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Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts

Friday, February 7, 2014

Calling all #atozchallenge participants to #SocialMedia !

A to Z April Blogging challenge is all about networking, connecting with interesting bloggers and making blog friends. 

To that end we usually recommend following other blogs, commenting on their posts.

Another way to cement these relationships is to follow each other on social media.

One of the things I want to encourage this year for AZers is cross connection-- follow as many AZ bloggers as possible on the following social networks:

Facebook
Twitter
G+ page

Start with following Blogging from A to Z April Challenge :
Twitter id and hashtag: @AprilA2Z and #atozchallenge
G+ page: +April Hosteam 


I'll also share my details here:
My co-host blog: Amlokiblogs
My participant blog: Daily (w)rite
My Twitter: @damyantig
My G+: +D Biswas 

If you're on any of these networks, leave me the details in the comments below-- I'll follow you, and encourage others to do the same. While adding your social media details, make sure to mention the name and number of your blog in the sign up list

Use this format for your details:

My Blog Name and Number on the list
My Facebook
My Twitter
My G+

Follow each other as more AZ participants drop in their social media deets in the comments below.

Following other AZ participants on social media would create a buzzing network. And who doesn't want more followers, right?

 It would deepen a sense of community come April and the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the challenge if you haven't already, and leave us your details in the comments.






Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Hashtag the Heck out of Us!


Now that we're just getting into the swing of things, let's make the most of the A to Z Challenge by keeping in mind that it stretches beyond your blog. We’re social, with a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to make it easier for you to find likeminded participants and keep up with what’s trending – including the latest news from the challenge Co-Hosts. That is why it’s important to tag the challenge by using the official #atozchallenge hashtag when referencing the challenge in your social media updates – especially Twitter. Adding the A to Z Challenge hashtag to your tweets can help all of us cut through the clutter when searching for blogs to visit or staying up to date on discussions related to our daily alphabet party.

If you’re still wondering “how the heck do I use a hashtag?” or “why the heck would I use a hashtag?” the time for guessing games are over. Here are simple ways to Hashtag the heck out of the A to Z Challenge.
Hashtag your correspondence with us
When you send a tweet to us by writing @AprilA2Z, also make sure to add an #atozchallenge hashtag to the tweet. Unless it’s a really pertinent matter, you probably would do better just replacing the @AprilA2Z text with the #atozchallenge hashtag, altogether!

Hashtag your comments
Everyone and their momma is leaving comments that are one variation of “Hey, I’m stopping by from the A to Z Challenge!” or another – as if we really need to know (and we really don’t…or at least, I’ll speak for myself by letting you know today that I don’t need the reminder that you’re doing the challenge, ok?!) this bit of information. We get it. We read the memo. It’s been signed, sealed and delivered. Now here’s a thought…
If you really…I mean, really need to inform the blog that you’re visiting about your A to Z Challenge status, just put the #atozchallenge hashtag at the end of your comment. It takes up much less space and is less likely to leave a blogger wondering why he or she wasted time trying to read a comment that was nothing more than an announcement along the lines of “me too! Yay!” when it could have just as easily been summed up with a simple hashtag.
Hashtag your questions
Most, if not all, of the questions that people ask A to Z Challenge administrators can be useful to other participants who have similar concerns. Using the #atozchallenge hashtag can help your fellow participants get answers to something that they may have been wondering. At the very least, it also puts other bloggers on alert about matters that they are curious to know. Adding a hashtag can help simplify the question-and-answer sessions for @AprilA2Z on Twitter as well as other social media websites. It is easier for some participants to create a list or do a search for topics that are of interest to them if the hashtag is utilized more often, because it cuts down on the workload of having to find profiles and topics that might have come up in conversation about the challenge.
Hashtag your photos
Add hashtags to the photos that are included in your blog posts related to the challenge. This can be done by adding text directly in the image, using photo editing software or online photo apps such as Pic Monkey. If you don’t want to interfere with your visual masterpiece that you snapped in preparation for winning visitors over with your photographic images, you can also add hashtags to the “caption” section when editing the photo before publishing the blog post. The official A to Z Challenge hashtag can also be used to promote your blog posts on Facebook and Instagram.
So tell us…
How are you Hashtagging the Heck out of the A to Z Challenge?

-Nicole
@MadlabPost
2013 Blogging from #atozchallenge Co-Host
See you at the movies!
 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Social Media Tricks from A to Z from C.Lee McKenzie: An Post A-to-Z Road Trip Special

       C. Lee McKenzie can usually be found at her blog The Write Game, but today she's here visiting us at Blogging from A to Z.   She's also celebrating the release of her latest book Alligators Overhead, which you can find out more about by clicking on the links at the bottom of this post.  


If you're a writer, you want others to know who you are and what you're writing. You want to find other writers to connect with and readers who will buy your books. Today the publisher's budgets allow for very little support unless you're a bestselling author, so getting the word out is pretty much your job. Of course, if you're self-published it's 100% your job. 
 Social Media to the rescue. 
      And, in my opinion,  one of the quickest and most painless of these media is Twitter. 
     I thought it might be helpful for those A to Zers on this  Road Trip to have a few Twitter Do's and Don'ts--kind of road signs to read along the way--so here's my A to Z Twitter  Tips.

A. Ask for help. Do you need feedback on your WIP or do you want to know what readers think of your published work? Ask. Tweeters are eager to jump in with comments.

B. Be nice. Be kind. Snarky works for some, but like my grandmother always said, "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."

C. Converse with your readers and other writers. Get to know them. Let them know you. That generates interest in your work.

D. Discover stuff: quotes, facts, other writers with the same or similar issues.

E. Events are out there on Twitter. Find out about them. Post some of your own. Maybe you're doing a giveaway or hosting a launch on facebook. Make sure your Twitter followers know about those.

F. Find a job. Writing doesn't always pay the electric bill, right? Here's a link that takes you to JOBSEARCH

G. Grammar check. There's always a prescriptive grammarian hanging out on Twitter. You just have to nudge them and they'll give you the "correct" answer. *Raises hand and admits to a touch of the prescriptive grammarian in her.*

H. Help others. When you're in a Twitter conversation you often find that a writer could use a "hug" or encouragement. Maybe just a, "I've been there and understand" will be enough.

I. Issue book updates or where you are in your current WIP. That creates a bit of buzz and interest.


J. Joke a bit and have fun. This is a great way to take that break from the scene that's not working. It's a great way to connect with others in the same situation. Who knows, you might pick up just the prompt you need to return to that scene and finish it. 

K. Keep in touch. I might be away from home and on my iphone, but I can pop into Twitter, say hi, share where I am and what I'm doing. My main blog might be quiet, but my "microblog" isn't.

L. Look for agents or new publishing houses, accepting submission. Link up with an agent and start a dialog. Who knows, they might like your style enough to check your blog out. It's happened. And I personally know of one contract signed because the agent loved the writer's blog style so much.

M. Motivate others and you'll motivate yourself. In 140 characters it's easy to say something encouraging.

N. Never be all about "ME."  Care about the people you follow and who follow you.

O. Open longer exchanges. I often DM a friend and say, "Check email" or "Call me" when I want to discuss something in more depth.

P. Practice writing short, specific and effective sentences. Be clever. It's good practice for writing anything.

Q. Quotes--share them. I love to find a great quote while I'm Tweeting. 

R. Report problems. When you see a blog post that's gone weird because of a code issue, alert the blogger on Twitter. I had someone do that for me, and I really appreciated it. I hate it when something's not right with my blog posts.


S. Search, using the search tool to find someone you'd like to follow. 

T. Tweet about conferences before you go to a conference. Establish a rapport with the presenters and those attending. This year I tweeted with an agent and knew she'd been out walking on the beach. When I met her at dinner, I had a way to introduce myself by asking her how she'd enjoyed her walk. Nice ice breaker.

W. Writing. Writing . Writing. Get help. Give help about this amazing talent you and the others on Twitter have. You never know what exchange might trigger an idea.

X. X-out people who don't follow back or interact with you. You want your Tweeter followers list current. Here's where you can find out who's following you and who's interacting with you .http://t.co/B1wMdPmg
Y. YOU. Be who you are. 

Z. Zippy Tweets pay off, so don't be mopey, just honest. "2day I'm not writing anything my dog couldn't chew up." 

Happy Tweeting. And  . . . ahem . . . RT if you found this helpful.
C. Lee McKenzie
Alligators Overhead AMAZON http://tinyurl.com/895whec
                         B&N http://tinyurl.com/8y4d4el








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Monday, May 28, 2012

Feedback Needed Please!

Badge artwork by A to Z artist Ada Z
    This post brought to you by Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out:         

         Today I had originally planned to post about the negatives of the A to Z, but instead something else came to my attention which I wanted to get your opinions on before I continued with the Challenge evaluation.   I will discuss the bad next Monday.

Something else we'd like some feedback on:

        Here's a link that was brought to my attention through my Google Alerts for "Blogging from A to Z Video Challenge"    You might enjoy checking this out. I found it to be quite a surprise.   I've never seen a YouTube notice like this which includes not only all of the entries for the A to Z Video Contest, but also many links to blogs that have something to do with the A to Z April Challenge.  Check this out.   Your blog may have been included.   Have you seen something like this from YouTube before?

            So far in the Reflections or the evaluations posts I haven't read anything about the A to Z Video Contest.   I'll tell you more of my thoughts about the contest in a couple of weeks, but perhaps you can tell us yours in today's comments.   Did you pay much attention to the Video Contest?   Do you think it added value to the Challenge?   Were the video promos that were later linked to on Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere effective in reaching those unaware of the Challenge?   

             Did you watch any of the videos?   If you missed them, you can find them at YouTube or at the A to Z Video Challenge.  How did you like this year's video entries?   What suggestions would you give to the entrants?

               Would you be interested in submitting a video for a future contest?  Would quality prizes such as gift cards, video related equipment, cash, or something else be a greater incentive to participate in a contest of this nature?

              What suggestions do you have concerning a video contest for the A to Z Challenge?   Are there other types of pre-April contests we might consider to bring more attention to the A to Z Challenge?



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Sunday, February 26, 2012

#atozchallenge: Sunday Summary February 26, 2012




There's lots of activity going on as we make our big push for 1000 sign-ups by March 1st.  If you haven't signed up yet why not do it now.   Also please consider liking the A to Z Facebook page.  We're still sort of 200 likes there--shouldn't we have more like at least 700 likes?   Same with this A to Z Blog. Have you clicked the "Follower" button yet to become a "Friend of the Alphabet"?   Let's fire up some A to Z spirit!

We had some great posts on the A to Z Blog this past week.  If you missed any be sure to go back and check them out.  We are no longer accepting guest posts for the A to Z Blog as the schedule is now full.  Thanks to all of you who have shown such hearty participation.

Fellow co-host Konstanz Silverbow is providing some incentive with a great give-away.  Check out what she's offering at her blog No Thought 2 Small and then be sure to tell others about it as well.   Somebody's going to win a very cool package.

Be sure to be at the A to Z Blog this coming Tuesday February 28th.  I won't tell you what's going on, but I bet some of you can guess.  Tuesday is a very special day to celebrate.

Jenn at Scribbles from Jenn participated in Jenny Pearson's game of tag and helped with the push for 1000 by March 1st.

Sommer Leigh at Tell Great Stories provided one of the best A to Z posts that I've seen so far.  Make sure you pay her a visit to thank her for providing this valuable information and make sure you follow her advice when the April Challenge starts.  In fact, don't wait, start now!

RJR Daydreamer gave not only a nice summary of what the Challenge is but also provided an excellent graphic layout of what he did last year.

Donna Mc is a first-timer on her blog My Write Spot and she's getting organized for April.  She provides some excellent tips on how to plan for the Challenge.  I hope all of you will go through her checklist and make sure you've got these points covered.

A to Z got a slightly eccentric mention at The Slightly Eccentric Diary of Rob Z Tobor.  Thanks Rob--I think. Now don't you forget to start the Challenge on time.

Jman at Death of a Hardcore Gamer appears to be ready for April.  I think you'll have loads of fun, Jman.  Let all your friends know about this.

Susan Kane at the contemplative cat provided a round of A to Z brainstorming inspired by the "How It's Made" TV show.

Teresa at Journaling Woman was having an internal debate about the Challenge, but it looks like the Alphabet won.

Mish at Writer-In-Transit got very creative with her Challenge post.  Just goes to show what kind of inspiration comes from Blogging from A to Z.   Can you top this one?

Marcy at Maine Words (#235 on the Linky List) played the "Getting to Know Me" game by answering some of the questions posted to co-hosts.  Always a good time to get to know one another better and everyone is welcomed to join in the fun.

Dave at Dave Wrote This is another blogger who joined in the "Getting to Know Me" fun--Dave went with the entire list.  Whether you answer them all, just some of them, or make up your own questions; we'd all enjoy hearing some of your answers.  As we head into the Challenge you might want to set aside a post to introduce yourselves to the others who may not know you yet.

Susan Gourley/Kelley at Susan Says provided some important tips on her blog that can't be said too many times.   I hope everyone listens to what Susan says.

And hooray Inspire Nordic who also touted the Challenge on her blog.  So glad you're with us this year.

Patricia Stoltey is a solid supporter of the A to Z Challenge.  She's been giving weekly shout outs for us on her blog.

Janice at Jabblog had some kind of snafu with her sign up on the Linky List, but it gave her a reason to post about the Challenge which is always good.  Might as well turn lemons into lemonade.

Call it what you will, there's no reason to be in a tizzy about the April Challenge Lizard Happy--who is #370 on the sign up list by the way.

Tower of Archmage is a gamer blog that is returning to play the A to Z Challenge for the second year.  Have fun!

Thank you Christine Rains for helping push for the March 1st 1000!

I'm learning about Twitter and in doing so I spotted Laurie Carlson's Challenge to her readers.  Check out Laurie's great A to Z Post.    Then follow her blog while you're there--she deserves it.

Spirit Called put forth a call out for more folks to be a part of the April A to Z.   Yeah! That's the spirit!

The adrenaline is pumping high at Whatever.  Thanks Gossip Girl for your energetic post.

Susanne Drazic at Putting Words Down on Paper announced our drive to get 1000 sign-ups by March 1.  Come on bloggers!  Get everyone you know involved in the April Challenge.  Let's make this a party to rival any Oscar party out there.

Lindi from F.A.I.T.H. Girls gave the Challenge a nice mention and provided the link for others to sign up.  Anyone can do this--how about you?

More and more of you are posting about the Challenge.  We are trying to keep up with these posts to list on our Sunday Summary.  I'm watching Google Alerts, emails from co-hosts, and the messages I receive from you who contact me.  If you've posted something and we've missed it here, let me know and I'll try to put it up.   In the weeks to come we may have so many mentions that I may have to distill them into the highlights and the most unique posts.

 But Please! no matter what--keep on promoting A to Z to get more sign-ups.  We are looking for 1000 by this Thursday and it would be nice to pass 1300 by April 1 so we can surpass last year.  Our goal is to make the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge bigger and better each year.   Thanks to all of you for helping us meet this goal.

And now a word from our sponsor courtesy of Ron Easton at Dads Unlimited:






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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Keep Track of #atozchallenge via The #atozchallenge Daily!

Last April, the A to Z challenge had about 1300 participants.This year, more than 600 bloggers
 have already signed up . Who knows how long the list would grow by the third of April?
 
I have to admit I was a little lost last year--so many blogs to visit, so little time! Plus, I had my 
own posts to think of, which according to my leave-everything-till-the-last-minute personality, 
I had left unscheduled, writing each day as it came. By the time I came to the list, I was 
horrified. Which link had I visited last? Then, when I clicked on a link, it sometimes turned out
 the blogger hadn't posted in a week. Which pissed me off, of course. 

This is when I discovered the #atozchallenge tag which our host Lee helpfully added to all his
 comments. I went on Twitter and discovered fresh A-Z posts by bloggers on this hashtag. No 
worrying over whether the link was valid, and I also got to make new Twitter buddies, and 
agonize with them about the number of posts to be written or visited! (For explanation of hashtag 
for those new to Twitter go here.)

So I basically went and created Twitter newspaper, The #atozchallenge Daily, one which 
automatically collects all the links posted with the  #atozchallenge tag. Even if you're not 
on twitter, all you have to do is bookmark this newspaper. Opening it everyday is a 
great way of finding links to fresh A to Z posts. You'll also find it embedded here in 
this blog, on the sidebar to the right! Embedding it on your own blog is as easy as clicking on 
this link, clicking on the "Embed" tab to the right on the page that opens, and copying the
resultant code into your blog.

If you are on Twitter, you can follow us for updates on @AprilA2Z, and use #atozchallenge 
for any posts you make about A to Z, now, or during the challenge in April. This would make 
it very easy for us and others to find you---adding tons of exposure to your blog. Also, we can
 be twitter buddies and obsess over A to Z building up to the challenge, and also when it 
begins to make us dizzy with all the comment love and discussions!
 
Of the host team, (besides the main @AprilA2Z) you could follow these folks on Twitter :
 

Alex J. Cavanaugh :                                              @AlexJCavanaugh
Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs :            @StephenTremp
Matthew MacNish at The QQQE  :                       @MatthewMacNish
Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie:                      @iZombieJMH
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude :                    @DL_H
Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse :         @thewarriormuse
Elizabeth Mueller :                                                @ElizbethMueller
Karen Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain : @KarenGowen
Damyanti (that is, moi) at Amlokiblogs:               @damyantig
So if you're on Twitter, follow @AprilA2Z and let us know you're participating--and spread the word via the #atozchallenge 
The more we are, the louder the noise we'll make, the more the people we'll make friends with, and the more fun we'll have. (Not to mention additional twitter and blog follows!)

If you don't like Twitter, keep your finger on the pulse by bookmarking The #atozchallenge Daily...either way, have fun and win new fans this April by participating in the A to Z Challenge!


--------------
Damyanti Biswas, co host of the #atozchallenge.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Tell Me About This A to Z Challenge

Artwork by Ada Z
         Many of you reading this know about the April Challenge, but there are still some of you who have heard about Blogging from A to Z and don't know what it is.  Or perhaps there are those who are still trying to decide or are even afraid to try it.  Don't worry--it's all in good fun!

        If you're new to the A to Z Blog, be sure to click on the tabs at the top of the page to see if that information answers your questions.   There are a couple of polls in the sidebar for you to answer if you'd like to express yourself.  And please click the "friend connect" button to become a "Friend of the Alphabet".  That's not the same as the sign-up list but it will keep you connected to the official Challenge blog.

        The sign-up list will appear this coming Monday January 30th.  You will be able to find it at the A to Z Team of hosts' blog sites and on this blog.  The A to Z Team blogs are listed about halfway down the sidebar to your right.   Be sure to visit all of the blogs of our Team members, drop in to say hello, and follow our blogs.   We will all have our own updates in addition to the ones on this Challenge Blog and each blog host may have their own special surprises along the way.  Don't miss out on that part of the fun.

         Alex Cavanaugh talked about the Linky List yesterday on this blog.  If you missed that post be sure to scroll down and read it.  Tomorrow we'll have some last minute business before the big day on Monday.

        After Monday the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Blog will continue presenting daily posts with Challenge news and helpful tips about doing the Challenge and blogging in general.  Be sure to check into this site frequently.

          Here's a check list of what you can do before Monday if you will be participating in the A to Z April Challenge:
  • Add the official A to Z Badge in a prominent place on your site.  The top of the sidebar is probably best.  Announce to other bloggers that you will be participating in April by displaying the official logo.  Use the code under one of the badges on this page to place it on your site.
  • There are a couple of  animated A to Z graphics that I'm sure you've seen.  These were created by co-host Jeremy at Retro-Zombie.  If you copy the code beneath each of these you can transfer this code to your own blog design page and you will have your own animated banner or button minus the code.   It makes a snazzy addition to dress up your page and show your enthusiasm for the Challenge.   If you still don't know which animated pieces I'm talking about, it's the apple to zebra banner at the top of this page and the flashing letters of the alphabet about halfway down the sidebar.   They'd look very nice on your blog.
  • Plan a post about the A to Z Challenge.   Let your regular readers know what you'll be doing in April and encourage your fellow bloggers to join you.  You can do one or as many posts as you like about the Challenge.  Talk about previous years, what you plan on doing this year, or ideas that you think might help others.   This provides your blog content and gets the word out to others.
  • Spread the word about the April Challenge.  Shout it out on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social media you like to use.  Let others know that the sign-ups will be starting and let them know when you've signed up.  Let's make the first day of sign-ups a big splash.
  • Follow the A to Z Challenge Facebook page.  Also click the follow button for Networked Blogs.  Help the A to Z presence grow.



       You are a big part of the success of A to Z.   Last year was a hit because of wonderful bloggers like you.   We're going to make 2012 even bigger and better.    

          Some of you have been putting up some wonderful promotional posts to spread word about the A to Z Challenge and that is greatly appreciated.  There are posts like the one found Sommer Leigh's blog.  That's the kind of post that will stimulate more interest as it explains what the Challenge is all about.

          If you blog about the Challenge, let us know here in the comments or by sending one of us an email.  We'll try our best to get you and your post recognized.   Thanks for your help and participation.  Now let's do some prepping for Monday's big day.





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