Revealing WINNERS and Wrapping Up the #AtoZChallenge 2018 Event Feedback DAY FIVE

After the A to Z challenge 2018, there was an Event Feedback survey.

The last of the potatoes!


33. Anything else you need to say here?

Please double-check the time-zones.

I appreciated your daily posts.

Please make the t-shirts available internationally.

I assumed some people weren't participating because they didn't clearly display the logo on their blog.

"I like the traditional logo because it makes me think of a passport stamp and traveling (which you kind of are doing as you travel from post to post)." -- Kelsey Ketch of kelseyketch.com

We Need Weekly Twitter Chats

It is always worth the time spent!

I just didn't feel the same excitement this time around.

I appreciate the time Jeremy took to make the logos for us.

Sort blog names alphabetically. Encourage commenting/ visiting blogs on those alphabet day.

I wonder if a minimum word count be encouraged?

T-shirts are nice, but so are mugs and other stuff.
"Put photographs of ALL those who participated with the blogger link in FB and offer more discounts for the T shirt."-- Ravi Shivram of slogansmith

Some people write posts that are too long. When a post is too long, I just comment that I was there.

"Nothing wrong with the list if you've got a computer that allows you to see it and use it." -- LynneInPborough of lynnelives.wordpress

"I stopped visting bloggers who did not respond to the comments I left on their site, or not commenting on mine."

"I get the idea about sharing comments ... that is kind of the point. But to me, commenting just to get noticed or simply because someone else did is kind of insincere. I comment when I feel I have something to say, not out of obligation. Granted I am not a prolific READER of blogs, but I will visit when someone visits me." Steve Kramer of taochild

There should be more bloggers in my category!

I did not like pre-scheduled links on the daily sheets. They went to non-existent blogs.

"I would have liked some of the organizers to check out my blog. I was also really surprised by how few bloggers joined this year. My second year, I think there were over 1,600. Why such a drastic drop off?" -- Stuart Nager of StuartNager.wordpress

"All of these lists creates confusion and dilutes the impact the challenge may have. I'm hoping that at some point in this reflection you ask people if they are Full Time bloggers because I am not. I don't have time every day to go searching for blog posts on Twitter, FB, the Wordpress blog, the whatever the other blog is, and whatever other link lists you have. The master list gave me context for what kinds of content I could find. I sorted by category first and started browsing around from there to see what I thought looked interesting. Having as many options as you do for sharing content means people either need to participate in every channel, which may be doable for a FT blogger, or your blog doesn't get noticed because people get lost in the digital weeds. I think that piece of data would be helpful in determining how active people can be during one month. Also, maybe ask people to rate themselves on their ability to use technology and social media, separate ratings. I know some people are vested in the way things used to be and hate change, but hello, you're a blogger. Things are going to change. If you don't keep up with the tech and social media, you're going to be left behind. Having an idea of how proficient people feel they are with the challenge might help in terms of preparation. And neither logo is easy to read or attractive." -- Declined to be named.

"There were a few times I would like to have been able to search the Master List for a specific blog / blogger."
"I kept looking for a search option on the spreadsheet and never found it - was it there and I just missed it?"
~~ Edit-- Find and Replace. Be sure you've made a copy first, as per the instructions.

And there were a lot of people who said thank you to the team!


34. Did you see that there's an official shirt? It's made by our volunteer graphics guy, Jeremy Hawkins. Blogging From A to Z April 2018 Challenge Shirt-- https://buff.ly/2JsbQxT

Only 22% didn't know about the shirts.

35. Which of Jeremy's awesome A to Z 2018 logos is your favorite?


The new logo won.

36. We are giving away guest post spots on the A to Z blog.

Those who won, please comment here.
Or contact @JLenniDorner on Twitter.
Or atozteam2018 @ gmail .com

Two guest spots a month from October thru February.

WINNERS

• Laura Roberts of Buttontapper Press
• Janet Miles of A Smile 4 u from Janet
• Wendy of Waffle with Wendy
• Shalini Baisiwala of shalzmojo.in
• Tom of true north bricks
• Camille Flores of Surviving Mexico
• J-Dub's Grin and Bear It of jilywily
• Tupeak Hope of tupeak
• Debbie of dibzzen
• Sonia Chatterjee of sonias musings

Way to go! Please contact us soon. First come, first serve for the dates.

"I really don't understand twitter." -- Several people mentioned this. If anyone is interested in writing a Twitter tutorial for bloggers, let us know!

Stupendous #AtoZChallenge 2018 Wonderful Event Feedback PART FOUR

After the A to Z challenge 2018, there was an Event Feedback survey.

Break out your potato crisps, chips, or French Fries! This is a week of long posts!



27. Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge 2018?

Collection of answers:

Been doing it for years. It's a tradition.
I'm new to blogging and it looked like fun!
I enjoy discovering new blogs because of the challenge.
Making a connection with fellow bloggers. Engagement.
To find some like-minded bloggers.
It keeps me motivated to post.
To learn and evolve as a writer.
To grow and promote my blog.
Motivation to do research.
I love the community feel of the challenge.
Challenge my creativity.
I love participating - both writing and reading other posts.
Needed to prove I could.
For fun.
Intrigued after seeing other bloggers do it previously.
The discipline.
To learn more about blogging.
Our blogger group wanted to take part.
Defeat writers' block / procrastination.


28. Do you follow us on Twitter?

Half answered that they follow! https://twitter.com/AprilA2Z

14% follow the co-hosts. @ArleeBird , @JLenniDorner , @TarkabarkaHolgy , @OneHandTyping , @JRVincente

26% search for the #AtoZChallenge hashtag on Twitter.


29. Did you use the #AtoZChallenge hashtag or share the link to the A to Z website on *other* social media sites?

In order of popularity:

1. G+ / Google Plus 54%
2. Pinterest 33%
3. Instagram 31%
4. LinkedIn
5. Tumblr
6. StumbleUpon (*Which is now Mix)
7. Reddit

30. Any feedback about our online presence/ social media?

• More active participation on Instagram and Pinterest.
• I didn't even know there was a Facebook page.
• I found that letter posts on Facebook were inconsistent.
• You do a great job and cannot expect to fulfill everyone's needs.
• I think the Twitter feed is pretty quiet. I know that I didn't get a RT or like for any tweets during April.
• I'd like to see more of the A to Z Challenge on Instagram! -- Laura Roberts of Buttontapper Press

31. Are there any other blogging categories you feel we should include?

Advice/ How-to
Midlife - there are a lot of AtoZers in this age group
Opinions, ideas, projects, thought-provoking discussions
country specific
Languages
Children's stories/ blogs
Kid Lit
teacher-authors
Fashion
Philosophy
Art commentary, or just visual art in general
environment and words
break "art" into more categories
toys
continuous 26 part story
Fandoms
eclectic
Emotional Health
Science, Midlife & Beyond Women bloggers, Lifestyle
Multi niche category.
Something more specifically to music, rather than placing it under entertainment
"You should have some way for people to include a short description of their blog. "Other" is too vague. When we check "other" maybe include a space for the short description." --Dena Pawling of denapawling

32. Any overall feedback for the event?

This year, the lists felt a little more complicated. Not sure why participation dropped. Would love for this to keep going.

I loved being able to sort the categories. Please don't go back to the old system.

Best one yet.

The announcement needs to be in January, so I know the event will happen.

Funtastic.

Do it twice a year!

I prepare over months in advance.

There were still some dead links.

New system was easy and quick. I liked it.

I love the addition of the Daily Links!

Everything I needed was right there on your blog!

I'm not sure every blog on the list was actually a blog.

Getting rid of the Linky List was genius. Google sheets was a terrific move.

Please add the ability to include a topic entry on both the master and especially the daily lists.

Three people wrote they like the new logo in general, but prefer the old logo as a background for the Daily Letters (or didn't like this years letters).

Loved, loved, loved it - thanks for all your hard work. And please continue the challenge!

I also should have watched all of the instructional videos, since I had no idea I could attach my pre-scheduled links.

"I became involved in this event when it first started, and have done it several times. I think it is a great idea for multiple reasons, and think you guys have done an awesome job of both organizing it and getting the word out."

"I liked the google sheets, especially because they were sortable. I thought the daily sign-up sheets were a benefit because I was assured there would be a post. Unlike the master sheet which could lead to a blog that had not kept up with the challenge. Perhaps the daily sheet could provide a field for the title of the post for that day. "-- "495"

"People need to turn off CAPTCHA and that other garbage that prevents comments and engage with other bloggers! So many people would have had comments from us but the process for leaving a comment required: captcha, sign in to WordPress, sign in to blogger, a blood sample, a urine sample, plus a first born child. In the end, some people still didn't engage with their commenters. (It makes me wonder: what do they think a blog hop is for?)" -- Shelina of www.dragonsandspaceships and www.twomindsaboutit.com

"I have done other blog link ups before but none this organized or supportive. Participating in this event definitely increased my site stats."-- Donna Connolly of retirement reflections

"I just appreciate the crafts category. Yes, I do sell on Etsy, but no, my blog is not just about selling. In fact it's mostly Not about selling and I appreciate the chance to expose that fact." - Stephanie Finnell of katy trail creations

"The master and daily lists should include the actual name of the authors. Some left a comment using their real name, and there was no way to find out the URL of their blog and therefore return the visit." --Tamara Gerber of The Three Gerbers

"I liked when the daily list allowed us to see the title of each post. Sometimes a particular interesting title brought me to a post I might not otherwise visit. This year we could see only the name of the blog, and most of the links didn't have much of a visible title in them." --Anne Nydam of http://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogspot.com

"I loved it as always, and this time, it was very user friendly too. The Google sheets and Google form were better than the Linky, and helped find and sort similar categories. I hope this is continued into AtoZ Challenge Year 10." --Vinay Leo R. of art of leo

"I used a linky on someone's blog to sign up. The admins never added me."
~~ There was no other location to sign up. The co-hosts did not sign up anyone.

---

One more post to go! Tomorrow will include WINNERS!

Thar be gold in th' #AtoZChallenge 2018 Treasure Map Feedback PART THREE

Aft th' A t' Z challenge 2018 went t' Davy Jones' Locker, thar was a loot map written by th' captains 'n filled in by th' crew.

Break out th' booty! 'tis a week o' long posts!



16. In the past, sign ups opened in January. In 2018, sign ups for the "April blogging from A to Z Challenge" opened in March. What is your preference?

Ahoy, me mateys! MARCH be where X marks th' spot.

17. Theme Reveal 2018!

Fav'rit answers in th' loot chest were:

• I LOVE the theme reveal!
• I added my Theme Reveal link to the official Theme Reveal Google Form.
• I added my Theme Reveal link to Twitter and used the hashtag #AtoZChallenge .
• I added my Theme Reveal link to my own Facebook profile and/or page.
• I visited blogs using the Theme Reveal spreadsheet.
• There's a space to mention a blog's theme on the Master List, but I still like the Theme Reveal as well.
• I missed my chance to take part in the theme reveal (write in answer).

18. Please mark your choices about the Master list.

Most scallywags didn' care. O' those who did, th' majority said:
"I feel the Master List should stay open for ONE WEEK after the challenge starts, and those who wish to copy the list can do so whenever."

19. Please mark your choices about the Daily lists.

Winnin' by double th' amount be:
"I feel the Daily Letter sign-ups should CLOSE after 48 hours, as they did this year."

20. Which are nearest to your opinions and feelings?

Th' top answers be:

• I love the Master List and USED it.
• I love the Daily Letter lists and USED them.
• I'm glad that Google was able to provide a free option that kept this blog hop alive. Keep using it.

Also worth noting, 23 people didn't know that the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge and the Blogchatter challenge weren't run by the same people, and therefore were two different events.

21. Websites:

Almost half of you ONLY visited the main blog site.
30% never realized there were two different sites until reading the question. (The backup being on Wordpress.)
18% MOSTLY visited the Main blog site, but also visited the backup.



22. There are "pages" on the A to Z blog. Were you able to find and interact with them?

75% said yes.
Another 15% knew they were there but didn't use them.
While 8% don't know the pages are there or still can't find them.

23. In February, we let you know how to adjust Facebook to see our posts. Did you mark the A to Z challenge as a See First?

"you can click on up to 30 pages to see first"

Results:

24. On a scale of 1😞 to 5😍, did you feel like the A to Z team gave you motivation to do the challenge?

Most scallywags gave us a 3 gold doubloons or higher. Yo ho ho!

25. Please check any of these you are interested in.

Thin's that respondents showed an interest in, by order o' interest:

1. A column on the Master List for people who write connected stories during A to Z. (Choose your adventure, short stories in 26 parts, etc)
2. An additonal separate list for people who write connected stories during A to Z. (Choose your adventure, short stories in 26 parts, etc)
3. Being part of an A to Z book blog tour, as an AUTHOR, during another month.
4. Reading books written during or because of the A to Z challenge.

25 blogs are interested in Hosting an A to Z book blog tour, as a BOOK blogger, during a month other then April.
32 want to write reviews of books written during or because of the A to Z challenge.

That's great news for the 35 who answered that they have published a book/ will publish a book as a result of the A to Z challenge!

26. How many A to Z posts did you complete?

40% posted about the challenge beforehand, did the theme reveal, and completed all 26 posts.
30% did the theme reveal, and completed all 26 posts.
18% completed all 26 posts.


Sail back tomorrow!

Amazing #AtoZChallenge 2018 Remarkable Event Feedback PART TWO

After the A to Z challenge 2018, there was an Event Feedback survey.

Break out your potato masher! This is a week of long posts!


7. Which of these Facebook methods did you use for the 2018 challenge?

• The most popular answer is that 28% link up on a personal Facebook profile AND those include #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• Whereas 41 people have links to their blog posts on a personal Facebook profile BUT DO NOT include #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• 25% have links to blog posts on a Facebook PAGE and include the #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• Conversely, 13% have links to blog posts on a Facebook PAGE, but those DO NOT include the #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• Linking to blog posts in the comments on the A TO Z Facebook page was done by 40 respondents.
• Only 15 people used the direct links on Facebook to surf to the A to Z page to read the daily posts from the co-hosts/ guests.
• And 18% said they don't use Facebook.
• A few people wrote in that they have Facebook, but do not link it to their blog or do not share their challenge posts on Facebook.
• Two people said they tagged the A to Z Challenge when sharing blog posts on Facebook.
• A handful of people weren't sure the differnce between a profile and a page.

"A profile is a personal Facebook account. Pages are public profiles that let artists, public figures, businesses, brands, organizations and nonprofits connect with their fans or customers." Click to learn more- https://facebook.com/help/337881706729661?helpref=faq_content
💡 Tagging our Facebook page is nice, but it does almost nothing to improve your post's visiblity.

8. Instructional videos and PDFs:

The majority of people said they skipped the videos and instructions, but did okay anyway.
Reading the instructions was the second most popular choice.
Both reading instructions and watching the how-to videos came in third place.
At fourth place, 18% had no idea the videos or written instructions existed!
In last place, 8% regretted not checking out the instructions.
Three people wrote in that they don't watch or enjoy videos.
One person said we offered too much information.

9. Regarding your commenting on A to Z participating blogs. 

"I followed links left in comments on my blog." By far, the most popular answer.
People also visited their usual stops and visited links found in comments on other A to Z blogs.
Daily Letter Sheets and the Master List were not far behind.
Only two respondents said they didn't comment at all.

10. Receiving comments:

A staggering amount of people recieved over 100 comments!
Some people said they didn't count their comments. A few said they got likes instead of comments.

11. Commenting:

"I commented on over 100 blog comments last month." Was the most popular answer. Way to go, majority!
Commenting on less that 25 blogs came in second.
Some folks didn't count how many they commented on.

12. Replies:

"I replied to ALL the comments that were left to me on my blog in April." Another sweet reply by the majority!
A few said they planned to reply later.

13. Visiting Blogs:

Do you know the unwritten reciprication karma theroy?
The A to Z bloggers do!
"I visited the blogs of ALL of the people who left comments on my blog." Vast majority for the win.

14. Co-host comments:

Most people reported receiveing at least one comment from someone on the A to Z team. (Arlee Bird, J Lenni Dorner, Zalka Csenge Virág, John Holton, or Jayden R Vincente)
39% didn't get a comment from anyone on the team. 😞 #FAIL
Others weren't sure, either because they didn't look, didn't open up to comments, or didn't know who the co-hosts were!

15. Some people had trouble scrolling on the Sheets.

11 people never figured out how to scroll on the Sheets.
Most people had no trouble. Others figured it out.
A handful didn't know there were Sheets for the Master List or Daily Lists.

Be sure to check out tomorrow's post! It's gonna be awesome.

Announcing #AtoZChallenge 2018 Remarkable Event Feedback PART ONE

After the A to Z challenge 2018, there was an Event Feedback survey.

Break out your potato peeler, folks, it's time for a week of long posts!

Here are the results:

1. On a scale of 1😞 to 5😍, how satisfied were you with the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2018?

Over 88% of respondents were 😊 or 😍! Only one person was totally unsatisfied.

2. How relevant, useful, and/or helpful do you think the hop was for you and your blog?



3. 2018 A to Z logos on your blog:

• 56% said they created a post with a logo in March.
• And 49% support the challenge with a logo on the blog's sidebar / widget area.
• Slightly more than half include it with April posts.
• Eight people never noticed the Banners/ Badges page tab on the top of the A to Z site, and thus didn't know about the logos!
• 28% only used the letters that match the new logo, not the logo itself.
• Only 1% answered that they don't use our logos to show support of this blog hop challenge.

4. Which of these List methods did you use for the 2018 challenge?

The overwhelming majority responded that they were on the Master List.
Only 14% had pre-scheduled post links on the Daily Lists.
But 69% included direct links on the Daily Lists after their posts were published.
Less than 5% of people didn't sign up on the lists, or thought they signed up but then couldn't find themselves.
A few people reported that they stopped using or missed out on a few of the daily links.
And since it came up in a write-in reply:

The A to Z Challenge uses feedburner to run the email list.

5. Which of these statements apply for the 2018 A to Z Challenge?

12%= I did not share links to my blog, but I did the challenge.
NO ONE only commented on blogs, but did not create blog posts.
30%= I visited the A to Z website each day in April and read the posts from the co-hosts/guests.
55%= I visited the A to Z website some days in April and read the posts from the co-hosts/guests.
8 people did not visit the A to Z website in April, and did NOT read the posts from the co-hosts/guests.
20%= I have links to my blog posts in the comments on the A to Z main webpage.
8%= I have links to my blog posts in the comments on the A to Z Wordpress site.
8 people marked "none of the above."
"I used the theme reveal to make a list of blogs to check in on during April, which I did." - Anonymous
Posts I created (days) late were not able to be added on the daily link lists.
Could not link in the comments on A-Z wordpress.
"After the first couple days I started to use a link under the letter badge with a comment hinting at what the team post was about so folks could go check the AtoZ site out." Cheryl Carter of promptlings
I made pins on Pinterest for each A to Z blog posts.
Too overwhelming.
Mainly promoted on Pinterest.
I was not aware there was a A to Z website. Saw this on a blog I follow.
Master list, starting from the end of the list, I visited every blog on that list, commenting on many of them.
I didn't notice the difference between the Wordpress and main site (Blogger) until late in the month.
"I visited the theme list and the daily list and chose almost 60 blogs to follow before the start date." - Donna McNicol of dbmcnicol.blogspot and ourprimeyears.blogspot

6. Which of these Twitter methods did you use for the 2018 challenge?

• 85 people included the #AtoZchallenge hashtag in the title of blog posts.
• 47% said they tweeted blog post links AND included the #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• 27 people tweeted blog post links BUT DID NOT include the #AtoZchallenge hashtag.
• Only 11 respondents have links to blog posts in the comments on A TO Z Twitter posts.
• 6% used direct links on Twitter to surf to the A to Z page to read the daily posts from the co-hosts and guests.
• And 26% of the survey takers said they don't use Twitter.

---

#AtoZChallenge is our hashtag. @AprilA2Z is how to tag our Twitter account. Hashtags are easy to search and follow. They're a way to share a common conversation topic with anyone who is interested. When the "@" is used at the start of a tweet, it shows up in fewer places. It's a way to mention a Twitter account. More information- Click https://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/993583/hashtag-etiquette

Hashtags are used for searching. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest all support hashtags searches. Using a hashtag in a blog title, assuming that blog post's title is shared on social media, make seaching for it easier. If the hashtag isn’t something that is being searched for, then it’s not useful. Using a hashtag can group relevant topics into a search, which increases visibility, which can mean more shares and favorites.

Blog tags or labels: Check out this article, and be sure to scroll down to "What Are the Benefits of Using Blog Tags?" Click https://trafficgenerationcafe.com/blog-tags-seo
And here's another great article: Click https://bigonblogs.com/2016/12/30/the-purpose-of-labels -- It talks about tags (Wordpress) or Labels (Blogger). Using them can help readers find content on your blog, especially if you have a tag cloud on your sidebar/ widget area. They can be used by search engines (such as Google or Bing) to find your blog.

That answers most of the questions and addresses most of the remarks left in the "other" option box for this question.

---

Tune in tomorrow for more results!