Monthly Archives: June 2016

Blogging Thru Summer

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a keyboard key that says "HIRE ME" in red letters

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Hi Everyone, Happy Summer!

Summer is usually a time when students take time off from the rituals of school. However, if you’re like me and soon to graduate summer is a time to prepare for the task of job hunting. That’s why my summer is being spent preparing my resume, cover letter, e-portfolio, and social media accounts. It may seem like a lot but all are very important things to have ready.  

My posts over the summer will give tips and advice on:

  • Presenting your accomplishments and achievements
  • Listing your experience
  • Advertising your strengths
  • Making use of clear and articulate writing
  • Avoiding spelling and punctuation errors

I will also offer advice to any aspiring writers and bloggers who wish to share their thoughts and words with the college community and on social media. Perhaps you’re like me and want to blog about your professional journey, but you also want your blog to be fun. Blogging may require a bit more effort than other popular topics but once you get the ball rolling you may find blogging to be a very rewarding practice that helps to build your career.

My summer motto: Plan ahead to get ahead!

Schools out & blogging is in!

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Hello everyone! By the title of my post I guess you’ve figured out that school is out for the summer, not only is the spring semester over but Ava and the rest of the public school kids are free for the summer. I am super excited to be apart of the summer blogging team at The Buzz and I can’t wait to share me and Ava’s adventures with everyone. Here’s what you can look forward to in my posts this summer,

Summer Bucket List

My main theme this summer is the bucket list, which is the recap post of all the places Ava and I want to visit this summer. From museums to state parks there are a whole bunch of places we want to visit and will be sharing with my readers! Some of the places on the list are,

  • The Roosevelt Island tram
  • The museum of natural history
  • Brooklyn Botanical Garden

 

Also on my blog this summer you can find some tips, tricks and best practices for blogging, tweeting and Instagraming your way to a solid amount of followers and building a regular audience. I’ll be sharing my experiences and my strategies for building my blog here on The Buzz as well as on my personal pages. You can also look forward to me and the other bloggers leading workshops this fall!

For starters some tips are,

  • Pick a theme You’re going to build a bigger following if you have a theme because people will know your stuff is consistent
  • Post on a schedule Set days where you’ll post so your followers know when to check for new content, you can even schedule posts ahead of time so you never miss a day.
  • Be transparent– Don’t talk around or patronize situations or people in your writing, be honest and be you. People respond to honesty.

Restaurant Review: Heights Cafe

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It’s not every day or normally that I eat in Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights for dinner, but last month/semester my team and I decided on visiting Heights Cafe for our marketing project. One of our team members is actually a server at Heights Cafe so it worked out perfectly. I came with my boyfriend on a Saturday at 5PM  as dinner just started.

a cafe on the corner

Heights Cafe is located in the heart of Brooklyn Heights and is in a beautiful location because it’s just a short walk from the Brooklyn Promenade. The restaurant/cafe has a warm and bright atmosphere. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with paintings from local artists.

Our friend greeted us with a warm and friendly smile and asked what would we like, gave us recommendations, and etc. We started off with drinks:

a pink drink in a martini glass and a glass of beer

My boyfriend ordered the Angry Orchard and I had a Watermelon Martini. The watermelon martini had a nice and refreshing watermelon taste to it. It reminded me of a Jolly Rancher candy, but in this case infused with alcohol. It was super strong, so I didn’t quite finish it.

a bread basket with butter

Bread Basket

spinach dip with corn chips

Warm Spinach Dip with Corn Tortilla Chips

For appetizer, we had the the Warm Spinach Dip with Corn Tortilla Chips. We typically order fried calamari as an appetizer, but this time I wanted to try something different. The tip was a delight, not too cheesy and you get spinach in every bite. The chips were crunchy and fresh.

a dish of ravioli with asparagus and tomatoes

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

My boyfriend ordered the Wild Mushroom Ravioli from the dinner specials menu for the day we went. It was $20.95, so definitely a little more expensive then ravioli we’ve had in other restaurants. The wild mushroom ravioli had olive oil garlic sauce, sauteed shrimp, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes.
The dish is definitely colorful and vibrant. The ravioli was delicious and super filling and I would have preferred more sauce.
macaroni and cheese

Lobster Mac & Cheese

I had the Lobster Mac & Cheese. The lobster mac & cheese was bathed in brandy lobster cream, Parmesan, Gruyere, and cheddar cheese. I liked it for the most part, tasted more like cheese than lobster-like.I actually had trouble finishing the lobster mac and cheese because there was so much cheese and cream that I got full instantly. The cheese was just a little overwhelming.

Although our dinner was a little more expensive compared to most dinners we have had. Overall, I really liked the service and the attentiveness from the other servers before our friend arrived to our table. I also liked the atmosphere because most of the customers are locals, tourists, and/or family.
I think if I am in the area and in search of warm and delicious comfort food than yes and maybe if for a birthday dinner and etc. If a friend or someone asks me for a good Brooklyn Heights restaurant recommendation, Heights Cafe would definitely be on my top three recommendations.

Food Places I Want to Try

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I’m so glad the summer is here because that means there’s some time in my schedule to enjoy food with friends, family, and my boyfriend and it also means a chance to try new food places and restaurants. I am a little sad that half of 2016 has passed, but at least there’s a lot to look forward to during the final half of 2016.

I’ve been trying a lot of new restaurants and spots the last three months and I’ve finally been catching up on my Yelp reviews and blog posts on the food blog, so be sure to check those out. Any way, with 6.5 months left of 2016 I hope to be able to try these food spots/restaurants:

an indigo seafood restaurant with a yellow awning

Image Credit: DNAinfo

I found out about Mussels ‘N Sausages on Yelp. I wonder if it has any relationship to Mussels & More (one of my favorite restaurants). Mussels ‘n Sausages is located in Astoria, Queens and is a French, seafood, breakfast & brunch type restaurant. They have a pretty interesting menu and my primary reason for wanting to try this restaurant out is because I’ve developed a love for mussels.

a restaurant table

Image Credit: Yelp

As you may already know, I love coffee! I haven’t tried too many coffee spots, but one place I am dying to try is Coffee Project New York. It’s an experience of coffee on a whole different level. Deconstructed is what sums up the coffee here. I’m pretty excited about giving this a place a shot, hope to try it soon.

a restaurant and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

Momosan Ramen & Sake is one of the latest and greatest craze of in the world of ramen. It’s great because it’s the first ramen restaurant that Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto opened in The Big Apple. I’ve been to Bobby’s Burger Palace which was started by Iron Chef Bobby Flay, but for an Iron Chef to open a ramen restaurant is golden! It’s been opened for nearly two months and I still haven’t tried it. I know the lines and craze is probably crazy right now which is why I am going to wait a little bit longer. Hopefully I’ll run into the great Iron Chef on my first visit.

a small Christmas tree and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

One of the major dessert spots that has been blowing up on my Instagram and Facebook feed is this newest spot: 520 Desserts in Flushing, Queens. I must admit the desserts look a lot more attractive then what you can find in Brooklyn. One dessert that I’ve seen around my feeds is the: Honeydew Shaved Ice bowl. I love fruits and honeydew is one of my favorite melons, so this is absolutely honeydew heaven! Hope I can try this place out this summer.

an ice cream cone

Image Credit: Yelp

Another place I want to try and that I found on Yelp is 2nd City which is a casual, Filipino restaurant in Manhattan. I love and admire Filipino cuisine, but when I saw the Ube ice cream on Yelp, I knew I had to add 2nd City to my list on Yelp of places to try. I’ve tried Ube butter before and it is absolutely wonderful. I can’t imagine what new heights Ube ice cream can have on me.

a pizza restaurant with a gray awning

Image Credit: Yelp

I was deeply disappointed when I found out Pie Face closed all of their New York locations because I never got to try their sweet and/or savory pies. On Saturday evening, I passed by Petee’s Pie Company and they had a sign that said “The Absolute Best Pie in New York” , so of course with words like that I can’t not try it. They don’t have savory pies here, but everything sounds amazing and tempting.

a silver tea kettle, four white mugs, and four brown paper cups

Image Credit: Hoodline.com 

Another coffee spot I want to try is Blue Bottle Coffee which is quite famous. I definitely want to try their cold brew as I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. They have a location that’s just a few blocks from school which is convenient for those that are interested in trying too.

So here are just a few places I hope to try by the end of 2016 and hopefully if I try them I will definitely write a review on The Buzz or on my food blog.

What restaurants or food places would you like to try?

Why I Started Blogging for The Buzz

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a laptop with a notebook, pen, and a mug of coffee

Image credit to: Runaway Dreamer

I started blogging for The Buzz in January 2016 (Spring 2016 semester) as a Student Blogger. I started blogging for The Buzz for a couple of reasons:

  • I didn’t have the time or day to join a club or events that were happening around City Tech, but when I received an e-mail in my inbox that there were blogging opportunities with The Buzz I quickly sent in my resume. Although I was busy working and going to school, I knew I had time to squeeze out posts about my experience with food, blogging, and restaurants in the evening.
  • I also wanted to build my portfolio and show future employers that I blog and write beyond what’s expected from me as a student in school. I write on three blogs (two of which I launched on my own) and I am an active Yelper.
  • I know City Tech has a news publication team – New Tech Times which I have written for before about food too, but technology has evolved and so have I so I wanted to put my experience, thoughts, and ideas with The Buzz.
  • I know that City Tech cafeteria food isn’t the best so I wanted to show and open up City Tech students and faculty of the neighboring restaurants and food spots that they can try out.
  • If you don’t already know, food is one of my biggest passion and love!
  • I also love to write and blog. I’ve been blogging for over 10 years and it makes me good to share my individuality, my feelings, and experiences.
  • I was reading blog posts from previous bloggers for The Buzz and everyone has their own blogger voice, but I wanted to bring something fresh, fun, and personal.

Everyone joins a team, club, event, and etc. for different reasons. You’ve just read why I joined The Buzz and if you’re a student blogger or photography blogger for The Buzz, why did you join The Buzz? or If you’re a blogger, why do you blog?

Blogging Practices: Branding and Promoting Your Blog

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As a blogger,  your main responsibility is to create stellar content for your specific niche, regardless whether you joined the blogosphere in search of a casual hobby or to establish a serious business. Before your market and publicize your content, if you really want to hit it big with traffic or revenue, you have to view your blog and more importantly yourself as your brand.

Here are some tips and practices you can utilize in branding and promoting your blog:

  • Set Google and Twitter alerts for your blog’s name and keywords related to your blog and then join conversations as they happen.
  • Send direct messages to people who follow you on Twitter to strengthen your conversations and relationships with them.
  • Start a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram page or anything related to your niche

Examples:

a Facebook page about food

a Facebook page about food

  • Start guest posting. If you’re looking for an effective way to promote your blog, one of the best things you can do is start guest posting. Guest posting, or writing a blog post that will be featured on a different blog, is one of the best ways to expand your audience and begin to develop authority in an industry like here at The Buzz.
  • Create the top 10 list. Create “The Top Ten list” of brands or blogs that you want to model yourself or blog after. Either because they are a competitor, you share a space with them, or they are in your niche. Make sure that they are successful at what they are doing and someone you want to emulate. Refer back to this list whenever you need inspiration, have to make a decision or want to see how others have done it.
  • Put a link in your e-mail signature.

a business card of a food blogger "Jessica Deng"

  • Creating your own business card is a quick way to add to and strengthen your blog brand. Putting your logo and your colors on print materials will help when you travel, share, connect, and dream. Make sure that when you create your cards that you are comfortable with the information you put on them and keep them connected with you overall brand.
  • Use Pinterest. Believe it or not, I highly recommend using Pinterest because it has endless visuals that are surely going to spark some creativity or inspiration in you and there’s endless content on Pinterest for you to read, use, or emulate.
  • Attend networking events and/or conferences. There are many social media marketing events and blogging conferences available for you to attend where you can hear from influencers, meet other bloggers, and exchange business cards.

Hopefully you’ve found these tips helpful and took some notes. The next post will feature why I started blogging for The Buzz/Openlab.

Do you have any tips or tricks about how to promote a blog? 

Blogging Practices: Setting Up Your Content Menu

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Hi everyone! Hope you’re off to a good start this summer. I am happy to announce that after negotiation with the brains behind Openlab and The Buzz, I along with other bloggers will be blogging this summer. Hope you will enjoy reading our posts and find them interesting!

I know you’re all used to reading my posts about food and I promise we will get to it soon, but for the next four posts I will be discussing best blogging practices for those that are looking to start a food blog.

cartoon of two computers communicating

Image Credit to: blog.plush-media.com

Setting Up Your Content Menu

From interviews and podcasts to slide shows and reviews, you’re not limited to the variety of posts to feature on your blog. Regardless of the angle of your blog, remember that an assortment of content will appeal to a broader audience.

As a blogger, your primary responsibility is to produce original content for your site or any site.  Posts can be about cooking, eating, food safety, food-related travel – really anything. Here are a few forms your posts could take:

  • Reviews:  Share your experiences and insights about restaurants, cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and food brands to provide your audience with tried and tested suggestions for expanding their culinary repertoire.
  • How To’s: Audiences love this! Go back to basics by featuring simple technique posts tied to your area of expertise such as: how to pipe rosettes, how to order from a restaurant wine list, how to choose a wine store, and etc. This concept also applies to providing step-by-step photos to illustrate the process of preparing longer recipes.
  • Lists/VS.: Picking a topic and ranking things numerically is always an easy crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to read and gives people something to agree or disagree with. You could do a “Top Five” for almost any topic. A good list tends to kill on comments, so we’ll often save them for our last post of the day, which is the prime slot.
  • Newsy Stuff: Any time you come across an interesting food-related article in the paper that might have broad appeal, consider linking to it for a quick post. Particularly if it’s something controversial, it’s a good way to get people talking.
  • Series: Create a themed series for you blog by dedicating an entire day, week, or month to specific ingredient or topic. For example, dedicate the first week of December to foods that make great holiday gifts, post only about ice cream for the month of July, and etc.
  • Interviews: Post a simple and straightforward interview with a notable food name or fellow blogger that’s both informative and entertaining. Address trendy topics such as their top five favorite restaurants or what foods are always in their fridge. Promoting your culinary comrades enhances the online community centered around your blog, is a great way to meet new people and introduces your audience to new faces.
  • Recipes: These are the bread and butter of your food blog. Recipes can range from four-course meals to children’s snacks, but they are always better when accompanied by a short anecdote about discovering them, creating them, whatever. 

If you’re looking to start a food blog or any blog at all, I hope you found some of these content ideas helpful. Next up, I will be discussing about branding and promoting your blog.

What are some content ideas you can share with me or other bloggers?