Advice for new bloggers: Blogging and Social Media

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! I was so happy when Beth asked me to participate in the advice for new bloggers blog hop. It is great to read what other bloggers have learnt from blogging - and how they go about it. Today I want to share with you how I use other social media platforms when blogging. 

The blog - Made in Home, my shop window

I started this blog a year ago now - I was then 5 month pregnant with Baby MiH. Getting pregnant was a big change in my life (the actual pregnancy and having a baby). I felt that my first blog did not reflect my aspirations anymore. I wanted a space where I could share my makes but also show how they fitted into my life. I posted about Made in Home in my home, and I started posting outfits mixing handmade and highstreet purchases. 

I see my blog as my shop window - where I present all my projects. It is static in a way - you prepare a post, write it, post it - and it stays there. I do go back to some posts, to add some links to further posts that could be of interest or tutorials to make it easier for a reader to find the trail of posts. 

It is obviously the most important tool to show your projects. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it is the craft and project first, and the blogging afterwards - and not making a project for a post.

The MiH facebook page - the shop owner

I also have a facebook page. I use facebook a lot so it was fairly obvious to me that I needed a facebook page for Made in Home. It took me a while to understand how I could incorporate it into my blogging experience, but that all changed when I found out how to upload pictures from my phone. I was able to post progress on some projects, sneek peak at finishes and share some personal pictures (ie pictures of Baby MiH). I feel like I can share much more of my personality, and in fact I use this account as much as my personal one. 

It also enabled me to receive quick feedback on some projects, or ask for advice without having to blog about it. I try to upload one picture a day on a project I am working on or something I am doing during the day - in addition to the latest news on the blog. 

Of course, not everyone uses facebook - my husband is on it, but never checks his account. I have friends who have decided not to be on it full stop. It is fine, I just find it the best platform ever - especially when your family and friends are abroad.

Twitter - the marketing and texting tool

Ah, to be or not to be on twitter. Does it really matter? I am on twitter - in fact I have a work account (that I am not using at the moment) and a blog/personal account. Do I use it often? I have phases when I am on it non-stop and then days when I will not look at it all. I use it a lot to tell people that they inspired me, or how I used my latest purchase from a shop - ie like a marketing tool to link up my makes to the wider world. But also to connect with bloggers more directly and quickly - like a text for bloggers. 

I find twitter quite frustrating in the sense that since starting this post, I have already 60 tweets that have been published, and I will not have time to read them all (and I don't follow that many people). So anchoring a tweet by using @ is worth doing you ensure the person will see it (in the CONNECT section); tweeting a few times about the same post is also worth doing - who knows at what time your followers read your tweets.  

Flickr - The wider community

I must admit Flickr is the one platform I use the least. I only go on it to check progress in the bees I am in and add pictures, but that is about it. I am not sure I am the best person to provide advice on Flickr but I thought I would mention it - and maybe someone in the comment box can shed more light on this! 

Pinterest - Categorising

I have one board dedicated to my makes and tutorials, so people can pin them and found them more easily. I use it as well to refer to other people tutorials. And you can spend so much time on pinterest! 




And that is where it stops for me - it is actually quite hard to keep up with all of those, as well as making all my projects! But it is so much fun, and you get so much back! 



Do check the other bloggers who have already given great advice

Heidi @ Fabric Mutt

Tessa @ The Sewing Chick

Janice @ Better Off Thread

Kristy @ Quiet Play

Martha @ Weekend Doings