I was proud to read what Genevieve wrote on O.xide Design’s blog about my coverage of working with them for my husband’s birthday party. Gen wrote: “Bloggers like Kim are more like editors of magazines”. Even if Genevieve only met me once, she understood what I do for living.

Her comment brings the question of defining my job title. How do professional bloggers differentiate themselves from the casual bloggers? How we differentiate the different types of professional bloggers? You get the corporate bloggers, the bloggers for hire and the bloggers like me who are creating their own publishing company.

My Quest for the Right Job Title

After months of telling people that I was a professional blogger, I noticed a flaw. It does not convey my business goal. I must not forget that I am entrepreneur. I founded KimVallee.com to be a publishing company, a recognized media authority. I am the founding editor of that brand and this is where I put my energy all day.

Being a small business owner has its challenge. When you are a blogger, you are at the front of the brand. So, how do you disconnect your role from the brand? I feel that my job title should take into account the positioning of the brand.

Do We Need a Job Title?

Some people argue that job titles have become irrelevant. Maybe! After all, I am a lifestyle and entertaining expert when I give interviews for newspapers or magazines. I am the editor of a women online magazine (or a blog) when I meet people in my daily activities. That distinction works fine.

Still, we need to quickly tell new acquaintances what we do for living. You must take into account that the people you will meet are not necessary savvy in your area of expertise. Therefore, it is easier to refer to job titles that everyone can understand. This is why I say more often that I am the editor of a women online magazine instead of the editor of a blog. Or maybe it is because I always treated At Home with Kim Vallee (my main blog) as a women magazine.

What are your thoughts? Any advices?

+ photo by Jérôme Paradis at Webcom Montreal

You might also like these posts

• My blogs’ business cards dilemma not yet solved
• Food for Thought on Blog Content
• Best Way to Keep an Empty Inbox
• My Blogging Tips Sessions at PodCamp Montreal 2009
• Sharing My Top Blogging Tips at PodCamp Montreal 2009

It is the time of the year where I re-evaluate what I am doing on my At Home with Kim Vallee blog. Remember that I told you that you should review what you are doing 3 to 4 times a year. I am thinking about what I will do next to improve the content. Like I said at PodCamp 2009, having a great looking blog is important but what will really insure that readers will come back is superior content that served the needs of your readers.

I go back to the basics and review everything with the current state of the blogosphere. I look at:

• How I can stand out from the crowd in my niche?
• What the competition is doing?
• What is missing in my niche, what angle is not covered by others?
• How I can make my content better and more useful for my readers?
• What else can I do to grow my traffic?

Books as a Souvenir

This morning, Mitch Joel tweeted about a talk that Seth Godin gave last year about how he used New Media, New Marketing, and New Thinking to Create 10 Bestselling Books. Seth Godin is in the idea business, not the book business. Seth gave away partial content before he published his books. He made the point that his books are, for many readers, a souvenir of their experience surrounding the book. It is more powerful to spread ideas first and encourage people to talk about them. Then, the books become a by-product that fans want to own.

Watching this Seth Godin’s presentation triggered new ways I could do things to further develop my brand. I invite you to watch him since you could probably transpose many concepts into your own industry.

MORE:
+ Seth Godin
+ Seth Godin’s presentation
+ via Mitch Joel on Twitter

You might also like these posts

• Quick Tips to Find Story Ideas for Your Blog
• Every Blogger Needs A Blog Bible
• When Blogging Becomes a Job
• 7 Blog Design Rules To Know Before Selecting a Template
• Simplify Your Image Use Policy

Like many of you, I lost control of my inbox over the last months. I received too many emails every day. Once in a while, I would try to sort everything but I often gave up after an hour due to this immense task. Not anymore! My inbox is empty and it will stay that way.

Sort Your Emails by Priority

If you switch to the priority technique, you will never have to deal with a full inbox. The revelation came from the fact that you need two sorting systems for your emails. First, you sort your emails by assigning a priority level to every email. Once a task is done (email is answered), you move the email in the right filing category. This way, your inbox stays empty at all time. As a bonus, you will not forget important and urgent things.

Make it Fit Your Needs

Define your own priority level. Do it in function of what you do for living. You could have 3 levels: Urgent, Important but can wait, Later. This is the simplest and quickest way. You can find inspirations on organization office supplies, like the Make it Work bundle that I am showing you.

I define instead a 7-priority level system that is task oriented for my work as a blogger.

• Rush
• Must respond
• Daily Reads – I create a filter on Gmail to immediately send my favorite newsletters to my daily reads
• To Do – it is a mix of current meetings and tasks
• To Write About – to remind me of potential stories
• To Read when time
• Project.

Everything else is deemed trivial. I either archive the email, with or without further classification, or delete the email right away. I went over my full inbox in 2 hours using these rules.

My inbox was full because my old classification system required too much thinking to determine how to file each email. Plus, it failed on the urgency of the emails. Assigning by priority forces you to take an easy decision. I am convinced my inbox will stay clean from now on.

I wish to thank my good friend Nathalie Rivard for telling me about the task oriented sorting mechanisms. Nathalie got that advice from Isabelle Lopez, who got it from a friend. We can all learn from each other.

SOURCING:
+ Make it Work Bundle by Knock Knock $30.60 USD

You might also like these posts

• Quick Tips to Find Story Ideas for Your Blog
• Every Blogger Needs A Blog Bible
• When Blogging Becomes a Job
• 7 Blog Design Rules To Know Before Selecting a Template
• Food for Thought on Blog Content

I had a great time at the second edition of PodCamp Montreal. I am happy with all the sessions I went to. The exchanges provide great food for thought both from the presenters and the participants. People discussed several ways to stay authentic and transparent in CT Moore’s talk about transparency and personal brand. It was fun that it used Donald Drape as a reference character.

My two own sessions went well. I believe that you should review your blog 3 to 4 times a year and make adjustments. Preparing my Top Tips for Better Blogging session gave me the opportunity to review what I am doing. To answer Julien Smith’s question: doing it helps them and me.

I am also thrilled that our “Top Blogueur” panel was about design bloggers. Social media unconferences are not only for the earlier adopters of social media. Everyone is welcome. But people outside the social media crowd seem hesitant to participate and even more to submit a presentation. Having speakers that are not part of the usual circle is showing that things are changing. If you speak French, you can watch the panel here.

Video of Top Tips for Better Blogging

The sessions were recorded on live streaming, which is not always reliable. A little bit more than half of my presentation was recorded. Since it is the first half, you will not be lost.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Eva Blue and Jerome Paradis

You might also like these posts

• Sharing My Top Blogging Tips at PodCamp Montreal 2009
• Matt Mullenweg Talked about His Open Source Story to Christian Aubry
• A Quick Recap of My Experience at WordCamp Montreal 2009
• Measuring Your Social Media Influence is Key | Webcom 2009 Wrap-Up
• Official Blogger at Webcom Montreal 2009

I will be a speaker at PodCamp Montreal that will happen this weekend. In fact, I will be in two sessions.

Top Tips for Better Blogging

First, I will share my Top Tips for Better Blogging at 10 am Saturday, September 19th in room DE-3230. The blog universe has evolved and we have to adapt to the new reality. Based on my experience running At Home with Kim Vallee, my talk will focus on what it takes to create great content. I will tell you what works today to grow your traffic and free ways to monitor the social conversations.

I designed this session for all levels of bloggers. I made it so that recent bloggers can learn and seasoned bloggers can brush up their knowledge. I guarantee that you will learn a few new tricks or that attending will put things in perspective to address to current trends and challenges of the blogosphere.

If you cannot make it, my presentation will be live streamed. See you at 10 am this Saturday.

Top Bloggeur Panel

Right after lunch Saturday, I will be a panelist with the talented Éric Bolduc, Gabrielle Chalifoux and Cindy Laverdière. The talk will be in the language of Moliere (French). Michelle Sullivan will be the host of our Montreal-based design panel.

I am thrilled that lifestyle, fashion and art bloggers are represented at PodCamp Montreal. I said many times that design bloggers should mingle more often with geeks. We will exchange on our approach to blogging, the importance of networking, our strategy to build trust and awareness, plus our views on monetarizing our blog.

Panel ‘Top blogueur’ will start at 13:30 in room DE-3240 Saturday, September 19th. If you live out of town or are unable to go, our panel presentation will be live streamed.

It costs nothing to attend PodCamp Montreal.  You simply need to register online first. Check out the schedule to discover the other awesome presenters; it’s should be great! If you wish to tweet about PodCamp Montreal, the official hashtag is #pcmtl.

You might also like these posts

• My Blogging Tips Sessions at PodCamp Montreal 2009
• Matt Mullenweg Talked about His Open Source Story to Christian Aubry
• A Quick Recap of My Experience at WordCamp Montreal 2009
• Measuring Your Social Media Influence is Key | Webcom 2009 Wrap-Up
• Official Blogger at Webcom Montreal 2009

In an interview he gave to Read Write Web, Jeremiah Owyang told something that makes a lot of sense. He answered a problem I had lately. I struggled to find time to read my RSS feeds. Sadly, I knew about the problem but never took the time to review a typical day schedule to see where I went wrong. I told myself that it must be because I write more posts or pass to much time on Twitter although I had the feeling the problem did not lie there.

Owyang told Read Write Web:  “I started my blog as a practitioner at Hitachi. I budget time every morning to read and blog. I do that before I check my personal email or work email. I believe you have to pay yourself first. When you open your email you pay someone else, because it’s usually people reaching out to ask you for something. Taking the time to read blogs, synthesize and add value, that builds your community. That’s paying yourself first.”

When I started blogging and for a long time, I read my RSS feeds first thing in the morning. I then write a post, as it is crucial to have one post out before lunch. I pay myself first. Over the last 6 months, I felt an obligation to open emails first. I received many emails. Most are pitches. I told myself many times that I should revert to my old habit since it helped me grow readership but for some reasons, I felt compel to serve other people first. Not anymore. Thank you Jeremiah for your insight.

You might also like these posts

• Every Blogger Needs A Blog Bible
• The Importance of Having an Adviser for Your Blog
• When Blogging Becomes a Job
• Food for Thought on Blog Content
• Best Way to Keep an Empty Inbox

I put that story on hold after the long weekend. Plus, the summer vacations are at our door. I am writing this now because it is always after a vacation or a break that it is the hardest to get back to our blogging schedule.

People often ask me if I get the writer’s block. I don’t! I always have more stories than time on my hands. Many elements contribute to that fact. Let’s explore the ones that could be useful to you.

Frequency

The main reason in my mind is the fact that I write every day. The more you write, the easier it gets but most importantly, the more ideas pop up. But that does not mean that you have no chance to succeed if you do not write every day. There are other ways to achieve frequency.

You can write a few tweets about your topic every day, have a conversation with peers, post a few comments on related blogs. The idea is to concentrate on your blog topic for at least 15 to 20 minutes every day.

Do not waste any ideas

Develop a fast system to track potential story lines. I use the notes on my iPhone to do that. Audio notes will work too. Before my iPhone, I used the old fashioned way where I scribbled my thoughts on a pocket notebook that I carried around everywhere.

When you are hooked to your computer, create a draft post on Wordpress or Blogger for each future topic.  They will be there whenever you need it.

If you do that daily, it is enough to keep the creative flow active.

RSS Feeds

When I started blogging four years ago, I used to read my RSS feeds every morning before writing my first post. I bookmarked my favorite posts. Sometimes, I would write a post about the best of what you read that day. Most of the times, simply reading your RSS feeds puts your brain in the right set of mind and a story will emerge from nowhere.

Be sure to select a wide enough niche

The key to my inspiration is not only that I write about what I am passionate about. The fact that my topics (home design, entertaining and social media) are very dynamic universes helps a lot. There are always new ideas, new products, practical tips or solutions, sharing experiences to talk about.

If you have problems finding good stories all year long, ask yourself if the angle of your blog confines you. Analyze if it would be appropriate to add a new dimension to your talk.

With everyone having a busy life, people are also looking for curators. Examine how and if you can write useful short posts (75 words or less) a few times a week. Ask yourself what will be useful to your readers may be the only question you should answer to release the creative juice.

For a boost of creativity, watch the handmade video portraits of an inspiring etsy seller, birdhouseaccents.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Birdhouses created by Fred and Lynn of Birdhouseaccents on etsy

You might also like these posts

• Every Blogger Needs A Blog Bible
• 7 Blog Design Rules To Know Before Selecting a Template
• Food for Thought on Blog Content
• Best Way to Keep an Empty Inbox
• Tips on How to Position Your Blog

I wish to discuss today the essential tools for bloggers. The two must-have tools to start blogging are a laptop computer and a digital camera. You need a laptop because it enables you to cover live events. If you are on a market for a laptop, read why I prefer the Mac to the PC for blogging. You need a digital camera because images sell a story.

How I Use My iPhone for Blogging?

Next to these two obvious choices, I put the iPhone. Switching from a Blackberry to the iPhone last year opened up new opportunities for me as a blogger. Since I run a design blog, it is crucial that I am able to read HTML emails while I am on the run and to right away being able to click on the links. The iPhone allows me to do it. Before that, looking at 90% of my emails on the BlackBerry was useless.

Being able to connect to the Web anytime anywhere is the big plus of the iPhone. I had an iPod Touch before but I lost too much time finding and setting Wi-Fi connections to be productive. Plus, the Wi-Fi connections cost money at many places. With the iPhone, I can read my RSS feeds, research stories online, mark unwelcome comments as spams or post a comment to another blog whenever I wait in line or I eat lunch at the food court. It makes me more productive.

An added value is when I visit a shop where I wish to take pictures inside the store. More than once, being able to show the store manager what my blog looks like has triggered a positive answer. Otherwise, I would need to return to the shop after the shop owners checked out my blog. Which bring me to why I upgraded my iPhone to the 3G S model? In a word: speed.

The iPhone 3G S cuts by more than half the amount of time it takes to access my image-intensive blog. A quick test shows that it took 55 to 60 seconds with the 3G model. It takes less than 25 seconds with the 3G S. The performance gains are noticeable with all the Web applications I used.

The Camera and Video Recording

Although you can tweet and post photos on Twitter or Facebook with any smart phone, it is easier with the iPhone  due to the iPhone applications. It works as well with the 3G and the 3G S models.

A cool feature on the iPhone 3G S is the ability to specify with a simple finger touch where to put the focus when I take a picture. You can also record small videos. When I am traveling, eating out or attending an event, I often post pictures from my iPhone on Twitter. This is the fast way to stay active on social media when your agenda is too busy.

For me, the benefits of the upgrade justify the investment to get the 32 GB iPhone 3G S. I was lucky to be eligible for the best price. Plus, I already sold my old iPhone, still in perfect condition, after my husband posted a status update on Facebook. Whether you have the old and the new model, having an iPhone will help you perform more efficiently the various tasks typical to a blogger life.

You might also like these posts

• When Blogging Becomes a Job
• Food for Thought on Blog Content
• Best Way to Keep an Empty Inbox
• My Blogging Tips Sessions at PodCamp Montreal 2009
• Sharing My Top Blogging Tips at PodCamp Montreal 2009

Since I published my new brand identity I tried to produce, with my graphic designer, business cards for my blogs. I did 2 attempts so far. The difficulty does not rest in the design of the cards. My problem is what content do I put on my cards.

At first, I imagined a double sided card with At Home on the recto and On the Web on the verso. I found that we were repeating too many things on each side. Then, I thought I could just design a card  for my main blog; it is the one I want to promote the most after all. I put that idea on hold because I feel that one important factor of my brand would be missing.

Too Many Hats

Another challenge lies with the title. I am the editor in chief on two blogs. This is my work. But journalists in traditional media interviewed me because I am a lifestyle and entertaining expert. That fact is also relevant for readers. All that and other factors questioned my identity.

Then, I watched a live coverage of an unconference in New York a couple weeks ago where the speaker encourages us to rethink the purpose of the business cards. And yes, we still need a paper version. He (sorry, I do not remember whom) was saying that your business card could say more about yourself. The message should tell to people why they should contact you.

Which information is still relevant on a business card? I stopped publishing our fax number at the office many years ago. An address is not relevant for a blog. By not putting an address I gain precious real estate on the card. Do I put my twitter account? My Facebook profile?

Since I do not have all the answers yet I decided to stick to Moo MiniCards until I make up my mind. Plus, people like getting my Moo cards. I will experiment with the content on each 100 cards batch.

Advantage of the Moo MiniCards

I published pictures I take about my trips, trade shows I go to, and food photos. I used the picture to connect with people.  I tell the recipient the story behind the picture. I even have friends who asked me for a new one when they learned I got a new set of photos.

Many people think that the full-size business cards are more practical. Plus my business card should apply to most situations. What do you think? Any suggestion?

You might also like these posts

• When Blogging Becomes a Job
• The Importance of Having an Adviser for Your Blog
• How I Use the Facebook Fan Page of My Blog
• Using Facebook Fan Page to Promote Your Blog
• Twitter vs. Blogging Dilemma: it is not one vs. the other

Every publication has a defined scope that they covered. It is important to define the boundaries of what you cover and what you do not cover. To complicate matters, bloggers are more and more solicited by a number of people to write about their story. The first thing I do after I like an idea is to test it against my blog bible. If it passed the test, then I can think about how I could talk about the story or the product. I also evaluate when and if it would fit within my editorial schedule.

Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers

Copyblogger gave that advice today. I told you that before: always keep in mind your readers. Your blog should provide a consistent whole experience if you want your readers to come back. Maintaining the content quality is crucial. You should aim for the best all the time. In a design blog, you also need consistency in the style you showcase.

Take my At Home with Kim Vallee’s property. It is about my design style and the way I like to entertain. My readers have certain expectations when it comes to the content and what products or design they will see. I make sure that my stories fit both agenda.

Be Consistent even if you get it for free

A few weeks ago a retailer wanted to host a giveaway for my AHWKV’s readers. The prices were valuable but their products were something that I would never put on my table. My readers would have spotted that right away. Although a giveaway costs me nothing and can attract new readers to my site, I said no because the pictures of the prizes will clash with my style. This would have impaired the whole experience and hurt my brand.

You invest a lot of time in writing your blog. Today’s lesson was to grow your audience and stay at the top of your game, you need to provide a consistent experience.  Having a blog bible helps you maintain the cap.

+ Zen and the Art of remarkable blogging on Copyblogger

You might also like these posts

• Quick Tips to Find Story Ideas for Your Blog
• 7 Blog Design Rules To Know Before Selecting a Template
• Food for Thought on Blog Content
• Best Way to Keep an Empty Inbox
• Read your RSS feeds first thing in the morning

Yesterday I had an excellent meeting with my mentor to review my blog priorities. This is something I encourage you to do if you are serious about blogging.

Find someone you trust. The ideal candidate is an active blogger but someone with hands-on experience in social media can be a suitable candidate. Never forget in your discussions where you wish to bring your brand. Your actions should lead to your ultimate goal.

Bloggers are solicited from everywhere. We receive suggestions from readers and people we meet. It is easy to be tempted to imitate best practices you hear about without putting them in context with your entire blog experience. We analyze what is going on our niche. Therefore, it is easy to get distracted.

Plus the blogosphere is changing with the popularity of Web 2.0. We have to adapt our marketing and our blog to the new reality. For instance, I often receive more feedback for a post on Twitter and on Facebook than the number of comments on the post.

There is a lot to take into account in setting the priorities for your blog. It goes from what your brand stands for up to the importance of unique editorial content and how you will monetize your blog. You have to reevaluate these issues several times a year; I say every season. You also gain a second opinion on what you achieved so far. Did you meet your objectives? If no, why and what solutions are available to you.

I have the feeling that good mentors find you instead of the other way around. Until you find a mentor, have good talks with bloggers sharing similar challenges than you. I met Eden of Bargainista last Saturday for a coffee that extended until lunch. We exchanged on some of our challenges and experiences.

I am lucky to have a wonderful blog mentor that is a perfect fit for me. I hope you will find a suitable fit for yours.

IMAGE:
+ Two amazing bloggers that I admire: Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy and Harry Wakefield of MoCo Loco. I met them after their panel session at IDS 09. We did a tour of the main exhibit attractions, then talked over Champagne at the Veuve Clicquot VIP and Media Lounge together. Harry is my mentor.

You might also like these posts

• Read your RSS feeds first thing in the morning
• My blogs’ business cards dilemma not yet solved
• Every Blogger Needs A Blog Bible
• How to Use Twitter to Raise your Personal Brand
• When Blogging Becomes a Job