Did You See It?

       If you missed the What Works...Online Marketing Symposium you can still visit the posts of the participants by clicking here, or on the badge on the right sidebar, or by just scrolling down to my previous post.  Alex J. Cavanaugh has culled the Linky List of non-participants and all of the links should lead directly to the Symposium posts.

        Don't be misled by the reference to "Marketing".   Many readers may have decided that marketing does not apply to them, but believe me it touches us all in some way.  And even if you aren't interested in marketing, there are some excellent posts here.   It's a treasure trove of information that may get you thinking.

         I'm still making my way through the list and like many who did visit the participating sites, I'm taking notes and bookmarking posts for future reference.   If you can't use this information now, you may want it later.  It's good information with applications that go beyond writing and publishing.

         Check out at least a few of these posts.  I think you'll be glad that you did.

          My thanks to everyone who participated and a special thanks to my co-hosts Yolanda Renee, Jeremy Hawkins, and Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

What's Next?

        Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2014 sign-ups open on Monday 27th.  Yes, that's next Monday!  The list will be open until start date April 1, but it's a good idea to sign up as soon as possible so others can start visiting your site before the Challenge begins.  A lot of networking will be going on over the next couple months so join early to be a part of the early action and make new blogging friends.

         Also on that same day the new A to Z Team will be announced.  You'll see some veteran Team members as well as a few new members.   Meet the Team and maybe you can sign up to assist those members.   We expect another big turnout so we'll need some help just like last year.

       Big things are coming as April grows nigh.   Be sure to visit the A to Z Blog regularly for updates and helpful Challenge tips.   

         Was the What Works...  symposium helpful to you?   Would you like to see us do something like this again in the future?   Are you going to be blogging from A to Z with us this year?   Why or why not?

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What Works?...and what doesn't

What's Happening?
         
        Anyone who has been following my blog for some time is probably aware of my keen interest in the topics of marketing and promotion and how the two can be used effectively in blogging.  I'm not going to delve too deeply into my own thoughts on marketing as you can do a search of my blog under the terms "marketing" or "promotion" and come up with plenty of posts on those and related topics.  

        In fact my A to Z theme in 2012 was marketing and promotion and those posts would be a good place to find out some of my thoughts on the subject as well as get an idea of what the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is about.   If you want to read the first installment of that series you'll find it here and then just continue on if you want more.

        The current blog event is about what you bloggers think and have to say about marketing, promotion, and related ideas.  There's no magic formula that I know of that makes for successful marketing.  Sometimes what works in one instance may fall flat in another.   Other times totally absurd ideas may work in a big way. Some ideas are fairly tried and true while others are just a shot in the dark.  Sometimes they work and and sometimes they don't.

       With What Works....and what doesn't we want to get some idea of what some of you may have actually tried or observed.   We hope to learn some of your philosophies, psychological insights, hard factual data, or your pipe dreams about marketing.   We want to try to figure out What Works...

Why What Works...?

     In November Yolanda Renée and I were having an email interchange about the guest post she did at my dream blog, A Faraway View.  We were examining stats and experimenting with different tactics to see what worked in drawing visitors to the site.  A Faraway View typically is a low activity blog, but our combined efforts brought considerably more viewers to her post than I usually get.   Though the numbers for that post are still low, through our combined marketing efforts the post garnered some of the highest views and most comments of any other post on that site.  Was it due to our marketing efforts?

          During the course of our exchange I came up with what I thought might be a good idea for a blog event.   The "blogfest" should have a wide range of interest among most of our followers since we all are promoting something whether we admit to it or not.   This would not be just a fun blogging exercise, but " a blogfest with information you can use."

        The premise would be for participants to tell about a marketing idea they've used that worked or one that didn't work.  Their post could describe a campaign that succeeded in a big or small way or one that failed drastically.  This wouldn't only be limited to authors but also apply to those who have gone into business,  observed in another business campaign, participated in an organizational event, helped their kids with a fundraiser, or anything where a bit of promotion was necessary.  In other words this is a blogfest anyone could participate in and everyone can learn from.  Posts can be informational, a personal experience account, or a funny marketing story.  Experience gained from a promotional effort in one area can have applications in other efforts.  

         The ultimate goal is to learn what others have done right that we all can use and what to avoid.  Hopefully we can get marketing stats like Yolanda and I were doing in our study and other hard data that might be compiled into specific or fairly decent conclusions.   We want to know What Works... and I'm sure many of you would find this type of information useful as well.

Also Brought to You By:

         Since I've had more than a few interchanges on the subject of marketing with my good friend Jeremy Hawkins, I contacted him to bring his knowledge to the table.  I know Jeremy is very interested in marketing since he has a number of ventures going.   His artistic expertise provided us with a super cool logo for the event.

        And of course no great blogging event would be complete without Alex J. Cavanaugh.   Alex has mastered the art of cross promotion, building his name, blog recognition, and brand by promoting others.  I owe a special thanks to Alex for being at the helm of this event while I was on vacation and during my subsequent illness.  That's why we call him "The Captain".

Be sure to check out all the blogs of the hosts.  And if for some reason the Linky List does not appear on my page you should be able to find it on theirs:

Arlee Bird - http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/

Yolanda Renee - http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/

Jeremy Hawkins - http://www.beingretro.com/

Alex J. Cavanaugh - http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Now let's find out What Works...and what doesn't.  
Here's the list of participants!  

<!-- end LinkyTools script –> *****
Remember--if you don't see the Linky List here then check the other participating sites.  I've been having some computer problems.

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What's In A Name?

       Today we have a blog tour stop from author and blogger Yolanda Renée.     You can find Yolanda's blog at Defending The Pen.  Leave a comment on this post and you'll be eligible to win a copy of one of Yolanda's e-books.   Details at the end of this post...

   What's In A Name?

                Lucifer S Reynard is the antagonist of my soon to be released novel Memories of Murder, the second book in the Murder trilogy. A young man raised by his prostitute mother to believe that he is Lucifer's son. She gives him the name Lucifer and calls him Lucii for short. She promises him that his future holds a place of power and raises him to believe that he is the devil incarnate. While still a child, friends point out to him a picture of his father, the horned Beast, which is Lucii's first introduction to the real monster. At first horrified, Lucifer, with his mother's support, learns to accept his fate, and as an adult transforms himself into the Beast. Lucifer is a man determined to fulfill his mother's vision.

                During the research for Memories of Murder, I found that there are at least 1500 people with the first name of Lucifer in the United States. Not that unusual when you consider that the name Lucifer is Latin for morning star and the morning star refers to Venus. However, what I also found was that Lucifer and Satan are not the same, yet most of us believe that they are, therefore the title of this blog, What's In A Name. Well, if your name is Lucifer, quite a lot, especially if it's linked so deeply to Satan, the Beast, the Evil One. FYI – there are at least 40 names for the Devil.

                Why do most of us attribute the name Lucifer to Satan, or the Devil? Apparently, scribes made a bit of a mistake when deciphering the Old Testament. A Babylonian king named Lucifer was condemned for his treatment of the Israelites, but that incident was and still is, interpreted as the fall of Satan from heaven. Therefore, the Prince of Darkness, Satan, and The Morning star, Lucifer, became one and the same, but because of theologians, poets, and writers—myth and doctrine became interwoven, and the fall of Lucifer a Babylonian king, became not a man but an angel condemned by God.

                Interesting isn't it? Words do have power, and some mistakes last ages, but a lie can never really become truth, no matter how often it's repeated.

                Thanks Lee, for allowing me to discuss Lucifer, and my book Memories of Murder to be released on October 4, 2013. Murder, Madness & Love is now available, and one lucky commenter will receive an eBook copy of Memories or Murder, their choice.  The winner will be announced next Wednesday on Tossing It Out.

Yolanda Renée

Defending The Pen

Memories of Murder

October 4, 2013

Curiosity Quills Press

Decades ago, the seeds were planted …

Today, dark, fathomless eyes rake the image before him. One final task and the transformation is complete. Steady fingers screw intricately carved horns on each side of a stiff brow, and a gargoyle suitable for Notre Dame scowls from the smokey mirror in satisfaction.

A jagged smile rips through his smooth, hairless face, and inked, reptilian scales caress his naked body.

A laugh of hideous resonance emanates from his gut as the demons of hell welcome Lucifer into their fold.

In a dungeon-like chamber, his Lilith awaits. The kidnapped daughter of a nun, groomed to fit the final piece in the complex puzzle for world domination. Will Lucifer marry his bride, on the summer solstice?

Only two things stand in his way ...

His greed ...

And ...

Detective Steven Quaid.

~ Murder, Madness & Love is available now at ~

Amazon – Kobo – B & N

~ Memories of Murder will be available October 4, 2013 ~

~Yolanda Renée~

~Murder, Madness & Love~

~Defending The Pen~

~Facebook~

~Twitter~

~Pinterest~

             Do you have any thoughts on today's post?   What is the most problematic name that you've heard?    Do you think that our name given at birth can effect how we turn out later in life?

          The opinions expressed in today's post are those of guest Yolanda Renee and not necessarily held by the owner of this blog.

Be here on Friday as Alex J. Cavanaugh raises another controversial literary topic.

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