facebook? thumbs up or thumbs down?

when we watch american idol...when someone sings we give them thumbs up if we like..thumbs down if we don't.

and sometimes when I sing to myself when I'm cooking or cleaning...I turn around to my kids with their thumbs down...

but...
right now we are talking about facebook!   (finally...forgot I was going to post this last week...!)

when I started facebook someone asked me to a pro/con about it...which sounded like a good idea....and then I thought I would try to include other ones...and BAM overwhelmed!!! (that is why the absence last week!!!!) so, I'm just giving my personal opinion and what I like about the ones I use.....

(so don't think you are going to get some profound insight here!)

okay...first let me tell you of ALL of your options out there...cause I only came up with Twitter and facebook


Twitter
Facebook
Blog Frog
Stumble Upon
Delicious
Reddit
 Digg
flickr

all of these are basically ways to get you out there..reach new audiences and spread the word...but I think they all take a little time. so unless you are superwoman or a really great blogger....just pick a few..focus on them and then maybe add more as you go.

now..I won't be covering all of these..cause basically I have no idea a few of them existed!!!
But if ANYONE has an insight to one...or totally love it...then let us know in the comments!!)
 AND I asked my diyers their opionions...those I highlighted in pink!



FACEBOOK

I started my facebook page in the beginining of  this year--so I'm probably not the expert on it! But I will tell you what I know:

I like it.

I love to chat and talk about random things (like zoolander)  and facebook lets me! I feel like I get to know you a little better...I get to link up to things I think are cool..and in all honesty I am thumbs up.
BUT..it is time consuming. It's ANOTHER thing to do..so if you are stressed with posting and emails and answering questions....you might feel like another straw on the camel's back (is that how the saying goes?)

But facebook is another way to advertise. If someone likes you...chances are they will have a friend that hasn't heard of you and will investigate (I do when someone likes something!) so that brings more people to you!

okay...so I proposed this question to my gals at the diy club and let me tell you there answers..

* *Some people NEVER go on fb, others live on it. You have to play to the masses.

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! sometimes it's easy to stay on facebook to see everything!  Also some people post things on facebook and not on their blogs...so  it's like the facebookers get a little extra "treat!"

I have also gotten a ton of hits through facebook when someone has linked up to something of mine!

**I like FB for promoting my blogs because I can keep it separate from my personal FB acct. Having a fan page is a great way to not only share your own posts, but to have some interaction with your readers. I occasionally post tips or just a question to get some interaction. I think it's better when a FB fan page shows the "human" side rather than just pulling their feed in from Networked Blogs or some other automated option.

let's ask the celebs.....

it's a thumbs up!!!




Twitter:
I know nothing about twitter...but the general consesnus is that it is great to get to know people

more D.I.Yer
 **"Twitter I don't use as often, and on that I actually DO have an automated tweet when i post to my blog. . Thats another place where people hang out a lot, so again it's worth having."

**Twitter...I do not get it...and I have 2 accounts. At a SITS blog conference every blogger was all about twitter and it was said over and over "I will not read your blog if I do not have a twitter relationship with you." And similar things. I have also heard peoepl say that is how they decide what they will read. I know you can organize into groups etc. but I have not...I find it to be a bunch on conversations that I have no clue about

**Tweet deck is the way to go if you have twitter and fb.  When it is open, it tweets you any time someone on your list tweets, or posts to their fb page. I hardly ever checked twitter before I did it.

so..thumbs up? down?

the judges are a little mixed.

BLog FROG

**Blog frog?  I have joined a couple of communities, but find it VERY difficult to maneuver, and keep up with communications

**Blog Frog: I like it but I feel the same way about it as facebook...another thing to manage. Until I am making the big bucks, how much more can I do. I have joined in discussions and had some good things come of it, but have done little to maintain my own community.

Once again...
mixed reviews.

STumble UPON
**I like Stumble Upon for the traffic...but they usually seem to just look and go...page views is basically what it brings...not a lot seem to stay and follow...that I know of..

**Stumble Upon: I was getting tons of hits (and had...really still have no idea how to operate it!). I made an account but have not been able to figure out a thing about it really...It is not even on my site  - yes, I probably just need to sit down and pay attention to it.
  (okay..so for some reason I went to stumble upon (turns out I had an account there..lol...) and I played around with it...and got stumbled to a couple cool things....
like the guy that does this spray paint picture in two minutes

Go HERE

and these cool paper things.

go here


yeah or neigh? mostly yeah.

Flickr...
I have flickr...just started. It's a place to link up pictures. (maybe more...I just do it for the pictures!)

So like if you make anything from one of my tutorials...you can link up a picture) It's a fun way to keep all the stuff in one place....

(make it and love it has one and it's great to go over and see all the different takes on one idea!)

Made  has one for her celebrate the boy week...so it's awesome to go get a ton of ideas in one spot....

judges?

it's a go.




 PINTERST
I love this little place. It's basically a place to "pin" up the cutest stuff. I have overflowing folders in my pictures on my computer full of cute stuff...this does it for me....plus it has the link in case I ever need to know who made it!

it basically like my sunday shoutouts ALL THE TIME! I have to give myself a time limit on here or I will stay forever!!!!!

this one gets a overwhelming

from me.

**and coincidentally...kim at 733 blog links up to a way to get some of these little icons on the bottom of your posts

 go HERE

I also added the stumble button on the bottom of each post by following the directions HERE it was down on the bottom..the integration tips!

now, I get up in the morning...eat cereal..check the email...publish my post....check bloglovin....add a link to facebook....and have been on the computer for 45 min at least. I can't imagine having to remember to tweet things....or stumble them...they might be easy....but  I take baby steps with everything!!





I'm going to post some questions...that I don't know...(yes..I don't know EVERYTHING!) don't tell my husband mkay?

but if you know the answer...feel free to answer in the comments so we can all share in the love!!! help me help you. (okay..just help me.)



Wendy @ Ramblings from the Sunshine State
The only question I have is, do you know how to find out how many followers/subscribers you have in readers? I have Google Connect, but I mean RSS feeds, etc?

I don't have a google reader..okay that's  a lie..I do. but I never quite got the hang of it. I didn't like not seeing the whole blog. I feel like without the header and sidebars it just isn't as fun. and it was way too complicated for me (okay..I know it's not that complicated....but I never sat down to figure it out) I use BLOGLOVIN and love it. super easy..I just add the blogs I love and then when I click on the current post...it opens up a new window with the blog...so I get to see all the buttons and hard work that we put into out blogs!

 


cheryl wanted to know:
One thing that I do still wonder about is how a bunch of blogs seem to receive & also giveaway some big ticket items like Silhouette machines/$50 gift cards/etc. around the same time. At first I figured you just had to be a really big blog and they magically approached you, but now I see a wide range of blogs getting all kinds of stuff so I've got to think it's something they're actively doing. Is this what Social Spark & other blog marketing is about & do you have any experience with those?  
 
I'm not a HUGE expert of this....just because I don't do a whole TON of giveaways! I think you can go to silhouette and send them your stats and if you have a steady growing blog you might be in luck!!!! I don't know why they do them all the same day...I think it's weird...but I'm not ceo of silhouette so I can't tell you the reason for it.  I have recently signed up with social spark to see what's it's like....It's basically a place for people looking for advertisers and people who have something to advertise and they do a little matchy match. so If you are exactly what they are looking for you get matched up with certain companies!!!





**I  recently found this great blog post from gail at my repurposed life! it goes over a few things...(like windows live writer, google reader...and how to do a blog swap without giving your blog password out!) check out HERE too...okay check out all her blog help posts!




***AND If you are in need of more blog help.....I found this great article my tip junkie that covers I think almost every base....so go HERE to see all the crap I missed!


***ALSO sassy sites just posted how to make your blog wider..so go HERE if you are interested in that!

and since this a craft blog:

source