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Sunday, May 17, 2015

World Tea Expo Tea Blogger Roundtable

Time for the tea blogger round table (third annual)

Today's moderator is @TeaWithGary http://teawithgary.com/

Panelists are
@joysteaspoon https://www.joysteaspoon.com/blog/
@chrisagiddings http://www.tea-guy.com/
@scandaloustea http://scandaloustea.teatra.de/
@lazy_literatus http://steepstories.com/
@teamoment http://internationalteamoment.blogspot.com/
@RachelKCarter http://iheartteas.teatra.de/
@teaformeplease http://teaformeplease.com/

Panelist @joysteaspoon also is on the board of the US league of tea growers

Next panelist is @chrisagiddings of @Teaity http://teaity.com/ - with a new tea device being announced soon!

Enjoy stories and tales? check out panelist @lazy_literatus

Jen talks about tea in her life and those moments @teamoment

blogger @RachelKCarter  writes about things that interest and inspire her and owns @iHeartTeas

panelist @teaformeplease is a tea reviewer who does podcasts, videos and more - amazing information

final panelist @scandaloustea  writes about anything tea

Blogging is not a zero sum game, one blog doesn't "steal" readers from another blog.

Q: how do people find your blog?

A: @joysteaspoon  other blogs, social media, reshares  @chrisagiddings  echos that with an addition of searches online
A: @scandaloustea echos majority from other bloggers though  @lazy_literatus echo plus companies he has reviewed resharing
A: @teamoment a lot of incoming traffic from other bloggers that have her blog listed on theirs on the sidebar
A: @RachelKCarter  b/c of our varied interests there is a lot of cross promotion - that expands out to each others friends
A: @teaformeplease majority of her traffic is searches finding reviews of a tea she has featured

Q:  what do you find are the most read posts on your blog and why?

A: @teaformeplease  informational posts - how to season yixing - how to make matcha
A: @RachelKCarter  recipes that i post (she is  a mad scientist)
A: @teamoment  runaway hits have been a focus on a tea or tea venue and i have the opportunity to get into the owner/why focus on a person behind the tea is always a runaway hit - human interest
A: @lazy_literatus love and death (Shakespearean). occasionally between those are unique things no one else has - like japanese white teas
A: @scandaloustea the things she is most passionate about seem to inspire readers to read example: Fine words butter no parsnips  also tea shops (reviews) around the country
A: @chrisagiddings device reviews like accessories or water heaters
A: @joysteaspoon writes for multiple blogs - telling stories about the tea growers, or tea grown in the US seem popular
A: @TeaWithGary Unique. Passion. People.
A: @TeaWithGary passion, often in a rant works well

Q: Do you post on a schedule?
A: @joysteaspoon no i have kids @chrisagiddings when i did the traffic was not sticky - now no longer and stickier
A: @scandaloustea  no she doesn't - she has tried but it stressed her out and caused the rate to actually drop
A: @lazy_literatus he did a schedule for a bit  but good posts were getting lost in fluff, better to do one post better
A: @teamoment  varies from prolific to trickle but she also blogs for a company twice a week which increases their traffic
A: @RachelKCarter  is a #blogginghippy
A: @teaformeplease once a day monday through friday
A: @RachelKCarter nope  she blames her same children and her husband. ;) her passion drives her posts
A: @TeaWithGary tried a specific day / time cycle (every friday at a specific time)  as a result of the Q asked last yr
A: @TeaWithGary said it totally increased readership  it makes a difference

Q: Do you do anything to specifically target a young crowd? what social media do you prefer?
A: @teaformeplease instagram sends a lot of traffic. she connects differently than on twitter  no target audience
A: @RachelKCarter geek - and never grew up so she doesn't target but gets along with. Likes instagram most then twitter
A: @teamoment  twitter has been her biggest interaction - she mostly writes about family stuff so not young targeted
A: @teamoment instagram is the current fastest growing social media  teaching her to be a better photographer
 A: @lazy_literatus knows nothing about the younger ones but is unfiltered and that seems to attract them. instagram +
 A: @scandaloustea has no idea what the young whipper snappers are ;)
 A: @scandaloustea twitter is really big for her - the numbers are increasing to her surprise. she stopped instagraming
 A: @scandaloustea is first to mention g+ - it's a lower number of people which is quiet but people see it if not interact
 A: @chrisagiddings twitter is his strongest SM platform - but his @Teaity which is more focused gets better interactions
 A: @chrisagiddings on tea-guy facebook fan page he gets better reactions than twitter. he is also an instagram convert
 A: @joysteaspoon twitter was her busiest until 6 months ago where instagram when she linked to her blog and traffic spike
 A: @joysteaspoon  #smart is super effective / @teamoment we forgot to mention pintrest!
 A: @TeaWithGary seems to be a direct correlation with twitter on followers - readers - connections
 Tag your posts with the company and they will re-tweet it and help increase your followership
 pictures increase interaction, pictures and links even more (but limit space to say anything)

 Q: what programs do you use to blog on? A: Blogger, wordpress, TeaTrade, Self written platform, Hootsuite for scheduling
 me: If this then that is also a handy tool.
audience: edgar can refresh/resurface old posts
 - every now and then go look at statistics - re surface old favorites of readers (from @TeaWithGary )
#CaveatEmptor@amazonv Although @MeetEdgar costs money.... from @DrewKaplan

 Q: if you go look at an old post - do you leave it alone or edit it?
 A: @joysteaspoon edit it @chrisagiddings not edit (part of journey) but would edit/update inaccuracies and strike out
 @scandaloustea will edit when something is needed (an update) but won't change her writing
 @lazy_literatus will only edit if something was inaccurate. maybe some grammer posts, but also avoids to preserve journey
 @teamoment and @RachelKCarter do not want to change anything - it's a diary, a journey
 @teaformeplease often goes and tweeks grammar or clarity
 @TeaWithGary edits for spelling, grammer, add footnote updates for accuracy, will edit to cross link same topic posts

 Q: How do you blog for your new shop?
 A: @TeaWithGary hire someone or pick a platform and play with a private blog and test kick the wheels, then take it live

 A: @lazy_literatus there can be a blog of just neat pictures @teamoment do what you enjoy - video, writing, pictures
 @teamoment some behind the scenes - blending pictures - bulk deliveries of tea, anything you
 A: @TeaWithGary youtube is filled with short, amateur videos - unboxing videos
 @TeaWithGary tumblr is very short quick posts
 gary is plugging #TeakuTuesday
 Gary also plugging vine 6 second videos
 @teaformeplease let your employees help and share their passion
 @teaformeplease example: 7 cups of tea employee blogging his experiences

 Q: Ghost Writing - expectations? A: @teamoment a few hours per week blogging, and some SM interaction. all gets reviewed
 @teamoment interviewing and picking a voice you like is important

 @TeaWithGary check out the tea blogger directory, and the association of tea bloggers and find voices you like

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After the roundtable the panelists got together to celebrate with Scottish white smoked tea (beechwood) from the Field of the king



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