Today, I’m cozied up on my sofa, in my yoga pants and sweatshirt. Cup of tea on the window sill looking out on the impending Hurricane Sandy. Here in New York City, the subways are shut, yesterday the supermarkets were overflowing with people stocking up on snack food and provisions.
While the city has hunkered down, the internets are alive and kicking. We’re all at home browsing around the web, maybe working from home, or checking obsessively the #Sandy Twitter stream. It’s a great time to catch up on your blog’s needs and maybe even try a few things.
Me watching “Revenge” on my sofa
1. Write a post about your experience during the storm
What are you doing today? Are you watching a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon (hey, Halloween is still coming!) Are you baking up a “storm” while you have some time at home? What snacks did you pick to get you through the storm? During Hurricane Irene I picked up Chex Mix and
Believe it or not, we want to know. It’s somehow comforting to hear what everyone else is doing while we’re all waiting things out. It can also be interesting to those who aren’t in the storm’s path.
2. Use this time to update your blog’s design
Do you have a few hours to kill? What better time than now to update your blog’s design. It can take a day or two, maybe you just have a few tweaks, but it’s a great time to play around with the possibilities.
3. Catch up on your commenting
Been scrolling through your reader without stopping to say “Hi” to your favorite bloggers? Now’s a good as time as any to catch up on your blog correspondence, and community outreach by telling the bloggers you love that you care.
4. Find new blogs
Finding new blogs will help inspire you like nothing else. When I do it, it often makes me wonder why I don’t spend more time finding new blogs? Hearing a fresh new voice, or seeing a new approach to a topic will open your eyes to new ways of approaching your own blog. I highly suggest delving into a topic outside your blog’s niche (like Freunde Von Freunden, a lifestyle blog) to see how another niche approaches their community. It will probably give you a ton of new ideas.
5. Experiment with your social networks
People love to join in on a conversation, whether it be about a storm, a debate, or whatever. Maybe you’re a great live-Tweeter but you don’t know because you haven’t tried. Maybe this could be a great day to experiment with Facebook and finding the perfect meme that will engage your community. Maybe you’ve been avoiding the Pinterest bandwagon, and now’s the time to sit down and find out why it’s so addictive. Maybe there’s another social media platform you’ve been curious about. Now’s as good a time as any to explore. I only wish more social networks allowed animated gifs.
What are you doing during the storm?
I pray everyone stays safe during the hurricane.
Take care everyone.