January 17, 2015----- Please note that the deadline to sign up for participation
in this year's GYB party has now passed.
Thank you so much for your amazing interest in the party --
it's going to be a great one!!
To date -- over 400 blogs have signed up to
join us all at the party.
What a wonderful opportunity
to meet new friends and
Grow Our Blogs!
See you there--
January 25, 2015
xoxo
Vicki
~~~~~~
My "GROW YOUR BLOG"
event is designed to bring more readers and FOLLOWERS to your blogs. The
premise is simple-- just visit as many blogs as you wish and sign up to
follow those that interest you. In turn, all the other folks will be doing the same thing~ we will all be growing our blogs!
We need some guidelines for everyone to follow
so here they are~
(the really, really important stuff is highlighted in red!!)
1.Everyone who has a blog is invited --
this is an international event.
Wherever you live~you are invited to party with us.
Please note -- the deadline for
entry is January 17. This is THE official sign up post -- if you wish
to participate - please leave a comment here on this post. (I can't go back and forth between multiple posts for all the entries -- so please consider that this is the official sign up post.)
In your entry comment -- please tell me
how many followers you have. I will be grouping the participants
according to their number of followers. While you can certainly visit
as many blogs as you wish -- those of you with only a few followers may
wish to begin your visits by going to those blogs who, like you, only
have a few followers -- that way you can support each other and more
easily add to your follower lists!
***** in addition to your number of
followers - please leave me a live link to your blog in your comment.
Copy the URL of your blog and paste it into your comment. This will make it easier for me to go directly to your blog when I add you into the blog lists. If I can't find your blog ---- I won't be able to add it in.
and---- new this year-----
if you have a particular craft or hobby that your blog is primarily associated with ---
eg.. quilting, embroidery, knitting, cross stitch, photography, painting,... -- leave me a comment about that as well.
if you have multiple hobbies--- you may list up to 3
I'll list your craft choice out from your blog name on the party list -- that may help to bring more folks to your blog who have similar interests.
(if you don't have a hobby, that's fine--)
and---- new this year-----
if you have a particular craft or hobby that your blog is primarily associated with ---
eg.. quilting, embroidery, knitting, cross stitch, photography, painting,... -- leave me a comment about that as well.
if you have multiple hobbies--- you may list up to 3
I'll list your craft choice out from your blog name on the party list -- that may help to bring more folks to your blog who have similar interests.
(if you don't have a hobby, that's fine--)
2. Please share the beautiful party badge
(created by my friend Karen Valentine)
with your own blogging friends.
Post
it on your sidebar and encourage your friends to do the same. The more
blogs that participate - the more chances we all have of growing our
blogs. SPREAD THE WORD! Perhaps even consider doing a post about this on your own blog. The more people who participate -- the more chances you have to "Grow Your BLOG!!"
3. Prizes ---
the choice is yours
to give away prizes or not.
Last
year it was about half and half. In the many comments that I received
relating to last year's event -- folks seemed to really enjoy the
prizes that they won and appreciated the efforts by those who gave them
away. But - the choice is yours and there is no requirement to do so.
If you do chose to give away a prize - it can be anything you want.
The rules need to be the same for everyone~ anybody can enter, anybody
can win.
PLEASE do not make it a requirement
to follow your blog in order to enter. In fact -- you do not have to
have a blog to be entered to win a prize. Blogging has NO boundaries so
you need to be willing to ship your prize any where in the world.
Everyone can enter - regardless of where they live.
**Let's all do the same thing and give
the prizes away on February 15. You can announce the winner of your
give away on your blog on that date. **
4. Please publish your blog post
late on the evening of January 24 --
that way it will be ready for those on the other side of the world
who wake up before us.
As the host blog, I will publish my post with the list on participants
just after midnight
on January 25.
Please take a moment and read the following
suggestions for making this a great and fun
experience for us all~
1. Please title your
blog post "GROW YOUR BLOG". Introduce yourself, tell us who you are and
why your love to blog. If your blog pertains to a specific interest or
area - tell us all about that. In short - we would all like to know
what drives you create your blog.
2. There is nothing
more dreaded than the "no reply blogger" status. Simply go to your
blogger profile page and add your email address. This will allow folks
to reply directly back to you from your comment on their blog. We all
want to be able to reply directly back to our visitors - especially if
they ask a question-- it's so frustrating when that cant be done.
3. Comment
moderation spam filter -- ugh. Most of us hate it! Please consider
turning it off for this event. This is NOT a requirement - but it will
definitely make your visitors more likely to stay longer and leave a
comment if they don't have to play with the robot.
4. VERY IMPORTANT--
if you want more followers - be sure to add your FOLLOWER gadget to
your sidebar! Please have it positioned prominently where we can all see
it. (you can find the Follower button in the gadget section of your
design page. Just click on it and position it on your sidebar.)
5. You might want to
consider adding your email address to your public profile and also
somewhere on your sidebar. Mine is listed in 2 places on my sidebar -- I
want my readers to easily be able to reach me. I also often list my email address directly in my post so that folks can find it more easily.
6. Consider telling
us your name. Seriously. Folks want to be able to call you by name and
to connect with you when they leave a comment.You might want to also
consider posting a photo of yourself somewhere on your blog- that helps
your readers to connect with you also. My name is Vicki. (see photo at
bottom of this post) . See -- that was painless!
7. I know that many
of you are artists (like me) and that your blogs are often about the
things that you create. If your craft is genuinely a part of who you are
-- then by all means share with us what you make! BUT -- this event is not about selling our wares-- this event is to meet people and grow our blogs. Just
have your website or ETSY shop listed on your blog sidebar-- if your
visitors are interested in making a purchase -- they will go to the
trouble to find your shop on the sidebar or to email you.
8.
Sometimes when you go to a party -- you just feel like getting a new
dress or outfit. So-- if you would like to update the appearance of
your blog -- a new blog header --or a whole new layout-- you might want
to contact my friend Karen Valentine. Karen
has dedicated her entire blogging career to helping us all with our
blogging concerns,questions, and also helping us create beautiful blogs.
Karen is my very own "go to person" when it comes to anything that I
need help with relating to my blog. She has practically "adopted" me.
I know that she would be thrilled to help you with updating your blogs
in preparation for all the company you will be receiving at this event!
SO -- please mark
your calendars. Make a poster - put it in your datebook-- place a
reminder on your phone -- a sticky note on your computer--write the date
on your bathroom mirror~~~ if you are a reader or follower of my blog, I
won't let your forget!
As I add blogs to the
lists, I won't be sending emails to each of you this year telling you
that you have been added in. I just can't-- that takes hours and hours
of extra work. So please, if participating in this event is
important to you - please save the date, mark the date -- and refer to
this post for all the info that you need.
*** please note~
After the party begins, I will wait 24 hours and then begin to delete those blogs that do not have a specific "GROW YOUR BLOG" post. (I'm so sorry-- but I want this to be fair to everyone.) So please do remember the date.
After the party begins, I will wait 24 hours and then begin to delete those blogs that do not have a specific "GROW YOUR BLOG" post. (I'm so sorry-- but I want this to be fair to everyone.) So please do remember the date.
~~~~~
Volunteers needed!!!
those who volunteer to help with the party will be listed at the very TOP of the party page (before the regular lists begin)
-- you will also be listed in your blog grouping based on your number of followers -- so you will have 2 opportunities to have visits from folks at the party!!
***I'm
looking for about 20 volunteers to help me visit the blogs who are
participating. If you are someone who is comfortable with the "how-to's" of blogging, and consider that you could answer questions from novice bloggers regarding blogging issues --- then please consider being one of my VALUED volunteers for this year's party. In addition -- on the day of the party you will visit the
short list of blogs that I assign to you and report back to me which
ones forgot to do a "Grow Your Blog" post. If you are available to help me -- just send me an email-- vboster1@windstream.net.
This is me --- photo taken on our recent trip to the Gaspe Penninsula, Quebec, Canada. (I'll be posting this entire trip beginning in January -- taking my readers on an incredible adventure!!)
I want to personally invite you to be a part of my third annual "Grow Your Blog" party for January 2015--- it is truly a wonderful opportunity for folks to meet new friends. Last year, the party started with almost 600 participants. Because I leave the party post up all year long --- the opportunity is still there even after the party closes -- for folks to continue to visit you -- and for you to visit all the other participants. My blog continues to get almost 200 visits per week on that party post--- so it lives on, and on, and on!! I hope to see you there~
If you have questions, please dont hesitate to email me --- vboster1@windstream.net.
Love,
Vicki
ps --- I want to leave this post up for several weeks so that the info about the party will be easily available to everyone. I'll be back with my regular posts sometime in mid-December. xoxo
ps --- I want to leave this post up for several weeks so that the info about the party will be easily available to everyone. I'll be back with my regular posts sometime in mid-December. xoxo
