Blog Brunch

We wanted to make sure that anyone who missed Brunch last Saturday would be able to see everything we discussed! There was some killer conversation and great info to improving your SEO for your blog and website. Lots of questions were answered so head over and check out what was said! 

http://beta.hashtracking.com/wimpy-1-report/cjeffers-blogbrunch-2011-11-05/

Well Hello There,

Happy Blog Brunch Eve Everyone! We are on pins and needles for our second Brunch tomorrow and hope you are too! After we announced our topic of Search Engine Optimization we were flooded with suggestions and questions, and as a result we have a super sized twitter meetup we think you all will enjoy!

Last month we brunched about a topic that we all deal with on a daily basis CONTENT, but we realized that SEO is somewhat of a different beast. Take comfort that all of us are on various levels of expertise, so whether you are a SEO-Vet or a first-timer we invite you to engage, enjoy and experience a few “a-ha” moments ;)

The Menu for Brunch is as follows:

1.     What can SEO do? How has it helped you? What (if anything) are you doing for your blog’s SEO right now?

2.     Meta Content: What’s it for? What method do you use for writing it, and how do you know the right thing to say?

3.     Share some tools to manage/monitor your blog’s SEO.

4.      We all love a pretty picture- can images be SEO friendly?

5.      Is original content important to SEO?

6.     How much does the usability or design of your site affect SEO?

7.      What role does social media play in SEO or your websites ranking?

We hope to see all of you bright eyed and bushy-tailed Saturday morning at 10 am PST and 1 pm EST for a hearty talk and of course to hang with a bunch of great bloggers.

If you have any questions about how to participate in Blog Brunch, please feel free to email us or follow this link:

http://bit.ly/v3hRTk 

Happy Friday!

Megan and Katie

Over at Blog Brunch we are getting ready for a the 2nd Brunch on Saturday! We cannot wait to hear your thoughts and ideas behind SEO and to help you all connect with some new and exciting bloggers. So we know many of you do not know much about SEO and you may be thinking SEO what?! Well no worries because Saturday will help at least get your started if not become a pro by the time we are done. 

To get some of you started though we thought it would be great to give you some great resource that should get your mind going on Search Engine Optimization. 

8 First Steps SEO Tips for Bloggers

5 Great SEO Tips for Bloggers

Getting Started with SEO for Blogs

Search Engine Optimization for Bloggers

image via: decor8 Flickr

We are dreaming about the upcoming brunch on November 5th and think that crepes seem like the perfect compliment to learning the hard topic of SEO. Do you have a favorite crepe recipe? What would you put inside?

- Megan

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planner  |  mug  |  tape  |  magnets  |  inspiration  |  pencils

When spending so much time in an office as a blogger it is key to have things that keep you smiling. We found a few items that can spice up your space and bring a smile to your day.

Is there an item in your “office” that you love? Does it inspire you? Does it make you happy?

What are those things that you must have to run your business and blog. Some of your have different ways you do things and different ideas on how you run your business and your blog. We would love to hear the things you must have to do your day to day. 

For me as a designer and a blogger there is no way I could  do much of anything I do everyday without my tools. This is my list…and maybe your’s looks slightly similar. 

- iMac

- iPhone

- Macbook Pro (perfect for travel) 

- Adobe Creative suite (mostly photoshop, illustrator, and indesign)

- cup of tea

- a golden retriever keeping my toes warm

- Blogger - to post

- Freshbooks - to invoice and time track for client work

- My notebook (for jotting new ideas and doodles)

- Pinterest, Etsy, Svpply - for cataloging things I love. 

What are some of the things you need to make the magic happen everyday?

image via: Once wed

I hate bookkeeping. My almost-all-the-time-right-brain rebels on so many levels and after working at doing it for almost two tax years now I feel like I am beginning to have some level of understanding. When I saw this post on Design Sponge’s Biz Ladies column I may have did a little happy dance. This is very well broken down for us creative minds. It is long but the most important thing for your business (which can totally be your blog) is to know how money is moving in and out and to get the most out of your taxes. 

Also I personally suggest finding an account who will be your cheerleader and understand your business. It makes a huge difference…but I have no where near enough clout to talk about this topic and that is why you should be reading this post from Design Sponge instead!

image via: Workspaces

I remember when beginning my business Hitch Design Studio and my blog The Fresh Exchange I wasn’t totally thinking. I began The Fresh Exchange with no real purpose other than just posting things I love, which is why many begin blogs. At the time, I never really thought that my blog and company would possibly become tied together. I am not sure why this is other than out of pure ignorance. By the time I realized I should of thought more clearly through the naming process of my two fronts I felt it was too far along and I should probably just run with it and make it work. I love the names of both sites and I feel I can make it work for me but I know it will be something I will continue to think about and possibly be something I do change.

That all to say I really thought I should touch on the subject of the naming process for your blog. I think you can get away with almost any name. For instance, when you think of some stores like Banana Republic…who would have ever imagined that name would hold higher end business attire and casual chic pieces for everyday? Not me. In my mind Banana Republic makes more sense for a drink hut in the Bahamas, so does a name define you significantly? I do not think so, but should you think through it and make it as purposeful as possible? Yes.

I think about this a lot when I come across a new blog or blogger, store, or business on twitter. I am always wondering where that name came from and what about them personally made them choose that name. Have you ever thought that?

Before getting into a step by step I will share where I came up with my name and why The Fresh Exchange. When I decided I would make a blog I felt it was a big deal for whatever reason. I had no one following me and if I had never shared it with friends or family at the beginning I probably would have had no one following me other my husband or at that time boyfriend for quiet some time. I agonized over what to call it that didn’t sound silly, weird, or even too boring. Eventually I began to write words that described the content I thought I would place on it. The word that continued to come up was ‘fresh’. I felt it described me on some level as well, as I always try to keep things light and simple, and I hope to always be refreshing to the people I know and meet (see now this is beginning to sound silly right?). Once I landed on that one word I remember Mike (husband) stated that blogging was kind of like sharing ideas with people and instead of Fresh Sharing we landed on Fresh Exchange. As a designer I like things to be in odd numbers for symmetry reasons so I dropped in the ‘the’ to round it out. It seems all a little crazy but I to this day really feel it still describes my blog well and who I am. I love the words and how they look (always key to me). I tried not to look at anyone elses name and stay true to what came to me as naturally as possible.

It is amazing to watch a name come together and to feel like you just met your soul mate for the first time. If you are new to blogging, thinking of beginning a business, or starting an online store this can really be helpful to get you started. Even if you already have a name…no worries this may help you feel more secure in your name or rethink what you have now in a positive way.

1. Begin with yourself: This may be the biggest step. It is key to understand yourself when beginning a blog, business, or shop. This does not mean head off to Asia to hike through the Himalaya’s to find your inner-self. This just means know your taste, things that come natural to you, and what you love. Make a mood board of your favorite things maybe via Pinterest or just gather all your ideas and/or products into one place and give it a good hard look. What do you see? What are some of the similarities? Make sure to create a list of words that come to mind. Anything goes at this point because no idea is bad. Just be really open about who you are with this step.

2. What will be behind the name: As you develop a name think about what your content will be giving readers, what kind of products you will be offering to your clientele. If you are beginning a blog about kids and food then think about things that will tie into those topics. Maybe something like Beansprout or Little Scoops. Make sure you gauge readership and/or clientele well enough to make sure they will easily be able to recognize the connection.

3. No copy cats: I think what is even more embarrassing than anything is to copy a name. It has no real benefits to you as the original is ultimately the original. It is great to recognize a good idea but not to copy it. It can be very hurtful to you and the launch of your site. The best thing to do is, as you develop names check them with Google or the Trademark Office of the US (this mostly for businesses). Google is the best place to start as many blogs and etsy shops do not trademark but if you are launching a business it is best to check there.

If you do see something similar on Google, the best thing is to figure out what they are and where they are. If they are in the Netherlands and run a fruit shop and you are in the US running a design business or blog on design and lifestyle I would say you are safe. If you find a web agency in the US and you are beginning a print and design shop in the US with the same name I would really think twice about your choice.

It is difficult to figure out a good name you feel confidant about. For some people they know right away and others spend months or even a year or so trying to really figure it out. My hope is these three steps can help you in whatever stage you are at.

If you have further thoughts and want to share how your blog got it’s name feel free to do so below in the comments. We love hearing from you all and we know it is helpful to others as well and that is what Blog Brunch is all about.

image via: Wit + Delight