New Fan Box and Live Stream Widgets From Facebook For Pages

Facebook.com has several new widgets that you can add to your websites and blogs that can be beneficial for small business crafters on the web who have set-up Facebook pages.

If you have set-up a small business page on Facebook.com (like my Linda Walsh Originals page) then one of the new widgets is a fan box widget. Basically, it can show pictures of all your page fans (like the picture shown above), show the wall stream from your page, or show both the pictures of your fans and the wall stream from your page (like the picture shown below).


I like the fan box widget and have added it to my main Linda Walsh Originals website, Linda's Blog, my Linda Walsh Originals Zibbet.com shop, my Dolls Blog, my Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns website, my Victorian Traditions, The Victorian Era and Me blog, and my Linda Walsh Originals Dolls website.

I especially like the option that shows the pictures of my Linda Walsh Originals page fans (like the picture at the top of this page). That's great and can be beneficial to small business crafters as it's a way for us all to link together and get us all noticed. Think of it as a small linking exchange module instead of page after page of traditional banner exchanges. And, if you post a lot of things to your page's wall or have a fairly active wall of fan comments then you might want to display the fan box widget that contains fan pictures and your page's wall stream.

Facebook.com also has a Live Stream widget which basically allows for a porthole for anyone with a website or blog to add the widget which then allows Facebook.com users to sign-in to their profile and post to their stream or to the live feed stream.

So, for example, if I was visiting a website or blog that had the widget installed and wanted to check my Facebook stream while I was there I'd select the friends tab and my Facebook stream would be displayed as shown below. Please note my friends comments would be shown on the widget. I have blocked them in my post for privacy purposes.


However, this widget also has the capability to display a live feed for an event and is like the widget pictured below. If you want to either make a comment to your Facebook wall or participate and make a comment for everyone watching then this widget will connect Linda Walsh Originals with Facebook and allow you to sign-on under your Facebook.com username so that you can interact with your friends on this site and to share this event on Facebook through your Wall and friends' news feeds. The bottom of the widget has a text link that you can click to visit the Linda Walsh Originals page on Facebook.

This widget has a little box that says "share with everyone watching this event" that you can check. Then when you add a comment to the update box of the widget your comment will appear on your Facebook stream and also on the stream that is shown under the "Everyone Watching" tab like in the picture shown below. Please note the comments would be shown on the widget. I have blocked them in my post for privacy purposes.


So, everyone at the event who is a Facebook user can add their comments in a continuous feed whenever they visit the website or blog that has the widget embedded on it. So, if you have embedded the widget on your website or blog and have an event going on at your website or blog then all of your visitors with Facebook accounts can comment on the event and their comments will be posted to the "everyone watching" tab.

Please note that when you sign-on your Facebook privacy options will be in effect for the friends tab. However, Facebook's privacy statement indicates that if you check the share with everyone watching this event box then this may or may not change some of your privacy settings on Facebook.com. So, you may need to re-check your privacy settings after participating in an event and posting a comment for everyone watching.

The above widgets are new and are only available for Facebook.com pages and not for profiles.


Posted by Linda Walsh Originals- "Doll Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"
Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns - "Instant Download E-Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"
Linda Walsh Originals Dolls - "Handmade Dolls & Crafts for Grown-up Girls!"

We've Got GREAT NEWS - We Launched A New Website and Blog

If you've known me for awhile you know that I have a LOT of websites and blogs so starting another website and blog might sound a little crazy to you.

Well, it is and it isn't.

You see I've been mulling something over in my head for close to a year now. It has to do with being a small business crafter online and has to do with my experiences with that and with my experiences trying to find everything I need in one place.

There's just SO MUCH that you need for your websites and blogs and just SO MANY places to look. I wanted to make that a little easier, especially when it concerns e-products.

So, I thought that an EVERYTHING E-DIRECTORY to be "YOUR ONE SOURCE FOR EVERYTHING E FOR CRAFTS" would be a perfect solution for small business artists and crafters and e-hobbyists alike. Everything in one place.

Whether you’re looking for E-Patterns, E-Books, E-Tutorials, E-Pictorials, E-Classes, E-Printables, Graphics, Video’s, Podcasts, Blogs, E-Zines, E-Tailers, E-Stores, E-Directories, E-Communities, Handmade Crafts Websites, Crafts Suppliers, Crafting Plugboards, Website Hosting, Picture Hosting, Crafting Topsites, Crafting Twitters and FACEBOOK Crafters, E-Products Classifieds, E-Products Specials, Free Craft E-Products and more we are your one source for EVERYTHING E for your crafting needs.

One place to list all your websites and blogs - even your products. Something suitable and affordable for the newest of small business crafters to the more experienced artist and crafter.

You can list your websites, blogs, and even single products, and you can have your website, blog, even single products as featured advertising. We've got lots of options and lots of possibilities. And, of course, plenty of "freebies."

And, like I do with everything, I have an EVERYTHING E FOR CRAFTS E-DIRECTORY BLOG to support the Everything E-Directory. All our listings members and 12 month featured advertisers will have links back to their websites, blogs, and/or products on the sidebar of the blog. And, we'll have monthly posting for our listing members and 12 month featured advertisers "Latest News", "Contest" and "Specials." And, whenever anyone lists their website. blog, or product or advertises their website, blog, or product we'll post about it during that month. It's a win-win for small business crafters and more experienced crafters alike.

Listing in the Everything E-Directory is FREE and easy to do. Your listing contains a clickable 125x125 button banner for your website and/or blog, or clickable 125x125 product picture on the applicable e-directory category page. It also contains a clickable text link back to your website, blog, or product page as well as a short website, blog, or product description on the applicable e-directory category page.

Advertising in the Everything E-Directory and/or Everything E For Crafts E-Directory Blog is also easy to do and is very affordable. For the featured advertising we offer you a choice of either a button banner or product picture on the applicable section of the HOME page of the Everything E-Directory, top of the applicable Everything E-Directory category page, top of the Everything E For Crafts E-Directory Blog, or sidebar of the Everything E-Directory for product advertising.

For the button banner advertising or product picture you can choose 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or one year of sequential advertising. The prices for months 3 through 12 reflect a discount for placing sequential ads. The longer sequential period of time you advertise the less you pay per advertisement. Featured advertising button banners and/or product pictures run for the length of your sequential advertising period and needs to be 150x150 in size.

We are a family-friendly website and do not allow websites, blogs, banners, or product pictures that are not family-friendly.

I hope you'll agree that this was a great idea. If you'd like to visit our Everything E-Directory please CLICK HERE.

If you'd like more information on listing in our Everything E-Directory please CLICK HERE.

If you'd like more information on featured advertising in our Everything E-Directory and Everything E For Crafts E-Directory Blog please CLICK HERE.

I hope you decide to join us.

Facebook.com Networked Blogs - Following Helps All of Us!

I just love the Facebook.com networked blogs. They're a great way to not only promote your blog and websites, but a great way for you to help promote your friends blogs and websites. And, they're something we can all do together to hep each other.

The way they work is that you add your blog and they will link your blogs, the blogs you are following, and your Facebook.com profiles together. They pull the RSS feeds for the last 5 posts and also provide an avatar widget that you can add to the sidebar of your blog for promoting your own Facebook.com blog and profile as well as your Facebook.com friends blogs and profiles.

What's really neat about the Facebook.com widget with followers avatar pictures is that when you click on the avatar of one of the friends in the widget it displays not only a link to their blogs profile page, but a link to their Facebook.com profile page, and a listing of all the blogs they follow. This is a terrific way to link all our blogs and websites together and promote each other.

I wasn't able to add this to my post and show you as when I tried to it affected the Facebook avatar widget I have on my sidebar and added a message to this post that my "Facebook widget not installed properly." YIKES!!!! They tell you to only install it on the sidebar and not in a post. I guess they really mean that and know when you don't!

For Facebook.com they only pull the RSS feeds for blogs that have 7 followers or more on the blog profile page. I added the Facebook.com widget to the sidebar of my Linda's Blog , The Best FREE Crafts Articles blog, and my I Love Crafts and Craft Blogs blog already as I have more than 7 followers for each of those blogs.

I would LOVE to add the widget to the sidebars of all of my blogs but will only do so when I get 7 or more Facebook.com followers to each of these blogs. I know I have a LOT of blogs (ya think! LOL LOL) but would love for everyone to follow them and then I can add the widget to all of them.

This is a GREAT way for all of us to gain exposure for all our blogs. Please come and follow my blog(s) and I will follow yours. And, you could do the same by adding your blog to the Facebook.com networked blogs and then adding their widget to the sidebar of your blog.

If you have a blog and are on Facebook.com you might want to consider adding your blog to their network. It seems to be one of the fastest growing blogging communities on the web.

Just CLICK HERE for my Facebook.com profile page and then click on the "Blogs" tab at the top of the page for all my blogs.

Happy blogging.

Posted by Linda Walsh Originals - "Doll Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"
Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns - "Instant Download E-Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"
Linda Walsh Originals Dolls - "Handmade Dolls & Crafts for Grown-up Girls!"

Tips From the Blogging Queen - Column 20 - Should You Join A Team Blog?

Last September in my TFTBQ Column 19 our definition was "Group or Team Blog." This is a blog maintained by two or more bloggers. Also known as a team blog. Our question was -"Should You Join A Team Blog?"

If you are a small business crafter on the web you probably know that networking is very, very important to getting your website and/or blog seen. Not only has networking blossomed from communicating and mingling with friends with the same interests, but has mushroomed into multiple ways in which to promote your websites and/or blogs.

You can join any of the thousands of social communities out there, become an active member of any of the thousands of online forums, or participate in groups with your interests. You can write FREE articles and gain a following on any of the FREE articles content websites. You can even create your own channel and video's on YouTube.com that other viewers can add to their favorite video's play lists.

You can gain followers on Twitter.com and update them minute to minute with what's going on. Or, become a member of Facebook.com and provide updates to your network of friends. Plus, if you set up a business page for your website and set up a networked blog page on Facebook.com you can update your fans with what's going on with you and your business. You can join any of the hundreds of blogging networks and communities and add "friends" or "admirers" of your blog.

And, you can even become a member of a "team blog" which is nothing more than several people writing posts for the same blog.

Team blogs are usually centered around a common theme or idea. They might contain content about any number of different crafts or interests for the members of the team. They might even be formed by any one of the various clubs you might belong to and used for updating the other members on the various activities of the club and its' members. Team blogs are even being used to create monthly e-zines.

They can be very helpful and versatile for promoting your interests, products, website, and blog and may be maintained by one or several of the team members. Posts may be contributed individually by each of the team members and published by each or they might all be filtered through a team leader who publishes the posts and maintains the blog.

The advantages are that they are being maintained by more than one person and therefore updated more frequently. Less pressure for you to constantly be coming up with a post for your blog. Plus, with more members of the team promoting the blog the wider the spectrum of readers.

The disadvantages are that they may be being maintained by more than one person or persons who may or may not have your posting style and posting demeanor. You might like your blog posts and blog to be maintained in a certain way and style and might not like the style of any one of the team members. Plus, with a wider spectrum of readers comes a wider circle of connections that you may or may not like for your small business image.

It may seem confusing that the advantages of team blogs and disadvantages of team blogs are, well, basically the same. Team blogs can be very beneficial to helping you to promote your website and/or blog, but like everything else on the web it's important to know who the other team members are, what their style is, and who their audience is before deciding to become a member yourself.

Are team blogs beneficial? Yes!

Do they help promote your small business and/or interests? Yes!

Should you join a team blog? If the team blog is conducive to your small business and will help promote your small business to a wider audience then after a careful review of the other team members - yes!

"Tips From the Blogging Queen" Column 21 Definition - "Labeling and Categories"

This is a method of organizing blog entries by assigning each entry to a predetermined label. Each label will link to a list of entries, all with related content. See also "categories." Be sure to tune in to my TFTBQ Column 21 "Should You Label Or Categorize Your Blog Posts?"

Copyright © 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Written by Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals, Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer. http://lindawalshoriginals.com/

How Do You Do It All? What's Your Internet Morning Routine?

I get a lot of comments about "How can you handle so many websites and blogs? You must be extremely organized!"

Well, I do have to admit that I am organized and do something everyday that helps. It's my daily morning routine.

I know we all have routines for things we do every day. Without them it's hard to be organized. Especially if you have multiple numbers of websites and blogs - which I do!

To keep up with everything I have a morning routine where I check what's been going on with my Internet business overnight. I start with my emails and try to answer all of them in the morning or do whatever might be requested of me in the email.

Then, I check my plugboards to make sure there aren't any RED X's. I hate Red X's and think they are bad for business. So, if I have a red X on my permanent plugboards or changing plugboards they get deleted.

I do the same for the banners on my Top Blogs By Crafters topsite except instead of deleting the blog I make the banner inactive. If the blog is no longer available then I delete the account, but if it still is available then I assume that the blog owner just changed the URL of their banner and didn't update their account.

After this I check all my business accounts to see the overnight activity and handle whatever it is I need to do there. If there is any activity that requires posting to my small business accounting system then I try to do that as well. Sometimes this activity tends to pile up. This is my least favorite activity and sometimes gets postponed until the pile gets so large I can't ignore it.

Then I check my various community pages to see if there is anything I need to respond to there. After that I check some of the forums I belong to to see what's been going on overnight.

After doing this I go to my Google Reader to read all the posts of the blogs I am tracking. Google Reader is a time saving tool that I couldn't function without and I highly recommend it to anyone who follows different blogs.

And, last I post to my blogs. This is where stockpiling blog posts can be very beneficial as all you have to do is just post the article you'd written ahead of time.

I also try to write a few blog posts daily if I'm in a "blogging mood." If not then I wait until I'm really in a "blogging" mood and write multiple posts at the same time and hold them for releasing at a later date.

Every few days I back-up all my files, folders, websites, and blogs to my external hard drive. And, just recently I started utilizing an online folder at GoDaddy.com, which I absolutely love because it makes me "mobile!" There will be more about this in a later post.

After all this I'm done with my morning routine and I'm free to work on my new creations, research places I might want to advertise with, review some crafting books for my "The Book Review Corner" blog, or do some research for some posts I might want to write about on my blogs.

It really doesn't take that long to maintain a daily routine for your small business and definitely helps to keep me organized.

So, what's your daily routine?



Posted by Linda Walsh Originals - "Doll Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"
Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns - "Instant Download E-Patterns for Grown-up Girls!"