Branding

It's important to have a consistent profile that goes with you from one social networking site to another. I always use the same head-shot* and the same short bio whenever I register for a new network site.

I am a cherished wife, blessed mother of two, and an experienced home educator. I love to read, write, and occupy the passenger seat on road trips. Life is an adventure! Come ride along!

This is not the place for your lengthy "about me." Share your life story on your first blog post that feeds your Sonlight page, and on a blog page linked with a tab at the top of your blog.

Another tip I picked up is to sign your comments on others' blogs with your blog name. I always sign as "Karla @ Ramblin' Roads." For some reason, blog names are easier to remember and connect with than people names.

Here are links to my profile on various social network sites. Some of these I don't use very much (or haven't recently) but I do have a profile page set up.

• Blogger
• Etsy
• Facebook
• Google +
• Homeschool Lounge
• Linked In
• Networked Blogs
• Pintrest
• Ravelry
• Shelfari
• Twitter

* One exception: I don't use my head-shot on my Blogger profile. Instead, I use a picture of me with my car, because it ties in the with the theme of my blog. I posted my business card (with my head-shot) just below my bio on my sidebar. I fuzzed out my phone number on the business card before I posted it because I didn't really want that "out there" on the internet. This is just a personal preference, not necessarily a suggestion.

Building a Blog Following

The key to having a successful social media presence is to build a following. You can have the most professional blog layout and the best content in the world, but if no one is reading it then it's not doing you a whole lot of good.

Be sure and add a Followers gadget to your sidebar to make it easy for readers to follow you.

I also recommend Networked Blogs. This is a great tool for connecting with other bloggers, and also for having your blog posts feed to your Facebook page. You can put a gadget for this on your sidebar as well. The gadget shows how many followers you have and makes it easy for others to follow you.

The only way to build a blog following is to be involved in the blogging community. And yes, it does take a commitment of time.

• Read other homeschool blogs. Leave comments.
• Read other non-homeschool blogs that interest you. Leave comments.
• "Follow" any blogs that you know you'll enjoy keeping up with. (Note: For social networking purposes, I "follow" way more blogs than I have time to keep up with regularly.) 
• Follow up on comments left by others on your blog. Return the visit. Leave comments.
• Link to your blog on other social networking sites.
• Advertise your blog at conventions. 
• Mention your blog in your workshops.
• Mention your blog in SCC Connect mailings.
• List your blog address in your email signature.

Blog Post #1

This is the first post on your blog. It is the one that feeds your homepage on Sonlight's website. You'll want to be sure to update it regularly to keep it current. You can do that by clicking on Edit and then the "Publish Post" button when you've made any changes. Be sure you don't ever delete this post.

For visual appeal you could include a personal picture... maybe one of your family, or local scenery. I pasted in my blog header. I also included my head shot in this post, since my Blogger profile is more of a scenery picture.

Include your contact info:

• Email address (linked, so they don't have to copy it)
• (I don't list my phone number as I don't like to have it "out there" on the internet, but you can invite them to email you if they would like a call.)

Also links to other social networks:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• link to blog (yes, that's here... but when it shows up on the Sonlight page, it's not "here")

I also list links to some of my blog posts that have to do with homeschooling that I think other homeschool parents might find helpful.