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Posted (edited)

"Do monthly thematics with groups of bloggers by blog subject matter, have an overall monthly theme that everyone participates. Post and follow a schedule to engage on each other's blogs around the theme.  Use social media to cross promote the posts about the topic making it something of a month long round table discussion. Win win win for bloggers... readers and demographic impacted by the topics of discussion. Schedule themes around topics that are being discussed globally... have a common place to announce thematic changes for breaking news topic changes like 1)the Cosby scandal when it happened, 2)a new Black Lives Matter incident, 3) political developments during the voting season... Even when it is "entertainment" based blog subject matter discussing how current national news events impact the subject matter covered by the blog."

Troy, I'm a marketing professional now.  I returned to college to get a BBA in Marketing because I fell in love with it as a result of becoming an author who needed to spread the word about my books. I have four different levels of ways we can execute or implement this in a way that will benefit AALBC. The simplest and riskiest way to implement it would be to send out an invitation to the bloggers you know to sign up and offer slots to be featured during each thematic month for everyone to participate. This is simple because it is first come, first serve and sign up based. Risky because when people don't invest in things like this in MOST cases... they don't follow up on it and participate. This kind of community would require mature commitment, ongoing engagement and a desire to see other blogs increase traffic. If you want to know the other ways, I'll be happy to discuss how to do them so you're able to implement them if you choose. 

Edited by AuthorShawneda
  • Like 3
Posted

Good suggestions...I'm just worried that they aren't able to be implemented. As an example, I once made a call for writers for my blog. The requirement was the bloggers all needed their own platforms and had all of their ad revenue channels set up so that when they wrote an article that was about a book for instance, they could add their own Amazon Affiliate code. I eventually only added 1 writer and that writer has done a very good job, but consistency is the issue. I'd like to add more writers, but inevitably the writers only want to focus on their own sites. They don't realize that the real strength is in co-ops. It's why I choose to spend my social media time here on AALBC and Facebook. I feel that I have good engagement and it benefits AALBC for me to share what I know or have learned. It also benefits me to be associated with the oldest Black Lit company on the web. I enhance the pockets of the owner as opposed to just throwing away all of my equity to billionaires who sell my info.  I choose Facebook because if I do well I will need to be on one of these outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Instagram) to reach those people who don't understand the importance of visiting websites.

Whew, that was a lot to say and ask you this, how does this get implemented and started? 

  • Like 2
Posted

Hi Shawneda, thanks for spawning the separate conversation for this subject.  I agree with Chris in that is seems like a good idea, I just have never been involved in an effort like this that was successful.  Attempts I have initiated have been largely unsuccessful, but I continue to try, I always have.

Recently I emailed over 100 Bloggers just looking for ways in which we could collaborate.  Keep in mind these are Blogger every one of whom I'm promoted independently.  I know I've sent traffic their way as I've tracked the click throughs.  But despite that only a handful of people replied and besides Chris you are really the only one whose has replied, 

I have a few questions;

(1) How did you discover this message and what was it that promoted you to reply and offer suggestions.

(2) How do we actually execute your suggestion? What specifically must be done.  Are you willing to lead the effort, I'm willing to help.  

 

Posted

Hi all,  

I saw the initial message from Troy and opened it immediately. This is my first time commenting on any of the related posts, but I've been following every conversation since they began over in the How Can Bloggers Support Each Other? forum. And I suspect others are "watching" these conversations as well. Eight months ago, I would've jumped right on this initiative but this line from Troy's initial message,"I know many good writers who no longer blog, because they were unable to attract readers or effectively monetize their blogs."  is exactly where I am at the moment. I'm on an unofficial hiatus and trying to determine if I will blog again at all. 

I don't know that I've ever been drained at anything but with the 5 years I've spent nurturing my blog, I can say that the return has not been worth it to me - honestly, there has been no return. I can articulate several reasons that I'm drained but this space was created for solutions not venting. It is in that vein that I have not contributed to these discussion. I am not mentally sharp enough to do so thoughtfully during this down time. That said, if you all roll out something, I may be willing to participate. 

Shannon/Reading Has Purpose

  • Like 2
Posted

Hi Shannon,

We all feel the exact same way. I've been writing about how Social media has decimated the personal blog for pleasure and for business. That is the whole goal of what we are discussing; how to begin building better blogs. Looking at your blog, you seem to be still active and that's a good thing. I guess you are saying you aren't as active as you once were.

Here is a chance for the idea I'm thinking about and I've mentioned before. AALBC has a blog platform. If Troy took the time to add those of us who are contributing to the discussion, as writers, we bring our traffic to AALBC and we have a common platform that makes AALBC more like an Examiner or Huffpost. In each of our post, if we can use our own Amazon codes for books and film, we benefit. Troy benefits with his adsense account and we all build links to our sites.  

I think this is really the only way to begin getting traffic to our sites consistently. Literally this is what will have to happen for any of us to see any benefits. I'm more than willing to add people who write and have really good blogs like yours.

  • Like 1
Posted

I just collected some more detailed data on my social media activity, drilling down into that <2% of my overall traffic source.  I will write it up tomorrow, but I have compelling evidence that with a bit more cooperation and an understanding of the tools we use, the can demonstrably increase out over all traffic--and use social media to help do it.

Hi Shannon, thanks for stepping out of the shadows.  Sharing your experience is important for others to read.  Of course it resonates.  I've been a observer and active website builder for 20 years, so I know what we have lost, perhaps more than most.  I know how AALBC.com efforts and effectiveness has been constrained as well.

Again, I believe we can do something about it, but each of us working in isolation reinventing the same wheel and competing against each other will not do the trick.  

  • 5 months later...
Posted

Off-topic but not really...

The same day I tweeted the best black blog list... my own blog - www.dailymindf-ck.com got 786 page views within a few hours... I NEVER get that many page views in one day, ever and that's my most popular blog on blogger ...(I have about 4 on blogger and 1 on wordpress.  All of  which I'm in the process of consolidating).   When I looked at my traffic sources it linked back to aalbc.com with my blog name.   The dailymind is the one blog I uploaded to the huria blog list. I think I added blog.theleadstory.net too 

Even if I faked it, I still couldn't make sense of how I got all those pageviews.  The tweet only had 85 impressions and 0 clicks on the link

I'm going to wait a couple of days and again tweet the list again to see if happens again. 

  • Like 1

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