On the Web with Kim Vallee

August 19, 2009

Tips on How to Position Your Blog

One thing that is difficult for many bloggers is to define their niche. As the competition on the blogosphere becomes fiercer, you need to position your blog in order to stand out. People needs to quick get what your blog is about and how it is different from the pack. Whether you talk about one topic [...]

BLOGGING, Blog DESIGN

August 17, 2009

1 Comment

Adding BackType Connect to Your WordPress Blogs

We installed BackType Connect to integrate related Twitter conversations into the post comments. It is not hard to do by yourself. Adding a plugin in WordPress usually works like a charm. Since we are perfectionists, I asked my tech guy to fine-tune a few things that required his programming skills. One thing, Jerome did what to [...]

BLOGGING, Blog PROMOTION

July 24, 2009

5 Comments

The Need for Fresh Content on Your Facebook Fan Page vs. Your Blog

I see my two fan pages (one per blog) as an extension of my brand. But it is not purely my property as my blog is. I wish to reinforce the difference between your fan page and your blog. They complement each other but they are 2 different things. Your readers must get something by [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

July 13, 2009

5 Comments

Matt Mullenweg Talked about His Open Source Story to Christian Aubry

This is the follow-up interview realized by my friend Christian Aubry with WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg. In this second segment – a third is coming – Matt Mullenweg talked about how he started WordPress and how the open source community swelled the popularity of WordPress. It is a case where the whole is bigger than [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

July 12, 2009

9 Comments

A Quick Recap of My Experience at WordCamp Montreal 2009

I had a great time this weekend at WordCamp Montreal. The conversation with the founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg was inspiring and calming. Matt was really zen while he answered questions from the crowd. In the after-talk, many people pointed out to me his soothing voice. Amongst other things, Matt shares the core value of [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

July 6, 2009

0 Comments

Quick Tips to Find Story Ideas for Your Blog

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 [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

June 30, 2009

5 Comments

The Blogger’s Toolkit and Why I Upgraded to the iPhone 3G S

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 [...]

BLOGGING, Blog PROMOTION

June 9, 2009

4 Comments

My blogs’ business cards dilemma not yet solved

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 [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

June 8, 2009

3 Comments

How to Add a Related Posts Section for each Post

Well-designed blogs encourage readers to explore the blog longer. One way is to achieve that is to add a Related Posts section at the bottom of every post. You could select the posts manually but this is too time consuming. If you assign Wordpress tags to every post, you get a way to intelligently automate [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

June 4, 2009

0 Comments

Pictures Sell Your Story | Advice for Bloggers and Brands

I always say to new bloggers that they must try to take their own pictures. Nothing beats original content. Time constraints, money, logistics and talent do not always make it possible. Most successful food bloggers excel at photography; it is part of their personal brand. Take for example La Tartine Gourmande. We are craving to have [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

June 2, 2009

1 Comment

Found a New Usage for the Email Subscription to my own RSS

I prefer reading blogs through Google Reader. Still, they are people who prefer getting my posts through an email subscription. This is why I provide the option. With Google Feedburner is so simple to do and once you set up the service, it runs by itself. Use it to Build Loyalty The popularity of email subscriptions varies [...]

BLOGGING, Blogging TIPS

May 31, 2009

2 Comments

Blog Out Loud Event in Los Angeles

If you are a blogger living in Los Angeles, make time to attend the first Blog Out Loud event on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at Patio Culture. This is a concept by Megan Arquette and Rebecca Orlov to encourage and inspire creative people to start blogging. From what I heard about the event, it is [...]