Holiday Gifts for Bloggers

cindy — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 11:00:01 +0000

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”If you have a friend or family member who is a blogger you may have no idea what to get them for Christmas, Hanukkah, their birthday or just to say, “I love you!”. I am putting together this guide to help you get a helpful and meaningful gift for that special blogger in your life. Some of these are things I have or have tried other are things I dream of owning. I have also tried to cover a wide range of prices so there is something to meet every budget. Here is my list of gifts for bloggers.

Equipment

A new computer or tablet

My laptop is 5 years old. The video card is dying and I am dreaming of replacing it preferably before it dies. Personally, I am dreaming of a Mac mini but there are several PCs that would work great too. I have had my iPad Air for 6 months and it has made blogging on-the-go much easier.

A comfy office chair

I will soon be claiming the back bedroom as my office (yay!). My current desk chair is uncomfortable so I usally end up working from the couch. Now that I will have a designated office, a comfy Desk Chair is an important addition to help me have a productive day.

Camera

My iPhone takes great pictures, and I have used a lot of them on my blog. I have also been playing with my son’s Canon EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR Camera Kit and his 50mm 1.8 lens. He is generous enough to let me borrow it but, he is moving out next week and using the camera on a daily basis is not going to be possible.

Subscriptions

There are often paid subscriptions to services that subscribers want, but can’t always afford. You, the caring friend would score lots of friend points for giving them an annual subscription to one of these sites.

PicMonkey

The annual PicMonkey Royale subscription is only $33 a year but it is gold to a blogger who works so hard to make pinnable images for their blog posts.

New Media Professionals Association

I am a founding member of the association and as we move forward in this blogging world we are working together to create a code of ethics as well as work together to deal with issues that arise in our profession. (click the image above for more info.

Blogging Groups & Forums

There are many premium blogging groups and forums that cost $8-25 a month to belong to. Currently there is one I’d like to join, which costs $15 a month. It doesn’t seem like a lot but on this blogger’s salary, it is currently impossible.

Continuing Education

Just like any other profession, bloggers need to stay on top of what is going on in their field. We do that by reading books, online classes and attending conferences. Here are some of my favorites.

Type-A

Type-A Parent puts on an annual conference, a bootcamp and now summits. I have attended 5 different Type-A events so far and I am dreaming of Type-A Vegas Bootcamp.

Classes

I have taken several classes online over my years of blogging and most have them have really helped to propel me forward. Most classes aren’t accepting registrations over the holiday season but you could create a homemade gift certificate or give a Visa gift card for $50-100 and tell them it is for them to use to register for a class to help them hone an important blogging skill.

Books

I’ve read lots of books on blogging and social media. Here are some of my favorites

Fun Stuff

How about some quirky office supplies or colorful folders? A gift card to Dunkin Donuts or their favorite coffee shop. A cool spill proof mug, a blogging t-shirt or inspirational wall art for their office wall. Get creative, have fun and bless your favorite blogger this holiday season.

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Holiday Guide-Book Review-Pinfluence by Beth Hayden

cindy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:29:24 +0000

I’ve already told you that I was slow to get started on Pinterest because for me there was quite a learning curve. Thankfully, last summer I reviewed Pinterest for Dummies and in that book Kelby explained how to get started enjoying the Pinterest addiction that is sweeping the internet. Now that I have spent several months honing my Pinterest skills I am ready to learn how to really use it to market my blog. This is where Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest comes in.

Pinfluence is a great book for anyone who has anything to promote. Whether you are a blogger, author, Etsy shop owner, travel agent or a major brand just getting into Pinterest or wanting to learn how to use it better, Pinfluence can help. Beth’s writing style is easy to read and understand. Each chapter in this book ends with action steps for you to act upon that you learned in that chapter. I have started using the tips I learned in this book over the last month and for the first time in the history of my blog, Google is not my top referring site , Pinterest is!

If you are new to Pinterest then Part One-Getting Started is just for you!

1. Why Pinterest?
2. Where Do You Start? Creating a Powerful Profile
3. Before You Pin: Who Do You Want to Attract?
4. The Basics of Pinning: Beautiful Boards and Compelling Pins
5. Connecting with Pinterest Users: Commenting, Tagging, Liking and Hashtags

My favorite chapter in part one was chapter 3. It is all about defining your ideal customer/client/reader. It was very insightful and eye opening.

Part Two-Pinning for Profits

6. The Power of Pictures: How to Create Compelling Visual Business Content
7. Getting Shared: How to Optimize Your Website for Pinners
8. The Care and Feeding of Pinterest Followers
9. Twitter, Facebook, and your Blog: How Pinterst Plays Well with Others
10. Learning by Watching:Tracking Trends and Monitoring Conversations

Chapter 10 is full of ideas on the analytics of Pinterest and pinning what is currently popular.

Part Three-Developing Pinfluence

11. Expanding Your Reach: How to Use Contests, Discussion Boards, Customer testimonials, User-Generated Content and Video Galleries to Get More Followers
12. Mobile Pinning
13. Pinterest for Nonprofits, Business-to-Business Companies, and Blog-Based Businesses
14. The Ethics of Pinterest

In Chapter 12 Beth says that there isn’t an Android Pinterest app…but there is now, I use it all the time!

You may be wondering why I am including this book in my holiday guide. It would make a great gift to anyone who owns a business, manages a non-profit, has a blog, has an Etsy shop, or sells anything! I am sure there is at least one person on your holiday gift-giving list who would love to receive this book, or maybe you just want to add Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest to your own personal wish list!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine. There are affiliate links in this post.

The post Holiday Guide-Book Review-Pinfluence by Beth Hayden appeared first on The Mom Maven.

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