Our New Baby: ROW80 Check In

My life is truly blessed. I am the oldest of three girls and now have three girls of my own. My sisters and I have all girls... seven in total. Until yesterday.

Congratulations to my sister, and Blog/Webmaster, Dana Newbrough on the arrival of her second daughter. I can't wait to meet baby girl #8!

Welcome to the world, Sydney Mae Newbrough

Born January 17, 2012 at 6:36pm

7lb 3oz and 19 inches long

She joins big sister, Samantha Paige Newbrough

ROW80 Update

I arrived back in Maryland last night at 11pm, so my Sunday to Wednesday update is not too exciting. Still, I managed to accomplish some goals. More importantly, I'm rejuvenated and ready to tackle my writing in particular.

Writing: Trying to use my airport time effectively, I managed 750 words yesterday. 750 words written in a notebook. I should post a picture of the writing. So messy. The words were coming so fast, and I didn't want to try to find a plug for my laptop. I'm excited to write more tonight.

Blogging: I managed to repurpose some old posts while on vacation, but I wrote a new one yesterday for this blog and Mom in Love with Fiction. I even managed to stay on top of my ROW80 comments and sponsor duties.

Reading: Score! I read two books and several articles I've been meaning to read. One of the books was really disappointing, and I'm struggling with how honest to be in my review.

Editing: Made a lot of progress on two different projects.

Exercise: Two hour-long hikes in gorgeous Breckenridge, Colorado. It doesn't get any better than that.

Hope everyone is having a great week! I'm excited to check in with some word counts on Sunday.

What Makes a Blog Attractive? Part Three on How to Set Up a Blog

Welcome to Part Three in our series on How to Set Up a Blog written by Dana Newbrough, our Web/Blogmaster (and my sister). We hope you've enjoyed this series. If you missed Part One or Part Two, please check them out.

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What makes a blog attractive?

It is not specific. Everyone has their own viewpoints on what is or is not attractive, but trust me–put some work into your blog or website! The saying “you cannot judge a book by its cover” is idealistic, but unrealistic. People all the time pick up books based on their cover, a dress based on how it looks on the rack, and will make assessments of people based on how they present themselves. So, assume they will do the same for your site. 

Make it pretty, make it dark, make it modern or artistic… but whatever it is, it should clearly represent what you are talking about, what you are selling, or your viewpoint on a particular issue. 

A generic default template may be easy and your information/product may be great, but we live in a very visual fast paced society. You might think your “product” is truly special, but there are a lot of blogs/websites out there. Make your blog or website visually stimulating and informative.

According to the PC Informant and The Royal Pingdom there were 255 million websites posted as of December 2010, that is a lot of competition! You want to grab your viewers quick and keep them before they move on!

If you make these goals for your website, then you will have a website/blog that people will check regularly, bookmark, and share with friends.  Remember, have fun and never lose sight of yourself and your product. Your authenticity will shine and your readers will appreciate it and come back again and again.

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Thanks, Dana!

We'd love to know... what turns you off a blog, especially visually?

How to Make Your Blog a Success: Part Two

Welcome to part two of Dana Newbrough's three part series on creating a successful blog. Dana is my baby sister and Web/Blogmaster. Part One can be found here.

Enjoy!

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What do I mean by effective?  Well, that depends on your goals.  In my opinion to truly make your blog a “SUCCESS” you must do the following…

http://wigflip.com

S :  Searches: Put your website in multiple search engines, forums, google reader, etc. People can get there without needing to type in your exact address (more on this to come).

U:  “Unknown” viewers: Get traffic from people outside your “circle” of family, friends and neighbors and out to anyone on the Web.

C:  Consistency: WRITE REGULARLY! You should post at least 2-3 times a week. If you are not actively posting, people will not actively view your site–it's that simple!

C:  Clear Communication:  If you want people to know where to order your book, how to contact you, etc. then you must make that information clear and easy to find. This also goes back to “searches” and putting your RSS feed everywhere! A neat website that is easy to maneuver is the most accessible to everyone.

E:  Enjoyable: Fun and interesting to read and interactive! This begins with the design of your blog/website all the way to the headlines of each post. Don’t bore your readers! Let your voice shine and give it a true personality!

S:  Synced in:  Hook up with Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and Follow by Email–as many ways as possible to share your posts/products quickly and to keep luring people back to the site!

S:  Social: Allow readers to chat, comment, and be involved.

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Please check back next Monday, October 24 for Part Three: What Makes an Attractive Blog. Until then, we wish you Blog S.U.C.C.E.S.S.!

What points would you add for blog success?