bcb // social media and networking

today we're gonna talk about social media and networking. if you remember, this is my weakest area. just wanted to say that up front and get it out of the way. i know all the how-to's and rules, but my execution is weak. maybe we can learn something together on this one. and of course, feel free to add some other rules you may do or see others do! we all know i could use them.

social media is your friend. it may be scary, sometimes daunting, and occasionally a lot of effort, but it will pay off. so go for the plunge. twitter, facebook, instagram, pinterest. anything that fits you. i do three things after i post a blog post. i put the link on twitter, facebook, and pin the image to pinterest. i don't have a whole lot of followers so 99.99% of my traffic comes from social media. and that is perfectly fine! welcome to the 21st century. social media drives traffic. so let's talk some simple rules, shall we?

social media rules:

use them to your advantage, but don't use them to annoy people: you don't have to post your link a million times, just once, maybe twice on twitter if you are a tweeting person [one for the night crowd and one for the day crowd]. don't be afraid to use them for other stuff, too! not just your blog. be interesting. you can figure that part out on your own. 

use them exclusively. if you post the same stuff on your instagram straight to facebook [oh whoops! my bad!] people won't need to bother following you because they will see it on facebook. See? it's also a fun way to give readers an extra reason to follow you. for example you can do something like, if you want a behind the scenes look at my blog, follow my instagram! and use that platform to share stuff no one else will see. or if you had a health blog for example, you could do something like for daily snack ideas, check out my twitter. you get the idea. 

use them to make connections. well look at that, a perfect segway into networking! 

networking is fun. i get a little rush when i make new bloggy friends. it's just fun! it's especially fun when they are bloggers that i look up to. although i can still be better at this, i have made some pretty great blog friends. before we do rules, let's look at some ways to make connections first:

make connections:

reply to all comments. when someone comments on your blog, reply! show them they are worth your time. shoot them an email if you want. if you ignore them, they might not come back. 

connect via social media. reply to tweets, leave sweet comments, like stuff. follow people! just reach out and say hey, it's totally ok! get involved out there and don't be shy.  

leave comments on blogs. i may have mentioned this in the beginning, but the number 1 rule to all things blogging is this:

if you want to get noticed, notice others. 

so leave genuine comments on other blogs. we all love encouragement, compliments, and attention, so hand some out. 

join some blog networks. that's all i got on this one, i'm trying to find some, google it, find some that fit you, then get involved. tell me if you do and how it goes... kthanksisuckatthisone.

email people with blogs you like. do it! it's ok. ask them questions, tell them you love their blog. whatever you like. it's pretty nice. bloggers love attention. i'm telling you. and we love making bloggy friends, so just say something. [more about this in the rules] 

now that you know some ways to connect, it's time for some rules. these are rules of courtesy and also pet peeves plenty of bloggers have about people who just want attention.

networking rules:

don't spam! don't leave a comment just to leave your mark on someone's page. leave a comment that is genuine, sincere, and more than, great post, thanks. same goes for all social media. don't say anything unless you can improve the silence. or the internet. you get the idea. 

don't leave your url in the comments. tacky tacky tacky. the cool thing about comments is that before you post them, it asks for your name, email, and *gasp* url. so guess what happens... your name becomes a link to your url. whoa! i know. mind blowing. don't leave your url at the end of your comment. done and done.

don't leave negative comments. i mean, you can. but i've read some pretty controversial posts with hundreds of comments and people fighting, if you can call it that, over issues and it's just messy. do yourself a favor and if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all [thank you, thumper].

i think that pretty much sums up the main ones. mostly just be nice and friendly, yeah? the blogging community is full of friendly happy people who want to make connections, who want to make friends, who want to help new bloggers, learn from experienced bloggers, and expand their teeny little world of the internet. it's one of the things i love about blogging. now go get out there and be friendly. thankyouself.

check the rest of the series!

intro | platforms | design | style and writing | tools and other helps

[links are posted, not links are coming soon!]

the pinterest challenge

today is a special day. it's a monday.

but it's also the day i begin my pinterest challenge. if there is one thing that helps me justify my 2,500+ pins and 600+ likes, its that i actually go back and do those things i pin. not all 2,500, don't get me wrong, i have done plenty of repinning and never gave them a second thought. but today is a new day and i am going to try several new pins. thanks to this lovely gal and her sisters, i give you:


the rule of this game is to pick 6 pins and work on them over the next 6 weeks. then i will report of my progress! don't judge me for picking simple ones, i'm a student. school is hard. give me a break. the fact that i use pinterest for the greater good of my family and home is an accomplishment!

so here are the six i picked:

one: i have been wanting to try this forever. natural hair color enhancing with natural ingredients you can find in your kitchen. there's a recipe for blonds, reds, and me's {or brunette}. i know one day when i am preggers i won't be able to dye my hair {chemicals, ya know?... yeah, not pregnant yet, don't go getting ideas}. i'm trying it now because my hair is its natural color at this moment, so i will be taking this opportunity.

two: do these pizza stuffed chicken breasts not look delicious?! i am completely in love with chicken rolls of all kinds and these just look amazing! not too mention that this site is amazing for health lovers. all of her recipes come with the nutritional facts, too. super helpful!

three: well, as you know from my pinterest promise, i am trying to de-clutter. this handy helper of a pinterest clean up is perfect! it helps you find the original picture of things you pinned that may be marked as spam, just bring up a picture, or are broken links. this one may take me awhile... just sayin.

four: i love this girl's blog! all about fashion. she is currently doing a series on how to start your wardrobe from scratch. this is actually the second step, so i guess i will be doing the first one, too. this second step is picking a color palette for you closet so when you go shopping, if you stick with your palette, anything you buy will match everything else. genius right?! why did i never think of that?

five: i love this simple antique button necklace. and i have a handful of buttons just like that! I love statement necklaces and don't have any. dumb. so i will make one!

six: this is a tutorial on how to pack like a ninja. i am going home for spring break in 17 days {not counting. miss my mama} and i will only be taking a carry-on. i. need. this.

and there you have it! wow... only one recipe. weird. recipes are the pins i use the most often. but i guess this challenge is helping me get out of my bubble. if you want to join or do your own, please go to the original post and add the button to your post. happy pin-doing!

a pinterest promise

i am making a pact right now. this is my pinterest promise because i am getting slightly out of hand and it's taking up more time than i really need it to.

i'm doing it on this here blog so that it is public, official, and i am held accountable by the world.

i, tasmin, vow to only repin pins that i have verified {meaning i have been to the site, know they work and are from the direct link}, and that i adore. i vow to not pin pins that are unrealistic to my life unless they inspire me to create a better realistic life {realistically}.

i also vow to not repin anything else until i have organized the pins i now have and have pinned all of my likes to their appropriate boards.

the end.

to check out why i am making this vow, click here.
for more pinning tips, click here.
if you want to clean up your pinboards, too, click on this one. very helpful.