readers? (Entertainment? Expert knowledge?)

Sometimes, entertainment and inspiration is enough!  Sometimes, readers want a friend - someone who is like them and shares their struggles.  Others want more concrete information about a certain topic.

4. How do you want readers to feel when they visit your blog?

Inspired? Comforted? Excited to try something new?

5. What makes your blog stand out from the bazillion others out there?

What's unique about your perspective? 
 
After you've answered these questions, it's not a bad idea to put the answers on your "About" page.
 
Here’s an example for a fictional blog:
1. What are you passionate about? What are you going to write about? 
Exercise, motherhood, eating healthy. 
2. Who is your target audience?
Busy moms who want to get in shape. 
3. What do you have to offer your readers? (Entertainment? Expert knowledge?) 
I am a former personal trainer with 4 kids under the age of 3. (This is fictional, thank goodness.)  I will entertain my readers with stories about my crazy life and offer exercise tips and challenges. 
4. How do you want readers to feel when they visit your blog? 
I want reader to feel inspired and motivated towards realistic fitness goals.  I want them to feel like we are friends.  I want readers to get to know me personally. 

5. What makes your blog stand out from the bazillion others out there? 
I focus on realistic fitness goals and exercises you can do with your kiddos.

Now, a blurb for the “About” page on this fictional blog.
I have 4 kids under the age of 3, and I know it’s hard to stay in shape when you’re a busy mom.  But my former life as a personal trainer has given me a leg up.  I’m here to help other moms find the time and energy to get in shape while balancing the demands of motherhood!  Stick around for healthy recipes, realistic fitness challenges, and more!

Use this handy worksheet to answer the questions. (Free for email subscribers.)

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Naming Your Blog


Blog names should be:
  • Short. (On the Banks of Squaw Creek is a wee bit long, in my opinion.)
  • Easy to spell. (Because some of us are never going to remember if there are two a’s or two v’s in saavy.  Or is it savvy?)
  • Easy to remember. (Because, duh.)
  • Not too cryptic. (What does it even mean?)
  • Not too specific. (You mean you’re only going to write about shoes, for the rest of your blogging life?)
Blog names should take into account:
  • Your personality.
  • Your target audience.
  • Your blog’s purpose.

Stuck?
1. Make a list of any word you can think of related to your blog’s topic.  (Use a thesaurus!)
running, exercise, fit, healthy, trim, weight lifting, weight loss, muscle
busy, crazy, motherhood, parenting
2. Make a list of any word you can think of related to your blog’s audience. (Use a thesaurus!)
moms, parents, women, busy, frazzled, motivated
3. Make a list of any word you can think of related to your blog’s purpose. (Use a thesaurus!)
inspire, motivate, practical, realistic
4. Then, put words together.
Crazy Fit
Motivated Mama
Muscle Moms
Running from Motherhood
5. Google those phrases.  Type the phrase followed by .com in your nav bar.
(Yes! www.runningfrommotherhood.com is available!  Someone else had the great idea of Running THROUGH Motherhood, though.  Too similar? Maybe!  Good thing this is an imaginary blog!)

Still stuck?
Try one of these formulas:
(noun) & (noun): Running & Mumming (Is Mumming a thing?  Like, being a mother in England?)
The (adjective) (noun): The Running Mama (or is it Momma? This breaks the “Easy to Spell” rule.)
Add –ista or another suffix.  (Sheilapalooza, anyone?)
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They don't care how much you know...

I’m a teacher by trade. And one of the most important (although often forgotten) parts of a lesson is the hook.

Before anyone can truly learn new information, they have to be emotionally engaged. Teachers do this by getting students excited, trying to explain why the lesson is important, or by tying the lesson back to something the kids already know.

Our well pump broke once. And I asked my husband what was wrong with it. He went into a lengthy description of the broken part – what it does and how to fix it. My eyes (and brain) glazed over after about 3 seconds. Why? Because I didn’t care. I knew he was going to take care of the problem, and that’s all the information I needed.

The same thing happened occasionally (more often than I’d like) with my students. They simply checked out when the lesson didn’t interest them.

And it happens with our audience. Except, the problem is not that they’re not engaged. It’s that they don’t trust us.

I never had to fight that battle as a teacher. My 4th graders trusted me as an accurate source of information. (Remember when you were a kid and you thought teachers were the smartest people in the world?)

But our audience doesn’t trust us. Why? Because there are certain values they associate with good farmers and certain images they associate with good farms. And our farms don’t look like the ones they’re imagining. If our farms look different, our values must be different, too, right?

We know that’s not true. We know that farmers’ values haven’t changed over the generations. But our audience doesn’t know that. Many of them have never met a farmer. And many of them who have believe that family farmers are the exception, not the norm.

Our values haven’t changed and it’s up to us to tell them. And show them.

turkey farm
Show them that we care about the land. Show them that animal welfare and food safety are top priorities. Show them that we are dedicated to our families and communities. Show them that we take our decisions very seriously. Show them that we care.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

We can spout off facts about agriculture as much as we want, but that won’t have an impact on our audience, unless it’s accompanied by a strong dose of values.

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