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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

To make #blogging fun, Bring a Friend to the #atozchallenge !

Today's post is brought to you by Andrea, from D's Company.
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As an introvert, I've always thought that big parties sucked. Especially the ones where I'm all on my own, in carefully chosen clothes & makeup that don't make a bold statement but aren't boring either, enduring awkward chit-chats until I finally find at least one semi-decent person to talk to. But what a difference it makes to be able to bring a friend, who would laugh at the same jokes, understand my bookish references, and would introduce me to people who are worth it. The party doesn't suck so much any more. image

Doing something with a person you like is always easier and more fun. Doing a blog challenge with a person you know is no exception either. Having someone there that you're already familiar with, going through the same ups and downs makes the ups better, and the downs shorter.

Blogging can be tough as a one-person job, but having a friend in it with you, makes things lighter. Do you have doubts whether you can manage a challenge? You'll have your own community to support each other. Are you stuck on the theme or a specific letter? Your readers can help.

So spread the word, involve your audience - here are some ideas how.

 1. Write a blog post. Your readers might or might not know about the challenge, so give them a short intro, tell them how you're going to do it or just to keep yourself accountable.

image 2. When you see a great blog/post, leave a comment encouraging them to join. We're all unsure about our capabilities from time to time, and knowing there's someone believing in us, makes all the difference.

3. Talk to your friends about it! In person, you know, maybe over a beer. I'm forever trying to recruit my friends who don't only deserve the benefits of this great community, but could also do with a little shake-up of getting challenged. 4. Invite people to the twitter chats. We've two every week, Thursdays at 9pm, and Saturdays at 8am EST to accommodate the different time zones and it's nothing like the dreaded parties! But bringing a friend still helps.

5. Be social on, you know, social media. Get your friends to the A to Z Facebook page where you'll be able to see what everyone's posting about.

Show them the A to Z pinterest boards, the G+ page or my personal favourite, twitter.

You name it, we have it! What I'm saying is, don't fall into the trap of doing it all alone. The best thing about blogging is connecting to others through your writing.

Reciprocate it by involving them in the biggest challenge you'll probably take and you'll have the pleasure of seeing another person succeed because of you.

Isn't that the awesomest?  Still on the fence about signing up? Look at all the blogs that are participating!


PS: If you do any of the sharing described above, leave a comment and we'll visit. We're cool like that.
 

30 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Take a friend and make ten more in the process!

Andrea said...

The awkward chit chats until you find someone? I love it!

Jo said...

I have made so many friends through Blogging and especially through the Challenge.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Damyanti - this is one great 'challenge' - and yes it is .. but it's amazing fun - and each year I meet more amazing wonderful blogging friends - it teaches me so much about so many peoples, so many worlds, so many subjects ... just great - cheers and see you all there - Hilary

Debbie D. said...

Over 1100 signups already. Fantastic! This is definitely a rugged challenge, but well worth it. Isn't it great that we can make friends all over the world without leaving home? See you there! ☺

Heather M. Gardner said...

Excellent post.
TY
HMG

Unknown said...

Hi Hilary-- I met you at one challenge, and Andrea, who has written today's post, at another. A to Z is lovely for networking!

pamlovesbooks said...

The hardest part is showing up. Once you're here, consider yourself friended. I'll talk to anyone.

Unknown said...

I met several of my closest virtual friends via AtoZ! Alex is exactly right--bring a few friends, and within a space of a week, you'll expand your crew to include dozens of new cool cats!!

Anonymous said...

I didn't even know there was an A to Z Pinterest board, but now that I do...

Chandni Moudgil said...

Being a first timer I am such a mixed bag of nerves and excitement. I ve heard so many heart warming stories about how transformational this challenge has been for some people. We are a community of blogging enthusiasts and as we speak 34 of us have come together to cheer each other through the challenge at BlogChatter. look forward to exciting times ahead.

Miss Andi said...

Sounds like am awesome ROI (Return On Investment) 😉

Miss Andi said...

I'm not good at chit-chats! I'm great at talking about stuff that matters though, like the hotties of Supernatural or the cat's newest sleeping place 😉

Miss Andi said...

It really makes a change having them around, doesn't it? Glad you've been enjoying it!

Miss Andi said...

Without - gasp!- wearing a bra! 🙈

Miss Andi said...

Thank you Heather, glad you liked it 😊

Miss Andi said...

Hello Pam, that's a lovely attitude, one that means a lot during the challenge 😊

Miss Andi said...

Did you say cats?

They're awesome.

Bloggers are no frogs either. (I do not like frogs. Nope, not one bit!)

Miss Andi said...

There's something to everyone! 😊

Miss Andi said...

That's amazing Chandni, I'm sure those bonds will deepen throughout the month, good luck to you all!

Misha Gerrick said...

Great advice! I'm looking forward to the challenge this year, but dang, I need to get going with scheduling my posts.

Vidya Sury said...

Yay! Andrea! The more the merrier! Going to be a busy April! Glad we're on the same team!

Guilie Castillo said...

Love this post, Andrea! And love your take on sharing the A-to-Z experience with a friend. We all know how fabulous the challenge is for making new connections, but your analogy on bringing a friend to the (virtual) party is excellent — and so on the nose. Cool ideas / reminders on how to share... I'll put some of those into practice right now!
Guilie @ Life In Dogs

Gayl Wright said...

This is my first time doing the challenge. I'm not sure what all to expect and I'm not totally prepared, but I'm excited about doing it. I wrote an introductory post today on my blog. http://gaylwright.blogspot.com/2016/03/blogging-alphabet.html

Miss Andi said...

I've just started my week off so really hope I can get there! Good luck Misha! 👍

Miss Andi said...

Yes, me too Vidya 💚

Miss Andi said...

Thank you so much Guilie, very kind comment! Good luck on putting practice part 😉

Miss Andi said...

Glad to see that Gayl, love the little challenge you set for your readers 😊

Unknown said...

Thanks everyone for your support to Andrea's post!

We've already made quite a few new friends here!

Shelly Degree said...

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