The Birds and the Bees of Your Blog Life

As I expressed in my first post about the BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2011, the over-arching lesson I learned was that blogging is all about relationships. The first panel I attended, 365 Days to a Household Name led by Srinivas Rao of The Skool of Life blog and BlogCastFM podcast, started this theme right away when he began to analogize all of our Internet interactions with those that we undertake when finding our perfect mate.

I loved this analogy so much because it made clear to me the value of each of the interactions we take. I would like to share this delicate dance with you now so you can be better prepared for the World Wide Web.

THE FLIRT

Flirting is quick, it's easy, it's fun, oftentimes funny, and it can happen any number of times per day with any number of people in a room. All of this can happen without any of it holding that much meaning for anyone involved, however, for all relationships, there is usually some flirting in the beginning even if it is just to get noticed. So in the world of social media, on the path to developing relationships with readers, fellow bloggers, potential employers or potential clients if you want to flirt, then all you have to do it TWEET.

Twitter is the single most casual interaction held in the biggest, hottest party on the Internet. In 140 characters or less you give the twitterverse a little piece of you with every tweet - what you are interested in, what you write about, who you are. There is no commitment involved in Twitter, but when you've earned yourself a "follow," perhaps it is time to make the next move.

THE FIRST DATE

While you are busy blogging away and tossing your tweets out into the world, there are others doing exactly the same thing. Others you could be developing a relationship with. It is time to up your game with those you may think are worthy. As you are catching up on your reading, is there someone who's writing truly speaks to you? Or someone who is in your niche and may be someone you want to work with? Here are a couple of first date possibilities for you to consider:

• Blog Comment ~ If you are a blogger, you know the value of this. Receiving a meaningful comment related to your post can have the same dizzying effect as going on a first date with someone special: Someone connected with you, they liked what you had to say and they cared enough to share back. This is definitely a way to move toward a relationship and for me, personally, has led to guest posting opportunities and a number of web friendships.
• E-mail ~ In terms of the evolution of social media, e-mail is considered Web 1.0, you know - old news - however, sometimes old-fashioned charm is exactly what is called for on a first date. E-mail is not dead and it is very personal. If you want to make a one-on-one connection and you are not interested in doing it publicly, then this may be the move for you. Just keep in mind, for a first e-mail connect you want to keep it short and simple to ensure it is read.

As you continue your dating you can use some stand-out options that Srini shared in his session to deepen your connection. They are all pre-web, so you may want to grab a pen or something, because since they are pre-web they are unique in this digital age: send a letter, hand-written thank you notes, or even send a care package to a special someone who you wish to develop a working relationship with.

SEX?

This is where things get really personal and you are one on one - focusing on each other and (hopefully) nothing else. You may be saying to yourself That never happens in the social media world. Well, if you think about it for a moment, it will probably come to you. You can have this kind of connection with someone in a personal chat/instant message, through Skype, or with a Phone call (doesn't it seem to  always come down to somehow getting those digits?!). Anyone of these avenues is the type of communication that takes place between two people who want to connect and, oftentimes, are already in a social media relationship, or, at least, are on the fast track to having one.

THE RELATIONSHIP

So what are you in for? What are you working toward in this pretty little dance? Simply put: Conversations. In Social Media, on the Internet, and in your Blog Life your relationships are measured by your conversations. This isn't too different from what do in what we refer to as "real life," but it's something we sometimes think is beyond the reach of social media when we're seated behind the anonymity of our screens. It could be. If that's what you want. However, if you are looking for relationships, if you are looking to grow your blog, your business, your brand or simply just to find other like-minded individuals then it is time for you to start the dance - start flirting, dating and making some moves - in short, start having some CONVERSATIONS.

"Amazing things start happening when you start conversing for the sake of conversing." ~Srinivas Rao

Related Reading

• 3 Lessons from My First Day at Blog World NY 
• How Darren Rowse Has Forever Changed My Life in 10 Days 
• Where Do I Get My Degree In Blogging?

Srinivas Rao

• The Skool of Life
•  BlogCastFM

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Get a Clue with Kludgy Mom

I can't think about StumbleUpon without thinking of Kludgy Mom. It is not that this is, per se, her claim to fame, it just happens to be how our paths crossed in the winter of 2010. I was going through Darren Rowse's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog for the first time and became curious about using StumbleUpon as a promotion tool for my blog. I had no idea what it was, but I found Kludgy Mom's blog and was swept away by its design, its simplicity and her depth of knowledge of social media.

The first post I ever read from the Kludgy Mom blog is one I continue to recommend to new Stumblers to this day:

• How to Use StumbleUpon: Tutorial

What I learned in that post has been enough to turn me into a stumblin' junkie that has StumbleUpon as one of my leading traffic sources month after month.

Since that time, Kludgy Mom has continued to teach me about Social Media, introduce me to new ways of finding income on the Internet and make me laugh with her and at myself with her fabulous sense of humor. As you will see when you visit Kludgy Mom's blog, she is a woman of many talents. She claims in her tagline that Kludgy Mom is "the art of living haphazardly," and while the haphazard part of that statement may be what initially draws our attention, it is this Austin mom's art that wows us post after post.

Some of my favorite posts from Kludgy Mom are:

• What Twitter is Good For
• Finding Work From Home Opportunities
• App Girl to the Rescue
• How to Sell Groupons You Don't Want Anymore
• Why Blogging is Good for You

Take a moment now to head on over to the Kludgy Mom blog to see what her latest post is about - and be ready for anything: social media, product/app reviews, a recipe, a lesson for bloggers, or just a humorous post about a day in the life of Kludgy Mom. Whatever it is, I am sure you will be better off for having read it!

***

This post was written as the first official post of my continuing series on My Stumble Buddies. To be a part of our StumbleUpon party to read and stumble week by week, come visit the Kludgy Mom community in Blog Frog!

Other Stumble Buddy Posts:

• Are You Reading Read Aloud Dad?

 


**Don't forget Rivera Runs Through It now has a brand-spankin' new FaceBook Fan page waiting for YOU to LIKE it!!**

The SITS Girls 31DBBB Blogroll

Here's a blogroll of all of the participants in the Summer 2011 SITS 31DBBB Challenge (I hope this works!):





To get the code to put this blogroll on your blog, visit Ramblings of a Diva by Brittany, fellow SITS Girl and the brain-child behind the blogroll!

I Just Want a Letter

This post was written for the Red Riding Hood Prompt. This week's prompt is all about character development.

We'd like you to write about what your character wants most. 




 We got together back in July 2006. I remember it well. I loved her, and, my God, did she love me. She was in school then and we were inseparable. I worked for her - whatever she was looking for or needed prepared for her classes, I would make sure she'd get it done.

As the Fall approached she began teaching again. I couldn't believe that she got permission for me to come into her classroom with her. It was a whole new role for me, "teacher's assistant", but if that's what she wanted from me, then I wanted to provide that for her. Everyone had questions about the arrangement. Students, teachers, even administrators wanted to know how I was doing in the classroom, if she regretted the decision, what types of things I could and couldn't do. It was cute how proud she was of me, how she would show me off and gush over the simplest of things I did for her.

The years passed like this and doors seemed to burst open for us. We applied and were admitted into the Google Teacher Academy. We were granted permission to visit my home town of SanFrancisco for MacWorld. We presented everything we learned to the school staff when we returned. Then, for her classes and for her own personal use, we began blogging.

I was happy that she was writing and that I could be there with her as she began, but at the end of last year, after a year of her being so sick, I, too, fell ill. She couldn't help me in her state and I couldn't help her in mine. We both escaped to our respective quiet hibernation until the time was right.

About a month ago, after her own respite, she found me and rescued me from my solitude. She brought me to professionals who could set me straight again. It worked, and although we were both out of the classroom due to our respective disabilities, we got back to work on her writing. We started blogging together again and, with it, began to feel useful.

But I have a secret that I don't want to tell her. I think we may be losing our E. I feel her tap and I want to respond to her every wish as I have always done, but I keep failing her when it comes to this ever-so-prevalent vowel. She must be starting to notice. Her proofreads are taking longer. I know with her limited vision a missing e in the word "the" is exactly the type of thing that can go unnoticed. How can I repair my own ravaged key so that she does not have to worry about such mundane details in a swirl of creativity?

We have had such a beautiful love affair. But can she accept that my "lov" is as deep as my "lovE" has always been? The last thing I want to be is another broken thing for her to fix, so I keep hoping, wishing and praying to the Apple gods that my E will come back.

You ask me what I want. It's so simple and yet so complex - I would like 1/26th of the alphabet. One letter, a vowel. It's actually a number, too. On my keyboard it also controls the accent mark. It is all these things, but what's more, it is the key to a seamless relationship of shared joy over the creative process. It's an E and, yes, it is that important.

10 Reasons I LIVE in Converse Sneakers

My husband knows it.

My family knows it.

My friends know it.

My coworkers know it.

My students know it.

I love Chucks. I wear them ALL THE TIME. My husband made one rule for my wedding: No Converse! He knows if he didn't say it, it was going to happen (I wore lacy Sketchers instead, but that's a post for another day...).

So I figured that it was time that one burning question got answered, once and for all:

WHY DO I LIVE IN CONVERSE ALL STARS?

There are so many reasons, let's start with my top 10!

1. Wearing my Chucks is like giving my feet little hugs all day long.

2. I feel more grounded when wearing my Chucks ~ I am closer to the Earth.

 3. Nothing brings the colors of an outfit together quite like a splash of color from my Chucks.

4. All Chuck Taylor All Stars are washer and dryer friendly and last forever!

5. My Chucks always allow me to express my true holiday spirit - whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Valentines Day, Earth Day, 4th of July or whatever else you can think of!

6. The long laces of my Chucks are entertaining for cats, helpful in teaching little ones how to tie shoes and quite resilient to my incessant pulling and double-knotting!

7. When I was younger, all of the white space on the sides of my Chucks were quite useful for creative spurts of doodling, writing and tagging up in some fantastic way. (This can still be done, however, I must be fully committed to the artwork and/or be ready to treat myself to a new pair of Chucks for full-time rotation.)

8. I can be a "super-fan" for any team of choice with my Chucks. The Mets (blue and orange), my husband's softball team - The Shamrocks (green), all of our school Warrior teams (maroon) and nearly any sporting event I may get a last minute invite to!

9. I can easily wear a different pair of Chucks every single day of the week, breathing new life into my happy feet very single morning!

10. My Chucks make me happy in the simplest ways - they're comfy, they're cute, they're colorful and they're totally me. 

As each pair's personality grows with time and carries with it stories of steps it took with me on this crazy-cool life journey of mine, I can begin to understand how some women have love affairs with their super-fancy shoes... There's just something special about those dudes on our feet, on the ground carrying us around and the world that weighs on our shoulders - they get it, they've been there and they've seen us through it all.

Thank you, Chucks! For the comfort, for the love, for the understanding and the unending foot hugs!

Want a pair of your own? It's always nice to start with a basic black:

Click to check 'em out!

What hugs your feet every day?
 Let us know why you love them so!

 

Join the RIVERA RUNS THROUGH IT FaceBook Fan Page to see some more reasons why I love my converse that didn't make the list!