Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Fourth Annual Comment Challenge Starts Today!!!


What's The Comment Challenge?  

Across the kidlitosphere, there's a very small percentage of blog visitors who actually leave a comment. And since research shows it takes twenty-one days to create a new habit, Mother Reader and I are asking you to commit to leaving five comments a day for 21 days on Kid Lit blogs, starting today, and culminating on January 25, 2012!

Participating in The Comment Challenge will change your online life by turbo-engaging you in our kid lit community.

You'll start conversations.  You'll see more traffic.  You'll feel great knowing you're being heard. 

Try it.

Take The Comment Challenge, and see what it does for you!

Questions? We've got answers.

Go sign up over at Mother Reader's, and check in here on Wednesdays for encouragement and to let everyone know how it's going.

Let's get our comments on!
Lee


ps - I adapted this old Hoover vacuum ad from this March 1950 ad in Life magazine.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome! I love vintage paper ads. You found a real gem.

Loni Edwards said...

This is great! I signed up. Should be fun :)

Helga Pearson said...

What a fabulous idea! Starting up my blog was one of the most productive things I did last year but it does feel a hundred times better when people interact with you and let you know what they're thinking about what you write and illustrate.

Jackie Castle said...

I'm signed up and glad to take part in this challenge. Been needed that little push to keep me visiting other blogs.

Joanna said...

Yes, I can post. This is a great plan. Do you plan on doing more 101 videos soon with Benji, Lee?

Gerb said...

Love the Hoover ad. My Grandma actually had one of those old canister vacuums. May have even vacuumed up a baby or two with it. : )

julietruekingsley said...

I'm up for the challenge! Blogging has been so interesting lately. I'm amazed by my increase of hits, but I've no idea who's checking in. Though, it may be just be my mother clicking on the blog, over and over...

AEA Elementary Staff said...

I just signed up for the challenge! I think that this is a great way to bring new traffic to all of our blogs, and to learn a lot along the way. Please stop by mine. . .
http://thewritestuff-sandi.blogspot.com/

Heather Kelly said...

Yay! Lee, I have been checking your blog religiously this week, hoping this would start again! Thanks for the reminder that it just takes a comment to start a friendship, to build community! :)

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

Thanks to all for your enthusiasm, and of course your comments!

Joanna, yes, there will be one more series of Gender 101 videos with Benji, probably starting in mid-February.

Another great way to find new blogs is to look at the comment section here and at MotherReaders to find other people taking the challenge!

As Heather says so beautifully, "it just takes a comment to start a friendship, to build community!"

Lee

Anonymous said...

This is a cool idea. Getting page hits feels great, but when no one interacts it feels like no one is listening at all.

Michelle Cusolito said...

This is a great idea. Thanks.

http://michellecusolito.blogspot.com/

Russ Cox said...

Howdy Lee! I found the link to the challenge today and thought I would sign up. It is a great idea and sounds like a lot of fun! Looking forward to seeing your posts and those from other members. Now I better go and update my blog.

Beth Stilborn said...

This came at the perfect time -- I just launched my new blog yesterday! (Although I've been blogging for quite some time.)

I'm looking forward to meeting new people, reading new ideas, discovering some great new blogs.

Thanks, Lee and MotherReader!

Anonymous said...

What an informative blog!

Tara said...

This is a great way to read and connect to bloggers - I love reading what people have to say about the goings on in my classroom, and this challenge will introduce me to other blogs, too.i

Tara said...

This is a great way to read and connect to bloggers - I love reading what people have to say about the goings on in my classroom, and this challenge will introduce me to other blogs, too.

Brenda Kahn said...

Alright! Let's get this show on the road! With nearly 200 blogs in my feeder, I confess that I have been lax in commenting since the last comment challenge. Love the graphic!

brenda

Laurie Young said...

I'll give it a shot, but I already spend way too much time reading blogs. This may not be the habit I need to form . . .

Sanjay Nambiar said...

Thanks, Lee! This is great!

Christy Rush-Levine said...

I am in love with your modified ad. I might have to borrow that idea myself. Thanks for hosting this! I have grown so much through the connections built through blogging and commenting. What you are doing to build community is an awesome gift to us all!

Anonymous said...

*Love* the vacuum comment. Your poster for this challenge says it all!

JenFW said...

I participated in and loved the first Comment Challenge, but became overwhelmed with blogs and gave them up, 100%, cold turkey. I'd like to start adding some back into my life--without overdosing--and this is a great way to start.

Thanks, Lee!

patientdreamer said...

This is a wonderful idea, thankyou Lee, this is my first time entering something like this, look forward to learning a lot along the way.

teacherninja said...

Love it! Thanks for doing this yet again.

Linda B said...

I need to start counting. I comment a lot and love that you're encouraging others to do it. It's such fun to make the connections even in a few words! thanks for doing.

Laurisa White Reyes said...

Love this idea, Lee. Sounds like fun!

Jen Klein said...

I am a day late, but I am up to the challenge of commenting on 10 blogs today. This counts as the first one, right? Wonderful idea...

The Pen and Ink Blogspot said...

Woohoo! See you next Wednesday.
If any of your wander over to visit us, be sure to click on the Pirate Alphabet link. We think you'll enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scELy4oxtFU&feature=youtu.be

Joy Weese Moll said...

Love the ad! I had a great time with this last year so I'm going again. Thanks for hosting!

Dorine White said...

Hi Lee, haven't talked to you since KidLit con. This is a great idea. Hope you don't mind, I borrowed your pic to promote it. I'll be checking in with you Wednesday!

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

Love the enthusiasm, all - and yes, Dorine, you can use the image!

keep commenting!
Lee

Vivian Kirkfield said...

I've hopped aboard! Wonderful way to connect with people who love books...and people. :) Thanks for co-hosting!

Avi de Turenne said...

Great idea! I went dormant after my forty-third slice of pie during the holidays and this should bring me back out of my stupor.

Blessy Mathew said...

I'm three days late, but glad to be part of this challenge. Thanks for encouraging us to connect with kidlit bloggers.

Vivian Kirkfield said...

I've signed up...but just want to make sure I'm doing it right. :)
Can I comment on any blogs...or just the ones involved in this challenge? And do we have to keep track of where we have commented...or just keep a kind of estimated running total?

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

Thanks everyone for your comments! And Vivian, there's no "right" or "wrong" way to participate - the idea is just to get us all commenting more, and to raise the level of engagement all around! There's a great Q&A about the challenge here: http://www.motherreader.com/2012/01/comment-challenge-2012.html

Namaste,
Lee

Madigan Mirza said...

Yay! I've been waiting for the Comment Challenge... I can't believe I missed the beginning of it. That vintage ad has me rolling with laughter. Good one!

Caryl said...

Just wanted to leave you a note of thanks, Lee, for co-hosting the Comment Challege! What a great idea.

Vivian Kirkfield said...

Thanks, Lee. I appreciate the personal note. :)
I tend to write long comments...my husband wonders if my fingers will get stuck to the keys. :)
There is something very special about being able to tell someone...who you really don't know...that what they wrote had an impact on you...or made you laugh or cry...or helped you. Commenting is a gift of the heart that we give to others.

Yellow Brick Reads said...

Great plan! I love blogging but agree it can be hard to pick up traffic to new blogs

Kelly Robinson said...

I think I already leave more than 5 comments a day!