Evaluate, Update and Recommit to Your Blog for the New Year

This time between Christmas and New Year’s Day is often a no-man’s land of lethargy and laziness…at least for me. Part of it has to do with the surfeit of calories and gatherings. The rest seems to stem from re-evaluation.

I can’t seem to help it. The approach of New Year’s, with its focus on resolutions, pulls me into a period of introspection. Actually, it’s a good thing. It gives me a chance to look back over the past year and decide what worked and what didn’t. It also gives me a push toward trying something different.

Today I’d like to invite you to join me in one aspect of this journey and take a look at your own blogging aspirations. Click on your own site and look at it with these thoughts in mind. Here’s the checklist I use to evaluate my sites. Don’t hesitate to tweak it to fit your needs.

Checklist

• Make sure your site hasn’t become too cluttered in the sidebar area. Clean out any old links and add any you’ve been considering.
• Recheck your default font. Sometimes you’ll find you’ve drifted into a different one. Whatever font you use, make certain it’s easily readable…on all screens.
• Update your about me section on your site. Include the things that have happened over the past year in regard to publication, job changes, awards, and anything else applicable.
• If you have a calendar with your speaking engagements, update it as well.
• Also be sure to update any lists you have of other sites, like those for writers, photographers or others.
• Now take out your mobile device (cell phone, tablet, eReader, whatever) and make certain your site is optimized for mobile viewing. This is vital because at least a quarter of all visitors to your site will be looking at it from a mobile device and that number will continue to increase!
• Reassess what action you want your reader to take after viewing your blog. Maybe you want them to share your site with their friends/readers. Perhaps you’re selling a book. Even if it’s only to follow you on Twitter, make sure it’s easy for them to see what you want and then execute it!

This is also a good time to look at your blog posting schedule and evaluate the popularity and efficiency of your different topics. You can do this by utilizing the stats section of your blogger dashboard or of your specific blogging platform.

• First, look at the most popular posts of the past year. Do they fall into a specific category or theme? If this isn’t the main focus of your blog consider making it a bigger part of your posting schedule.
• Next look at the day of the week when you get your most hits. Does it correspond to your posting date or is it the following day? You may need to tweak when your email notification is sent out.
• Finally, Google the subject of those popular posts. Don’t plug in the exact title of those blogs, instead try a more generic subject search. The purpose of this is to see where within that search your blog entry is falling. Not certain what I’m referring to? Read my posts about SEO and Tagging.

We all benefit from a yearly checkup and our blog is no different. I’d love to hear how you use this time to get ready for the New Year ahead!

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

A Writers Covenant for 2011

I wanted to share this post from one of my favorite blogs - mbtponderers. It's written by Ponderer, Dee Topliff. If you haven't visited their site you are definitely missing out! Put them on the top of your places to go list for 2011. 
Blessings,
Edie

2011

A Writers Covenant
by Dee Topliff


Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created ... "
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

God is the master communicator, the great initiator. He shapes us in His image and imprints in us His same desire to create and communicate. He ignites the creative spark, which becomes the catalyst for our desire to craft stories that cause others to respond.

God also cares about what each of us writes, custom-tailoring our messages and stories to who we are--while teaching us life lessons as His inspiration flows through us.

As 2010 draws to a close, consider this Writer's Covenant for the coming year:
Since ancient times, God has used human language to reach men and women. God Himself first wrote His messages on stone (Exodus 31:18), then in His Son (John 1: 1-2), and now in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:2). We are indebted to both His written Word and to the writings of gifted men and women. Though we are imperfect tools, in God's hands and with his Help, we resolve that this year we will:

• stir up God's gift within us
• persevere when writing is hard, when we are tired, when our attempts are rejected
• remember that when others seem to have greater gifts or natural ability, no one else possesses our combination of personality or experience
• submit our talents and efforts for God's use and direction
• seek to learn more of our craft while working to develop our skills so that we grow as writers and as God's keen instruments

To achieve these goals, we covenant with Him to:
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Date___________ Signed__________________________________________

Lord, sharpen our ears to hear your thoughts and inspirations. When You speak, help us give undivided attention, so that we receive the full impact of who You are, producing results infused with the maximum of You, the minimum of us.

Open our eyes to see clearly, glimpsing your long-range cause and effects, identifying triggering story events and far-reaching consequences.

Open our hearts to change and grow through encountering You, through loving You as You deserve, and to give out of the overflowing abundance.

Open our mouths to praise You and to encourage others.
Strengthen our hands to write as your inspired and faithful scribes.


~Delores Topliff

(Covenant adapted from an unknown source)