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Advise me oh, thou great re-readers

ness — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:44:58 +0000

I need help! Advice! Feedback!

I have something called ‘Multiple Blogging Personality Disorder’. It means I have too much to say, and no idea where to put it all.

Maybe I have too many interests etc.

So here’s the thang…

I am someone that likes to blog, for various reasons, the social aspect, the ability to vent, making money, graphic design, photography etc.

BUT…I can’t put all these things together without wondering if I will lose those of you who are only interested in say 1 or 2 of those things.

Search engines being what they are and Google doing what it does, dictates that I should have separate blogs for each of my interests (“niches”) in order to rank better for search engines. This totally makes sense too, because I am far more likely to hold your attention on my photography stuff if I keep the blog in question mostly on photography related topics. The same for my graphic design.

Also, this blog, generates a heck of a lot of traffic simply because of the name (coming from a TV Show) but most of the traffic leaves once they realize that it’s got nothing to do with the TV show, so I’m feeling like I could better monetize this site with actual McLeods Daugther related content, i.e. fan articles, DVD sales etc. But part of me is loathe to let this go, because it means I lose my venting space, meaning I will have to think up *another* alter ego on which I can unleash the whoopass as and when I need to.

The only person who I’ve ever seen who really rocks different niches all in one space is The Pioneer Woman, who has separate sections for her regular blog, photography, homeschooling, home and garden and cooking. They are effectively 5 different blogs all contained within one, bigger portal, so you can tune in, to whatever interests you, and each one has it’s own feed, so if you choose to only subscribe to ‘photography’ and ‘cooking’ then you only receive updates on those two topics. But then she doesn’t ever really vent on her blog, and how can she, with hundreds of thousands of readers? It’s not like she can moan about her husbands smelly socks or anything without half of the midwest worrying that they’re splitting up and calling dibs on Marlborough Man.

SO, I’m putting it to you readers…please if you will, answer the following questions for me, in the comments if you have a moment.

1. Should I create one mega-portal containing everything, with separate sections and feeds so that you can just dip into what you are interested in? If so, then WHAT do I call myself? It can’t be drovers run, because of what I will have to do with the domain name…

2. Do I keep my different web-egos for different purposes and just develop them separately? At this stage I have THIS domain along with:

macnessa.com a sort of decor/design/office space/tech/money/property/yadda blog
photosuperhero.com (currently rebuilding that one) – which is a how-to/tutorials/gear reviews/showcase blog
vanessamacleod.com (currently my official work related website/blog which I’m desperate to redevelop, but can’t find the time!
nessworld.com which is my ‘magazine’ site dedicated to wahm’s and wahm resources, and other chick related subjects etc.
arthistorywizard.com (something new I’m developing) – not live yet

My problem is this…I have so many graphic design ideas that I want to implement (digital files for sale, free downloads, graphic design resources for photographers etc) and I just don’t know where to put them, but it has to be somewhere where folks who are looking for digital files will find them, in other words a site that targets the keywords that folks will be typing into google in order to find them. So do I register another site and just keep it for that? Something like pixelprincess designs? Or something else? HELP me people, I’m so freakin’ indecisive about this. Do I put the photography related design stuff on Photo Super Hero?

All the guru type bloggers who are raking it in say that if you are too general, then you’re unsearchable and that you need a niche, the smaller the better, and aside from the pioneer woman I can see that this is totally true.

So…what Do..I..DO!?

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WordPress for Blackberry and P-Dub

ness — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:32:15 +0000

So I just discovered a free Blackberry Apps, which is exactly like having WordPress on my phone.

In short, it is amazing, downloaded fast, and the first time I used it, there was no wondering how to do something, and I was able to easily post something to my MacNessa blog, with all tags and categories intact. It even works seamlessly with the photographs so that I can be shooting and blogging on the road without the need for 3G or even a laptop!

Normally I simply shoot a photo with my Blackberry and then post it to Facebook, but FB are in my bad books right now with their attitude to privacy rights and things, so I think I’m going to start posting to my blog rather than FB more often. After all, why give them the link juice?

It also means that I can be entertaining you folks with riveting posts about an apidexin scam, or whatever strikes my fancy while I’m oot and aboot.

…

On another note, something happened the other day which I thought I’d mention, which is about the impact that blogging has had on my life. This time in a more lighthearted fashion.

So you guys know how much my hubby likes the Pioneer Woman’s Recipes right? As a result of the dramatic improvement of my cooking since she entered my life, whenever I mention something to the hubby about her blog, her photography, he has started taking an interest in what I’m saying. This is as opposed to the usual grunt and nod that anything blogging related usually elicits from him. So when the other day I mentioned to him that Ree, her hubby and their four punks were off to Disney World for a week, he (my husband) kind of whipped around, and with genuine concern asked, “But then WHO is looking after the ranch!??” I had such a giggle at that one.

Right back to work it is peoples.

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Finding Visitors for Your Site

ness — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:21:45 +0000

If you are a blogger who is looking for more visitors to your site, there are several ways to accomplish this, some of which are so downright easy, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of this before.

But hey, I’m here to help! Here are a couple of ideas to get you going:

Choose a name for your blog that is going to get googled.
Be a blog reader yourself, and leave kind, helpful comments. Chances are you will get a reciprocal visit.
Consider submitting your blog to a web directory and choose the correct category for your blog.
Promotion using social media, if your blog is not a direct verbal assault on your own family and friends, then you could easily promote it to your family and friends through facebook, twitter etc.
One that many people forget about, are forums! If you are a scrapbooking genius, join a scrapbooking forum and contribute to the conversation. Forums are far from dead, and can bring you many, many visitors, over and over agin, depending on how helpful you are.

You’re probably sick of me saying the word ‘helpful’ but at the end of the day, if your blog brings you an income, then the number of visitors to your site is directly proportional to the amount of traffic you are getting whether this is through contextual advertising, or simply direct ad sales, or if you’re promoting your own products, so it really does pay to be as helpful as you can, so that people book mark your site and come back for more.

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Dear Blogville

ness — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:58:55 +0000

Forgive me, for I have erred, it has been 3 days since my last post.

Oh hey, I just wrote a post at MacNessa about inspiring office spaces if you’re into that kind of thing. Usually people (like me) with an insatiable desire for stationery, also tend to like fantastical office set ups, so I’m just putting it out there mmkay?

Other than that, I’m pleased to report that work is continuing to thrill me! At this stage around seventy percent of my workload is thanks to people that I’ve either met through blogging, or have been referred to me by bloggers that I know.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that bloggers aren’t real friends, because it would be clear to me that whoever said such a thing, wouldn’t know their butts from their elbows. Eatshootblog said yesterday on facebook, “Blood is not thicker than water. The people who love you when you need them – that’s your family.” – Troy Dunn, and well, this is me saying *Thank You* to all of you who have come to me for your graphic design, or referred people to me or both! You guys have supported me in the most amazing way, and I will be forever grateful.

You guys *rock* my world man, you really do!

Ahh, teh interwebz. Everything you could ever need from treatments for eczema, to Light Sabre Chopsticks, to *real* friends.

*Love* you guys!

Right, enough blogging for this morning, because you guys are keeping me on my toes! I have deadlines to nail!

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I love Packages in the Mail

ness — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:36:00 +0000

Aren’t packages in the mail like *totally* exciting!!

Even if you know what they are, they’re still super exciting to receive.

Even my 4 year old spied the package and asked me all wide-eyed, “Is that for ME mommy?” to which I responded by throwing back my head, cackling like an old hag, hugging it closer to my chest and said, “NO, it’s MINE, ALL MINE.”

Then I did a Jim Carrey (as Ace Ventura) type run to the bedroom with it so I could open it without the kids getting their hands on it.

Want to see what I got?

So you can see where it was ordered from, and made it’s way all the way here to sunny SA (not so sunny yesterday I might add).

Trust the Yanks to have a super easy way to open a package. My bread knife that I’d taken with me for the purpose of hacking open the box was rendered totally useless…sometimes I’m so third world, I annoy myself.

The 4 year old, was all like, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! What is it Mommy? Let me help you Mommy!!?? Is it from Farmer Crimsus?!?” (Note to self, do not be tempted to dispel the Father Christmas myth just yet, no matter how much the continuing talk about Christmas is annoying you right now).

My mother, who had brought over the mail (we share a PO Box), walked into the room at this point, and said, “Honestly! Why are you taking photos of opening a box?”

So I said, “For my blog.” (She is vaguely aware of the fact that I have a website, but let’s just say she takes the word ‘technophobe’ to the extreme, she nearly had a full blown panic attack when I banned her from using Internet Explorer and installed Firefox instead. Of course the next time she opened the browser she didn’t even realise it wasn’t the same…)

So she gives a sort of dismissive snort, as if *anyone* would be interested in reading about my little parcel in the mail. Feel free to assure me that you’re on the edge of your seats right about now okay?

I won’t keep you in suspense for ever… buwhahahahaha.

…

Sorry, the childishness, it’s a disease.

I can see the head!

Yes, I’m drawing parallels between childbirth and opening Ree Drummonds cook book from it’s packaging.

But in all the good ways!

Because soon the inconvenience of ripping it from the box will be forgotten and soon I will be gazing into it’s many colourful pages and just enjoying it.

Aaaah, there is she is!

Now I just have to hide the book until I’m ready to unleash it’s culinary magnificence, because other wise the husband is going to expect some kind of fancy dinner tonight.

First I need to hit up the shops for some supplies, and butter.

Yes definitely more butter.

As a seasoned PW cooks recipe reader, I know that I am going to need that.

Thanks to her I already have about 6 different kinds of vinegar in my store cupboard. Basic necessities like bread and milk are like hens teeth around here, but Rice Vinegar, I have you covered!

Maybe I’ll just take a quick peek…

Ree wasn’t kidding when she said that this was more than a cook book. I can actually sit down with this and see a whole lot more stuff about her life and on their ranch.

Stuff that we don’t see on her website.

This is a cook book that I will put on the nightstand and read when I get into bed tonight, and enjoy the photographs, drool over the dishes and if I’m feeling at all inspired (which I know I will be) I’ll be planning some menus for the coming week.

Now I just need to find some cattle to wrangle, to work off all that butter.

Hey, if you want a copy, they’re still priced really well, and these photos are proof that they can make it through the SA Postal service unharmed! Go and get your copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks here.

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Blogging with Purpose: Take your blog to the next level

ness — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:02:11 +0000

Just a few short observations for those of you interested in blogging with purpose.

What I mean by that, is you’re not simply keeping a chronological journal entry site, but you’re interested in things like Google Page Rank and Alexa, and building a brand, increasing readership and whether your goal is to earn an income from blogging, or just to have the best darn blog you can have, or to influence young minds and strive for world domination, whatever your goals people, if you unequivocally want a better blog, then you need to get Darren Rowses’ book (see the peekcha in my sidebar?) it’s called 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.

I want to share something with you.

I bought the book last month sometime, I don’t remember the exact date, but it was probably around 3 weeks ago.

How the book is structured is that you get a daily thing to read, and then a daily task, i.e. “Today you’re going to do a post with bullets” then they explain why it improves your blog, and the best way of doing it.

Each day has a new task, an explanation and a bit of further reading if you are interested.

I have been casually working through it. Not doing a task everyday, just one every couple of days. Emphasis on the word ‘casually‘.

Have a look at this…

On Droversrun.net… (am busy collating the data on my other sites, but ALL of them are showing dramatic growth thus far)

My Alexa Ranking has climbed half a million places and is now at 294 128. (Improved from around 800 000 odd). Before the great google ‘chop’ where they slashed page rankings and alexa suffered my highest ranking was 219 000, but usually it hovered around 400-500 000.

(Remember with Alexa the smaller the number the better your ranking i.e. Google.com is no.1. If a blog is ranked in the top 100 000 websites in the world it’s considered to have made it big.

My alexa traffic rank is up by 1437 places for the last 7 days alone.

My alexa ‘reach’ is up by 90 percent for the last month (this means I’m reaching people from different places that have never visited before)

My pageviews is up by 80 percent for the last 7 days, and up by 150 percent for the last month.

My pageviews/user is up by 100 percent for the last 7 days and up by 30 percent in the last month (people are lookin’ at more stuff than just my latest post).

My ‘time spent on site‘ is up by 209 percent in the last 7 days and up by 25 percent in the last month (peeps are hangin’ out here y’all!)

I have an official ranking in South Africa now at 1694, and in Australia (I love you *too* guys!) of 59 361.

I am only on Day 9 of Darrens’ book. NINE.

I look forward to reading the next 22 days worth!!!

If you are someone who is interested in this stuff, ‘blogging with purpose‘, then let me know, either via comments, or via email, because I’m starting a section covering this stuff over at NessWorld which will cover this subject extensively and lead into earning an income online.

If you are interested in hearing more about 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, Darren has some specials going on right now where you get three bonus items with each book sold.

The book is a FREAKING STEAL at just USD $ 19.99. $19.99???? I can’t believe it’s this low, because thanks to that book, I’ve already earned more than that, by improving my rankings in this way, owing to the improved quality of writing assignments that I’ve received as a result.

Proof. Pudding. Nuff said.

Click here to view more details

or if you are already convinced, and frankly you should be!

I am an affiliate for the book, so I am authorised to offer it for sale using this link. Each sale gives me a 40 % share of the cost, so if you like me (you really like me!…name that movie) then buy your copy using the buy now button, or by clicking through the ‘click here to view more details’ link via Darrens site. Either way, I still get credit for the sale. Hartelijk Dank! (Dutch for muchos gracias).

Oh and this time, I promise the next post is about Aaron Jeffrey (Alex Ryan) so come back soon!!

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That Will Teach Me for Being Such a Big Nerd

ness — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:20:36 +0000

I just upgraded my blogs across the board to the new WP 2.9 and for some reason it’s bollocksing up the code on one of them. I type it out painstakingly tag for tag, and then as soon as I hit save or publish, it buggers it up again. Annoyance of the highest factor.

The other thing is that at the moment, the other parental unit is on holiday. He is making it his mission to moan at me every time I so much as breathe near the computer. I am starting to wonder when ‘what I do’ is going to SINK THE F*CK INTO his brain.

I am a photographer who needs to edit photos, sell stock photos, maintain an online portfolio, research techniques.

I am a graphic designer who needs to design all sorts of stuff, sell stock images and again, maintain an online portfolio and research new ideas and techniques.

I am a blogger who maintains a network of blogs. I produce original content, learn good white hat SEO techniques, am in the process of redesigning each of these sites single-handedly (whilst learning how to along the way), any hesitancy or laziness in this regard directly begins to affect my income. Yes, I earn money blogging. But I am not yet at the stage where I can show him a hundred thousand dollar cheque and tell him to shut the hell up. Not yet. Until then, I suppose he will make it his mission to wave his paw dismissively and say ‘bah’ everytime I try to explain this. I am very, very tired of trying to explain this.

So, while he is on holiday. I am not.

I am trying, very very hard to do what I need to do, during the times when he is otherwise indisposed (mindlessly watching cricket – you don’t see me moaning at him) and while the kid are happily playing with their new sandpit, and generally good natured and entertained. But there are a few random times during the day where I am in the middle of a thought process, trying to get something done, and his constant stream of interruptions is driving me mad.

Should we go to “XYZ” wine farm today?

What do you think of this?

Why don’t you go and play with the kids instead of playing on the computer (now my work has been downgraded to ‘playing’) all the time?

Are you going to help me clean the kitchen? Did you hear me in here? (Yes I did, and I was just wondering if you were going to help me fold the laundry fugnuts!)

Ugh.

I hate being the negative person, but I feel like I am stripping very ugly wall paper off very sticky walls right now, i.e. it may well be the most frustrated feeling in the world.

Anyhoo. I think the solution may be to get up even earlier, like say, maybe, 4am, and put in a solid 3 hours before anyone else is up. Then another 3 hours from 7pm till 10. That should just about cover what I need to do.

Yeah, maybe I just solved my own problem. Or at least solve it without involving meat cleavers, and skulls.

Sure, it would be easier to go and just find a job, or do a science job search but realistically, I’d much rather do this, and have the potential to really take off.

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It is HERE!! The Pioneer Woman’s Cookbook is Finally Here!

ness — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:24:20 +0000

The Pioneer Woman

This Woman’s cooking changed my life. Well, her recipes, and the fact that she blogged them did!

I am NOT joking.

I used to hate cooking, but she made it easy, she took pictures – and she uses real butter!

She’s the Nigella of the midwest!

Unfortunately the flip side is now, everytime I cook something really tasty, my husband says, “Hmmm-mmm another Pioneer Woman recipe??” then smacks his lips and dishes up a second helping.

Not that I mind! Even my kids are eating their food up when I cook her stuff!

Anyhoo – you can pre-order her book from Amazon by clicking on the link at the top right of my sidebar.

GO and BUY it.

TRUST ME.

Your husband will worship you.

Your ass…not so much.

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Happiness Is: A Brand New, Shiny Internet Connection…

ness — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:36:29 +0000

My husband came home with a shiny new wifi router last night, having organised a new connection for us, after the old one’s contract was up.

Which means, that you’ll now have to put up with a whole heck of a lot more of me Doesn’t that make you, like, SUPER HAPPY!!?

I can actually see the whole month stretching ahead of me, withOUT interruption.

OH the mind boggles at the thought of what I’m going to be able to DO!

Starting off with another free blog badge!

This one is for all you southern hemisphereans. If you’re feeling that Spring vibe, feel free to grab and paste the code into your blog template/sidebar etc.

We’ll simply ignore the fact that today, the 1st of September is colder than the last 2.5 months of Winter we’ve experienced so far, and we’ll try to focus on the Spring VIBE that everyone has, yes that’s VIBING that everyone is doing, as opposed to shivering. Here is your suitably vibey, very chicklike (bizarrely unlike most of the stuff I design – again, must be that Spring Vibe) button for your blogs.

Those of you who are facebook friends, may recall my excited status update about the fact that I found lilac tulips?

Well that there is a photo of them. They look more pink in my photos than lilac, and I’m still editing them, but I have some big plans for those photographs, including adding them to my Redbubble portfolio and other sites where I’ve enjoyed success in selling my images and posters etc like Zazzle.

(((HUGS INTERNET)))) Oh how I have missed you!!

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Beautiful Writing…

ness — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:33:39 +0000

I am a rock under the stars. | Sarcastic Mom.

Is this not the most beautiful, poignant post?

Seriously, I wish I could write like this.

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