Thursday, March 21, 2013

Bloggestia March 2013-Starting Line&Finsih Line





If you haven’t heard about Bloggiesta before, it’s a weekend (March 22nd-24th) where we all sit down to work on our blogs, do those things we keep putting off, as well as network and meet new bloggers and participate in challenges and giveaways. Definitely check it out, it’s a lot of fun! 
I will update just this one post here so people don't keep seeing the same post over and over again.  So head here if you want to see my updates!  Here are my goals:

1.  Set up Feedly and make sure all the blogs I want to follow are there now that Google Reader will be gone (done and google reader and feedly are still linking up)
2.  Participate in some mini-challenges
3.  Go through list of who I am following and stop following those who aren't blogging anymore or don't review content I enjoy.Ughhh that always takes forever!!!  But I try to do this every now and then.  I have to remember not to follow every blog in the world!
4.  Come up with a meme or some type of series to regularly appear on my blog to attract readers.
5. Change the B for blogger in my address bar to a picture that matches my blog
6.  I also run two BIG goodreads groups... and even though they are not apart of my blog necessarily I  need to go through those and read through ALL the posts... keep the groups organized. 
Finally I am done with this.  I try to do this every few months.  It took 2 hours again.  I try to go through all the threads in the groups and make sure no one is fighting and all the threads stay on topic. 
7.  Figure out what in the world SEO is and how it helps my blog
8.  Try to set up some buttons for my blog features that match the layout and say : Top Ten Tuesday, Video Game Reviews,  Young Adult Book Club,
9.  What is google analytics?? ? ? ??  Tried this out.. I don't think it was coming out correct. I mean I set it up on Thursday night and today Saturday it is saying I have had only one view.  I know that can't be right because of the number of comments on this post alone.  So I went in an deleted my account. 
10.  Add and image for Feedburner when commenting on Wordpress.
11. Change goodreads reading challenge widget from 2012 to 2013  done
12.  Go over to Bloglovin and claim my domain (even though I won't be using Bloglovin I guess you are supposed to do this? ) Found out that I don't have to have Bloglovin for people to follow me on there and I get enough spam so I am not going to sign up for this afterall!
13. Back up blog.. haven't done that since last year.Done!


Well those are my goals for this weekend!!  EEK!!

Mini Challenges to participate in :

Organizing Reviews: Learn how to use Excel spreadsheets to keep track of your reviews from Lauren at Lose Time Reading. (@ooohgirlie)
Google Reader Replacement Options: In light of the announcement that we are losing Google Reader soon, Jenn from The Picky Girl has listed some options for her mini challenge. (@picky_girl) using Feedly
Book Charities: Allison from The Book Wheel has a challenge to encourages us to support some bookish charities. (@TheBookWheel)
How to Become a Book Depository Affiliate: Come and learn from Donna from Book Wookie! (@BookWookie) Looked into this and decided it's not really for me.  But good information for others to use.
Through a Visitor’s Eye: An awesome challenge from Amanda at On a Book Bender that shows how to look at our blog in a new way and how to make sure you have everything you need for visitors. (@BookBender)
Getting to Know You: Join Suey from It’s All About Books in discovering one new blogger to connect with during this Bloggiesta event. (@SueySays) Loved this challenge!  It was my favorite one!
Declutter Your Sidebar: Check out this challenge with lots of sidebar hints and helps from Debz at Debz Bookshelf. (@DebzBookshelf) Didn't get rid of anything... though sometimes I think two sidebars confuse people but there isn't much I can do about it with this blog layout.
Reviewing in Many Places: This flashback challenge from Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit will help you get organized and post your review in lots of places, not just on your blog. (@shanynlee)
Jump Start Your Traffic With StumbleUpon: Learn how this less well known tool can help you drive traffic to your blog from April at Good Books and Good Wine. (@booksandwine) Checked this out and I think this is a good idea.  I already have a StumbleUpon account so it's a perfect idea! 


I am the featured blog over at My Little Pocketbook for her Getting To Know You Challenge!! Check it out here!


49 comments:

  1. These are great goals! I've seen a lot of lists mention switching from Google Reader, so at the moment I'm glad I don't use it! Wordpress has its own built-in reader. The only downside is it doesn't "count" in Blogger's stats when I follow a Blogger blog with it, so I can't enter giveaways where I have to be a "known" follower.

    I too am confused by SEO. I've gotten the overall impression I should use Heading 1 and Heading 2 tags, but honestly, those are huge on my blog. The largest I've used is Heading 3, and that's only on things like discussion posts, never book reviews.

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    1. Yes SEO is nuts... I'm going to start on it tomorrow!

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  2. Fantastic list! I know zilch about SEO, so I'll be interested to see what you make of it. Good luck with all your goals (changing the "B" in Blogger sounds tricky to me) and have a successful weekend!

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    1. It's actually easy I learned. If you click on the "blogger help" link on the home bar above you will find a link on how to do it!

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  3. Hey Angela,

    Awesome list! As this is my first time doing this, how do you know who is hosting the mini challenges? I probably have missed something.

    Hum?

    I look forward to coming back and seeing you progress over the next few days!

    It's going to be exciting!

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    1. The mini challenge hosts are on the Bloggiesta homepage. You should be able to find it the same area where you linked up your list.

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  4. Ohhhh...Google Analytics! I had done a Blogathon twitter chat on the topic just last Sunday night. Check out www.biannualblogathonbash.com or the twitter chat search for #blogathon2. Kathleen gave a lot of good info on how to sign up and read the results to determine your bounce rate, and where your traffic is coming from. I need to finish the sign up process so it tracks my results. Thanks for the reminder, you've added another goal for me.

    During the last blogathon bash, I won a copy of an SEO e-book. I really need to read it and incorporate what I learn.

    Kathleen from blogathon bash is also hosting an Itty Bitty Blogathon on this Saturday so I'm hoping some of my work for Bloggiesta will count for that Blogathon as well. They are both valuable resources/time to work on the blog.

    Good luck with your goals and hope to chat with you more this weekend!

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    1. I am over checking out the blogathon bash too just to see if there is more information for me to learn over there!

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    2. Oh good. hope you found something to help you. All this work on my blog and I still haven't gotten Google Analytics done. It's just a little over my head at times, need some quiet time to concentrate so I can figure it out. Apparently, that's not on the weekend with 3 little boys at home :)

      Checking into see how you are doing. Here's my goals and updates list if you'd like to stop by http://momssmallvictories.com/bloggiesta-2013-goals/

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  5. Good luck with your list! I didn't know how to change the icon that goes in the address bar. I'll have to add that to my fall Bloggiesta list. (My blog is self-hosted WordPress, so it might be different from Blogger.)

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    1. Thanks you... I am looking for an image for this right now!

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  6. Fantastic list! I hope you accomplish everything that you want to and have a great weekend :) Good luck!

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  7. #1 Feedly is Great! I just added the app to my ipad and I LOOVEE it!

    #3 I am going to do that one too. I have over 350 blogs that I am following and I bet half are not blogging anymore.

    #4 If you can't think of anything let me know. I created one, never used it and now that I am taking my blog in a new direction it doesn't fit. I'll email it you if you want to check it out. I would love for it to go to a good home. LOL!

    Have fun bloggiesta-ing this weekend! OLE!
    New follower here!

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    1. Thank you!!! I like Feedly too and think it is a good replacement for google reader!

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  8. I'm pretty sure there was an SEO mini-challenge in a past Bloggiesta if you need a little extra help! :)

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  9. Great list! I should look into SEO a little more too.
    I hope you have a productive Bloggiesta.
    Good luck and have fun! :)

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  10. Awesome goals! I especially like your one for changing the B in the tab ... I just did that for one of my blogs the other day and am going to do that for my main blog, too.

    I think Amanda's right ... I'm pretty sure there was an SEO challenge during the last Bloggiesta. I'm sure that could provide some help!

    Good luck with your list!

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  11. I'm with you on #7. I still have no clue about SEO or what I'm supposed to do with it.

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  12. Google is kind of forcing "analytics" on you now. Most of the info available in google analytics is now on your over "overview" on your dashboard.

    I should check out SEO too.

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    1. Oh thank you... analytics doesn't seem to work anyways.

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  13. That's a great to-do list! I hope you have fun accomplishing all of your tasks. I should also check out some of those mini-challenges you mentioned, some of them look right up my alley.

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  14. I don't really understand Google Analytics myself, I use Statcounter to track all my hits and stuff. It works really well.

    Also, Top Ten Tuesday at Broke and Bookish is my favorite meme right now !

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    1. I tried out Google Analytics ... and I looked at it today again and it says I've had 1 view. I just don't think that could be right. ughhh not sure if I am doing it incorrectly or what?

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    2. I think it can take a little time for analytics to really start catching all your stats. Once it does though, it provides some really interesting data. I haven't been using it since iI switched over to Wordpress, but that's probably something I should have added to my bloggiesta goals.

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  15. I'm backkk! I picked you (well Random.org picked you) to be my interviewee for Bloggiesta challenge "Getting to Know You". I would love to do a post about you and your blog, if that is ok? Send me an email and I'll send you a few (not a lot) of questions.
    Thanks
    Alysia
    littlepocketbooks at gmail dot com

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    1. Your Live! http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/angelas-anxious-life.html

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  16. #5 - That is called a favicon. It was a mini-challenge to change it last year :) It's easy

    http://jennielyse.com/bloggiesta-mini-challenge-and-giveaway-gravatars-and-favicons/

    #7 SEO was another past mini-challenge

    http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/2012/03/bloggiesta-mini-challenge-seo.html

    That's why I love this event! I learn so much every year :)

    Good luck with the rest of your list!

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  17. Great goals Angela!

    How about an apple for your favicon? It's quite easy to change too :D

    My Bloggiesta Goals

    Have a great Bloggigesta weekend!

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    1. Good idea... I was wondering what I should change it to and that would fit the theme of the blog!

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  18. Good luck with your list! I also have nooooo idea what SEO is. Do I need it? I am going to find out this weekend!

    Here is my Bloggiesta To Do List!

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    1. hahah Yes it seems we all need to find out about SEO

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  19. Wow! You have quite an ambitious list! Good luck with them!

    I hope you check out my Bloggiesta To Do List or join my mini-challenge about getting involved! (Thanks for the shout out!)

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    1. I love your minichallenge. Today it is snowing like crazy so I am not going to make it to the little libraries in town. But maybe tomorrow or Monday!

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  20. Great list! Bloggiesta is how I discovered that Google Reader is disappearing. I'm debating between Feedly and Bloglovin' right now... Glad to have stumbled across your blog thanks to Bloggiesta. New follower, grabbed your button, and all that good stuff :-) Good luck to you!

    Here is my Bloggiesta To-Do List.

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  21. You've gotten a lot done!! I did bloglovin awhile ago, and I like it b/c it emails you your posts!

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  22. That's a huge list! And you've got a lot checked off! I'm still a bit baffled by the SEO and links and all that stuff even though I've been in the game a while.

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  23. I did four of the mini-challenges you did: Getting to Know You; Visitors' eye; Reviewing in Many Places; and Decluttering the Sidebar.

    You had a lot on your list and you made great progress.

    Here's MY BLOGGIESTA FINISH LINE POST

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  24. You did so many things! I also went for Feedly and set it up. Seems OK so far.

    Bloggiesta was very successful for you - for me too, actually. Such a sense of achievement, isn't it?

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  25. Awesome job this Bloggiesta! I still need to figure out SEO myself...all the posts I read on it still don't make any sense to me. Maybe one day...

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  26. Wow great job on your list. I'm off to check out Stumbleupon now. Never checked that one out yet, so might as well figure that out. ;)

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