Whoa! It’s that time of the year already! Every year, I look forward to India’s ultimate blogging campaign – #MyFriendAlexa. In my content calendar, I always block the dates for the month of September, but this year, it has been postponed to next month. So, I believe this is a perfect time to share my experience with you that’d help you make up your mind and then hopefully signup for the campaign. The more, the merrier, right?
Are you new to blogging? Or are you a veteran looking to up your blogging game? Read on to find out how #MyFriendAlexa will benefit your blog with traffic and a good Alexa rank.
What is #MyFriendAlexa?
#MyFriendAlexa is a blogging campaign championed by the blogging community – Blogchatter. Started in 2016, this October, the popular campaign will see its fifth season and will begin on the 1st of October and lasts till the 31st.
So, What is Alexa?
Alexa is a global ranking system for websites based on popularity. It is a comparison tool that takes into account a website’s daily page views and visitors before providing it with a rank.
What is Expected of a Blogger in #MyFriendAlexa?
There are a couple of mandatory tasks that a blogger should follow in order to participate in this campaign (of course, apart from registering!).
- Write a minimum of 8 blog posts a month, twice a week.
- Read one blog post each from a list of 4-8 blogs provided by Blogchatter, every day. This reading list will be known to you on a weekly basis. Comment and share these posts on social media platforms, namely Twitter.
- Have a unique reading and writing hashtag. This is mainly to build your brand. For eg: #kohleyedReads can be used for sharing those blogs that you read daily and #kohleyedWrites can be used when you share your own blog post.
Apart from these, you’ll be added to an exclusive Facebook and Whatsapp group which is used to pass along necessary information and discussions pertaining to the campaign.
Why Should You Sign Up for #MyFriendAlexa?
I can’t even begin to list down the advantages of participating in the #MyFriendAlexa campaign. Because there are many.
- For starters, you write regularly. This automatically makes you consistent and stick to a schedule.
- Having a daily reading list means discovering new blogs. It also means a lot of networking during the challenge. And what are the benefits of that?
- Increased page views and visitors, duh?! And thereby a better Alexa Ranking.
- You also make new friends who you will continue to read even after the challenge ends.
Do you need a ‘Theme’ for #MyFriendAlexa ?
Having a theme is not mandatory. However, I would vouch for having one because it makes the whole process a lot easier and fun. You will be able to narrow down your ideas and the blog topics keep flowing.
Identify topics based on your niche or choose topics that interests you.
I have decided to join #MyFriendAlexa. What should I do next?
There is a Registration button on the Blogchatter website. Click to Register!
Tips and Tricks to Sail Smooth the #MyFriendAlexa Campaign
Here are few tips to sail smooth the #MyFriendAlexa Campaign. Please note that nothing is mandatory. These are some tried and tested tricks to make the best use of the challenge.
1. Find a Theme: As I mentioned before, it is always better to figure out a theme well in advance. It totally helps in the long run!
2. Plan your Posts: Create 8 drafts right away on your blog and title them. Remember, you just have to start.
3. Create Images: Whether you choose to use your own images or stock photos, gather them all in one place. Some of the best places you can find free stock images are Unsplash, Pixabay, Flicker,
- Once your topics are ready, create graphics for your blog posts right away using Image editing software like Canva or Picmonkey. Graphics for a blog post include the featured image, Pinterest image, and/or Social Media specific images.
| READ: Five Photo Editing Tools for Bloggers
4. Write and Schedule: Next step is to write short posts– of say, 300-600 words. Nobody has the time to read through your 1000+ word post every day because there are many blogs that one would want to drop by
- Get as many posts written ahead of time. This would help you sail smoothly during the duration of the challenge as there would be no additional burden of thinking of what to write!
- This will also give you time to think about keywords and SEO. Challenge or not! At the end of the day, it is vital for your blog growth and organic traffic.
5. Configure Social Media Share Buttons: While you wait for October 1st, make sure that your blog’s social media buttons are rightly configured. For eg: your twitter handle SHOULD be configured on your share button and on every plugin that you use on your blog for sharing. Make it easy for your audience.
6. Publish and Promote: Once your post is published, do not hold back. Do your bit by promoting them on various social media platforms.
- Tag #MyFriendAlexa on your posts on Twitter.
7. Network:
- While commenting on a blog you are acknowledging the blogger’s time and effort. Be kind. And don’t just say “Nice Post!’
8. Blog Design: Remove unwanted popups and chat window, at least for the month of October. Turn off additional security Captcha from your comments section, because believe me, nobody has the time to select four road signs while blog hoping.
- Make your blog easy to navigate with links to recent/previous posts.
9. Make a note of your Alexa Rank on the 1st of October and on the 31st. Be amazed and overjoyed at the results! Keep up the momentum and continue reading and writing even after the campaign is over and you’d see a steady decrease in the Alexa rank, which is amazing!
10. Have Fun: Enjoy the whole process. Welcome the ‘attention’ because for sure you are going to get it. You’ll be amazed at the wide variety of blogs in the blogosphere. You’ll even love reading some of them, continue to read them after the challenge, and make friends for life. This comes from the first-hand experience 🙂
That’s all for now, folks 🙂
If you have any queries with any of the points above, please feel free to ask 🙂
You may refer this post by Mayuri for more FAQs on #MyFriendAlexa.
Manas Mukul says
What an informative post! Anyone looking to participate in this year’s #MyFriendAlexa should definitely read this one. Great work Shalini ji. You have motivated me to come up with a post based on my previous experience of the same campaign.
Varsh says
You’ve included everything one can possibly need to know for the #MyFriendAlexa campaign. Informative and on point!
Felicia says
Thank you for this informative post. I was planning to join this campaign but wasn’t sure what was expected of me. After reading your post, things are very clear now. Thank you.
Felicia recently posted…Home Remedies For Clear, Smooth and Glowing Skin
Mayuri Nidigallu says
Such a detailed and helpful post, Shalini. A go to post for any first timer who is looking forward to being part of the Alexa campaign. Thanks for the mention .
Roshan Radhakrishnan says
Excellently explained… Sharing 🙂
A bit nervous since I haven’t identified a theme yet. Time is there touchwood…
Roshan Radhakrishnan recently posted…It takes a Village to Raise a Child… and Save a Life #SuicidePrevention
Nitisha says
This is my first year participating in #MyFriendAlexa campaign and your post has really helped clear a lot of my doubts, Shalini. Thanks for this information post.