Cheating on WordPress

11 Jan

Posted in Blogging, Tumblr, Uncategorized, WordPress on 11.01.11

As if you couldn’t have guessed, I love WordPress. I have used it for everything from personal blogging to simple client websites to more complicated sites that involve developers & designers. But, this month, I am cheating on WordPress with Tumblr.

My husband Chris and I are doing a 25 day program called Clean which essentially involves eating no processed foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, etc. They advise you to keep a journal to keep you on track. Maybe it’s just because of the business that I am in but I didn’t see how a written journal stored in an undisclosed location at my house was going to keep me on track. So, I started a blog. It was a little scary at first but on the days that we have considered giving up, the thought of my readers knowing that I have failed has kept me going. Sure, we are doing it for ourselves and I don’t *really* care what others things but hey, whatever works…

The Clean Program Book

When I started thinking about my goals for the Clean blog I wanted something simple to set up, easy to post to, and most likely something temporary since I don’t have a plan for this particular blog space past about 25 days or so. I also knew that for business purposes I should really experiment with some of the other blogging tools out there and I have already checked Blogger off of that list. So, I decided to try out Tumblr.

I have to say, for what it’s made for, it’s pretty awesome. A step in between Twitter and a full fledged blog like WordPress, I would say it’s the easiest to use blog platform I have seen. It is perfect for beginners starting a personal blog and those who don’t have a ton of time to invest in their blog. It’s also great for micro blogs. For example, I have a client who has a custom WordPress site which includes a great blog but we now have a few Tumblr blogs floating around out there on specific areas of their work. It’s great for SEO and it allows them to really focus on specific areas individually.

I have found that you can very easily upload photos, video, quotes, etc. from a smart phone which means that I do it more often than I normally would. Then, I log in on my computer and write a full blog post each night..or sometimes I do that from my phone as well. It also allows me to update some of the colors and other details on the template with no problem to make it a bit more ‘me’ that the ones they offer. My blog is also linked to Facebook & Twitter. The whole process feels really simple and user friendly. If you want a simple personal blog or a micro blog in addition to your main blog, try having an affair with Tumblr! If you are looking for a fully customizable blog or website tool with all of the widgets and plug ins that you could ever dream of, I would suggest sticking to WordPress.

Check out our CLEAN journey on my Tumblr BLOG!

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ABOUT JESSICA:

I graduated from JMU (go dukes!) with a degree in business and a concentration in hospitality management. My dad gave me a Burger King crown for graduation suggesting that I would never get a real job in ‘hospitality’ but I proved him wrong and went on to spend almost ten years in the world of hotels, restaurants and events. I started out doing meeting planning at The Boar’s Head Inn followed by sales & marketing and wedding & event planning at The Clifton Inn and The Event Company. I love weddings & events and still help out with them whenever somebody will let me!

Garnet exists because I also love marketing & social media. It’s the perfect mix of fun, creativity and nerdiness for me. It helps other people to grow their businesses. I get a Saturday off once in awhile. What’s not to love!

Speaking of love- a few of my favorite things: my husband Chris, my family, my friends, my puppies: Ellie & Scout, our two chickens, JMU, virginia wine, craft beer (especially IPA's), fun paper products and the number 7.

I named this business after my grandfather. Garnett (with two T’s) is my grandfather on my mom’s side. When he passed away about ten years ago he had never been to a website, didn’t have a ‘status’ and thought a ‘tweet’ was something that birds did while visiting his bird feeders. How times have changed!

He was a very special person to me and when I started thinking about this adventure, I decided that naming it after him couldn’t be a bad place to start.

TEAM GARNET:

Yes, Garnet is small. But, we work with some really awesome designers, developers, printers, online resources, local media and we even do the occasional crafty project ourselves (it takes us back to our days in the wedding & event business!) to make sure you have the very best team working for you on every single project.

We are also constantly learning and keeping up with the latest trends in marketing + social media. We attend conference after conference and read blog after blog so you don't have to worry about keeping up with it all.

Think of us as a project manager for all of your marketing related needs. Hand over that marketing 'to do' list and those ideas you have been wanting to implement for years- you know it isn't going to get done otherwise!

Do what you love. We'll spread the word.

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