Below are links to many fashion, beauty and women’s blog conferences from around the world. But how can you get most of the information without leaving your desk if you can’t make it in person? Check out this post I put together: 12 ways to follow blog conferences online.

2012 Blog conferences

*Some dates and locations are still TBC [to be confirmed], so check with the event organisers for the most up-to-date info to ensure you don’t miss out! This post will be updated as informatoin becomes available.

January

What: Altitude Design Summit for design and lifestyle bloggers
When: January 18-21
Where: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Twitter info: @altsummit and #altsummit

February

What: IFB Evolving Influence Conference for fashion bloggers
When: February 8
Where: New York, New York, USA
Twitter info: @_ifb and #ifbcon

What: Blissdom for female bloggers
When:  February 23-25
Where:  Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Twitter info: @blissdom and #ifbcon

What: Design Bloggers Conference for design bloggers
When: February 26-28
Where: Los Angeles, California, USA
Twitter info: @designblogconf and #dbc2012

March

What: SXSW Interactive
When: March 9-13
Where: Austin, Texas, USA
Twitter info: @sxsw and #sxsw

What: Texas Style Council Blogger Conference for female bloggers and shop owners
When: March 9-11
Where: Austin, Texas, USA
Twitter info: @txstylecouncil and #txsc

What: Digital Parents Conference for parent bloggers
When: March 30
Where: Melbourne, Australia
Twitter info: @digiparentsaus and #dpcon12

April

What: Bloggy Boot Camp for mommy and women’s lifestyle bloggers
When: April 21
Where: St Louis, Missouri, USA
Twitter info: @sitsgirls, @bloggybootcamp and #2012bbc

What: SNAP! for DIY and craft bloggers
When: April 21-23
Where: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Twitter info: @snapconf

May

What: Bloggy Boot Camp for mommy and women’s lifestyle bloggers
When: May 19
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Twitter info: @sitsgirls, @bloggybootcamp and #2012bbc

What: SheCon for women’s lifestyle bloggers
When: May 25
Where: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
Twitter info: @sheconexpo and #shecon

What: iFabbo Educational Conference for fashion, beauty and style bloggers
When: May 26
Where: London
Twitter info: @ifabbo and #ifabboukcon

June

What:  BlogWorld East for all bloggers
When:  June 5-7
Where: New York, New York, USA
Twitter info: @blogworld, @blogworldexpo

What:  BlogHer Food for food bloggers
When:  June 8-9
Where: Seattle, WA, USA
Twitter info: @blogher and @blogherfood

What: Haven for DIY and home bloggers
When: June 21-22|
Where: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Twitter info: @haven2012

What: Nuffnang Blogopolis for all bloggers
When:  June*
Where: Sydney, Australia
Twitter info:  @nuffnangau
(*TBC)

August

What: BlogHer for female bloggers
When:  August 2-4
Where:  New York, New York, USA
Twitter info:  @blogher, #blogher12

What: 20SB Summit for bloggers in their twenties
When:  TBC*
Where:  USA*
Twitter info:  @20sb
(*Based on 2011 event)

September

What: Bloggy Boot Camp for mommy and women’s lifestyle bloggers
When:  September 15
Where:  Dallas, Texas, USA
Twitter info: @sitsgirls, @bloggybootcamp and #2012bbc

What: FitBloggin’ for fitness and wellness bloggers
When:  September 21-22
Where:  Baltimore, West Virginia, USA
Twitter info: @fitbloggin and #fitbloggin

What:  Bloggy Conference for family bloggers
When:  September 27-29
Where:  Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Twitter info: @bloggymoms and #bloggycon

What:  ShesConnected Conference for female bloggers
When:  TBC*
Where:  Canada*
Twitter info: @SCConference and @shesconnected
(*Based on 2011 event)

What: Lucky FABB for fashion and beauty bloggers
When:  TBC*
Where:  New York City, New York, USA*
Twitter info: @luckymagazine, @luckyblogconference and #luckyfabb
(*Based on 2011 event)

What:  Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend for Australian beauty bloggers
When:  TBC* Sadly postponed until 2013.
Where:  Australia TBC*
Twitter info: @theabbw
(*Based on 2011 event)

What: Beauty Bloggers’ Utopia for beauty bloggers
When: TBC
Where: Australia
Twitter info: @themakeuputopia

October

What: Savvy Blogging Summit for all bloggers
When:  October 4-6
Where:  Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Twitter info: @savvyblogging and #sbsummit

What: ProBlogger Event for all bloggers
When:  October 12-13
Where:  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Twitter info: @problogger and @probloggerevent

What: Bloggy Boot Camp for mommy and women’s lifestyle bloggers
When:  October 13
Where:  Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Twitter info: @sitsgirls, @bloggybootcamp and #2012bbc

What: Blissdom Canada for female bloggers
When:  TBC*
Where:  Canada
Twitter info:  @blissdom and #blissdomcanada
(*Based on 2011 event)

What:  BlogWorld West for all bloggers
When: TBC*
Where: Los Angeles, California, USA*
Twitter info: @blogworld, @blogworldexpo
(*To be confirmed)

Know of any fashion blog conferences I haven’t listed? Beauty blog conferences I should include? Or any other blog conferences for women that readers should know about? Be sure to mention them in the comments!

Which ones do you plan on attending IRL or virtually?

Related posts:

1. 12 ways to follow blog conferences online

However it’s not always possible to attend due to the costs and time involved. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the info shared! Here are 12 ways you can learn almost as much as the bloggers who’ve attended in person – all from the comfort of your desk or couch!

1. Check the official site’s blog prior to the conference. Look for schedules, speaker lists and related information
2. Follow the conference’s official Twitter account and related hashtag
3. Suss out who the speakers are and follow then on Twitter too
4. “Like” the conference on Facebook
5. Use Lanyrd, Plancast, LinkedIn Events or the ticketing website used (such as Eventbrite) to find lists (and usally blog or Twitter details) of those who are attending so you can follow their Twitter accounts, or conference-related posts
6. Use Every Time Zone to find out the local time events and sessions are being held so you can follow on Twitter or watch if they’re being broadcasted on sites such as Ustream
7. Use a Twitter client such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to follow multiple twitter streams from one window. You can even set up alerts so you’re notified if certain words or hashtags are tweeted
8. Keep an eye on Instagram photos taken at the event using Search Instagram, Ink361 or GramFeed and entering the Twitter hashtag
9. Find out if virtual tickets are available. Many conferences and events film or record their sessions for a fraction of the cost of attending on the day
10. Check the official site’s blog after the conference for follow up posts such as links to bloggers who’ve blogged about it, videos and more
11. Search sites such as SlideShare or YouTube for presentations uploaded from the event
12. Keep an eye out on Twitter for nutters blogging enthusiasts like me who attend in person and live blog the entire thing!

Have you followed a conference online before? How did you keep track of the information?

Related posts:

1. 8 ways to spice up your blog

Ahhh… another social-network profile to create for your blog. Just what you needed, right?! Never fear, the new Google+ Page is ridiculously easy to make (though maintaining it might be a whole other story ). Here’s how to put it together it in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Visit The “Create A Page” Page

You’ll find it here. It looks like this if you haven’t already joined Google+:

The Google+ sign-up page

And this if you have:

Already have a Google+ profile? You'll see this

You’ll need to create a Google+ profile before you can create a page. I’ll sit here and wait for you to do this. Promise

Step 2: Choose A Category & Fill In The Details

Pretty self-explanatory, right? Below is what you’ll see if you choose “other”. Fill in your blog’s name, URL and select who the content is appropriate for (eg: 18+ etc). And tick the “I agree to the Pages terms and I am authorised to create this page” after you’ve read it (becuase everyone reads terms and conditions, don’t they? ). Click “create”.

[UPDATE: Under Arts, Entertainment or Sports there is a "blog" category.]

Type in your blog's name and URL

Step 3. Customise your new Google+ blog page profile

Also easy-as-pie. Just type in your tagline and add an image. After you’ve done this you’ll be given the option to share your new page with anyone who’s already in your “circles” (friends list) of your personal Google+ profile. This is optional.

Customising your profile

4. That’s It!

Ta-dah! You’re done. You’ll now have a Google+ page for your blog. You can switch between using it and your personal profile, just like you can do with your blog’s Facebook page. Hope to see you on Googe+. Find The Blog Stylist’s page here.

How easy was that?!

A few things to note:

• Google+ Pages may not be available to all Google+ users straightaway.
• There isn’t a custom URL option available yet, however, as with Google+ Profiles, there is a workaround available at gplus.to (I’ve found this to be AOK, but as it’s not an official Google site, I suggest you use at your own risk).
• A Google+ badge (a bit like Twitter’s “Follow” and Facebook’s “Like”) is in the works. In the meantime, you can get a static icon here.

Think you’ll create a page for your blog? What kinda stuff will you be posting to it?

Left to right: Danimezza's blog buttons; Nikki from Styling You, Carly from Smaggle and myself at the pre-#pbevent drinks; Darren Rowse's "Blog From The Heart" graphic

In case it hasn’t been made obvious, I love blog conferences! In the past I have taken notes and even live blogged events, but this time was different. I didn’t just learn from the amazing speakers (including Darren Rowse, Chris Garrett, Sonia Simone and more), but the bloggers who had come to learn too. Here are just a few examples…

• Blog cards are great to hand out, but if you really want to be different, do as Danimezza did: hand them out with something attached. Danielle made awesome little badges (pictured top left) with things such as “I’m so going to blog about this” written on them. Many of us were “oohing” and “ahhing” over her cleverness!
• You don’t have to have a blog to attend a blog conference. I met two lovely bloggers-to-be who will definitely be getting their blogs off to a good start with their newfound knowledge!
• If travelling to attend a conference, make the most of the opportunity and meet up with bloggers who live in the town you’re going to – even if they’re not going to the event. Annabel from Successful Blogging organised a blogger meetup and kindly invited me along. It was great as I met four more very nice bloggers I wouldn’t have met otherwise! One of them, Torre, has just published her first book – Swept, a true story – which I’m loving!
• A picture post highlighting the events of the day is a quick and easy way to get conference-related content up very fast! Nikki from Styling You was super-speedy at uploading her collection of Instagram pics, leaving me with a big case of “Wish I’d thought to do that…“
• Be a leader and make yourself known before you arrive. John Young created a Twitter list of attendees in the weeks before the event. This is a great way to get to “meet” people before the day, and perhaps score some new Twitter followers too.
• And finally, I learned from MYSELF that you should never leave a conference for even a short amount of time (like I did), because Tim Ferriss may turn up and you will miss him. For those who may not have heard of Tim, he’s a blogger/author (The Four Hour Workweek)/entrepreneur/motivational speaker with some very practical advice. I was told (BECAUSE I WASN’T THERE TO HEAR IT MYSELF!) that people gasped when they discovered he was sitting in the audience. Yep, he’s a big deal in the blogging world.

Of course, I learned from the speakers as well! There have been lots of posts recapping the highlights of the day (see a list of them here at ProBlogger). But for me, these are the points that really stood out:

• If you want your blog to become your business, you  have to treat it as one
• When you are passionate about your blog, you will attract passionate readers
• Be personal. Make a personal connection
• Know your goals. Dream big
• Every couple of months ask, “Where are my potential readers gathering? And how can I participate in those places?”
• Experiement. Test. Tweak
• Have “cookie content”. That is, the type of content that’s fun and makes life better
• Advertising on your blog is fine, but clutter isn’t
• Make content appealing to the eye and easy to consume (headings, bullet points etc)
• If you’re asking your readers for time and attention, you’re asking for more than if you’re asking for money
• You have two ears, one  mouth. Listen (to your readers) twice as much as you talk
• Listen to the language people use in forums, social networks etc. This is like “human keyword research”
• Your blog is to attract new people. Your newsletter is to engage the people you have
• Let people know the real you when you blog. The weird you. The dorky you. Think about how you can convey the “youness” that’s different from others in your niche

What have you learned from bloggers at blog conferences? And what is the best tip you’ve taken away from a blog conference?

PS: A big thanks to Trevor Young who helped me with venue suggestions for the pre #pbevent drinks. Cheers, Trevor!

How do you subscribe to blogs? For the best part of the last three years, I have used one method that I thought was all sunshine and lollypops. Then, things started to change…

I got a bit lazy. Subscription numbers got out of control. And the iPad came into my life.

But before I get to explaining how I overcame these hurdles (because I know you’re simply busting to hear all about it!)  let’s quickly talk about what RSS actually is.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Subscribing to blogs via RSS is simply a method of keeping track of a blog’s latest posts without actually visiting the blog itself. Think of it like Facebook: instead of looking at the individual profiles of all your friends to see their latest status updates, you add them as a friend (or, with the recent changes, simply subscribe) to see all the latest updates in your news feed.

Using an RSS reader is a bit like that. You use a website or application to subscribe to the latest posts (feeds) of your favourite blogs* so that all of the new content is delivered to you in one place. (And if you subscribe to blogs’ RSS feeds via e-mail? You need to read on! There are MUCH better ways than clogging up your inbox!)

*You can also subscribe via RSS to YouTube channels, Pinterest boards and Twitter accounts.

But given there are a dozens of RSS readers out there – and many people are now trying to track their subscriptions across computers, smart phones and tablets – which ones should you use and why? Here’s what works for me.

1. Google Reader

Google Reader used to be my one-stop RSS reader shop. It’s incredibly convenient as you simply use your Google account to sign in. Skimming through hundreds of new posts is easy – just use the “J” and “K” keys to move to the next or previous posts.

Google Reader

However, I found with so many subscriptions (about 250), I was often skipping many and started to lose enthusiasm for reading them.

Then I got an iPad.

2. Flipboard

When I got my iPad, I was pretty excited like most new iPad owners are. But disappointment set in when I discovered Google Reader wasn’t as iPad-friendly as I had hoped. Then I found Flipboard – a free app – which made reading through RSS subscriptions much like turning the pages of a magazine. All of a sudden, RSS feeds were fun again!

Flipboard for iPad

But, sadly, the app currently only allows you to have 21 “tiles” (subscriptions) unless you want to go adding them to a different list (I realise that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but let’s just leave it at: It’s not super convenient). I didn’t particularly want to do this, so I went looking for other options. However, I still like to use Flipboard for discovering new blogs as it offers suggestions based on categories (such as “Women’s Style”, pictured above). It also makes a great as a news source and is good when you feel like some “mindless” page-flipping.

3. Reeder

Reeder is an app that has rocked my world. Floated my boat. Put a spring in my technology step. It’s around $5 for iPad and $3 for iPhone. It connects with your Google Reader account, meaning you can add subscriptions while web surfing on your laptop, and it makes scanning through posts a breeze. Posts can be favourited for later, and added to other sites I frequently use such as Evernote, Twitter and Instapaper (more on this below).

Reeder for iPad

I have actually set Reeder up using a second Google account so that all the “work”-related RSS feeds are read while at my computer, and all the “fun” RSS feeds (such as wedding and decorating blog posts) are viewed on my iPad (I like to try and keep work and play separate).

Using Reeder has become a bit of a nightly ritual – I really look forward to grabbing a cup of tea and sitting in bed, iPad in hand!

4. Instapaper

Instapaper is not an RSS reader. It is, however, an awesome way of keeping a record of posts you like that you come across whether via your RSS subscriptions or articles or websites you are simply checking out online. What I LOVE about Instapaper is that it works on my computer, iPhone and iPad. And – even better! – Reeder and Flipboard can be connected with your Instapaper account.

Instapaper

How I use it? Like this: I browse RSS feeds and the web, and whenever I see something I think is suitable for Style Bloggers’ News, I simply add it to Instapaper which I can access from anywhere and keep interesting posts and websites all saved in the one spot. (Think of it like a book-marking tool, but better).

So that’s how I subscribe, manage and read more than 250 blogs. How do you manage your RSS feed subscriptions?

I’ve heard a few bloggers discuss their experiences with PRs lately, and thought this would make a good post where I share my own thoughts and guidelines. It’s not a bloggers VS PRs post (we can’t be competitors when we’re playing different sports!). Rather, it’s simply how I think we can best work together.

I’ll start with a little story: When I moved from working in magazines to websites, a lot of PR contact I’d had for the previous five years suddenly went MIA. Here I was, writing for a major internet publishing co, drawing in huge traffic figures, yet struggling on occassions to get a simple press release on a supermarket-brand lipstick. It was tricky times, that’s for sure. However, within 12 months things dramatically changed, and I was back on the PR radar (and enjoying a press trip flying from Sydney to LA for a few five-star days in Palm Springs – oh my giddy aunt!)

What did it take for the change to occur? Perseverance, education, and time.

The thing is, the whole blogger-PR relationship was (and still is) relatively new. Bloggers who haven’t had media experience are contacting publicists who deal with some of the most-experienced media professionals around. Publicists who are still getting the hang of this whole “blogging thing” aren’t sure which blogger to work with and why. And that’s fair enough, right? After all, their job is to get the best, most-valuable exposure for their clients.

My thoughts? Patience, respect and understanding is the best approach for both parties.

So, these are the guidelines I follow, and the way that I feel I deserve to be treated as a blogger. Remember, this isn’t a post on bloggers VS PRs (I have some wonderful friends who work in PR). It’s how we can work together as one big happy family.

And did I mention it’s not a post about bloggers VS PRs?

My guidelines for bloggers…

• Take the time to properly introduce yourself to a PR agency. Provide information about yourself, your blog, and your contact details.
• Before requesting samples, simply ask that you’re included on any blogger/media databases. Show genuine interest in their agency and brands.
• Learn the traffic lingo and take the time to explain your unique visitors, page views, subscribers and more. “Hits” and “followers” are ambiguous words.
• Politely respond to PR e-mails in a timely fashion, even if the pitch or request isn’t suitable.
• Always RSVP to event invites, even if you can’t make them.
• Review requested product samples in a timely manner. Give the publicist a time frame in which to expect to see coverage.
• If you decide against reviewing a product you requested a sample of, return it to the publicist in the same condition provided.
• Share the reviews with the publicist. A quick e-mail is all it takes. It makes their job easier, and puts you in a good light!
• Never feel pressured to write a positive review.
• Never feel pressured to take down a negative review.
• Think carefully about the wording of negative reviews. Yes, your honest opinion is allowed (so long as it’s not defamatory), and your readers will appreciate your truthfulness. However, there are negative reviews and there are scathing reviews. Before hitting publish, ask yourself: How do you want your readers to view you? Do you hope to work with that publicist or agency again? Think of this as an opportunity to really work on your writing skills. How can you get your opinion accross in a professional manner while still letting your blogger personality shine through?
• Acknowledge there are limited samples and event opportunities. Not all bloggers can be recipients of all goodies. Work hard and you’ll get your turn.
• If you get turned down on your request for a product or invite, turn the situation around. Look at other options or angles and enjoy learning from the challenge!
• Always treat the publicist with respect – even if they’ve done something that makes you think they don’t deserve it. A tell-all on blogger forums isn’t needed. Pull a Jennifer Aniston and take the high-road. When you get on the cover of Vogue – and only then – you can let the word “Uncool” slip…
• Remember: You’re not Anna Wintour.

My guidelines for PRs…

• Set a standard for bloggers you’re providing samples to. If requesting analytics figures, make sure all bloggers provide stats from the same analytics tool (e.g.: Google Analytics) to make it a level playing field. Comparing stats from one analytics tool with another is like comparing apples with oranges.
• Provide a blogger-outreach document or page on your website. Explain what you’re looking for when working with bloggers, so the guidelines are clear from the get-go.
• Learn the traffic lingo. “Hits” and “followers” are ambiguous words.
• Spend a moment reading a blogger’s blog before contacting them. Learn what their blog is about, and see what kind of pitches would suite their niche.
• Learn a blogger’s name and use it. “Dear Blogger…” does not a good relationship make!
• Is your pitch really a pitch? Sending a press release to a blogger telling them that they should encourage their readers to “Like” your client’s Facebook page (and describing it as an “awesome” opportunity) really isn’t press-release worthy. Or an opportunity. Or awesome.
• Treat bloggers as you’d like to be treated: with respect.
• If you want a product (that a blogger didn’t request) returned, this should come at your expense of postage or courier.
• Keep in mind: You never know which blogger is about to make it big time. All it takes is one good link from a big site!
• Thank the blogger for any coverage. A thank-you e-mail can be sent in under 30 seconds.
• Reconsider requesting a blogger’s negative review be taken down. You can’t do that with print or TV media, can you? If you’re disappointed about the angle of the review, contact the blogger and see what you can do to keep the relationship on a happy level. Perhaps the sample you provided was simply a bad match? Perhaps the press release was promising outcomes the product didn’t deliver on?
• Remember: You’re not Anna Wintour’s publicist.

Is there anything else you think belongs with the guidelines? Whether you’re a blogger or a PR, you’re welcome to throw in your TRES POLITE $0.02c

And, have you had a great experience with a blogger or PR? Please share it (without metioning names). Good examples are the best to learn from!

Oh, and I’ve started a Twitter list of Australian blog-friendly PRs/Brands/Agencies here. Feel free to follow!

I interupt regular programming to bring you a post that’s not about blogging. In what will be a semi-regular thing, I share with you the things I’m loving this week in Style & Balance Inspiration! (Style because I like pretty things, Balance because it’s introducing my other loves, and Inspiration because some of these are on my wishlist .)

Think we’ve got the same taste? Like what I like? Join me on Pinterest.

Hope your week is off to a great start! xo

Pictured… 1. Muffin Tin Mania | 2. Eckhart Toll | 3. iTunes (Sherwin-Williams) | 4. Turn It Around | 5. The Daily Mail | 6. ASOS | 7. In Spaces Between

Used to make this image… Layout: Photoshop. Colour inspiration: Firefox Color Zilla. Image capture: Snipping Tool. Fonts: Google Web Fonts and Da Font. Image map: Image-Maps.com.

What are you loving this week?

Missed the previous issues of Style Bloggers’ News? Check them all out here.

1. DVF’s advice for bloggers

Diane von Furstenberg not only shared her tips for bloggers on blogging authentically at the Lucky Fabb conference yesterday, but showed her Harper Connect bag (pictured). It’s got a zippered side panel to hold your iPad. I know. I want one too! Check out the full video of her tips (and bag in action!) at SassyBella.

2. Get ready to Spreecast

I was treated to a preview of this new broadcasting tool bloggers can use, along with the rest of the iFabbo (International Fashion, Beauty & Style Bloggers’ Organization) crew! Inside sources tell me iFabbo members will also get to see it in action. Haven’t signed up to iFabbo yet? Do so here.

3. Daily dose of gratitude

Writing a daily list of things of things I’m grateful for has become one of my favourite things to do. Sure, I could simply write it in a book, but with my iPad now almost fused to my left hand, I’m loving mighty grateful for the Happy Tapper Gratitude Journal app.

4. The Bloggers’ Guide To Online Marketing

Words can’t describe my excitement when I was offered a preview copy of Darren Rowse’s (ProBlogger’s) new product, created in conjunction with The Web Marketing Ninja. It’s not just an e-book, it’s a whole package – 22 files in total! Check out The Blogger’s Guide To Online Marketing.

5. Top travel packing tips

I like to think when it comes to travelling, I’ve got the packing side of things down pat. Heaven knows I’ve spent enough time in cars and on planes over the last 10 years – I can pack for Europe one hour before I leave! So when Imogen Lamport from Inside Out Style asked me to share my tips on her blog, I delightfully agreed.

6. Aussie bloggers at New York Fashion Week

Australian fashion bloggers Tuula and Bonnie Friday both won trips to New York Fashion Week. iBlogFashion & Beauty has the full story. Hope they’re having fun!

7. YouTube – the second most-popular search engine

Did you know YouTube is the second most-popular search engine (behind Google, of course)? And not only that, YouTube can be an incredible source of  blog traffic. No wonder everyone’s rushing to film their fashion haul.

8. Running a Facebook comp? Read this

Running a competition on your blog where you encourage people to “like” your page, can sound like a rather enticing way to increase your number of Facebook likers, but break the Facebook rules, and you can lose your page. It’s as simple as that. Search Engine Journal has this article: Facebook Competitions – 5 Things You Should Know Before You Start One. Worth a read.

9. Top 5 blogging & web tools

Looking for some great tools and websites to learn the techie basics? Kellie from 74 Lime Lane has five to try (even I didn’t know of two of these!), along with a shout-out to Bloggers’ Domain. Cheers Kellie!

10. Women in tech

I heart stories about women in tech. Nothing makes me feel more geeky proud to be a woman who likes the interwebs than to find another woman who knows the words Open Source, PHP and JavaScript. So imagine my delight when I learned the co-founder of SkimLinks (Alicia Navarro) is not only an Aussie, but a woman! SkimLinks is technology that identifies which of your outgoing links could be automattically turned into affiliate links, saving you buckets of time! Think: Potential earnings with minimal effort. Ker-ching!

11. Giving credit where it’s due

The debate over using images found on the web is a popular one. Should you use them? How should you credit them? Is “borrowing” ever OK? Sandy from Ampersand Design has posted on the topic, explaining the great lengths she goes to, to make sure her blog pics are credited correctly. Seriously admirable.

12. 8 ways to spice up your blog

Looking for free, relatively-simple ways to give your blog a visual boost? I guest-posted about this recently on Tessa Needham’s blog. Here’s what I suggest! (Warning: you may find this fun and distracting. Attempt at the risk of damaging your Friday-afternoon productivity!)

13. Challengers, ready!

The Challenge is a free online marketing course I did last year. It’s just returned for 2011, and has a serious wealth of information on everything from social-networking to SEO and beyond. Do it at your own pace (and chuckle at the videos!)

14. IFB Conference

If you’re a fashion blogger, you no doubt know about the Independant Fashion Bloggers’ conference: Evolving Influence. It was on today / yesterday (depending on your part of the world). Missed it? Grit & Glamor has the full schedule with links to all of the bloggers involved. When I come across a good round-up of the event, I’ll add a link here!

15. My interest in Pinterest continues

Remember my post on the Ultimate Guide to Pinterest? And how I said that if used wisely it could be a great traffic-driver? Well, I included a “How to add the ‘Pin It’ button to your blog” image at the bottom of the post. And, yep, you guessed it: that image got submitted to Pinterest. It now sends me up to 100 new visitors per day (and up to 100 more from Google search). See? Stick with me and I’ll tell you what you need to know

Photo of DVF bag from DVF.com

What links caught your attention this week? Share them with me!

Here are three of them, be sure to check out her site for the other five!

1. Lose the plain fonts!

One of the quickest and easiest ways to freshen up your blog with little effort is to change its fonts. There are numerous sites that offer web-friendly fonts you can use, but if you’re after a free selection, check out Google’s Web Fonts. They’ve got a pretty good range to choose from (241 font families) and you can also download them for use in Photoshop and more.

2. Import images from other sites

Use Flickr? Pinterest? Instagram? You can easily incorporate the feeds from these sites into your blog by installing the relative WordPress plugins. Having the pictures appear in your sidebar not only gives your readers something else to look at, but provides other ways for them to connect with you off your blog.

3. Try a new colour scheme

You don’t need to be an artist to come up with a new colour scheme. With tools such as Color Scheme Designer and sites such as Colour Lovers, finding new hues is as simple as point and click.

Don’t forget the other five! Read them here.

Related posts:

1. 5 blog colour-scheme websites and tools

It started when I was eight years’ old.

I had a Dinky Diary. Remember those? (Or maybe I’m seriously showing my age?!) They were small, rectangular, hard-covered, spiral-bound diaries with skinny metal-cased pens that’d last two sentences if you were lucky.

In it were my deepest darkest secrets lists. I wrote lists on everything. Who my friends were. Who my friends weren’t (ha!). Which pen pals I’d written to. Which pen pals were yet to reply (hey, Emma from Scotland: I’m still waiting!). And the outfits I was going to copy from DJ Tanner on Full House (scrunched boots, with hot pink socks and a vest, anyone?).

Fast forward quite a few years and I’m still writing lists! But this time, it’s not in a Dinky Diary, and it’s not about the wardrobes of sitcom stars. It’s about blogging. Behold, my biggest list to date: Bloggers’ Domain: The A-Z Of Blog Tools & Resources!

So what is Bloggers’ Domain? A HUGE (and hopefully ridiculously helpful!) site for bloggers. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean!

The short version of its creation is that I actually started working on it about two-and-a-half years ago spending 20 minutes on it here, and 20 minutes on it there, adding to it whenerver I could. It was fuelled not only by my love of lists, but because I found myself answering the same recommendation-type questions to bloggers and website owners over and over again. “Here’s a list of WordPress themes you could try…” and “Here are some WordPress hosting options…“. Repeating the info became rather monotinous, and I figured I may as well turn my answers into a website. So I did.

The soft launch was about six months ago but, due to various reasons, it promptly got swept to the side to hang out by itself in cyber space.

It’s not intended to be the kind of website you visit every day. Rather, it’s the site you bookmark and check out when you find yourself asking… “How do I add a poll to my blog?” or, “I wonder if there’s a blog conference coming up I could attend…“.

The whole site is actually very low-maitenance (thank goodness!) and will grow over time with the help from blogging friends and family. My plan is to hopefully (!) have the blog section written by guest-posters. So if you’re also a list-making addict who likes to write about blogging, follow Bloggers’ Domain on Twitter or Facebook and I’ll keep you posted on opportunities.

I’m totally open to feedback on the site, so feel free to let me know your thoughts! And of course, if you think it’s the most spectacular thing you’ve ever seen (hopefully this will be the opinion of someone other than my mother!) then I’d be eternally grateful for you helping me spread the word (check out the sharing buttons on the home page), and will send you good-blogging Karma from now until the end of time. It’s a promise.

What’s your feedback on Bloggers’ Domain? And… what did you write in your Dinky Diary?!