Making the Most of Blog Memes

Blogging Tips and Tricks at Ordinary Lives

Meme, rhymes with cream. It's a collection of like-minded posts, all linked together in one location so others can go from site-to-site visiting. Kind of like a church potluck or, more accurately, a progressive dinner. Often the name will give you a pretty good idea of what the meme is about.

General rules for participating in a meme:
  • Find and read the intro post that gives specifics for that meme. Generally, the meme buttons link to that important post.
  • Check out a few others posts to ensure you get the gist of things.
  • When you link your site using the linky gadget, be SURE to use the specific link to that particular post, not just to your blog in general. (So, when I want to join a meme, I click on the post title and use the url it brings up. It will look something like this: http://www.pattywysong.com/2011/05/2-z-4u-me.html and will take you to only that one post.)
  • When you participate in a meme, go around and visit others, leaving comments. You don't have to visit everyone, but the more the merrier.
Benefits of joining a meme:
  • A great post starter for you.
  • They're often easy posts to write.
  • They can be creativity boosters and help you think outside the box.
  • You meet new friends and widen your circle.
  • If you join fairly consistently and interact with others, your site will gradual grow.
  • Often the traffic to your blog will increase.
  • If you usually only post occasionally the more frequent posting translates into growth.
Some hints for getting the most from the meme:
  • Arrive early! The sooner you get your post linked with the others, the more hits and comments you'll likely garner. If you link up late, you could easily miss most, if not all of the visitors.
  • Visit those linking up near you. At least a few before and a few after, then any that catch your attention.
  • Stop by late in the day or even the next day and visit those on the end of the list. They appreciate your comment even more. ;-)
  • Reply to those commenting. Some reply in the comments section, others email a reply and a 'thank you for visiting'. Do what works for you.
  • Remember, it's like a progressive dinner. Visit the other participants and leave comments. I know, I said this earlier. It's important. Fly by linking (linking with a meme without interacting with others) isn't appreciated and can easily earn you black marks instead of brownie points. You want brownie points.

Good memes are abundant, but here's a few favorites:
    Ordinary Lives. From a 2 z 4 u & me
  • a2z - Yes, it's one that's hosted here, but it's fun. And easy. ;-) A weekly alphabet game. Post ANYthing about the letter we're on--a picture of something that starts with that letter, a list, an article, ANYthing. It's been a terrific post starter and creativity booster.
  • Monday Manna - hosted by Joanne and Yvonne. They post a verse on Thursday and you post your thought on that verse and link up on Monday. A great way to meditate on Scripture.
  • Fiction Friday - a traveling meme hosted on different blogs and currently run by Sara. Each Friday participants post their own, original fiction on their blogs and then link up. For posting info and to see who's hosting that week, check out the Fiction Friday Facebook page.
  • Word Filled Wednesday -This is a fast, yet meaningful post in my opinion. You select a picture, put a verse on it (I use Picasa or Paint.net) and post it on your blog. You can write about the verse if you wish--as little or much as you like. Here's my WFW posts here if you want to see it in action.
  • Thankful Thursday - This is one I've never participated in but is an old faithful and well-loved by many. Each Thursday write out things you're thankful for. What a great way to stay grateful for big things and small things too.




 There you have it. Probably more than you wanted to know about memes, rhymes with creams.

So tell me, what memes do you enjoy the most?
Confused? Let me know and I'll clarify for you.  =)

5 comments:

  1. GREAT post, Peejers. I love a2z, Monday Manna (duh?? LOL), and Word-Filled Wednesday. Great advice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've enjoyed the a2z meme sooo much, I can't believe we're all the way to "Z" this week! I will definitely read and join in a couple of the other memes. Hugs!

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  3. I loved the a2z meme. I didn't know about the others. I used to do wordless Wednesdays at 5minutesformom but they closed that site. :(
    Diana
    www.dianabrandmeyer.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hmmm. Memes (rhymes with cream), huh? This is the first time I've heard of them. Sounds like it could be a fun addition to my weekly blogging schedule. I'll have to check them out.

    Thanks for the information!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Carrie! I've had a LOT of fun with the memes, and they've helped me a lot, too! =]

    Hope to see you around!

    ReplyDelete

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