Surprise for My Silent Readers!
What's a blog without it's silent readers? Our Silentós! In the last 2 weeks, a few of our silent readers have reached out to me to say hi or to comment discreetly. I'd like to say 'Thank you' for those messages and reading PGI, even if you don't comment. It means a lot. 😘
I have 3 surprises for you and other readers as well, to make sure your experience on the blog is synonymous to the expression 'walk in the park'. Here goes!
Breezy comments! [Surprise#1]
I have been speaking with a few of the readers and some have mentioned that they have experienced some difficulty commenting on the blog. So...surprise! Commenting just became a breeze. We are trying a new system that makes commenting much easier. You can now comment anonymously even, finally! Lay out that dirty laundry and whoosa! Try it out and see. Previous comments on the blog had to be removed to try out this new system, that was a difficult sacrifice. So please make our comment-loss worth it by commenting! We are trying out this new comment system to make sure commenting is as easily as licking an ice-cream cone....on a breezy day!
To my regular commenters 😍, without you this blog would just the sound of clicking keyboard keys followed by crickets and silence. Thank you for the comments!!! I definitely appreciate you. Your comments aren't deleted, they are stored in the Disqus account to which you signed up. We are trying out this new commenting system to see if it works for us. Don't stop commenting! You make this blogger giddy😘
[David Bragdon, Kikelomo Omotalade, Ife.O, Otelemuye, Kacheetee! Thanks!]
The Subscription button! [Surprise #2]
Why play catch up when you can subscribe now by hitting the pretty blue button?! Posts come straight into your mail box, casually, no big deal. Gives us a chance to slide into your DM too. Wink.
The 2 posts a-day challenge! [Surprise #3]
I’m on a 2-posts a day challenge, until the month of April! I'm pushing myself just a little bit more. It is, after all, our implicit mantra on PGI, "Encourage. Push. Extra mile. Better you." The challenge is challenging, I have to tell you, living up to its name. It's a pleasure though, writing it and seeing you respond. Thank you for all the feedback and encouragement! Please remember to share posts and to use the new features!
xx
If you have other suggestions on how to make your experience better, please let us know below! I'm so going to try this anonymous thing.
Blogger Scorned
I recently read a post written by a blogger who was very distressed by the fact that someone had been imitating her blog. I can understand the frustrations of people stealing posts, techniques and pretending like it was their idea without attribution to the creator. It's a good case of plagiarism and even more irritating if they get more comments on "your stuff" than you did. Lol!
However, another way to look at it is this - you have just inspired another artist; original or not.
If there are copyright violations by all means take action but don't let it get to you. No one is quite like you, no one creates like you. God has given everyone the ability to create, Him being the Master Creative Director and all. He created everything, including you. You have the ability to create, so create! No two people can create the same way; find your edge and capitalize.
“An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate.”
#NoBlogWars
Ibo Meets Yoruba Blog!
Congratulations to KacheeTee.com , the new blog written by my friend Kachi Adesina, based on her experiences with inter-tribal marriage!
Marriage requires a certain amount of courage, an inter-tribal marriage must require a triple dose and writing a blog about it must require you to have WAY too much guts. Welcome to blogging, gutsy-K! I can't wait to read all the posts!
Here's this cute video by Banky W and Chidinma, dedicated to all the inter-tribal and inter-racial relationships out there! All the best, KacheeTee! Love you to blogger-heaven and back.
The end of this video was so adorable. Lol. [Kachi, this is our new handshake!] Are you in an inter-tribal marriage or relationship? How fun is that!
To Be or Not to Be a Blogger
Here's a hypothetical question to consider as a blogger or an aspiring blogger: If there was just one person who read your blog in the entire world, would you keep blogging?
Would you work as hard as you do to give a consistent quality of posts for one reader to ensure his/her satisfaction?
Would you still do Give-aways?! That would be one lucky reader! She/he would be the only give-away winner! Well, actually, luck would have nothing to do with it and that wouldn't even be winning, more like having a gift registry. Lol.
On a serious note though, those questions help you figure out how much of a commitment you are willing to invest in blogging. There might be days you have thousands of readers, sometimes just a few consistent readers and on some grey days, just 2! On those grey days when you feel a little discouraged, just think of that one hypothetical reader and blog away.
Much love to my one hypothetical reader! I love you, thanks for getting me out of bed everyday!
PGI's most read post last month had over 1000 hits!! Thanks for the shares!
Where the Magic Happens (wink)
Photo credit: Ed
Welcome everyone, to where all the magic happens- my creative space! Hehe, you didn't really think I meant magic, magic, MAGIC! *side-eye*
Anyway, I'm delighted you are here and have been sharing my space with me. This is our 86th blog post! Thanks for all the comments, private messages and support, so yeah, i thought i'd show you where it all goes down. I want to say all my ideas come to me as I sit at my desk and stare intensely into the distance but they don't! They come while I'm in the shower, as all eureka moments do.
This post is dedicated to everyone who reads this blog and a million thanks for sticking with PGI all this while! Greater things coming!
Enjoy!
"Pink in Paris" by Debra Cartwright
That's Judah, my Bonsai plant. He doesn't take walks and I inhale his waste (what perfect pets are made of)
Product Collage (and links)!
1. FJÄLLBERGET (IKEA) Ed and I spent almost an hour deciding to get this chair, I loved it and he didn't think the price was commensurate with whatever customer value they were trying to provide. Anyway, I got it. It's not the most comfortable of chairs, I spend more time on his chair *side eye from Ed* Lol! #betterdecisions2016
2. Mouse Pad and Coaster (Etsy)
3. "Pink in Paris" by Debra Cartwright (Etsy)
4. RIGGAD (IKEA)
5. Polka Dot Mug (Kate Spade)
Become a Blogger in 5 minutes!
This post took me about 5 minutes to read (and 2 weeks to write, lol), hence the title. I need to take out time to appreciate bloggers out there. They work really hard to ensure they provide the best quality for their readers , spend a lot of time getting posts together and usually don't go to bed until they know they got it right, only then, do they permit themselves to plop down on their with a smile on their faces because they know they have made someone's day. So, here's to bloggers out there!
I have been blogging for about one year now, actually 11 months. I seem to have fallen in love with it. From sourcing for a creative urge to sitting down in my space to build and design; watching responses and blog statistics; finding ways to be better; encouraging new and fellow bloggers; posting; interacting with all my great readers; giggling with people who send me private messages. I love it all and i'd be crazy not to encourage others to blog. Some people say it's therapeutic- the writing bit. I don't know about that, maybe, but I do know it's fun and challenging! Here are a few things i have learnt over the last 11 months both first-hand and second-hand, which have helped me on this super-exciting journey. Enjoy!
Set your vision and goals
A question i had to answer at some point on this journey was; what do you hope to achieve from blogging? My honest answer was and still is to provide a space where we all can be life/relationship hackers, unfazed by life's curve balls, which it throws at us all the time. Pagesbyike was created on that vision and serves as resource that draws from science, God, experiences and real people to provide its community with hacks! Understand what your vision is and run with it. Set goals to achieve this vision, then plan.....
Map out a blog plan
Something bloggers might struggle with is the consistency of putting up posts. We have other responsibilities that require our attention, of course and your readers completely understand....not! Lol! If they love what you write, they probably want it everyday, every hour even! Drawing up a blog plan to work with and setting deadlines, makes blogging much more tangible and manageable. I have learnt to always plan ahead, 3 months ahead. Having an idea of what you'd like to blog about ahead of time, takes out the initial nerve wreaking frazzle of the "What do i post?!!!" situation.
Choose your subject matter
Write what you know but also test the waters. There's so much stuff to write on. Choose something that you are absolutely passionate about, not merely just interested in. I am super-passionate about making better life decisions and continuous self-improvement but i am interested in food recipes. I would gladly read food recipes off another blogger but i might not last a week blogging about recipes. Know you passions and differentiate them from your interests.
Don't be obsessed with statistics
O, the statistics!! I remember my first month writing, i think I was my only reader, lol and of course Ed. I'd check the blog metrics and there'd be only two counts for visitors. Needless to say, it was quite discouraging but Ed would always say "Just write", I don't think there's anything more inspiring than those two words. It outweighs all the technicality and stats and helps to focus on the right thing; passion.
Know your audience
It's helpful to know the demographics of your target audience. Some blogging platforms provide the geographical locations of your readers (blogger, squarespace). Blogger provides a very comprehensive geo-location analysis of your audience. When we were on blogger, sometimes, i'd see readers in Russia, Senegal or Alaska! It was terribly exciting and it helped me understand that i had to be more dynamic with my writing. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your posts to their needs and interests.
Help me tailor yours, send me a message here!
Respond to all comments
From my statistics, i can tell you that less than 10% of readers comment. If some readers from that very small percentage choose to comment, honor their comments with a response. Also, as a blogger, make it a habit to comment on other blogs. My friend says its like a sowing a seed, it will eventually come back to you too. Another reason is that your comment encourages those bloggers and it may also direct traffic to your blog if you leave an interesting comment.
Do give aways!
Giveaways are a great way to engage your audience. True, there may be people who just stop by for the freebies but hey, haven't we all. No judgement. My first giveaway is coming up soon! Watch out for that...christmas might be coming a little early this year!
Thank you, to all those who comment ever so frequently!
xx
What is your favorite blog? Are you thinking about starting a blog? Are you a new blogger? What are your main challenges? How long did it take you to read this post?
How to avoid a "*Bleep* Better Have My Money" incident
If you have seen Rihanna's bbhmm video, you'd conclude that she is a bit much. But then again, we already knew that. Moving on. You'd also conclude that you don't want to be owing her any money. Owing the Pied Piper as well, not such a good idea . Let's face it, when you owe people money and you are constantly taking a piss, someone is going to get missing!
No one likes to talk about debt, me inclusive. In fact, my heart rate just got a little faster. I'm one of those people who can't sleep after borrowing. Lol. I see the person in my dreams and whenever I think about going window shopping on Kate Spade's website. However, let's talk about it.
Most people aren't going to show up at your doorstep, kidnap a relative of yours and ask for ransom like Badgalriri or kidnap all your children like the Pied Piper. But then again, you never know. One day, the person might just see you at the mall, clearly out of equilibrium with your new, shiny red soles and your numerous shopping bags. She watches you, stalks you a little. You go down to the food court, where you get a seat and take up 4 chairs arranging your shopping bags. Then you have a nice hearty meal of Thai Khaw Na Pet, a little duck after a long, arduous shopping session. You briefly think about the money you owe her but you just push it aside. "Next pay check", you think. All along she's watching you. Trust me, by night fall, your mum will be missing. No joke. Do not owe people money for extended periods of time and think it's ok to travel on holiday or buy a new car or eat duck. Don't. Especially the duck!
So how do you avoid an incident where Rihanna or a similarly disgruntled debtor appears at your gate and kidnaps your loved one because you owe them money? Here's how:
- Before you borrow, evaluate and ask yourself if this purchase is an absolute necessity or just a craving. If it is absolutely essential to your livelihood; like borrowing for your kid's fees or dinner or some change to get to a job interview, that might be ok. Louboutins and Kate Spade purses don't make that list
- While borrowing, be appreciative and ensure your lender that you will pay back. Make sure there is a witness to whom you are accountable. A mutual friend would do. Or make a video of your promise. Gotta love the tech-age
- Set a return date. Make sure there is a chance of return! Never borrow if you have no intentions of returning. It's more noble to you ask for a cash gift than trying to trick your lender
- Once you get an inflow of money, pay up your debt. Immediately. Like seriously, here's the order, seriously (think about BadgalRiRi...)
1) Pay your tithe
2) Pay the debt (s)
- If you haven't gotten any money by the return date, make an appointment with your lender or call them, so they know you still have it on your mind. Don't act like you forgot!
If you don't remember anything at all from this post, remember this, it is better to give than to receive from RiRi and do NOT get into debt if you don't have to. Avoid it like a plague. It's not fair to hold on to other people's sources of income, even if they are wealthy and wouldn't miss the money, pay back immediately. It only puts you in a fabulous light.
xx
Vent below :)