#My7Links and Advice to the Past Me

I like lists.  They are neat and orderly.  I like how they help me organize my thoughts.  Lists are good.

Ironically, though, I only use them when I blog or grocery shop.

Of course, with grocery shopping there is a 50/50 chance that I actually remember to bring the list with me but with blogging... (imagine clouds parting and brilliant light bursting forth) they help me focus my ideas and make for an okay post.

My friend, @ADHicken, from Clue into Cleveland tagged me in her #My7Links post along with four other great bloggers and I am very glad she did because, I get to dust off some old posts and remember what I have done this past year.  My first year.  I also got to follow a few new bloggers which is always good.

#My7Links

1. Most Popular

According to blogger, my Top 3 popular (non-sponsored) posts are:

#Hoptoit for a Sneak Peak at Hop the Movie

Party All the Time: I {heart} Direct Sales Moms

Breastfeeding Blog Hop: I wish I would have known how stupid people can be...

2. Most Beautiful
I can't say that I have any posts that would really fall under this category but I have come across some beautiful people and amazing stories like Baby Getty that led me to write and share A Love Story * Sweet Water Child: Lullabies for Getty.

3. Most Controversial

Luckily, I have not had any negative feed back or comments (yet) but if I had to pick one that might be controversial it would be Dear Daughter.  But, even as I read it over... I am not sure if it really qualifies, but I will go with it.

4. Most Helpful
Most helpful to me has been Life with Levi's Weekly Breastfeeding Blog Hop.  This weekly blog hop really helped me to focus a lot of my blog and give me somethings to write about once a week.  The most helpful post - I Inspire, Suck that Mean People because it validated my feelings from the previous week (Breastfeeding Blog Hop: I wish I would have known how stupid people can be...) and because Jen (Levi's mom) used it as inspiration for that week's theme.

I know the idea is to find one post but what I have written for SocialMoms has really taught me how to become a better blogger and after looking at posts from a year ago - I am so much better at this today then I was a year ago.


5. Surprise Success
Top 10 Things I Said I Would Never Do as a Mother was something I wrote on a whim, based on a conversation I had with a friend from work and it has the fourth highest (non contest) view of anything else I have written.  I am very proud to write something, off the cuff and for it to get so many views.

6. Not Enough Attention

I would like to say everything and you should go back and read everything I wrote prior to today but I would be asking to much (and I am kidding) so I pick Catalog Envy, which I wrote "just because" but was able to follow it up with my first  paid post Catalog Envy Taken to a Whole New Level for Pier One.

If I had to pick a serious, important one then: I Stand with Planned Parenthood.  I think the title on that says it all.

7. Most Proud  
My Last Phone Call - A Poem.

I had not written a poem since high school - many, many, many years ago and I thought I did a pretty good job.  I was hoping that it was good enough to be included in Mama Kat's weekly email, but, alas... it wasn't.  Maybe one day she will notice my little posts. sigh.

Advice to past me on blogging:

1. Twitter
I feel like that this is a duh, but it is true... you need to let people know you have a blog so - tweet more about your blog.  Tweet about other people's blogs.  Share, share, share.  And, use HootSuit.

2. Ads
Don't bother (for now) you will eventually (hopefully) have a large enough following but for now... don't worry about it.

3. Just because you wrote the post and hit publish does not mean that it is done
This goes along with number 1.  If you don't tweet or facebook it or whatever you have to do for people to see it no one will.  There are a sea of blogs out there, dive in!  Tribber, RTClub, Google+... you get the idea.

4. Join Communities 
I have joined them all but I like SocialMoms the best.  I actually joined when it was TwitterMoms and I only had a twitter account but once I had a blog, well, I started to understand the importance of finding a good community.  And don't lurk!  Participate (that is for the me now).

5. Join Blog Hops

Yes, they are overwhelming, at first, but you don't have to follow all of the ones listed - just the ones you find interesting or catch your eye, but follow the hosts (all of them) and at least 10% of the ones listed.

6. When in doubt - take a prompt

Be it a from Mama Kat, SocialMoms, Plinky, or NaBloPoMo- they help when you are stuck.  There is also: Tasty Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday and Thirsty Thursday (I'm sure other days are covered but these are ones that I will do)

7. Don't expect to get paid, yet
Yes, I know, that the ultimate goal for some (okay most) is to receive compensation but until you have a bigger following and better stats - take what is offered but only if you are interested in doing it.

Btw... it is not personal, it is business.

Sure, your blog my have started off as personal but once you opened the door to reviews and such... it became a business or at the very least a brand.

8. Write a good headline.
This is not the place for one word titles especially if you auto-everything.  If you are writing a review mention them in the title and if you want to time save (and you use tribber or feedburner) go ahead and throw a hash tag in your headline - so what if some may frown on you but, eh...  it is your blog.

9. If you have nothing nice to say... and Follow the golden rule - do to others what you would like done to you.
So you don't agree with so and so - don't read that blog, follow that tweep or subscribe to their feed.  Life is to short to get worked up over someone's opinion and really... not every can be right.  Also, retweet, comment, share, like, google+, subscribe, follow... you get the idea

10.  Download the Alexa toolbar

Support your fellow bloggers by helping their Alexa score (yours will be effected, too) and for goodness sakes - if you like their blog, rate them.  Don't be shy - maybe they will do you a solid back.


Have a list you would like to share?  Feel free to leave the link in the comments!