guest post « Epheriell Designs

The Content Pyramid: Why you should treat your blog content like a pyramid scheme

This is a guest post by Cintia Gonzalez of mypoppet.com.au

Ok so you’ve been blogging for a while, are all over all the social media platforms and are maybe even thinking about monetization at some stage…

But you’re struggling to maintain readers attention and engagement on your blog?

It’s getting harder for your readers, there are a lot of distractions out there. It’s time to start thinking about a hierarchy for the content you create.

Imagine a pyramid…

On the top is your BLOG

It contains your well crafted, original content with good images (that hopefully are yours too).

This content has taken you the longest to create, the most thought and effort has gone in.

Entertain your readers, solve their problems, don’t be crap! It should show case the best of what you have to offer as a blogger. This great content is what can potentially lead to earning an income for you if you decide that’s for you.

Under that is your MAILING LIST

These are people that have committed to receiving content from you on an ongoing basis.

Make an effort to communicate and engage with them by giving them original content that may not quite make the blog, but is still good. Talk about something relevant and topical, direct them to quality blog content on the blog.

At the base is your SOCIAL MEDIA

Supporting it all you have social media platforms like facebook, Instagram, twitter, pinterest.

Just because this is at the bottom doesn’t mean it’s less important.

This content may take less time to create but it all should work towards reenforcing the brand of your blog.

Followers on social media platforms should like what you do there so much they want to visit your blog to get more of, not the same, but better content.

Don’t make the mistake of sharing the exact same content over all platforms equally.

The content you create or share at the bottom should all work to drive traffic to your blog where you deliver your primo, best of the best stuff.

For those who want to monetize, think of your blog as prime real-estate. Sponsored messages on your blog should be more expensive than campaigns on platforms lower down the pyramid. The time invested to create a post and the quality of the content should reflect this accordingly.

Some practical tips:

Don’t repost all your Instagram pictures for the week as a blog post. If your followers have already seen them on Instagram, why would they visit your blog for the exact same content. You wouldn’t repost a whole weeks worth of tweets as a blog post would you? Instead, choose one good image and add some more information/content to give it new relevancy.
Don’t automatically repost tweets to facebook. It’s annoying
If you chose to feed your facebook posts to twitter, try to make them under 140 characters so your message doesn’t get cut short.
Be prepared to respond to comments on various social media platforms.

Obviously everyones blog is different, so you need to try out what works best for you. Think about what information you would like to communicate with your readers and choose a platform that works best with that content.

Do you really need to be blogging? Will another platform like Instagram or Twitter meet your needs?

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective and Chilled Out People

You know at least one of them, I bet. Maybe he’s your cousin, your work colleague or the woman you play roller derby with.

These people make their way through the ups and downs of life with a smile on their face, their glass half full and their eyes peeled for opportunity.

They are the perfect mix of productivity and optimism. And damn it if they’re not blissed out doing it.

These are the Highly Effective (and Chilled Out) People – HECOs for short – and I am here to introduce you to the seven habits that set these people apart.

I am a huge proponent of simple living. But I am not a naturally-born chilled out person. Not by a long shot.

So it got me to thinking – how do these chilled people do it?

What are the habits that I – the uptight, reforming perfectionist – could learn from? And what could I share with you about living a more effective, chilled out life?

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective (and Chilled Out) People

1. Accept That Life is a Journey. And They Enjoy It.

HECOs understand there is no goal destination in life, where everything will be perfect and they won’t have any worries. They understand that life is right now. It’s the big stuff and the little things and all that’s in between.

2. Organised – To a Point

HECOs are not uptight – by definition. But effective, chilled out people are organised. To a certain extent.

They have their ducks in a row. They know what’s happening next. They know where they need to be and they are prepared. This simply means they don’t have the stress of uncertainty, unfinished business or indecision to contend with.

Because they know what’s happening next, what they need to do, where people need to be – they can relax.

3. Realistic Expectations

HECOs have realistic expectations of themselves and other people.

They understand it is literally impossible to do everything, to be everywhere and to complete it to the highest level of perfection. It’s simply not possible. HECOs understand this.

They also understand that they are human and will stumble – and they’re OK with that.

4. Saying No

HECOs understand themselves and their limitations. They say no when they need to, and don’t feel bad about it.

5. Self Awareness

HECOs understand their strengths and their weaknesses.

They then shape their lives around these strengths, forgive themselves their own weaknesses and then decide to do one of two things: improve their skills or pass responsibility to someone else.

6. Care for Themselves Physically

Regular exercise and good healthy eating habits are a key element to any true HECO.

Engaging in good, rigorous exercise means they get out of their heads regularly and focus on the physical. Fuelling their bodies with good, clean food means their brains and bodies have every opportunity to operate at their full potential.

7. Engaged With Life

HECOs avoid becoming bored.

They understand that boredom breeds unhealthy thoughts – comparisons, jealousy, envy.

Instead, they keep engaged in life with hobbies, social interactions, pursuing passions, learning and reading. They have something bigger than themselves to consider and minimal time to spend worrying about unimportant things in life.

Over to You…

Do you know any HECOs? Or are you a Highly Effective and Chilled Out Person yourself?

If not, what is the one habit from this list that would help you chill out the most?

***

Brooke McAlary is an aspiring minimalist, blissful gardener, passionate writer and inappropriate laugher.

She is also a happy wife, busy mum, slightly weird Australian and creator of the insanely helpful Slow Home BootCamp.

She blogs at Slow Your Home and is on a mission to help you find the simple life you want.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter multiple times a day.

Paper Quilt Greeting cards ~ Paper Scrap Craft by Special Guest Blogger Anastasia C

Hi everyone! Its Anastasia here again and this week we are going to take inspiration from all the wonderful quilters out there and make some ‘Paper quilt’ greeting cards using our paper scraps.

This is a great project as it involves being creative in matching up colours and prints, something I love so don’t be afraid to mix and match!

What you need

* Paper scraps in different colours and prints

* Card stock 10cm x 14cm – have a few pieces on hand. Any colour is fine as this will be covered with our paper quilting.

* Thick White Card stock for your cards – if you have pre-scored plain Greeting cards, perfect! If not, just cut out 15.5cm x 22cm white cardstock and fold in half to make an

15.5cm x 11cm card.

* Paper cutter or scissors and a ruler

* Double sided tape

* Stickers or cute images (optional)

Step one is to prepare your Greeting cards – cut out required cardstock, fold to form your Greeting cards and leave to the side for later.

Then we cut out our other cardstock pieces and these will be used as templates and as a base to decorate with our paper quilting.

I have created two patterns, one is based on ‘Log cabin’ quilt style and the other is a simple ‘Subway tile’ pattern.

Log Cabin style

I used 5 different colours/prints of paper.

For this pattern I cut out: one strip 2cm wide x 14cm long, one strip 2cm x 8cm, two strips of different colours in 1cm x 12cm strips. Three papers in 4cm x 5cm and one print in 1.5cm x 5cm

You can have a look at Log Cabin patterns online to see different layouts as there are so many patterns out there.

I found double sided tape works better than glue in this project as you might need some time to get your layout right and the glue will dry out very fast. What I do is have two pieces of cardstock on hand – I lay out my patterns on the one piece of cardstock and I prepare my other piece of cardstock with double sided tape. Cover it entirely with tape and this will ensure it really sticks!

I then move piece by piece of paper from one cardstock to the sticky cardstock, slowly and surely copying the pattern I’ve already created.

Trim any excess paper and then add more double sided tape to the underside of your paper quilt.

Stick it onto your prepared Greeting card leaving a border all around.

Subway Tile pattern

I used 3 or 4 different colours/prints of paper for this project.

I cut out my papers in 2.5cm x 5cm rectangles so about 4 rectangles of each printed print.

Again, using two pieces of cardstock, I lay out my pattern on one and prepare my other piece with the double sided tape.

With the subway tile I start at the top of my cardstock piece and place my first rectangle in the middle of the top and then add other papers side by side. The next line I add the first rectangle paper in the middle of the joints and again add paper on either side until I create my subway tile pattern.

I then slowly do the same thing one by one onto my sticky cardstock.

Trim any excess paper and add more double sided tape to the underside and stick onto your Greeting card.

Your cards are ready! Easy right??

Another option is to add some pretty stickers or a sweet vintage image like I did!

Hugs

Anastasia x

***

I’m Anastasia from Sydney! I am a blogger who loves to share inspirations, colour and visual beauty!

I enjoy making things by hand and I have an Etsy shop ‘Percival Road Designs’ where I offer some of my paper goods, crafty supplies and paper ephemera.

Life is always busy but I always manage to find time to be creative.

I also love to bake, draw, drink tea and day dream….

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective and Chilled Out People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective (and Chilled Out) People