New Classes for December

By Jenny Batt. Photography by Field Guide Design.

As you are pulling out the holiday decorations this week, don't forget to tune into the Alt Channel. Here are a few new classes to check out:

The New Year is approaching quickly; do you know what you are wearing? If you are going to Alt, and want a little advice about fashion, join the ever stylish Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely for, What to Wear to Alt.

Have a great site, but want to make it spectacular? In December, join design veteran Laurie Smithwick as she dives deeper into design with her new class - Graphic Design for Bloggers 201. It is sure to be a hit, so sign up quick!

Hey Australia, we love you. Alt Australia is a set of late night (U.S. time) courses aimed at making Alt Channel classes more accessible to our favorite bloggers down under. Wet your whistle Australia, with Bringing Home the Bacon, with Melanie Blodgett on December 4th (if you just like it late U.S. bloggers, you can join too).

Are you ready to capture those holiday moments? We have a special Saturday edition of DSLR 101 just for you. Join photographer Justin Hackworth as he shares the best tips and tricks to help you figure out your camera - just in time for the holidays!

See the entire December class schedule right here.

Six Tricks to Beat Writer’s Block

By guest contributor PJ Feinstein. Photography by Lantern Hill.

As a blogger, there are few things more frustrating than writer’s block. After all, the nature of blogging is that it’s timely. A Christmas-themed DIY, for example, loses it's impact when published on December 26th. I’ve found there are a couple main causes for writer’s block. The first is the need to refill your creative juices. The second is having a fantastic topic in mind, but feeling overwhelmed by the blank page on your computer screen. The next time you experience either version of writer’s block, give these creativity-boosting tricks a try.

When you don’t know what to say:

• Step away from the computer. Take the night off from blogging to check out the hottest new restaurant in town, or participate in a class or creative workshop. Who knows, something you ate, saw, or learned might inspire your next blog post—or even a blog series!

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Friday Links for Blog Growth

By Victoria Hudgins. Photography by Vogue Girl.

We all spend so much time prepping our posts and making our sites beautiful, but how many people are really seeing our work? Here are a few links to help you with blog growth and finding new readers.

• Growing your blog by letting it be
• Why your blog should have a marketing plan
• Growing a blog inside a specific niche
• The best way to get your site out there, and fast
• Set goals and maintain perspective for blog growth
• From the archives: How guest posting can grow your blog

Growing Your Blog Through Facebook

By guest contributor Ciera Holzenthal. Photography by Stitch/Craft Create.

Starting a Facebook page for your blog opens you up to one of the largest audiences on the internet. Sharing content on Facebook is so easy and convenient, especially since your readers most likely already use Facebook regularly. With this in mind, here are a few useful tips for using Facebook to grow your blog:

Post Pictures

Facebook is very visual. Often times, text posts or links can be easily overlooked. Each time you share a new blog post on your Facebook page you should do the following: upload a photo, write a short description of your post in the photo caption, and then add a link to the actual post.

Create photo albums for the different sections of your blog (recipes, style, round-ups). This is a great way to show potential readers what to expect from your blog.

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How to Make Friends at Alt

By guest contributor Erin Loechner.

I've been to millions of conferences (exaggeration), and Alt is, hands down, the conference that draws in the friendliest folk (not an exaggeration). Looking for a mentor who shares the same affinity for stripes as you do? She's at Alt. Craving someone to copy edit your new portfolio when you head home? He's in the ballroom (without the revolver, lucky for you). Alt is filled to the brim with creative, kind, and super friendly faces. Chances are, you'll want to connect with a few of them. Here's how:

1) Get pre-social
Before you head to Salt Lake City, send out a Tweet or update your Facebook status announcing that you'll be attending Alt. Ask your followers/friends if they know of anyone else planning to attend the conference. You'll most likely find someone else as nervous as you are to attend. That's the first thing you've got in common. Build on that and make plans to meet each other on day one.

2) Have an eagle-eye
Look around the room--do you spot someone with the same neon day planner you have in your bag? See a stylish gal that's rocking your favorite patterned pants? Introduce yourself! If you have the same taste in footwear, why shouldn't you share other similarities?

3) Fake it
Sure, you might be so nervous that you've pitted out 4 shirts - and it's only 10am. Put on that dashing smile and pretend you're the most confident girl in the room. Because everyone else; they've likely pitted out 5 shirts.

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