Green Flamingobecause I said so

In the blogosphere, when everyone starts to blog and new people create websites everyday,  when you get busier and your blog becomes less important on your list, blogging becomes much more difficult. Quality posts are harder to write, and you have less time to comment on other blogs and maintain your site.

There is more to it than explained above. Sometimes it is the little things that count, and the little things that you don’t have time for. When on a tight schedule, you will not have time to update your twitter, guide along your technorati, digg other blog posts, tweak your rss feed, add new gadgets to your site, explore new blogs, comment on old blogs, optimize your SEO, optimize your pagerank, etc. These little standards bring together some of the things that promote your blog, and some ways that people view the status of your blog. Though all these are really little, too be successful in many eyes of all kinds, some of the tidbits are important over a range so large.

And even when one needs most of those things to feel completely in control, posting regularly and commenting seems most important. Even so, you have to watch how you go about that. I have seen on some sites lately that they have slacked a little, the grammar may not be kept up, or an ordinarily well built post will simply have the outlines to it. I have been no exception, I could draw my posts out into something very well received. It just gets harder and harder to keep up the best work.

How To Make Things Easier

To make things easier for yourself and your blog you need a plan, a schedule, and you need to compact. You also need to take the same principles of ecology: reduce, reuse, recycle. You can reduce the fluff in your posts, and the time you spend dawdling off on unhelpful sites. You can reuse your knowledge, and space, even some content. You can recycle your old content too by making into something new, recycle other blog’s posts and resources that you find.

Incorporation is a big part of the process as well, which follows along timing and schedule. If you incorporate most of what you need to do in short, well put together pieces you can get a great amount done in optimal time. If you quickly make sure your site is all working before you post, then write and publish a quality blog post, that will be a start. Then you can twitter about that blog post, and start commenting on other blogs, which hopefully have comment luv and will track back to your most recent post. You can also submit your site to directories, and social bookmarking sites at this time. All that should fill your blogging time for a day, and can be completed within 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you spend with certain activities.

Besides the normal routine, you can create a waterfall of visitors with a new idea, program contest etc, that is new and that will promote extra traffic to your blog. These types of things really seem to help people have a burst in profit.

The bottom line is, with blogging times getting harder, and time for blogging decreasing, then you need to know how to create the best plan for your blog with whatever is available to you.

Beta Advertising Update: Because of a feedburner delay, the raffled advertiser has still yet to be drawn, so you can still enter. There are also two more spots up for grabs, just comment on the beta post and let me know.

Getting Back To Blogging

I know that many bloggers have to postpone blogging career, but then often they wish to come back. This could turn out to be a little hard if they are not up to date or  do not seem cut out for more blogging. I know there are a fair amount that have this desire, and I hope I can help.

Section 1: pre-launch                                                                                                                      1.  1. One of the first things you want to do is to figure out why you couldn’t blog before, and fix that  problem. It could be because of time, content, stress, or any other reason that would prevent you from being able to blog on a normal schedule.

If it is due to a time problem, you might want to free time or “shape” the time that you have to make room for blogging. Because if you don’t have time, then there is really no way you can get all the necessary pieces to keep the blog running.                                                                              Regardless of the reason, you still need a solution. For some of you, this might be the hard part, but there is always a time to take the jump and go.

2. The next thing you need to do is optimize your theme and clarify the stature of your blog. The first part of this of course, is to find a theme that is up to date, and a style that is up to date. You can quickly check on other sites similar to yours as samples if you need some.                                          If you continue with your previous theme, and think it is up to date and modern, there is not much to be done. When finding a new theme, then you should make sure the title is yours and the RSS section directs readers to your feed. Other optimizations such as added promotions, gadgets, colors, site statistics, etc. can be added to your theme as well.

Once that is complete then you should clarify your previous content, organize posts, categories and tags, edit pages, so that your blog is current and ready for the public.

3. The third thing you should do is to write new content, as far as posts and pages. You do not need to wait a week before your new launch, but you should have one or two posts that are current for your readers to browse as they visit. The posts should be modern ideas and helpful information, probably not a “sorry I left but I’m back” 100 word post that you scrambled up in 10 minutes, but more like a half hour long, well written, well composed post that is thorough and new, showing readers that you care, and making then want to come back. It could also be thoughtful, and display some sort of message, if informative is not your type.

Section 2

4. Now it is time to relaunch your reborn blog! If you do not have a huge launch plan set up, then there are simpler ways to get your site back on the market. The way I like best if to visit other’s blogs and leave lots of comments. First of all, by reading your colleagues post’s, then you learn what is going on, more news, and if you have previously established a name for yourself the chances of recognition will be higher. You can travel to old sites, new sites, different sites and blue sites. All kinds of places you can promote the relaunch of your blog by just leaving a peace of your mind.                                                                                      If you feel like going all out, then you can throw in advertising, forum activity, and other ways of promoting your site, but really you only need to comment and your blog will start to grow back.

5. Now that you have gotten traffic back to your site, my last piece of advice is to keep up the blog, which like the first step, in solely your effort. You can make it grow bigger and bigger, and if you make money with it then you can hook up your programs and make money again once your site gets popular. So if you are able to post consistently, and visit others sites consistently, as well as leaving time for new things, then I think your blogging career will be very well back on track.

Last night I had a post in mind for very early this morning, unfortunately that did not work out, because I forgot. I might remember later, I almost did, but not quite.

Even though it was an idea for a great post, I think I might have to shift the focus of this blog once more anyway. I am trying to provide quality articles that really help you out or show you something, but today Jason made me notice that I am not always unique in content, because 50 million other bloggers are giving the same information.

I could go with more of an opinion on things for my posts, but it still uses the same topic and that can be very boring. I am trying to find an actual “niche” for this blog, I may stick it onto young entrepreneur and Internet marketing while I blog about blogging, but not about “blogging tips.” I think I have some ideas, I will continue later.

I do not need to list all the upcoming things I might have yet, I am going to have a post encouraging suggestions, though I do highly encourage suggestions on this post as well.

I also want to announce the winner of the review, the first of many I hope, and this weeks winner is…Big Ben Patton of Big Ben Patton’s Place! Look for the review tomorrow!

Also, today I spent a lot of time working on my new site, loking for themes and tweaking them, helping the author to write articles, things like that. See you later!

-The Green Flamingo

It has been over a week since I have posted anything, or maybe just over a week since my site has been down.

I am not sure it is so much readership that I have suffered, though it did take some people many days to comment on how my site is down.

I am disappointed in the loss, hopefully it can be won again, for I do not want to let Green Flamingo die.

I think some of you might want to know what happened, so I think I can relay that in a quick manner.

What Happened

I think it was on a Sunday, in the afternoon and I was working on Green Flamingo. I wrote two posts, one published immediately and the second of the University Kid to be published the following day.

I then thought I would touch up the site a little bit, as long as I have the time, and you rarely have time for blogs on vacation. I went into the footer file, remembering some of the weird links that were there. I had heard Jason say people will get really pissed if you remove footer links, but nothing superbad will happen.

So I took my chances removing an ugly beer link and a webhosting link. Why should I have those?

Then the trouble started.

I hit “update” and I either got the message straight away or when I opened my site to see the new look.

“This theme is released under creative common’s license and all footer links must be kept intact.”

I was willing to agree with them, maybe they just go a little extreme over it, who knows? So I went back and tryed to edit the file. I was sad that I did not have the exact format for them, so I opened greenflamingodesigns’s copy of the file and sure enough it was there. I copied/pasted the code in, but it still did not work.

Days later the site itself was fixed, but I had to use a different theme. Of course, I was stupid enough to try the other theme again, then again, and even a third time. The other day Ben tried to help via IM, he downloaded a copy and I emailed him a copy of my footer. He tried to find the problems, and I did too, and finally he decided to give me his footer text. I copied that in, deleting my other text and not saving it. The theme was still broken, and so I had to delete the theme and get a new copy.

Before I could do that, my Internet was down for a day and a half, and it was down today being the reason I was not finishing this at 1:00.

I copied and pasted the theme files I edited like the stylesheet and sidebar into a word file to switch them with the new theme copy, but when I got to the header I found my part gone.

That was another place where I truly messed up, all the editing of the RSS buttons and email forms were messed up, plus ads and entrecard. I will probably recover soon, I am not sure if I can get the same images, or remember who was advertising. (If you were please tell me).

Anyway, my site is alive and hopefully I can get itr back to its previous staus. I hope you did not die hearing my long talk of problems, though sometimes a blogger must reveal his failures. And a tip for you: you might not want to remve that footer link, not matter how ugly!

This post has turned into some of my best work, so go ahead and read it! The post helps you consider what to do going into blogging, during blogging, and on the verge of quitting blogging.

Before you start a website, you have to think it through. I have said before that you have to just jump out there and do it, but that is difference. Look in a clearer light, look through water actually, and you will see what I mean.

You must take the jump when there is something stopping you, for if there is something slowing you down you have to get past that wall.

You should remember hearing that you have to take the jump, land successfully and be in the spirit to start and succeed. This is true to get over anything that is stopping you. You have to flip over that worry and fear, the fear of imperfection or the pressure built up. Follow the path of where you need to go, where you need to start, and you will reach the treasure.

You must assure you self with confidence that you are ready to face the challenges that a blogger has.

Before the stage where you have to jump, then you must think through what you plan to do and the challenges you face. You must confront these problems with a key, so you know how to solve the puzzle. You must find the trapdoors, and later you must get around them. You have to wonder if you will have enough time to put into your projects, and must know if they will be successful enough for you to sacrifice time for. The valuable time that you spend blogging can cost you.

Even if there are traps, you must confront them somehow.

Just because you have trouble blogging doesn’t mean you should give up and quit right away. If you do so then the time you spent will feel to you as a waste. Two things for you: do not give up at every tough spot; and if you do have to quit the time you spent was by no means a waste. You should also know that you cannot flee from your fears and troubles. The challenges that you face must be dealt with, do not run from them, play them. Here is what you do for traps:

” I sense a trap.”

” Next move?”

” Spring the trap.”

(If you don’t know that is from star wars.)

Love what you do, or else there is no point.

As shown to me by myself and a fellow blogger, you must love what you do for it to be successful. To me this applies practically everywhere, but for some it may be in only blogging. Basically, if you do not enjoy what you do then your work will not standout and shine making others not enjoy it as much. If you put love into your work, the work will reflect that love and joy.

Try new things.

Having to love what you do does not mean you shouldn’t try new things. Experimenting is something crucial in many aspects of life, and blogging is one of them. So go out and see what you can do!

This post was written very well I think, surprisingly well for what mood I am in. Writing this has caused me to notice these tips, and they reflect on me and what I try to do. I have had not the best day, but I have noticed what I wrote and I am feeling more in the spirit now. I hope these tips have done the same for you and that you will treasure them to remember when you are on the verge of a blogging breakdown.

Yesterday I had a fun time at an amusement park, and I apologize for not writing before we left. I went on a really scary but fun ride, the Hydra, as something new. After today we only have a half day of school left.

I know you hate questions (I can tell for they are rarely answered), but I have to ask this one: is there something major I am doing wrong with my blogging?

I ask this for my blogging appears to be unsuccessful compared to other webmaster’s blogging I know. I want to track down exactly where I went wrong so I can fix that error.

Blogging Style – is the way I write bad, or unsatisfactory? Or is it because once in a while I criticize my readers a bit, does that trip you up?

Site Design – I have modified the site design many times, mostly on this them making it stand out more. I do have a problem though, which slows my progress I think. That problem is that my site is not web 2.0. I want to make that green background glossy, and make the black have a little shine. Some gradients in here would be good too. I thought there was code you could do to enter this, but I see I am wrong. I guess I can spend that long process creating it myself, but would prefer not to. Is the site design the one that scratches your knees?

Lack Of Promotion – to promote I do a ton. I comment, I forum I entrecard, I do a little bit of social network type stuff, was in contests and guest posted a few times. If there is anything crucial to promoting (most likely I have heard about it but and used it but forgot it on this list) then tell me.

Not So Welcoming – Is it because I do not welcome new readers in every post? Or explain exactly how something went even if repeating myself? If this is the case for you then you are being a bit unfair.

So that was the first question, whether I was doing something wrong, but now I must ask if readers an webmasters are being unfair.

Are you not liking me because of something about me? Is it because of my age? Where I’m from? Where I live? What I look like? If it is any of those you are being unfair. If not, then you are cool.

I really want to know where I am faltering, for I want to fix that. If new readers are faltering, then I cannot help that.

I’ll tell you a bit what this post is about, because it extends farther than that title can carry it. I have many ideas in my mind, I will relay them to you, and also give you advice. I just keep reading these blogs that need some changes.

Let’s start with ideas.

I will put some of these ideas on a separate page, because they are similar to goals. I will be starting a few new websites I am hoping. Once I have the money situation set up where I will be able to handle it and invest my money into domains and hosting then the new websites will start.

Recipe/cooking website – I have already started thinking on this one, not that hard to pull together. I will be targeting the cooking niche, adding some of my own recipes as posts. Yum yum!

Other design websites – Besides interior design, I specialize in many other types of design too. One of the main ones though will be on web design like Shauryadeep.com. By that time, I hope I will be able to create my own theme.

I may be going down the photshop route soon. I long and difficult trail I hear, through jungle areas that are hard to learn to adapt to. There are a few things I want to use photoshop for. One of them, I want to be able to create different backgrounds, behind a window, or anywhere, this would be used mostly in my design, as in the photo shoot I am coming out with soon. I will announce the coming of the first RSS only post, which will introduce the photo shoot. When Green Flamingo Designs goes up, it’ll be in the portfolio section.

I am also thinking about devoting a website to StarWars, another favorite of mine. This will probably go up  the soonest after Green Flamingo Designs because there are star wars things going on. Yoda has also asked to participate regularly, and may be one of the admins behind it meaning I would not have to do all the work. This will be nice. He will probably write some long essays on what actually happened, the movies didn’t alter much, but the movies did emphasize the events.

I think that is all for now, there will be three parts on this series (at least I think so), this one the ideas, next the updates, and then the advice. See you soon.

Yes. There is a contest. Hooray! It is at robinhaney.com, called make money online, and most blogs are or are close to that, and though it is about making money online, maybe the title should be called something else, and the tagline can be what it is or make money online. That’s enough with the site design though. Before anything else I should tell you how it works.

The readers earn points. The ways to earn points will be explained.
The winner is randomly picked from everybody. Now the more points you have, the higher chance of winning you have. For the most part. The ways to earn points are:

1. Subscribe to the RSS feed of the blog.(20 points) This will earn you an automatic 20 points right after you sign up.
2. Write about this contest on your blog.(50 points) All you have to do is write a short little thing about the contest. The minimum word length for the post is 50 words. Be sure to linkback to that post so he can see that your traceback.
3. Leave a comment.(2.5 points) An easy way to get points for the contest, though not at a super fast rate, it’ll help your point count and your way towards victory. Note:no spam comments, they will be deleted, so I advise you to put at least 10 second of thought making it a valuable comment.

The prize for the contest is half of the blogger’s earnings. This could be good. The contest ends in the beginning of May. Precisely, May 1st. Great start for me, I have about 80 points. I hope you guys earn some. Good luck!

Here I am, pretty much returning to the blogosphere. I am listening to The Octopus’s Garden, resting peacefully, thinking about being how I’d like to be, under the sea, in an Octopus’s garden, in the shade. For a few days I have pretty much been out of the blogosphere, not writing, not reading, and not helping my blog or other website I am starting in anyway. Well, maybe a little. But I will not get into why, for in the book that I have been reading, No One Cares What You Had For Lunch, says even not to make all the reasons so…you get the idea. I mean, take Putting Blogs First, for example, a great site, by I kidblogger as I am, but has been talking about for most of the first page it is talking about how he is sooooo sooorrryyy because he cannot blog because of exams, which I can totally relate to understand, but you don’t need a whole page. I do get a little over excited when I don’t blog for a while, saying I’m terribly sorry, and I post more than once about it sometimes because I am afraid my readers don’t understand and so on. But do we really need to talk and talk about how they were on the plane, and it was delayed, so they had to wait on the tarmac of Dallas Fort worth for 3 hours, and I was gonna blog, but when I finally got to the hotel at 2:00 in the morning, where I was supposed to arrive at about 10, I was soooooo tired I couldn’t blog that night, I’ll make up for it by doing this this this, PLEASE come back! People aren’t as drastic as that, but I hope you get the point. And speaking of points, a few points to me for having a really long sentence of tradegy mand plea there! So, I don’t think you should worry about not blogging as much, but just think of it as a short break, and if questions are asked, answer them.

I have a new theme if you have read this blog before. A little to talk about, that’s all. There are ups and downs of it.

It has a professional look, flowing nicely with the orange and black

It has a LOT of space. I can put in tons of pages. Also, the posting area is much bigger making room for more posts on one page. Now, my previous posts that were pretty short are now REALLY short.

I have some nice pages at the top that add to the professionalism. But, unfortunately, I do not know how to edit them and have them be a page. (A little help?).

I was thinking of a few April Fools jokes to play on you guys, but non e relevant. Thought enough of them I have. Hmmmmmm. Happy April Fools Day everyone!

There was a trick that I basically played on myself that I sadly didn’t know about. When I changed my theme, and after that, sitemeter kept talking about how I had zero views or (on the day I switched the theme) only a few. I was wondering, how could this be, why do I deserve this after my hard upgrading work? So then I didn’t post for a few days because I thought I had lost my readers. Well, as it turns out, since I had changed my theme, there was no sitemeter tracker there so it appeared as I had no views. I am glad I still have readers and that I really have a lot more than no views a day. So, it was an April Fools weekend joke played on me by a few. (Myself, wordpress, sitemeter, etc.).

I wonder what the next post will be about?