How To Share Your Post

Take It and Blog is a feature of SGFblogs.com that invites bloggers to write posts on our assigned topic on their own blogs and share them with the rest of us here, on Facebook, or on Twitter. It’s our way of sharing links with our fellow bloggers and providing bloggers with a topic (because sometimes it’s hard to come up with a writing topic). Once you’ve published your Take It and Blog post, come back here and share the link in the widget below.

7:03 — The waiter promptly earns his tip helping us arrange tables in the back room.

7:15 —  We’re all seated and start introductions. A couple new faces tonight, along with lots of familiar faces.

7:28 — With introductions over and drinks delivered, Sarah dives into the business part of our little bloggers group. Title of the Handout — yes, there was a handout! — “Springfields Bloggers Association New Membership Guidelines.” Sarah emphasizes that these are guidelines with the sole purpose of strengthening our group and supporting a close-knit group who interact with each other regularly. The first person to be voted out will be Uli, unless he shows his pretty face at a meeting soon! In summary, these guidelines are being set up to encourage true association and companionship.

7:38 —  The Apple vs. PC argument shows its ugly face and friendships are ended.

7:39 — Ignoring the pending wars between Macs and PCs, Sarah moves to handout #2, “Springfield Bloggers Association Leadership Positions.” In summary, she’s having Mini Austin in November, so we’ll have to step up to see SGFBlogs continue to function as it has been. Contact Sarah if you would like to see a list of positions or view them online here [ link coming soon ].

7:52 — Nigel opens tonight’s discussion with the question: For those make money off their blog, how do you do it? Pamela [link coming soon] shares that, while her blog does not directly support her business, it does provide potential customers with a way to get to know her. Steve and Nigel concur that AdSense has not made much for them. Matt counters that AdSense has worked for him by “chasing news” and posting those blogs at sites like Slashdot and Reddit. He adds that it also depends on where your ads are located on. Along with Pamela, Matt has found some success through Amazon links. The Supervillian asks for clarification on how Amazon links work; Matt explains that when people follow a link from your page to Amazon, you receive a portion of the profit when they buy something. Harry and Steve discuss the interest gained from their posts on their Winter’s Bone [links] posts. Steve says, “I’m not selling the traffic level, but the community-building.” Matt agrees. Matt B. asks if anyone has tried selling ad space. Pamela says that she has received diet books in exchange for a review. The difficulty we all encounter with such a scheme is that we aren’t sure what to write about if we don’t like the book/product/company we are supposed to write about?

The topic wanders for a little, but we also discuss guest speakers. Most notably, Elsie Flannigan of Red Velvet Art, who Matthew S. went to high school with. Who else could come and teach us something about blogging?

8:28 — Now we’re discussing hosts and servers, so I (Linden) jump in to introduce the business card book, then conversation easily falls back into its natural paths.

8:53 — Desserts are delivered, checks are on their way, and another stimulating SGFBogs meeting nears its end.

This is Linden, signing off.

• Do you get paid to blog? We would love to hear how you have made your passion a successful side business.
• Do you blog for others? Tell us how you have made your business successful by being the voice of others!

Hope to see you there!
Sarah, Nigel, and the rest of the crew

Take It and Blog is a feature of SGFblogs.com that invites bloggers to write posts on our assigned topic on their own blogs and share them with the rest of us here, on Facebook, or on Twitter. It’s our way of sharing links with our fellow bloggers and providing bloggers with a topic (because sometimes it’s hard to come up with a writing topic).

1. What is your name? Angela Frizell
2. What is your blog’s title? Heligonix and Being Me
3. What is your blog about? In the Heligonix blog, I write about social media, using social media in the marketing atmosphere and using your website as a marketing tool. Being Me is random thoughts showcasing my struggles with living a happy, healthy life.
4. Why did you start blogging? Personally, I started blogging as an alternate option to writing for publications. I used it at first to keep friends posted on MySpace and release some negative energy. I enjoyed it so much that I started posting to blogs on WordPress and through social media sites like WritersCafe.org.
5. What’s your favorite Springfield restaurant? That question is unfair. I like food in general, so asking me to name my favorite restaurant is like asking me who my favorite child is. It’s not going to happen. Feelings get hurt. On a lighter note, did you know Springfield is used as a test market for many restaurants throughout the nation? Food Good. Yum.
6. What’s your full-time job? I work as a social media strategist for Heligonix, an online marketing and integration company specializing in inbound marketing and discovery.
7. What else do you do for fun? I have kids, so every day is a new adventure. When I can break away from work and family, I enjoy attending concerts, canoeing with friends and generally letting loose and having a good time.
8. What words of blogging wisdom would you like to share with your fellow bloggers? Schedule blogging on your calendar as a regular appointment. Sometimes seeing that alert pop up on your phone or Outlook calendar is just what you need to stop and do it. Other times, the alert will get dismissed with just a tinge of guilt. Either way, you’re making yourself aware that it’s something that needs to happen. Eventually you will heed the reminder and type up some fabulous, groundbreaking content.
9. What’s been your biggest blogging success? I used one blog as an online portfolio. It showcased my talent and capabilities and spoke on my behalf. The blog positioned me as a strong candidate for my current position.
10. What’s your favorite local blog? Why? I love faircitynews.com and halfpastawesome.com ‘cause I’m a sucker for sick humor that rides the line of political correctness. Professionally, my favorites are Jeff Bullas blog and the Social Media Examiner. Both sites offer some amazing content and are up-to-date on the most current social media trends.

Take It and Blog is a feature of SGFblogs.com that invites bloggers to write posts on our assigned topic on their own blogs and share them with the rest of us here, on Facebook, or on Twitter. It’s our way of sharing links with our fellow bloggers and providing bloggers with a topic (because sometimes it’s hard to come up with a writing topic).

Previously, we used Google Docs and email to collect all of this information from you, but we now have multiple people helping with the Springfield Bloggers Association, and we need to keep the info all in one place. Likewise, there are certain legalities we have to stick to when it comes to sending emails, and this new system will help keep everything on the up-and-up. We’re asking each blogger to resubmit their blog’s information; many of you submitted your blogs a long time ago, so you probably need to update your info anyway. If you have more than one blog to submit, ideally, you should have a separate email address for each blog; that would keep everything the tidiest.

One of our new features is meetup reminders from Nigel Holderby. When you sign up to receive meetup reminders, you’ll receive periodic emails with information about our upcoming meetups. We’re also gauging interest in a monthly newsletter; if you are interested in possibly receiving an email with updates about the Springfield Bloggers Association, please check the box indicating so, and we might get that puppy rolling. In addition, if you are a blogroll member, you’ll receive nominating and voting information about the Blogaronis via email when that time rolls around each year.

Thanks everyone for helping us with this spring, er, summer cleaning. We really appreciate it!

For this week’s Take It and Blog Friday post, tell us what side of the fence you’re sitting on. Why are (or why aren’t) you concerned about Facebook’s security? Or are you contemplating a leap from Facebook for other reasons? What are the pros for leaving? The cons? It’s a personal decision for each of us, but it’s definitely good to hear from a variety of perspectives.

How To Share Your Post

Once you’ve written your FBSS TIBF post on your blog, come back here and share the link in the widget below. We’ll try to tweet as many as we can (and ironically, we’ll try to link to them on our FB page, too).

1. What is your name? Nigel Holderby – aka The Girl Nigel
2. What is your blog’s title and URL? Eclectic Me: eclectic-me.com
3. What is your blog about? The things that make me go hmmmm and random other ramblings about being a mother of 5 and a wife and a business owner in our hectic world.
4. Why did you start blogging? I think my husband was tired of being the only set of ears that got to listen to my ramblings. (aka – Nigel Stupid Stories)…He suggested I blog, and then proceeded to create an online voice for me. His encouragement is why I started, my addiction is why I continue.
5. What’s your favorite Springfield restaurant? Hong Kong Inn
6. What’s your full-time job? I own a small business, Virtual Day Planners. We are Virtual Assistants and work remotely for traveling salespersons across the country, scheduling appointments and handling their calendars. I run the business and work with 2 calendars as well.
7. What else do you do for fun? I enjoy long walks on the beach, hanging out backstage at various rock venues, and eating squid in Madagascar. Oh… wait, you mean in reality. I like Cake.
8. What words of blogging wisdom would you like to share with your fellow bloggers? Blog for the sake of blogging. Everything that you do should ultimately be for you…If you love to talk, love to write and love to share, just do it. Success comes from the passion that others see in your work. Be it art, music, blogging…when you share it with passion people will follow. And if they don’t? Well their loss I say.
9. What’s been your biggest blogging success? I got a compliment from my mom. She said, “You are so profound” when she read my post titled “Losing my Religion.” I was expecting to be excommunicated from our very Baptist family, so this was a complete shock!
10. What’s your favorite local blog? Why? The Geek Source. Because I am madly in love with the writer and I want to have his children. Have you seen him? He is hot! He has an uncanny way of throwing humor into tech that makes me laugh, and want to buy useless to me geek things. Oh…and we have the same name.

If you’d like your blog to be featured in I’m a Blogger, check out this post, answer the questions provided in a blank document or email, and send your answers to sgfblogs@gmail.com.

1. What is your name? Nathan Maulorico (It’s Sicilian, so if you’ve got a problem with it keep it to yourself or you’ll end up in the trunk of my car)
2. What is your blog’s title and URL? Doing What We Know (DoingWhatWeKnow.com) or (UnknownFilms.com/Blog)
3. What is your blog about? The life of my wife, Megan, and I. We give our ideas about films people ask us to watch and shoot videos about traveling to places people ask us to go. We also throw in thoughts and updates about our business, Unknown.
4. Why did you start blogging? I started blogging to communicate with the world. Unknown Films is a company not limited by borders and Megan and I are both people not willing to accept things the way they are always presented to us. Megan as a linguist Mjr. and I as an Advertising Mjr. want to explore the world and the creative things within it and share that with everyone who wants to be a part of it with us.
5. What’s your favorite Springfield restaurant? My favorite restaurant in Springfield is Gilardi’s Ristorante. It’s authentic Italian and it’s just a good idea to keep it in the “family.”
6. What’s your full-time job? Since 2003 I’ve been working with video and other side projects as Unknown Films. I live, eat, & breathe film and all it’s ideas. I’m always trying to create innovative ways to bring in business and live life.
7. What else do you do for fun? I watch a lot of movies, and a lot of TV. That is, when I’m not making movies of course. I’m kind of obsessed with film theory when it comes to shapes and colors. I love to travel too, anywhere! I’m always in
   search of a good martini and a well made hot chocolate.
8. What words of blogging wisdom would you like to share with your fellow bloggers? Don’t ever let anyone tell you “that’s just the way it is”. The only real way it is” is the way you make it. Stand up for what you write about no matter
   what it is. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, life isn’t worth wondering about what could have happened. Create. “Batti lu ferru menti é cáudu.”
9. What’s been your biggest blogging success? The fact that I’ve made one at all. I knew I loved to social network and connect, but I never really went into this knowing how. I’m happy people have followed me at all. I’m really glad that, as a company, we have successfully blogged while other companies choose not to have a relationship with people or their customers. Our biggest success has not come yet.
10. What’s your favorite local blog? Why? I would have to say sgfblogs.com. It’s the best place to find
    everyone else’s blogs. Simple as that.

If you’d like your blog to be featured in I’m a Blogger, check out this post, answer the questions provided in a blank document or email, and send your answers to sgfblogs@gmail.com.