Buzz Months

I was just thinking about a debate here (I can't find the thread) about whether it's better to post Wizzles in a busy or quiet category.  

I do recall that Chaz said categories are like a row of shops, you go for the main shopping centre with all the passing footfall traffic, than the out of the way back streets.   I remember at the time thinking, 'I create my own buzz'.  As in, if a category is too quiet, I write several Wizzles instead of one. :p

Maybe we could do that on a site wide basis.  It would be a motivational thing or a challenge.

One of the Wizzley team members finds a category with nothing in it.   It's posted up in a thread.   We then all try to contribute an article during that month.  Given the mix of voices, styles and expertise, that would make a very diverse group of Wizzles!

No prizes or anything, though we could post our links to the thread to show that we joined in (and, incidentally, give that article a little boost on the forums).   No pressure to join in, as it would be a bit of fun and our contribution to growing Wizzley into utter greatness. :)

So like October:   Aardvarks.    We all head over to the aardvark category and find something to write about.   November:  Toe Rings.   And so forth.    But only targeting the most under-used categories each time.  There must be dozens out there which have never been used.

What do you think?

yours

Jo

xxxxxx

PS   For my part, I'd offer to Twitterfeed each category for its buzz month, as well as endeavouring to write something for it.

Sounds great!

You have a strange mind.....

But, hey, it might work better than what I've been coming up with lately....

Great idea, Jo. Let me talk it over with Anne. We had something similar in mind, already.

Chef, you're always one step ahead of us.

BrendaReeves: 10/16/2012 - 10:18 AM

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Chef, you're always one step ahead of us.

Maybe that's why I step "into it" so often?  

Brandon - Give us all something different to look at anyway!   Plus it would help writers get noticed, as they'd be contributing an article to a category which everyone is currently focusing on.

Lana - And proud of it!  :p   And don't diss your stuff.  You have great articles. <3

Achim - Win!  Is that a case of great minds thinking alike or fools seldom differing?

Brenda - Saves us having to read the map.

Achim again - LOL

Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers each with their own street - then there were high streets where the big boys play. Secondary merchants for the roads emanating from the high street. And specialist shops in the tertiary back street locations.

Whatever you do to create your own buzz it still all comes down to "what the punter is looking for" - if they ain't looking, they ain't gonna find you.

Great idea to expand the unique article aspect of Wizzley, but unlikely to generate much traffic, even if Jo does Twitterfeed it.

Best to look for subjects / categories that ARE searched for but have a dearth of articles on Wizzley.

Now that could work.

But it was my understanding that every category here was formed by popular keywords and phrases, which is why we end up with bizarre ones like Have a Happy Marriage, or else we have to work out the difference between Hauntings and Haunted Houses.

If I'm right in that belief, then we can't go wrong with traffic in any category.  It's just that no writer has populated it yet.

If you are correct then should all be hunky dory - but I would check the stats for search numbers, demographics and possible value for the category / search term - otherwise you could be wasting your time.

My advice is to keep to your brand and not diversify too far away from your core categories. The trend is for brand optimization rather than scattergun SEO article production. If each of the contributors can achieve this then your idea is sound - however, you could inadvertently cause brand dilution for either yourself or others.

Populating unused categories is fine if it is undertaken by those that haunt related categories.

Just my two penn'orth.

Ooops.  It looks like mine is already buggered.  I've been doing the scattergun approach for months!

You can do something about that - create further articles in the categories for which you feel could be your brand. Check which categories bring the most revenue / visitor numbers to you; are the most rewarding to write; fit with who you are. All is not lost - as you build those categories up the unrelated articles are diluted in your overall brand.

You may like to read my 'Adchoices' article. If you follow the instructions you will find out 'who' Google thinks you are - even though you do not use Adwords. If what they think you represent equates with what you want your brand to be known for, then you are on the right track. Otherwise, make a conscious effort to adjust the situation over time. You may be amazed at how close (or how far away from) the actuality that their algorithm predicts.

For the best results over time you should be continually conscious of your brand. If you want to stray into categories that do not fit well, then your best recourse is to set up an alternate persona and brand that likewise but to the alternative brand concept. Think of it like a thriller novel writer (known for it) writing a Mills & Boon love story - they probably would write that under a pen name or pseudonym (just so their reputation in the thriller genre is not negatively impacted).

So is this a keeping Google happy thing?  

I know from speaking with regular readers that the thing they love about me is that they don't know what's coming next.   I flit from history, into travel, into activism, over to legendary creatures, then suddenly into genealogy.  It's the sheer unpredictability that keeps them checking back. 

In fact, the concentration on Halloween costumes recently has seen cries of dissent, because they're boring for those not shopping for Halloween costumes.  

I'd rather keep my readers happy over the Great Tyrants of the Internet any day.

But we could participate in Buzz Months without dilution of brand.  You just find something in your niche would also chimes with the category on offer.  

Say that it is Aardvarks (I haven't even checked if there IS a Wizzley category on Aardvarks LOL):

• Sheri might find an angle where aardvarks are used in child therapy.
• I might check out any Help the Aardvark activist campaigns; or write a history of them.
• You might write how aardvarks fare in Google algorithms.
• Lana might show us how to make an aardvark in felt.
• Ryan might find a great app for aardvark lovers.
• Mladen might examine the use of aardvarks in adult psychology and link it to Sheri's article.
• David could show us where aardvarks have impacted upon classical music.
• Katie could display all of the aardvark jewelry this season.
• Digby would show how aardvark have been used in antique ornaments.
• Achim would tell us how to cook an aardvark.  And we'd all cry, because aardvarks are our friends after such focus!

And so on, so forth.  We have a full category, lots of focus on it to bring the readers in, lots of links in the forum for highlighting it, no brands diluted (and, if we're good, we've also monetized it).  Plus:

• Unknown Wizzley author contributes an article and gets noticed, thus instantly gaining a following and more readers.

Just because we've strayed out of 'our' category, it doesn't mean that we have to dilute anything.

Edit:   I just checked out the whole Wizzley - Aardvark thing.  Go 2uesday!

Ooh I got an aardvark here too. If this is what you'll were doing I guess I would write about them scientifically (biologically - their habitat and so on).

You have to admire Sue's forward thinking or luck, whichever it was.  We're all looking for aardvarks now!

Incidentally, I checked.  There is no Wizzley category for aardvarks.  LOL

Thanks Brandon, this is a case in point.  We all have an angle, which is what makes it all so exciting.  To my mind, anyway!

Yup I like it too. Also using the side bar we could link to each others articles depending on how they're related as some of them would be. 

Precisely what I was thinking!  This is a community effort, with personal benefits, so that would be perfect.

Great as your example might be, I have the following observation:

• Sheri might find an angle where aardvarks are used in child therapy. Category: Child Therapy
• I might check out any Help the Aardvark activist campaigns; or write a history of them. Category: Activism
• You might write how aardvarks fare in Google algorithms. Category: Search Engines
• Lana might show us how to make an aardvark in felt. Category: Crafts
• Ryan might find a great app for aardvark lovers. Category: Apps
• Mladen might examine the use of aardvarks in adult psychology and link it to Sheri's article. Category : Psychology
• David could show us where aardvarks have impacted upon classical music. Category: Music
• Katie could display all of the aardvark jewelry this season. Category: Jewelry
• Digby would show how aardvark have been used in antique ornaments. Category: Antiques
• Achim would tell us how to cook an aardvark.  And we'd all cry, because aardvarks are our friends after such focus! Category: Achim (I can't place his style anywhere else!)

Now from this each has kept their broad brand, agreed - but the category thing does not apply.

Now if there was a plan to offer a TOPIC each month on which to write then that could work:

Topic of the month = Aardvark
Authors are requested to write articles with aardvarks in mind in whichever category they choose.

We got a bona fide aardvark article!   Go Lana!

Aardvarks and Anteaters

At HubPages they used to do this with a HubMob. The hubs were connected by tags and the thought was it gave them lots of Google juice. Honestly I never had much success with the Hubs I wrote for them. I'm not sure how it would work here.

Now they have the topic of the week that Simone runs and it's in the same category. The hubs I wrote for those aren't doing that great either.

I'm interested in what the Wizzley team has been cooking up though.