Why I’m Stepping Away From #SundayBlogShare

Posted on March 19, 2018 by suzie81speaks

‘You fighting with people on Twitter again I see.’

My bloggy friend sent me a message on Facebook. It’s nothing new – she’s seen me go through this numerous times in recent months…

In Nov 2014 I decided to start a sharing link-up on Twitter for bloggers. It wasn’t an original idea – I’d been participating in #MondayBlogs run by @RachelintheOC (who was and has always been incredibly supportive) for a while and adopted a similar idea, but on a Sunday instead. After searching through different hashtags I decided upon the name #SundayBlogShare as this was something that hadn’t been used before. The invitation was open for any blogger to tweet out their blog links using the hashtag, and then I would retweet them, hopefully encouraging others to do the same. I created a set of easy-to-follow instructions, which was essentially keep it to blog posts only, no etsy, Amazon, inspirational quotes etc and if you’re sharing a link then retweet and interact with others. Continue reading →

Want to Increase Your Traffic? Join #SundayBlogShare!

Posted on January 17, 2016 by suzie81speaks

In November 2014 I started a hashtag – #SundayBlogShare – that allowed bloggers to share their links and meet new people. It was not a new idea, I had been participating in similar link ups hosted by other bloggers throughout the year, but I found it to be really useful when networking and getting my posts out to a wider audience.

Over the last year it has become the biggest Twitter party of the weekend (to my knowledge anyway), with hundreds of bloggers around the world sharing thousands of links each Sunday, and it now trends on a weekly basis. Last Sunday, it was the top trending topic in the UK, and trended for over nine hours… Today, as I write, it is only 10.30am and it’s already No. 6…

I’m still in awe of how much it has grown, and I’ve been lucky to have found wonderful new blogs that I follow on a regular basis.

Want to join #SundayBlogShare? The instructions and guidelines are simple: Continue reading →

Share Your Blog With #SundayBlogShare!

Posted on July 26, 2015 by suzie81speaks

Eight months later it has become the biggest Twitter party of the weekend (to my knowledge anyway), with hundreds of bloggers around the world sharing thousands of links each Sunday, and it now trends on a weekly basis. I’m still in awe of how much it has grown, and I’ve been lucky to have found wonderful new blogs that I follow on a regular basis.

Want to join #SundayBlogShare? The instructions and guidelines are simple: Continue reading →

#SundayBlogShare Expansion… and Inevitable Frustrations

Posted on June 1, 2015 by suzie81speaks

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I have written this post a number of times in the last few days, debating the impact that a negative post may have. However, I wanted to be able to share my frustrations (that’s what the blog was created for in the first place) and hope that I will be able to get some thoughts from you guys…

In November of last year I had an idea. Well, it wasn’t my idea – I had been participating in several Twitter link-up type parties for a while and I decided to start my own. I came up with a name – #SundayBlogShare, checked that the hashtag was not being used, and invited my bloggy friends to participate on the day that seemed to make the most sense to me – Sundays.

Six months later, it trends on a weekly basis, with thousands of links shared during the day and more and more participants joining in each week. I’ve met some brilliant bloggers and read wonderful posts. It is a fast-paced, exciting way to spend the day and I’m proud of it.

Except, it isn’t exciting at times. In fact, and I shouldn’t be admitting this so readily, but I have been left feeling frustrated and upset recently, to the point where I have been put off from writing on the blog. In two years, it’s the first time I have had negative thoughts about blogging, and as this little blog has been one of the only things that has kept me going in that time, I am angry that I have been made to feel this way.

Okay, I’m generalising. There are lots of fabulous people who participate – nice, friendly individuals who get a lot out of it, and many of them have become regular bloggy friends. That makes me happy – it was the reason why I started it in the first place, and if you’re reading this as a regular follower and participant of #SundayBlogShare, please don’t think that I am complaining about you.

However, there are some that are making it a stressful experience. I’ve always had a set of guidelines for #SundayBlogShare and I post them regularly each week. However, there are very few that read them – many see it trending and jump in there. That’s understandable, and I’ve often done similar things when I have seen a topic that interests me without reading what it is first. However, I never set out to harass anyone in the process. I’m treated as some sort of retweet account, often being contacted by bloggers who complain that I haven’t retweeted them. I am tagged in #SundayBlogShare posts all week, despite it only operating on a Sunday. There are people who will post 20-30 links, one after another, without bothering to read or retweet anybody else. I get emails from people demanding I check out their blog and share it on #SundayBlogShare.

Just to clarify, there are a couple of things that many forget:

1. I built this from scratch, with the help of a few bloggy friends (I will always be grateful to @sourcererblog for his help in the initial stages)

2. I don’t get paid for it – I do it because I believe that it is something positive that is worth building on.

3. I start at about 6.00am and finish at about 10.00pm.

So, for my own sanity, I have decided to change the way that I operate my own account. The guidelines will stay pretty much the same. There is no porn, YouTube music promos or Amazon links. It is a happy place.

However, I can’t control what others do. #SundayBlogShare is for everyone, and I want everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves. Of course, I will continue to block and report innapropriate material. However, I will not be using my personal account for most retweets – if I do use my personal account it will be in the same way I do on a daily basis. Instead, I will use my @sundayblogshare account and I will retweet something when I have read it, and I reserve the right to do so. I will not respond to rude emails or demands.

I’m also looking for help. Want to be my co-host next Sunday? Drop me an email at suzie81blog@hotmail.co.uk

Want to meet ten fabulous bloggers immediately? Check out my sponsors in my sidebar – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

What about you guys? Do you think I’m being silly for allowing it to get to me?

#SundayBlogShare – The Biggest Twitter Party Of The Weekend!

Posted on March 29, 2015 by suzie81speaks

Last week I posted different ideas to help increase blog traffic. One of those ideas was to connect with others via Twitter in the various hashtag parties that take place throughout the week.

Here’s your chance to do just that – #SundayBlogShare is in full swing and you’re all invited to pull up a chair, grab a coffee, tweet your links and get to know the hundreds of bloggers that participate every week.

I started it in November and I’ve been delighted with the enormous response that it has received, with hundreds of bloggers participating each week, sharing over 1,500 posts and this number increases each Sunday. At the end of December I decided to be a bit more serious about it and registered it with Twubs to my Twitter handle, so the hashtag is now associated with Suzie81 Speaks. Last Sunday was the busiest yet, with lots of new bloggers joining for the first time, the hashtag trended for a short time, and I was gobsmacked when lifestyle guru Tony Robbins shared a link! Don’t believe me? Look!

Want to join in? It’s a simple process – post your blog links to Twitter using the hashtag #SundayBlogShare and enjoy! If you include my Twitter handles (@suzie81blog or @SundayBlogShare) in your post I can retweet it for you too! Your posts can cover any topic and you don’t have to follow my blog or any associated social media accounts. You can participate if you have been blogging for days, months or years and it’s a brilliant opportunity to develop your social networking skills and boost your traffic and following. I have received hundreds of messages from people that saw their traffic increase immediately.

I will remind everyone again each week but here are a few rules for everyone who wishes to participate.

1. #SundayBlogShare is a happy place. Racist, sexist and homophobic propaganda will not be tolerated, and if you disagree with the content of a post it should be done in a polite and respectful manner.

2. Blog posts only. NO Amazon book promos, company promos, music promos, inspirational quotes, newspaper articles, random selfies of you drinking coffee, Justin Bieber fan promotion etc… you get the idea.

3. No pornographic images are allowed and if the content of your blog focuses of erotica, please don’t use graphic words in your descriptions when promoting your post.

4. Do not use it as an opportunity to demand follows and retweets from others, but feel free to retweet posts that you like. Be generous with this – the more you READ and retweet, the more likely you will get them in return!

5. Don’t go overboard with the amount that you post… If the Twitter feed is just a list of your own posts, you’re doing it too much. Post a few, spend some time reading and retweeting others and then come back later to post again.

6. Hashtag spamming is not allowed. For those of you who participated over the last few months, you’ll be aware that because of the popularity of the hashtag, there was a high level of spam from people who used it as an opportunity to post hundreds of links within an hour, clearly using the hashtag to spam potential clients. I have contacted Twitter and Twubs, and hopefully the matter has been resolved, but if this sort of thing appears today I would really appreciate it if you would block and report them. Don’t engage with them, just block and report.

It starts each Sunday morning and will end at midnight. I’m in the UK, so you will need to work out times for whichever country you live in. This may mean that some of you may be participating on Saturday, or going into Monday, but please use the same hashtag…

Want to meet WordPress bloggers through Twitter? Leave your Twitter name in the comment section below so others can find you easily!

Looking forward to seeing you there! Feel free to invite your friends, reblog, tweet and spread the word across your social media networks!

You can find me on Tumblr @suzie81blog and I’d love it if you would hop on over to my Facebook page and give it a cheeky ‘like.’ http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks

#SundayBlogShare: The Final Sunday Twitter Party of 2014!

Posted on December 27, 2014 by suzie81speaks

It’s Saturday night, which means only one thing – tomorrow is my #SundayBlogShare party on Twitter! It’s the ninth consecutive party and I’ve been overwhelmed by how quickly it has grown, with nearly a thousand posts being shared last week! However, it’s also the last one of 2014, and I need your help to make it go out with a bang!

Everyone is welcome to participate – you don’t have to follow Suzie81 Speaks or its associated social media accounts, there are no limits on the amount of posts that you share and you don’t need to have a specific theme to your blog or the links that you share. Simply tweet your link with the hashtag #SundayBlogShare and enjoy! Meet hundreds of other bloggers, retweet their posts and build your own Twitter following!

The rules are simple and easy to follow:

1. #SundayBlogShare is a happy place. Anything that contains racist, homophobic and/or sexist material will be removed and reported.

2. Blog posts only! No inspirational quotes, links to book promotions on Amazon or porn.

3. Share the #bloglove! Follow, retweet and enjoy lots of posts from blogger all over the world. However, don’t be desperate enough to beg for or demand retweets and follows from others.

You can also include my Twitter handle @suzie81blog and I can easily retweet you!

The party is on all day – you are welcome to join us at anytime throughout Sunday!

Here is where I need your help my lovely bloggy friends. The more people you invite, the more of a success it is going to be… I’ll get the drinks and the party hats, you share the hashtag with everyone you know.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

You can find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog and don’t forget to check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks

#SundayBlogShare

Posted on November 1, 2014 by suzie81speaks

It’s Sunday tomorrow, and that means only one thing: my #SundayBlogShare Twitter party!

I participate in several parties throughout the week – #MondayBlogs, #WWWBlogs and #ArchiveDay, and decided to start my own each Sunday to give the blogging community another chance to share their posts and meet other people.

It has turned out to be a much bigger success than even I expected – with the first two weeks hundreds of people have participated, sharing over a thousand posts and I’ve received lots of messages from bloggers who saw a increase in traffic and followers. A huge part of this was due to the promotion given by the wonderfully supportive WordPress community that I am part of particularly Gene’O @sourcererblog and Austin @Austin_Hodgens, to name a few.

The instructions for #SundayBlogShare are simple:

Tweet a link to a post from your blog.

Include the hashtag #SundayBlogShare.

Enjoy! Retweet posts from other bloggers, comment and follow! You don’t have to follow Suzie81 Speaks or it’s associated social media profiles.

To make it a positive experience, here are some simple rules for everyone to follow.

1. #SundayBlogShare is a happy place. Racist, homophobic and/or sexist comment are not allowed. If you disagree with the content of a post, do so in a polite and respectful manner.

2. No pornography.

3. You are welcome to share more than one post. However, don’t use is as an opportunity to spam by posting everything that you’ve ever written.

4. Only share blog links – while I enjoy inspirational quotes, #SundayBlogShare is not the place to post them.

5. Don’t beg for follows or retweets, but feel free to retweet others!

Looking forward to seeing you all there tomorrow! Feel free to reblog this post and invite all your friends!

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog, and you can also find my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks

Twitter Party: #SundayBlogShare

Posted on October 26, 2014 by suzie81speaks

If you’re in the blogosphere today I will be hosting the second of my #SundayBlogShare Twitter parties – it was a huge success last week and I’ve been receiving lovely messages all week from bloggers who shared their posts and met new people. It’s a simple process – post one of your recent links to Twitter using the hashtag #SundayBlogShare and enjoy! If you include my Twitter handle (@suzie81blog) in your post I can retweet it for you too! Your posts can cover any topic, you don’t have to follow my blog or any associated social media accounts and there isn’t a limit on the number of times you can post. I will remind everyone again on Sunday but here are a few rules for everyone who wishes to participate.

1. #SundayBlogShare is a happy place. Racist, sexist and homophobic propaganda will not be tolerated, and if you disagree with the content of a post it should be done in a polite and respectful manner.

2. Blog posts only.

3. No pornographic images are allowed.

4. Do not use it as an opportunity to demand follows and retweets from others, but feel free to retweet posts that you like.

It will start from Sunday morning and will end at midnight. I’m in the UK, so you will need to work out times for whichever country you live in. This may mean that some of you may be participating on Saturday, but please use the same hashtag…

Looking forward to seeing you there!

You can find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog

Happy Friday!

Posted on October 24, 2014 by suzie81speaks

Today is a good day. It’s Friday, it’s The Bloke’s birthday, it’s the last day of the half-term and it’s a training day, which means that I haven’t had to plan any lessons and instead get all my evidence together for my performance management review. The Bloke has taken next week off, we get paid next week too so I’m looking forward to a few days of spending some time with him, catching up on my blogging endeavours and meeting up with some friends and family. It’s been a long half-term, I’m tired, my students are tired and we have just reached the point where we need a break from each other.

If you’re in the blogosphere on Sunday I will be hosting the second of my #SundayBlogShare Twitter parties – it was a huge success last week and I’ve been receiving lovely messages all week from bloggers who shared their posts and met new people. It’s a simple process – post one of your recent links to Twitter using the hashtag #SundayBlogShare and enjoy! If you include my Twitter handle (@suzie81blog) in your post I can retweet it for you too! You don’t have to follow my blog or any associated social media accounts and there isn’t a limit on the number of times you can post. The subject of your posts is entirely up to you. I will remind everyone again on Sunday but here are a few rules for everyone who wishes to participate.

2. Blog posts only.

3. No pornographic images are allowed.

4. Do not use it as an opportunity to demand follows and retweets from others, but feel free to retweet posts that you like.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Happy Friday!

You can find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog