Reading Roundup: What’s New in Blogging Lately?

It’s Christmas eve! And the final roundup of this year!

Looking back, it’s amazing the amount of tips, tricks, advice and inspiration that’s been shared over the last 12 months in these posts. Every Saturday a handy list to peruse over your morning coffee. It’s been a blast collating all the cool stuff I read during the week, and I always feel I’ve learned something usef ul.

Next week in lieu of the Reading Roundup, we will have an epic, super-in-depth blog audit for you to conduct on your work throughout 2016. You won’t want to miss it, it sets you right up for a fabulous new year if you know where you’ve come from and where that now makes you want to go. Keep an eye on your inboxes on December 31!

January 7 has its own excellent topic of all the things you can do to ensure 2017 is your best year of blogging yet! Helpful hints, hacks, and helpers to start the year off right. You’ll want a notepad and pen for that one.

But for now, it’s the last roundup. Check back January 14 for a brand-new bunch of fresh news from the web to help you stay across the latest.

How to Write a High-Value Lesson Plan that Makes Your Course Easy to Sell | Copyblogger

I’ve no doubt plenty of you have “launch an online course” on your to-do list for 2017 so this one should be extra-useful for you!

How to Deal with Information Overload, the Multipod Way |  Puttylike

This time of year is especially hectic – I dare say I’m not the only one looking forward to an online-consumption-free break, but these are excellent tips for those of us who enjoy learning about different things and having different interests. It can add up to one hell of an info avalanche!

15 Content Marketing Pieces That Won Our Hearts & Ranked Most-Shared in 2016 | Search Engine Journal

From TechCrunch’s “Everything The Tech World Says About Marketing is Wrong”, to Digiday’s “85% of Facebook Video is Watched Without Sound”, this is a roundup of what everyone read and shared in the content space this year – they are JAM-PACKED with info.

A nation of geniuses: Social media made us all special — now what? | Salon

I found this really interesting to read, because I do find I live in a social media bubble most of the time. The blogs and people I read and follow aren’t Perfection Crusaders, they’re honest and authentic – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t lies and fabrication. I just either don’t see it, or I don’t realise it when I do. For others, it’s all they see.

Research: Why Americans Are So Impressed by Busyness | Harvard Business Review

Busyness doesn’t always equate to success – in fact, it can burn the lot of us right out if we don’t balance it right with the other things that are important in our life. And of course, that balance looks different for everyone. But if you think just doing the work at all hours means you’re going straight to the top, maybe look at 2017 as being your year to go slow.

Instagram surges past 600M users, fueled by algorithmic feed | TechCrunch

It seems like all the updates that have ever happened to Instagram have happened in the last six months. No wonder they’re trying to keep up with the changes, 600 million people using your product is nothing to sneeze at! Have you noticed your audience growing too?

7-Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile | Social Media Examiner

Now’s the time to get yourself up-do-date on this super-fast growing platform, ready for all the 2017 opportunities to come your way!

One (unsexy) word that will make 2017 your best year ever | Kelly Exeter

I’ve made a point of doing this with time this year, and it has made all the difference. A round of applause is deserved for Kelly here –  I do hope you adopt this unsexy word for yourself!

What Are Vision and Mission Statements and Why Having Them Is Essential | Smart Passive Income

I couldn’t agree more here. They might sound too businessy and a bit weird, but honestly, when I put one in place for my blog, it suddenly gave me a much clearer framework from which to make decisions. It made saying “no” to those things that didn’t serve me a lot easier. And you know that only frees you up to say all the right “yes”es!

Monthly review – productive meditation | Planning with Kids

And may I leave you with Nicole’s experience of how productive meditation has been a huge benefit to her. Maybe a new hobby for you in the new year? Can’t hurt!