I hadn’t intended to post again before I take off on vacation, but this can’t wait. #SundayBlogShare is a smashing success. We’ve no way of knowing how much of it is because of my promotion, but the difference between this week and last is pretty astounding. We’ve rapidly taken this thing from an idea to something a lot of bloggers do, and I’m happy to have helped it along.
Image via Suzie81’s Blog, 2014.
The fact that Suzie had to warn people off that hashtag and I blocked an account for spamming it says we definitely got the word out. Attention-seekers only show up when they think there is attention to be had. Dealing with that is unavoidable. It comes with having a well-known hashtag. This is why I’m done with the heavy promotion for now and just turning bloggers on to it in ones and twos.
Every blogger who is paying attention to me knows about this hashtag, knows that using it appropriately is part of my game now, and knows I am fully behind it. Those of you who like it know to share it with other bloggers. More heavy promotion from me will do nothing but attract everyone else in my Twitter following. If it were my hashtag, I wouldn’t do more heavy promotion for at least a couple of months. Since it’s Suzie’s, I won’t do it again without talking to her first.
Since #SundayBlogShare is not mine, I don’t make rules. Suzie has the rules. I dislike being the one to make them, anyway. And far be it from me to tell anyone how to use their own Twitter accounts. But I will give you a list of behaviors I approve and disapprove of. What makes me smile and what makes me frown.
Diabolo III free wallpaper from hqwide.com.
@Sourcererblog blocked an account for spamming #SundayBlogShare this week because their tweets were interfering with my ability to communicate with people. @justgeneo is still watching to see if they do it again next week. If they do, I’ll report them.
Whomever runs that account now has zero opportunity to find out what an awesome human being I am, nor to be introduced to the bloggers I tweet with. That’s unfortunate. I’m an open sort of dude, and I don’t just talk to bloggers. Sourcerer does not block very many people outright, but we all have our limits. Spamming a feed while I am working it is just about the worst thing you can do if you want to be friends with me. So here’s what I’m doing on #SundayBlogShare.
Things that make me smile.
- Actual bloggers sharing links to actual blog posts. This is the whole purpose of #SundayBlogShare. To do that and use it as a way to meet other bloggers.
- Bloggers sharing the hashtag with other bloggers.
- Bloggers using the hashtag to thank one another for retweeting #SundayBlogShare links and (judiciously) talk about how the day is going.
Things that make me frown.
- People I’ve never heard of sharing images, sharing links to commercial websites, or pimping their YouTube channels with no blog post in sight. I can let one error slide, and it’s not my job to warn people off. But if I see Suzie give a warning and they continue to use the hashtag, I’m looking to see if this is someone I am following. If so, they get unfollowed and muted.
- Posting the same link ten or more times one minute apart to the hashtag. This is actual spamming behavior as defined by Twitter.
- The bloggers in my circle would never do this. But it doesn’t matter if the link is to a blog post or not. One time ensures I will never interact with that account. Twice gets the account reported for spamming and blocked.
- As much as I try to treat all bloggers as equal, I must say. If you have a wedding planning service and you’re using your blog as a marketing tool, it’s not in your commercial best interest to spam #SundayBlogShare with your marketing. You gain nothing by it, and you lose a ton of bloggers who might be interested if you weren’t spamming their favorite hashtag on the one day of the week when they are using it to meet other bloggers.
It makes me happy that I can only identify two behaviors that make me frown, even though the second one required three bullet points to address. And really, the fact that I am writing this today means a damn lot of bloggers must know about #SundayBlogShare. Which is good for all of us.
I want #SundayBlogShare to be a safe, friendly hashtag where bloggers can share links and meet other bloggers every Sunday. It’s had my full support from day one, and it still does. Here’s how I am supporting it.
- Sharing a few links on Sundays when my schedule permits. Maybe one of mine, a couple for Sourcerer contributors, a couple for friends from the larger blogosphere, and one of the Monster’s. My own links are shared hours apart.
- Looking at bloggers who share links there and following them. Since I only unfollow people who land at the bottom of my unfollowers list, that means they get a follower for at least a few weeks. Forever if they follow back, whether they ever actually tweet with me or not.
- Replying to tweets and meeting other bloggers who are already following me but who I have never talked to.
- Not liking, favoriting, replying to, or retweeting anything except that list of things that make me smile.
- Unfollowing anyone who spams the hashtag once (if I happen to be following) and reporting them if they do it a second time.
I know no one who actually reads this would do that stuff. I am posting because I hope that sharing how I deal with it will help you develop your own ways of dealing with it. #SundayBlogShare looks like a solid, long-term proposition to me. It’s going to get invaded from time to time. This is how you deal with invasions.
I’m impressed by what I was able to accomplish this week with a couple of very modest blogs, a Twitter following of about 4K, and a lot of help from my friends.
Imagine the things we can do together when we’ve all known one another for two years instead of one. When I have a sweet pop culture blog posting twice a day eight months out of the year, a Twitter following of 10K+, twice as many friends in the blogosphere, and a useful presence on a third network.
I’ve hoisted the flag.
Arrr, Mateys!
No turning back now. Not for me.
#closure
Thanks, Write On, Sisters!, (@tweetonsisters) for turning out your numbers for #SundayBlogShare. I see what a mighty swarm you are. Almost no one else does. That is to our advantage 🙂 The way you are distributed across several time zones is also an advantage, though I am sure it does not feel like one. Let’s stick together and see what next year brings, shall we?
See you next week.
