non-jargon Archives - Fairy Blog Mother

Why I want you to have a successful blog

Posted on Wednesday 12 June 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

Training people to have a successful blog is what the Fairy Blog Mother is all about. I have been homing in on this niche lately, because that is what you need to do to set yourself apart from the competition, especially when networking in closed profession groups.

Setting up a successful blog includes focusing on a niche. You aren’t restricting yourself to a narrow perimeter, rather you’re allowing the subject you’ve chosen to be fully explored to the greatest extend, so that you can become a thought leader and expert in it.

Training and explaining…

I’ve chosen training because this is where I feel most comfortable when using WordPress. Sure I can create a website for someone using WordPress (it’s not difficult, and I created this one by myself), but there is all that responsibility to sort out the problems that may arise later, especially if they are technical. But if somebody much cleverer at code and other techie stuff creates a fantastic WordPress website for a company, but are reluctant to explain how to use it to the new owners, that is where I can step in.

When I started using WordPress I did rely on finding tutorials to help me. But I was usually disappointed or frustrated at the poor teaching quality which left me more confused than when I started. Only recently when searching for an answer I came across a video with no sound and the mouse whizzing about the screen at breakneck speed supposedly showing me how to solve my problem.

And while networking I speak to people who say they are reluctant to learn how to use their new websites because the training manuals are too confusing or they don’t understand the tutorials. This is particular true for the older learners who aren’t au fait with the latest technology and probably need a bit more time and patience for them to understand everything.

…through workshops

So that is why I am giving workshops on how to create a successful blog, and have been working very hard on creating online courses on how to create a blog from scratch, which will be available very soon. For me it’s important that people get to understand how their new WordPress websites work, learn all the functions that are necessary, find out how to make their lives easier, and get the chance to explore their website’s capacity to its fullest extent.

And all this is done through my ’cause and effect’ method, which shows you what needs to be done, and then what happens after you have achieved that step, purely as reassurance that you have done it correctly. I never assume you know chunks of what has gone before, because if you do know it, it can be gratifying to be able to ‘whizz’ past that part and even refresh your memory in the context of the remainder of the tutorial it’s set in.

My successful blog workshop

My latest workshop on how to create a successful blog will be examining blog niches, forming the ideal reader, exploring the reader’s experience, developing a writing style, finding out how to build a blogging community, examining the blog’s functions and design attributes that contribute towards success, sharing a blog post writing exercise encompassing the correct way to use SEO, and revealing which plugins can enhance your blog’s performance and therefore success factor.

As you can see, it’s packed full to the gills, is fully interactive and should be a fun-filled experience. And my best prize would be if any of my delegates came back to me to show me they’ve created a successful blog because of what I have taught them! Then I would be really proud…

Filed Under: Blogging education, Blogging help, blogs and blogging, non-jargon, successful blogging

Banishing blogging myths: it’s too technical

Posted on Thursday 25 April 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

A lot of people don’t start a blog because they see it as something ‘techie’. The other day I spoke to an up and coming young chef who was cooking fabulous food. She had taken wonderful pictures of her culinary creations and she was doing the right thing by posting them onto her Facebook page. This proved she was used to social media and understood the need to publicise her wares.

I told her that because she was happily posting onto Facebook, this didn’t mean she couldn’t do the same in a blog. But the very word ‘blog’ immediately put her defence shields up; it was technical, it commanded website knowledge, it was totally the unknown… and that was the crux of the problem, she didn’t know or understand anything about blogs.

Further questioning quickly established it hadn’t taken her long to get to know Facebook so that she felt easy about popping in to upload a picture or make a comment about her latest supper party she had hosted or tell her friends about the scrumptious wedding cake she had just delivered to the bride’s family.

So I explained to her this is exactly the same with a blog. They are just as user-friendly as the other social networking sites, especially WordPress, which has been refined and simplified over the years to make it as easy as writing in Word. The majority of us use Word almost every day, it is a commonly used platform we all understand, so it stands to reason a content management system like a blog should be made just as easy to use.

I write a nature post every day as part of my blogathon. I go in, write the post and then I’m out again within 15 minutes (these posts are never very long). WordPress has made it as easy as possible to write, edit, upload and compose posts by eliminating all the difficult technical stuff, by creating intuitive methods of achieving what you need to do, placing the methods and buttons required in easy to find places, and taking all the hassle away.

All the hard work has been done behind the scenes so you don’t have to worry about the technical stuff. All you need to do is to click on the appropriate button and everything is done for you! No technicalities required whatsoever! Couldn’t be easier!

I specialise in teaching non-technical people how to create a blog and regularly post in it. I understand that some people are confused by the jargon, bemused by the editing fields, scared to press a button in case it blows the computer up, frightened to go into the ‘unknown’ in this weird and wonderful blog.

But once they have a friendly, helpful, empathetic person by their side helping them with each function and explaining each transaction, they soon pick it up and are blogging away like anything. Quite a few start to predict what comes next and it is me that has to run to keep up with them! That’s brilliant, because I have given them the confidence to try things out for themselves, and that’s what my blogging teaching is all about!

Filed Under: Blogging education, blogging encouragement, Blogging help, blogs and blogging, non-jargon

Let’s get more people blogging!

Posted on Wednesday 24 April 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

I came across a shocking statistic: only 13% of businesses have a blog!

After having a good think about this, I came to the conclusion that probably it’s because not many SME owners are aware of how beneficial blogging is for their business. Even if they have heard about blogs (as they are finally starting to be recognised as a business resource), they can’t see how a blog would work within their business, understand its relationship with social media, or even for digital marketing campaigns.

And then there is the rise of content marketing over SEO, for which a blog is a perfect medium for original writing and conversational communications with the potential customer base. Using a simple CMS (content management system) to explain, express and exchange ideas with the public so that they get a chance to understand a business better, is a vital part of customer relationship management.

A blog should be used as a hub of any social media campaign or activity. It is where the beef of your message is contained. The activity on social media is limited in its content, so this should be used to direct interested parties back to the blog with attractive headlines and relevant links. Structure messages on social media based on the call to action back to the blog, where much more information can be delivered to them for better comprehension, suitable persuasive content and further links back to the website where the business transaction can take place.

Blogs are actually very easy to set up. They don’t require any technical knowledge, and many are designed to be similar to other word processing platforms using familiar icons, etc. In fact if you can cope with updating your Facebook profile or page on a regular basis, this is no different to creating and maintaining a blog, as the system and reasons are the same. And if you are thinking why bother creating a blog as well as using Facebook, then consider the different audiences that use these platforms, and spreading a marketing message around the web will increase the exposure of it further.

For those who are not used to it on a daily basis, technology can be quite daunting until it is properly learned. And even then that process is not easy, as many people who technical proficients are unable to explain what they do without peppering their language with jargon and other confusing vocabulary. In fact, training and explaining about blogs in a way that anybody can understand does require some specialist knowledge, namely having been on the receiving end and experienced the difficulties each student is going through. Blogging jargon is mostly of American origin, so translating it into English and then relating it to everyday circumstances or the interests of the learner certainly helps in understanding and retaining that newly-founded knowledge.

Fairy Blog Mother aims to become one of the best WordPress trainers and tutor providers available for businesses and individuals. By being able to explain and teach blogging in a proficient and easily understandable way, blogging use will be increased and maximised to its full potential. There is so much a blog can do for a business, as long as it is totally and appropriately understood, appreciated and implemented.

Filed Under: Blogging education, blogging encouragement, blogs and blogging, increasing business visibility, non-jargon

Why simplicity, clarity and transparency?

Posted on Thursday 21 February 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

I don’t believe that WordPress is complicated. It only seems so if you don’t understand it.

So this is where the Fairy Blog Mother comes in. Over the years I have specialised in understanding blogging jargon, translating it from the American into ordinary, everyday English, using words that normal people say, and incorporating it into my training programmes.

WordPress is, in fact, very simple to use. Certainly it is if you compare it with other blogging platforms like Joomla. It uses a content management system (CMS) that is designed to be easy to edit and create new material yourself. If you can use Word, you will understand WordPress, as there are many features that are the same.

Instructions should be made as clear as possible. No transaction should be left out or merely assumed. What may be obvious to you might not be so for another, so not only do I show what to do next in my training, I also reveal what happens as a result, to provide reassurance that everything has been done correctly.

When I create a website in WordPress, I enter it via the admin access, or front door. This is important, as this is how the owner or main user will see it. Very rarely will anybody need to use code or FTP, if they understand what that is, so I make a point of creating it without that so that everything is totally visible. This means no custom pages or any similar untoward systems, which the owner will not understand, make them confused or anxious.

Websites need to be simple, clear and uncomplicated. The navigation should be obvious, easy to follow and uncluttered. Each page should contain one message so to not confuse both the visitors and the search engines. The content should not stretch much ‘below the fold’, so that the most important stuff is visible at the top of the page. The sidebars should contain relevant call to actions to get the readers to ‘do’ something positive and useful to you and your business. And any additional material should be placed in a blog, which will explain the business in detail that cannot be accommodated within the website.

For information based first websites I suggest using WordPress.com as a method of cutting your blogging teeth. Once you’ve mastered the concept of blogs and how they work, and your business has successfully expanded, then you can move onto the next level (WordPress.org) which is where the fun really starts – especially if you learn how to understand it properly from me. Learning the foundations correctly from the beginning will save you time and angst when you want to start getting technical, use sophisticated digital marketing strategies and fully extend your business expectations. There is so much more you can do with a blog…

Filed Under: Blogging education, blogging encouragement, Blogging help, blogging success, blogs and blogging, Free Wordpress blogs, non-jargon, Self-hosted Wordpress blogs

Untangling some blogging knots

Posted on Wednesday 6 February 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

In the past I used to get nervous when presented with a problem, but in my old age I have learned to step back, review the situation and take it one step at a time. It’s even worth going away from it for a while to give the subconscious a chance to work it out for you.

It pains me when I view blogs that have got themselves into a pickle, especially when there really has been no reason for it. This usually arises from people attempting to set up a WordPress blog without truly understanding how it works, a web developer getting too big for his boots and making it too complicated, or, as with my latest example, using a template that is full of custom facilities that is unnecessary, usually because its designer doesn’t want to use the simplicity of WordPress’s CMS.

One of the reasons Fairy Blog Mother was set up was to show how simple WordPress really is, how easy it is to use, and to educate people how to use it properly. Now businesses come to me with their blogsites with a request to see how I could make it better, more efficient or effective. This is when I get a chance to take a proper look at what is going on, and sometimes the results astound me!

In an ideal world I would love to have time to work out what is wrong, find a solution, and offer my services to sort out the mess, but usually the blogsite owner has no idea that there is anything wrong. Even when I point out the errors or try to explain what I have found, I’m met with incomprehension or disbelief.

My aim is to create WordPress blogs using the simplest methods available and to achieve the best results possible that is understandable to the blog’s owner and makes their life easier. I always strive to use the front end (via admin access) as much as I can as that is where the user enters. And it’s important to use the same facilities and language to make comprehension easier and clean up the full use capabilities WordPress has to offer.

And once everything inside has been put into order, then it’s easier to put into practice techniques and applications to make the blog more efficient and attractive to both readers and search engines. It’s like a ripe tomato, as long as the insides are firm and tasty, then the red flesh will look attractive and it is more likely to be eaten.

Filed Under: blogging encouragement, Blogging help, blogging success, blogs and blogging, non-jargon

I don’t mind admitting I’m not technical

Posted on Monday 4 February 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

Of course this all depends on what is meant by ‘technical’. Many of my followers may agree that I am, and the majority of web developers will say I’m definitely not, but this doesn’t, or shouldn’t, undermine me as a WordPress expert.

Once upon a time I was bemused by blogging and how it worked, and I decided to understand it, patiently and steadily, fathoming out the jargon into non-technical language, and taking the same path of the ordinary, everyday person who want to be able to blog. And therefore my ‘WordPress expertise’ has arisen by putting myself into the shoes of the people I want to help, which would not be possible if I was unable to understand how my clients think or what they want to achieve through WordPress.

My simple mantra is if I can’t do it, neither can my clients. If creating a blog becomes too technical, then there’s obviously something wrong and it hasn’t been properly thought through, worked on or developed properly. WordPress prides itself on being easy to use, it has been steadily and carefully improved over the years to gain such an accolade, so if any blogging application fails to perform adequately I’m afraid it will be abandoned in favour of WordPress.

Because I want to use WordPress on the same level as my clients, I therefore develop my WordPress blogsites using the ‘front door’ or admin access that they would use. I very rarely enter via FTP (or the ‘back door’) unless I really need to. I have invested in a CMS theme that can be activated from the front end, and upload and perform everything I need to do from the Dashboard.

Therefore when my clients finally get to take over the keys and move into their new blogsite, everything is there ready and visible to them. Nothing is hidden or customised, and I offer training in every aspect of how to run and keep the blogsite healthy.

Many web developers will be sniggering into their sleeves thinking ‘she hasn’t kept the mystery aside so she can’t make any continuous money out of her clients’. But because I have made everything as transparent as possible, and allowed each blogsite to be fully functional, I can offer my tuition services for the immediate and continuous future, and when the client exceeds their blogsite’s capabilities and wants to extend, hopefully I will be the first point of call.

And again I will explore with the client everything they want to achieve with that extension, making sure that the best facilities and practices are put in place, enabling them to fulfill their marketing strategies or expansion purposes. I will advise on any changes that will improve the navigation, user experience and conversion funnel, whichever may be applicable.

You see, I may not be an expert in web coding, but there is a heck of a lot of other knowledge I can provide, gained from my digital marketing diplomas, that would create a first class blogsite, all available and usable from WordPress’s extensive application library and other facilities on offer. And I think my design capabilities are quite good too!

Filed Under: blogging encouragement, Blogging help, blogs and blogging, non-jargon

Do you always say what you mean?

Posted on Wednesday 9 January 2013 by Alice • 0 Comments

Here is a podcast called Twang that I have created unedited, because in real life nobody edits what you say, especially when you’re in public.

Twang

In 2013 I’m experimenting with unprompted communications, developing conversations online in a selection of media, and not being afraid of the results. Here I am talking about words that are used out of context, exploring my misuse of vocabulary, and comparing words used in different parts of the country.

It’s also about expressing myself in a more spontaneous manner. In the past good ideas have melted away because I didn’t write them down, or acted impulsively to save them. Creating a quick audio of my thoughts is extremely easy to do, takes no time at all, and by accepting its defects and publishing it as soon as possible, my message is given a lease of life it probably wouldn’t have.

And here it is, warts and all. If you are inspired by its meaning, leave me a comment in the box below.

Filed Under: blogging success, blogs and blogging, increasing business visibility, non-jargon, use of words

How narrow should your niche be?

Posted on Wednesday 28 November 2012 by Alice • 0 Comments

To set yourself apart from your competition (the marketing term is differentiation) you have to find your niche, or focused area you excel in above anybody else.

This is particularly prone for bloggers. Since there are so many blogs out there, all with their authors furiously posting away writing all sorts of stuff, how are you going to position yourself above all the general noise that is raging on in the internet?

This is the million dollar question, and once you’ve managed to crack it you’re well on your way.

Here’s another bite-sized audio tip I’ve gleaned from my Radio MarlowFM interview with Jean Wolfe. Here I talk about Fairy Blog Mother being a British blog.

Being A British Blog

Listening back to anything can be a cringing moment. Should I be totally focusing on the British market? Certainly there is a dearth of blogging acknowledgement and comprehension on this side of the pond, whereas in the US practically everybody is doing it!

But the podcast does state that as a British blogger I do explain things in a British way. Interestingly I explained blogging to an American using my British terminology and she absolutely loved it! She said it suddenly become much clearer! Mmmm, interesting…..

I think the crux here is that I have taken the trouble to interpret blogging in ordinary, everyday language. There should be no need to wallow and drown in a world of technological jargon, so part of what the Fairy Blog Mother delivers is understandable words that explain how blogging works.

And this is important when explaining the world of blogs and how they fit into the web experience. Technology is difficult to understand at the best of times, but simplified down using words that my listener can appreciate, relate to and ultimately ‘get’, then I’m more than half way there.

So as usual I’ve gone off at a tangent as my fingers get the better of me! My niche is explaining blogging in ordinary, everyday language to a British audience (but not necessarily stopping there, as anybody is welcome to join in!).

Filed Under: blogging success, blogs and blogging, non-jargon

How do you respond to blogging sell?

Posted on Wednesday 26 September 2012 by Alice • 0 Comments

If you are pretty busy on the net, especially on social media like I am, depending on who you’re connected with you’ll probably be bombarded with lots of messages saying you need to have a blog, # number of reasons why to have a blog, what a blog has done for XYZ business, what happens if you don’t have a blog, etc, etc.

Then there are two ways of looking at these messages. If you already have a blog, you might be tempted to fill in the gaps within your knowledge to see if you can make your blog better (I certainly fall into that camp). If you don’t have a blog, the constant pressure of starting a blog when you don’t know how or are a bit wary of new technology can be very daunting.

If the first party respond, they may gain some more information and if they put it into practice may benefit from it. But the second party will only get more confused when they receive an e-book full of jargon and digital marketing practices they’ve never heard of before. If they manage to plough their way through it all, it may well put them off ever attempting blogging.

Not everybody has the know-how or determination to self-learn. Certainly when I first started I was dazzled by the tech stuff, it seemed so way out and complicated. But I wanted to do it myself, and certainly I made lots of mistakes alongside all the successes, but there was enough of the latter to encourage me to continue.

And now I want to share those successes (and mistakes so you don’t make them) to prevent you from going through the same angst and stress. Even so, I hope you will have different problems, notwithstanding that you will come to me to sort them out, but that it’s important to have difficulties in our lives to improve them and appreciate the better times.

So if you aren’t someone who has the time or inclination to stumble through the blogging maze, or is bamboozled by the technical talk found in most blogging guides, take a look at my tuition packages. The Fairy Blog Mother was formed to help non-technical folk start up a blog, and gain the confidence to continue with it. And of course I will benefit further if you tell me what you want so I can create new courses, or let me know if anything continues to be confusing so I can correct and improve it.

Filed Under: Blogging education, Blogging help, blogs and blogging, non-jargon

What is online value proposition and how does it affect me?

Posted on Tuesday 28 August 2012 by Alice • 0 Comments

I’ve set myself a new task for September. I’m going to transform this website through online value proposition.

This is a tall order for a blog that is set in its ways. It has grown organically resulting in a lop-sided structure, requiring more sections to balance it out. This means the navigation will require a total overhaul, with internal menus for better visitor journeys that enhance user experience.

Each section needs prominent promotion, strategically positioned to attract attention. Web interaction studies have shown that a visitor’s eye travels over the screen in the shape of an F: straight across the top and down the left side, with perhaps a bit of a stray across the middle. Therefore it’s vital where the important web elements are placed to encourage a good response, suitably linked to landing pages carefully written in a persuasive style primed to cover all emotions and desires.

Websites require a method to maintain visitor interaction. Blogs are notoriously bad at doing this, as blog posts are naturally read and then abandoned. Even with added digital hooks such as the Yet Another Related Posts plugin which automatically creates a selection of relevant post links after the content, visitors will need coaxing and cajoling into venture further into the site.

It is important to understand your visitors. This blog may have a varied intake, so hopefully the posts will continue to appeal to all, but each section will focus on a particular segment, with unique messaging that resonates with their needs, aspirations and interests. Gathered feedback will enable me to improve the products and information I provide, making Fairy Blog Mother more efficient in helping bloggers succeed.

Instant recognition is required about what this website will provide, which will distinguish it from its competitors and encourage better visitor participation. This is enhanced by increased SEO and traffic driving activities, careful rewriting of content and provision of alternative media such as imagery, webinars, video, comment boxes and social sharing connections. Fairy Blog Mother’s related social media platforms will supplement her campaigns and projects, providing an alternative for information, interaction and entertainment.

Recognition is combined with a clear marketing focus. Fairy Blog Mother has created a series of blogging courses designed to help non-technical people learn how to blog. The difference is that these will be focusing on ordinary, everyday language, with any jargon fully explained. Past users have told me that they appreciate the highly visual format, combined with reassuring ‘afterwards’ screen-shots that show what happens after a button has been pressed or a link has been clicked on. The courses will be delivered in variable formats, adapted to suit all needs, and will be enhanced by a webinar and offline workshop programme.

Communication plays a large factor if I am to give my customers exactly what they require. My community of Fairy Blog Mother helpers are encouraged to comment, provide feedback, interact and participate within my new ventures. There will be incentives and special products created for the steadfast fans that follow me through thick and thin.

And last but not least are the blog posts. After all, this is a blog as well as an educational resource. This is the main way I communicate to you, whether you know me or not, so it is important to keep churning out the free material I’m willing to share. And I hope you will share, comment and collaborate back in return.

Filed Under: blogging success, blogs and blogging, design makes a difference, non-jargon

Category Archives: non-jargon

Training and explaining…

…through workshops

My successful blog workshop