Lines from Linda

My Take on NETworking

I read an article recently that listed 12 ways to use FaceBook professionally. I don't know about you, but I don't include FaceBook on my business card. Nor MySpace. I suppose in the grand scheme of networking, one could use these SOCIAL utilities to schmooze. After all, the non-virtual business world has cocktail parties. MySpace would fit in well there. And FaceBook simulates a family picnic.

I do enjoy meeting people on FaceBook. And keeping up with my friends' kids who have gone off to college, as have my own. It's fun to see who's engaged, who got a new car, etc. Kind of like placing family pictures on one's desk at work--you get to know a bit more about someone by checking out their latest vacation photos or pics of their pets. But it's difficult for me to take the site seriously when I'm constantly being threatened by werewolves and pirates.

There are a few other social gathering places I frequent on the web--Shelfari and ShoutLife. I find these more professional than FaceBook and MySpace. For one thing, they are specialized. Shelfari is a book lover's paradise and ShoutLife is a place where Christians can gather to encourage one another. Kind of like a huddle to get your life game plan down.

The problem I have with promoting such sites for "professional" use is this: Do we really want someone to meet up with us on FaceBook to conduct business, or do we want them to come to OUR web site? It's a great way to connect, meet new people, and increase your web presence. Find a way to point your "friends" toward your Internet office if you wish to do business.

I link to my blog and home page on several social utility sites. But no way would I attempt (as some have done and suggested) to use a social site as my primary web presence. My advice to professionals who want to shine their name on cyberland's marquee lights? Get your own space!

Pomotion Tip

I got an e-mail from my brother, web designer extraordinaire, and he told me about a link service I'd never heard of--some of you may use it already--called del.ico.us. Sites with lots of links do well in search engines, and this service creates a link directory on your web site. You can "tag" sites you frequent and assign categories for your favorite sites, such as Authors, Historicals, Fiction, Resources, etc. I have begun tagging sites on my blogroll and author sites that I've swapped links with on my regular web. You can scroll down on the left sidebar on my blog to see what the tags look like (link in signature) or to see how it would look on a web page, you can view my brother's site: http://residueofdesign.com/ You can change the list style view and colors, too. The more tags a category has, the BIGGER it appears.

Also, if you click on a category that your web/blog would fit and don't see a link to it, let me know if you'd like me to "tag" it on my site. This is one way we can help each other drive traffic to our sites. Who knows, perhaps some nonbelievers will venture onto one of our sites and be exposed to the Word!

It’s 9:43 and All’s Well

Having a PINK party has been such a fun idea. In fact, I promised to do blog updates throughout the evening and we've been having such a great time that I'm just now sitting down to post the first update. And that's just because the girls left to go pick up a friend who just got off work! I was going to upload some pics we've taken so far, but they took the camera with them, so that will have to wait.

The evening started with decorating. Elena promises that the house was clean when they started, but by the time I got home from work, pink streamers, plates, balloons, and all manner of pink debris were scattered around the place. Oh, well. I told her she cleaned house this morning, she can clean it again tomorrow! LOL

Of course this party comes one day after I started Weight Watchers. I'll be using all 35 of my week's flex points for this one event! (Yesterday I did great & wound up with 2 points to spare!) I'd better not eat any more cake, ice cream or Bagel Bites, though, or I'll need another kind of pink--Pepto Bismal!

After decorations & food, we stopped long enough to do our chores. We cleaned out the baby duck brooder & gave them fresh litter, food & water. Then we all headed to the pond to feed the creatures. After chore time, we settled in the den and I began to read to the girls.

I just read a chapter last night in a book about placing the reader in a "fictive dream" and using story questions to make the reader "worry and wonder" what would happen next. That's just what I've witnessed as the girls hang on every word of PINK.

"What happened three months ago?"

"Is he going to get on the wrong train on purpose tomorrow?"

Those are "story questions"--hooks to keep the reader reading. No, they're not asked directly in the text, but these questions were asked out loud by some of the girls as we were reading. It means they've already begun to worry and wonder about the characters--and we've only read two chapters! But the answers will have to wait *sigh*. At least until the girls get back from town!

Watch for the Teaching Moments

I've merged my old Blogger files with my old TypePad files and created this blog. I had too many blogs to keep up with. And without becoming a TypePad commercial, I like some of the features that TypePad has, so I picked it.

I also uploaded several of the photo galleries I had on my old web site, including pics from the past two ACFW conferences. Posting pics on an online blog server saves a lot of bandwidth on your regular site, by the way. I remember the time I posted a message to the ACFW loop that I'd posted new pics from the conference to my site and so many guests viewed them (which is good) that my site exceeded its bandwidth & my host had to increase my allotted amount!

One of my friends has a saying she uses all the time, "Watch for the teaching moments." She uses nearly every opportunity to teach--her children, her students, probably even her husband!

So--speaking of driving web traffic--I guess I'll take this opportunity to share what's been helping me and have a little "teaching moment."

My web stats for April have more than doubled March's, which had more days in it plus April isn't technically over for another 2 days. What happened? (Not trying to brag--just letting you know what I've been up to & how it's helping me. We all know this whole business is about helping each other by sharing what's worked for us.)

1. I revived my old newsletter. You know, the one I hadn't sent out in about a year and a half. This time, though, instead of making it all about me, I worked to make it all about what my audience wants. And that is the KEY to promotion. What does your audience want? Give it to them & then let them know about it. I signed up 55 of my friends and family, and within 2 weeks, my subscriber list had nearly doubled. How'd that happen? Read on...
2. I found a need and filled it. One of Zig Ziggler's favorite sayings. In fact, this concept is so simple, I remember my son grasping it when he was VERY young--about 7 or 8. An ad for some gadget came on the TV and he looked at me and asked, "So, if you wanted to get rich, all you really have to do is invent something that everyone needs, right?" I didn't get into marketing, etc., with him, but he pretty much nailed that one. I mean, it worked for Bill Gates! So I started a free New Writer's Contest. Almost immediately my web traffic soared and my newsletter list doubled. The purpose of this is three-fold, I suppose. First, it will encourage new writers by giving them a stress-free contest. Kind of a "dress rehearsal" for future contests. Next, I can give back to the writing community. So many have mentored and encouraged me along the path, so I wanted to do what I could to pass it forward. And third (the ulterior motive--just kidding), sponsoring the contest helps put my name in front of more people. And I've enjoyed "meeting" them through their writing, too. Plus, it's been a fun family project as my kids are helping me judge. So...think of something you can GIVE and in return, you might GET more web traffic.
3. I wrote several articles this week. I also notified the writing loops I'm in when the articles were posted. This, too, increased traffic. If you don't know how to check your web stats, get with your host and find out. I can easily see what is effective and what isn't. The article on greeting cards, for instance, had 27 views the first day I posted it. That wasn't my purpose in posting it, of course, but one of the residual benefits of helping others is often helping yourself.
4. I re-designed my web site. I made it more user friendly. My previous site had become a tangled web of Linda's interests with no easy way to manuever through the site. Now, if you're interested in publishing, you won't be bothered with book reviews and Pygmy goats. But if you're into hobby farming, the printing press won't haunt you, either. Each section has its own submenu, complete with index, making it organized (just cuz my web site is organized doesn't mean I am! LOL) and user friendly. People will come back if they enjoy their first visit.
5. I asked for help when I needed it. Posting questions to the loop about your site will often bring guests there so they can see what you're talking about. I wanted to know how to make my old blog match my web design. I later changed my mind and merged my old posts to TypePad, but still, many who visited the site e-mailed me and said they liked it. In fact, some told the whole loop. So ask and you shall receive--sometimes more than just answers!

What have you done that has helped drive web traffic to your site? The old "if you post it they will come" isn't really true. You have to let people know about your site in a way that will benefit them. And in the end, you'll both benefit! Kind of cool how that works.

Stormy Weather

Is it just me, or does anyone else have difficulty with brainstorming? Sometimes instead of a storm, my brain just fogs over! I was impressed with my friend Kay today, however. We spent the noon hour together, barking for our church's booth at the local college's spring fling. We had free T-shirts to sell. Yes, sell. The challenge in giving away the shirts was that our size selection consisted of 2X and 3X, each of which would hold about four average-sized college students. No one wanted a shirt that wouldn't fit, and who could blame them? The purpose of the shirts was to trade them for e-mail addresses so we could contact the students and invite them to future functions of our Christian student organization. We were stuck. No normal-sized shirts; no contact info. Then Kay sprang into action and started "selling" the free shirts. "Of course you don't wear a 3X shirt," she began, "but have you considered the uses for a shirt this size?" I had. And the only use for a 3X T-shirt I could come up with was a wardrobe item for Orsen Wells. Since he is dead, I figured he wouldn't be stopping by the booth, and we'd return to report to our youth minister that we had collected a grand total of NO names for him to contact. But Kay went on and started rattling off uses. A beach towel (not too absorbant, but hey...it was an IDEA!). Better yet, a swimsuit cover up, while we in the beach mode of thinking. Or, for the crafty folks, stuff it and sew up the holes and viola! -- you've got a pillow! And what college co-ed wouldn't be thrilled with the prospect of a comfy nightshirt to lounge in? Or folded as is, the shirt could make a great doggy blankie. Her list went on. Soon, kids swarmed our booth. Shouts of "Hey, they've got FREE T-shirts!" rang out to the crowd. The clipboard clattered, the flyers flew, and in no time, we were apologizing that our vast supply of hugemongous T-shirts was gone! While I had looked at the pile as "useless" wares, Kay had seen an opportunity. And that 's what brainstorming, (which is in reality creative problem solving), is all about--watching for opportunities instead of being blinded by obstacles...like a foggy brain!