Today I passed a thousand “Likes” on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page.
I was a little slow getting onto the Facebook band-wagon. And I must admit that I’m still not
a huge fan of it. But I do see the positive side of it for business purposes. I’d much rather
share my stories, my photos, my ramblings & my sunrises here on my blog. I think it’s a
much better place to tell a story and keep them as archived journal entries. Whereas
Facebook is more instant. So I also see the benefit to that. Not everyone has the time or
initiative to type in a website and read lengthy stories. Facebook is quicker, faster, and instant.
My stories & photos just “show up” automatically now in over a thousand people’s
Facebook News Feeds. And that’s kinda cool.

So here’s to my apparently eternal struggle…

Do I need to keep up with BOTH my blog and Facebook page?!
I think the answer is yes.

As I think they both appeal to a different demographic.
Either way, I’m just glad that someone out there is interested in my ramblings…
or at least putting up with them if only just to be nice?!

Well, I just found out tonight that I was chosen by the webmasters
at “Pottery Making Info” as one of the Top Ten Clay Bloggers of 2012.
I was chosen as #5… not that I’m counting!… Yeah me!!!

Okay… since I am apparently counting… this is my third year in a row in the Top Ten!!!

If you aren’t familiar, Pottery Making Info posts a great collection every month of
what’s happening on the many of the pottery blogs out there. Apparently they like
my pots, my stories, ,my stamps, my textures AND my sunrises!!! See, it’s all about me!!!

It is pretty exciting. And an odd sort of validation that what started as my own “little blog”
has turned into something bigger… and that it may actually be doing something, helping
someone, educating someone, or even amusing someone other than myself?! I remember
when I started it, my potter & friend Emily Murphy was the one encouraging me to do it.
I was hesitant. Fearing that I would have nothing to share and no one would care anyway.
Well, look at me now. I can’t stop posting… and apparently, someone does care.

To see the rest of the Top Ten list, click here… Top Ten Clay Bloggers of 2012.

So thank you “Pottery Making Info” for choosing my little blog again this year.
And thanks to the rest of you for taking time to read my posts… or at least look at the pictures!

Remember, if you want a more instant experience, just follow my pottery page on Facebook.
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery on Facebook… and then hit the LIKE button!

Okay, so I’m still finding FACEBOOK quite frustrating.
They’re still “limiting” the number of people that posts by small businesses
are sent out to. I know I have hundreds of followers, and yet for the posts
I sent out last night less than 50 people received them?! So if you aren’t
getting posts from your favorite businesses that you follow on Facebook,
go to their page to see what you’re missing. Word on the street says that if
you “like” or “comment” posts on business page more frequently, you’ll get
more of them on a regular basis. They want us to actually pay real money
to “promote” our posts and get them to ALL our followers!

So when you get a chance, tell Facebook to change their ways!!!

So don’t forget you can still follow me on Facebook…
but you might not get all of the posts even if you want them. But give it a try!
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery on Facebook.

Don’t forget that you can also follow my studio projects, process & inspirations
on Facebook. Just click on the link below to get to my pottery page… and then
click the “LIKE’ button to get updates. www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

Just passed one thousand-five hundred blog posts!
Thanks to all of you for sticking with me and reading all of my ramblings.
For suffering through my endless sunrises… and kids camps… and clay stuff.
Hopefully you’ll stick with me for another thousand posts or more!!!

Just a quick reminder, if your a Facebook Fan of any small business Page (like mine),
your probably NOT getting all of the updates you want to be getting.

If you’ve LIKED a page, you used to get all of the posts automatically… but now that
Facebook has “gone public” now they expect small businesses to actually pay money
to “”Promote” their posts to get them to their Fans! And most people don’t realize.
They may have noticed fewer posts in their News Feed & wondered why. Now we know.

Case in point, for the past five posts I’ve put on my business page,
I’ve only “reached” 5%, 6%, 6%, 16% and 19% of my Fans!
What’s up with that?! That’s not enough for my liking!

If you want to keep getting updates from your favorite Pages, follow these steps…
1. Go to the Page you want to see.
2. Click on the “LIKED” button and watch for the pull-down menu.
3. Click on “Show In News Feed.”
And hope for the best…

Then call Facebook and tell them you don’t like their new methods!!! We want our Fans
to get our Posts, and I shouldn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to do it!!!

FACEBOOK IS GETTING GREEDY AND WE DON’T LIKE IT.

You’re probably not seeing all (or perhaps any) posts from your favorite Pages (like mine)
in your News Feed because Facebook is now pushing us (page administrators) to pay to
“Promote” their posts to the Fans. Before they “went public” I could make a Facebook post
and it would automatically show up in the News Feeds of all my Fans… who have signed
up and CHOSEN to get my updates! Now, the new greedy Facebook is expecting small
businesses (like mine) to pay big money to “promote” their pages. In the last few weeks,
I can now see how many people have received my posts…
and we’re averaging less than 25%!!!

Click the link below to see what you can do, please share this info with all your friends,
and add Fire When Ready Pottery to your “New List” and click “Show in News Feed”
while you’re there too. Thanks for following me… and…
LET FACEBOOK KNOW WE DON’T LIKE THEIR NEW PRACTICES!!!

Click here for a link to a “shortcut” that might help resolve this issue!

In case you can’t find where to go on your Facebook page, here’s a clue…

Don’t forget that you can always follow along on Facebook!
Just click on the link to get to my pottery page… and then click LIKE.
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

You’ll get posts from my studio, updates, photos, process shots and an occasional
biking sunrise photo along the way. Never junk mail. Never stupid jokes.
It’s immediate pottery fun on your Facebook News Feed. But remember that
my blog always has more information, more stories, more photos, more fun!
So don’t stop coming to my blog… but LIKE me on Facebook too!

Today turned out to be a big day on my Facebook.
My little pottery page just received its 500th Fan!!!
So pass it on and tell your friends. Let’s get everyone on board.
Let’s shoot for another big milestone. Another hundred? Or two hundred?
Or dare I even dream to shoot for a thousand fan followers?!

Click here to go to Fire When Ready Pottery on Facebook…. then click LIKE.

I just found out that I made the “Top Ten Clay Blogs” as listed by Pottery Making Info.
Apparently, they list their Top Ten every year… and I came in at Number Four!!!
From the look of it, I’m surrounded by a lot of other great potters – all willing to share
their views, ideas & tips! Click here for the list – Top Ten Clay Blogs of 2011.

Who knew that my little blog might be noticed by someone important…
let alone read by anyone at all?!