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Tips From The Blogging Queen
Column 6 - April
2007
*NOTE FROM
DEBBIE: I'm happy to have Linda Walsh (certified "The Blogging
Queen") offer a column here at Faithful Friends Online! Each
month we will feature and archive on the website her columns
regarding her blogging experiences. Thank-you so much Linda for
your wonderful writings for Work At Home Businesses!
Are You
Pinging
Last month in my TFTBQ Column 5 our blog
definition was "Ping" which is a feature in blog software to
automatically notify search engines and subscribers when new
posts or comments have been published on a blog. It can be
manually triggered by a blog owner using a ping service. Or, it
can be an indicator within the blog software that is turned "on"
for automatic notification to the ping servers.
So, the question this month is "Are You Pinging?"
"Pinging" is actually a very easy blog term to
understand as it is just a means of telling everyone that you've
posted an article to your blog or updated an article on your
blog. Pinging can either be done
automatically by the blog service providers software or can be
done manually by the blogger themselves. Many blog service
providers have indicators that the blogger can turn "on" in
their settings to allow the blog service provider to
automatically notify the "ping servers" when a new post is
created or an old post is updated.
In essence, a signal is sent to the "ping servers" who generate
a list of blogs that have new articles or updated posts. The
"ping servers" have subscribers (i.e. aggregators like
Feedburner, Technorati, Google Blog Search, etc.) to their lists
who, in turn, notify their subscribers (i.e. blog readers) when
a new blog article has been posted or a blog article has been
updated. There are also a number of
ping service providers who allow the blog user to manually tell
them when they have posted a new article or updated a blog
article. So, why would you want to
have your blog automatically ping?
Well, if you are a small business owner and you are using
your blog as a newsletter of sorts then you want your blog
readers to know when you have something new to tell them.
So, how do you know if your blog is automatically
"pinging?" Well, you want to look for an indicator somewhere in
your blog settings that might say:
Notify
Weblogs.com? Indicate "Yes" or "No"
Weblogs.com is a
blog update notification service that many individuals and
services use to track blog changes. If you want your blog to
be automatically pinged when you post a new article or
update an article then you want this indicator to say "yes."
Also, make sure that your blog is a "public" blog
(i.e. can be viewed by anyone). This should also be an indicator
somewhere in your blog's settings. If it's not a "public" blog
then your "ping" isn't going to go anywhere.
Can you always manually ping your blog through a
"ping service" like Ping-O-Matic? Sure you can, but if you post
new articles frequently, manually pinging can be very time
consuming. So, are you pinging?
If you're a small business owner with a business
blog - you should be.
"Tips From The Blogging Queen" Column 6
Definition -
"Blog Back-up"
- A copy of a template, article(s), and article(s) URL made by
the blogger and stored on a separate medium in the event the
original template, article(s) or article URL(s) are lost.
Be sure to tune in to my TFTBQ Column 7 on "Are
You Backing Up Your Blog?"
Copyright © 2007 -
All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals, Linda Walsh Originals
E-Patterns, and Linda's Blog.
Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.
http://lindawalshoriginals.com/
Linda
Walsh Originals
Linda Walsh Originals Dolls
Linda's Blog
DOLLS Blog
Instant Download E-Patterns
Top Blogs By Crafters Toplist
The Dollie & Crafts Plugboard
Crafting For All Plugboard
About
Linda Walsh Originals
I Love Crafts & Crafts Blogs
Tips For Crafters On The Web
Twelve Months of Sewing Club
Testing The Blogs Series and Helpful Blog Tops
The Best FREE Craft Articles
Until next month...
Debbie
www.debbiesgiftshop.com
&
www.faithfulfriendsonline.com |
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Business Spotlight of
the Month!
View Past
Newsletters Spotlight Archives: 2004
::
2005 ::
2006
I'm very
pleased to have Candle Junkies as the Business Spotlight
this month. Thank-you so much Suzy!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Suzy:
1. Describe your
business: type of business, where you're located, how
long you have been in business, website URL's, etc.
I have been making
candles since 2000 and started selling them to feed my
hobby. Our home on the web is
http://www.candlejunkies.com and our real home is in
Wisconsin (that's another story).
2. How did you decide on your business name?
I actually started with a different name, but
people couldn't easily remember it or the website. I'm
not sure how we came up with Candle Junkies, but I know
Michael (my husband) had something to do with it.
3. What were the first things you did to get your
business going?
I got a sales tax permit, created a
website and started doing craft shows. It sounds simple,
but it's really quite a lot.
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
We didn't really have a grand opening day. It just
evolved from a hobby.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your business
going?
Since we made candles as
a hobby, we spend a lot of time at first learning the
craft and doing our own testing. Having this experience
and knowledge really helped us at craft shows. It showed
people we were serious and had a passion for our
business.
6. What was one thing that you did
that you would advise others not to do?
Don't
go in too many directions at once. Stay focused and
stick with your gut. I'm an optimist and sometimes think
I can do anything, but I have to remember I can't
necessarily do everything (at first at least).
7. How do you
network? What do you find works the best?
We use message forums and word of mouth.
Word of mouth always works best.
8. Do you advertise? If so, what type of advertising works
the best for your business? We don't advertise right now
other than on top site lists.
9. Do you have any
advice to give someone thinking of getting into their own
business? Organize. For us that meant setting
up our work area so that when we're busy we can keep going.
One of the biggest things I've learned (from Michael) is
that a complaining customer is an opportunity to shine and
turn that customer around. Remember, it's not whether you
make mistakes (we all do), it's how you handle those
mistakes that determine your level of success.
10. What type of products do you find are 'hot' right
now? I'm
not really sure what the trends are in the candle world. I
do think that people wanted brighter colors and more unique
items than in recent years. Perhaps a way to combine altered
art, retro and candles...you never know.
Thank-you Suzy for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success!
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CRAFTING TIPS FROM TWO OLD CROWS
(From Debbie of
http://www.2oldcrows.com/)
Easter Egg
Cascarones
Since the late 1800's children and adults have been cracking confetti eggs on the heads of friends and family. These confetti filled eggs are called "casarones" and can be decorated with paint, tissue paper, glitter or any way you like as long as they are filled with confetti. Cracking one over someone's head is meant to bring good luck so make lots for all your friends and family
Supplies:
Blown eggs (Direction below on how to do this)
Acrylic craft paint & brushes
Pin confetti (cut up tissue paper in various colors)
2'' nail
Craft glue
Small cone or funnelHow to blow out the eggs:
Hold the egg over the bowl. Using the nail, apply a firm pressure and scrape back and forth on the end of the egg repeatedly. (Too much force will break the egg.)
Once you have broken through the shell, turn the egg over and repeat on the opposite end.
Hold the end of the egg (it doesn't matter which end) up to your mouth and blow hard. The raw egg inside should come out of the opening. You may have to enlarge the holes slightly, just keep them as small as you possibly can.
You may have to blow repeatedly before you know the egg is really empty. If you have an aversion to gooey stuff, I am told Martha Stewart uses an aspirator to suck the insides out of her eggs. It is neater but not nearly as much fun.
When you know there is no membrane left in the shell, run hot water over the eggs getting as much water inside as possible. Put your finger over the lower hole and allow the egg to fill up with water. Drain the egg and repeat this process several times to make sure the egg is completely clean.
Let air dry before decorating
To make the Easter Egg Cascarones
Glue a small piece of tissue paper over the small hole made when blowing the egg
Using a paper cone or small funnel fill the large hole of a blown egg with confetti.
Patch the hole by glueing a small piece of tissue paper over it
Now the eggs can be painted and decorated anyway you wish.
These can be so much fun a family gathering but should be done outside if you dont wish to be finding confetti till next Easter!
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Written by Debbie Hainline
For
more great crafting tips and techniques visit us at Two Old
Crows (www.2oldcrows.com)
And Now...My personal
favorite
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The reason I LOVE to
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