I've been blogging for the last 7 months and have learned a lot along the way. I've gotten a lot of helpful ideas from friends and colleagues, I've tracked google analytics, and I've watched Facebook to see what people tend to like and share. Taking all of these things into account, I thought now would be a good time to make some changes to the blog for the year ahead. Here's what I'm thinking: Less is More: I have a list of blog post ideas that I'd love to write some day. I also have a family that needs their father and husband to put his computer away when he is home. For this and other reasons I've decided I will be posting less frequently. Instead of posting once a week, I'm now going to be posting once every other week. Timing is Everything: I've found that timing my posts is incredibly important. For a while I was posting things on Friday and quickly realized that no one has time to read on Friday's. While I know Sunday would be the day that I could received the greatest readership, I'm not sure that's the time I want others to be reading. I've found that the next best option has been 4:00 on Tuesday afternoon. My mother-in-law suggested the time and it has been working wonderfully. So we'll keep this time. A Little Less Social: For almost every thing I have written this year, I've posted a link to evey blog post on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google+. I've learned that the people who read my blog use Facebook. This is likely the only place I'll be sharing my articles going forward. While I've had some readers come from these other social media sites, the extra work it takes to post in all of these places isn;t worth it. More Video: People like videos. Anytime I posted a video link on Facebook or on my site, I got a much greater response. As a result, I'm going to try and include more videos as part of the work I am doing. Less Advertising: I tried a variety of strategies to generate some capital from my website and found that people hate adds and are generally more inclined to buy through a website that doesn't seem too pushy. Other than the standard request at the bottom of all of my blog posts, or where it makes contextual sense in an artical (i.e. a product review), there will be less direct advertising on my site. Staying On Message: While I love a good deal, I don't think deals are what draw people to my blog. While I may post some buying guides around larger sales events, I think I'll limit publishing deals to my personal facebook page. This will hopefully keep my blog more focused in and ultimately more helpful to readers. Listening to My Readers: I really do value your opinion. Do you have a topic that you'd like me to write about? Is there something I do that really annoys you? Do you have suggestions for what I can do to improve the work I am doing here? Please fill in the box below. Your thoughts will be kept anonymous unless you choose to share your name. Thanks! Please Help Support My Classroom
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Recent PostsCommon Sense Media
Helping Parents & Teachers Navigate a Digital World A Mid-Year Checkup: Tech Goals I've Met, Missed or Abandoned Completely Shelf Reflection: What my classroom library says about the world and what I can do about it. Looking Ahead, Blogging Forward Teacher Approved Gifts for Kids The Best Apps for Your Kid's New Device Do Good with Great Deals Is Amazon Prime Worth It? Navigating the Election with Your Kids Making the Most of 1 Classroom iPad Apptoberfest: Google Photos Apptoberfest: The Bible for Kids by YouVersion Apptoberfest: IXL Math Apptoberfest: Teach You Monster to Read I Tried...I Failed...& You Can Too! Let Go and Let Them Oh the Place You'll Go: Using Green Screens in the Classroom The Kindle Fire HD 8 - The iPad's Days are Numbered Dirty Feet A Fresh Start: Changes for the Year Ahead Getting Great Stuff for Less - Part 2: Getting the Lowest Price Getting Great Stuff for Less - Part 1 : Finding the Best Stuff Stop Everything and Kahoot! Coding in 2nd Grade with No Prep and $0 Kindles in the Classroom: A Year In Review |