Thursday, January 2, 2014

Meh About Memes

Thursday, January 2, 2014 with 31 comments
So...I've been considering putting an end to my participation in weekly memes -- except for In My Mailbox, which I don't even link to anymore -- at least temporarily, in favor of more original content.  I've been linking up to Teaser Tuesday, Top Ten Tuesday (only arbitrarily as the topic suits me), and Waiting on Wednesday for probably a year and a half now.  Other memes have come and gone over the years -- almost three now, I can't believe it -- but those listed above I've managed to participate in nearly every single week since I decided to start linking up.

But it takes a lot of time to visit and return comments from everyone who stops by.  I love finding new blogs this way, too, but I've been so behind on responding to comments and I feel like, aside from the content I'm posting for these memes, the most important aspect of memes is the follow-through.  And I've been neglecting that aspect almost entirely the last three months or so because of real life.

But it's not just that.  My meme posts always end up getting buried on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because I've got other stuff -- reviews,  discussions, giveaways, etc. -- that I want to post immediately and that I want to be my top post.  If the only way people are seeing it is through me linking up to another blog, then is it really for my readers?

I love reading teasers because they give me a taste of the writing in a book I may or may not have already been interested in.  I love a good top ten list as much as the next person.  And I love helping others discover new reads each week, as well as finding my own when visiting others' WoW posts.  But is that enough to keep doing them?  I started doing them a) because they're fun, b) because they're easy, and c) because I didn't have a whole heckuva lotta content back then.  Now, I seem to be overflowing with ideas and reviews, so they're not necessary, per se.

But do you find them helpful?  Do you like memes like Teaser Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday?  Would it matter one iota to you if I stopped them altogether?  What if I still posted when I didn't have anything better?  Does that make them less worthwhile because they're fallback posts?

Obviously, I haven't made a decision yet, but I would really value your feedback on this, guys.  So, what are your feelings on memes these days?


31 comments:

  1. I am happy as long as I continue to see books. Although I would like to see a review on a book, I don't mind if I don't see one either. So to answer your questions: 1) yes, I find them helpful. 2) Yes, I like memes like Teaser Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday. 3) No, it wouldn't matter if you stopped them. 4) It's fine if you post them when you have nothing else better. That doesn't make them less worthwhile. To me, they are still content worth seeing.

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  2. I have to admit that Teaser Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday are 2 of my least favourite memes. I don't read teasers, and something about WoW has always not interested me. I currently only do Top Ten Tuesday occasionally when the topic interests me. I do my own weekly review post, but no true memes on a regular basis. I think memes tend to be done by newer blogs, and once you are more established, they tend to fall to the side. They are a good way to find other blogs though.

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  3. I used to participate in WoW and Feature and Follow, but when I realized that I really had nothing to say about either anymore, and that both would clog up my posts with memes, I decided to stop and focus on TTT's instead! I guess that memes are fine only in moderation, because blogs that posts loads of memes usually don't have anything original, which is what saddens me about a blog. But I guess that if you're into a post that will help you reach out to other bloggers better, memes are definitely the way to go, though I only really post them because they encourage loads of conversations (at least for me!) But I don't think non-participation will lose you much if you haven't been gaining much from these memes either, so it's okay :) I hope you figure this out soon, Jen! :D

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  4. I don't read Teaser Tuesdays (they can be confusing!). My favourite meme is the Stacking the Shelves/In my Mailbox. I find them uber fun to read. WoWs are interesting to find new reads...
    I understand this problem! Since I don't have a massive following, I like doing memes for the traffic/finding new blogs. But I prefer reading original content on other blogs myself. ;) What's a person to do when their brain is exploding with awesome?!

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  5. I like memes, I feel they are very helpful in many ways, for example Waiting on Wednesday is a main one I do and that helps find new books to fall in love with. Another is Follow Friday that helps me find new blogs and bloggers. I don't have a problem with memes as long as there are still review content. If you were to stop doing memes I wouldn't mind. I would still stop by your blog :)

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  6. I don't mind memes but only really follow WoW and the Sunday ones myself. On rare occassions I'll do Booking Through Thursday but those are certainly few and far between. If you're burnt out on them stop. I'll still read you either way. :)

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  7. Honestly, I like certain memes but I always skip over Teaser Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesdays. I already have a HUGE list of books I want to read, and I know about pretty much every single book I'm excited about that's coming up in 2014, so I don't feel like I need any more recs. But I do like Top Ten Tuesday and Stacking the Shelves (although I don't participate in that one myself). Those ones just have more of the content that I'm actually interested in. But every blogger is different :)

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  8. I follow a lot of blogs(don't we all!) but I tend to skip over the memes b/c I see them all over the place so much. I'd go w/your gut- you're plenty creative enough to give us great content whatever route you go! :)

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  9. I used to participate in Waiting on Wednesday and The Sunday Post, but I stopped doing both in October when I had a month-long event. I never got back to doing it and, honestly, I don't miss it much. I have a lot to keep me busy with reviews and book blasts and such. :)

    Toni @ My Book Addiction

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  10. I will confess that I use WoW as filler when I'm busy. On the best week ever, I can review three books, but usually I only manage two, and if I don't have a giveaway hop or an interview or some other thing to take the spot, I have a day to fill. I have some new ideas for 2014 features and I hope I get around to seeing them through. Creating original content does take time but I think that readers appreciate it.

    As a blog reader, I don't mind memes. The only thing that really turns me off a blog is if they run all promo posts for books they haven't read.

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  11. I haven't been blogging as long as you have, but I used to do all the memes too and now I basically only do WOW and STS, and only WOW when I don't have something else planned. Although I actually don't do either if I just don't have time. I really like these two memes because I share what's coming up or what I've gotten and I look for them on other blogs too for the same reason. Sometimes I haven't heard of a book that I want to pre-order or add to my tbr or even just buy if it's a good deal. Teaser Tuesday is fun too as well as The Sunday Post, but they do take time. I also have my own Weekly Update that I do, so I've stuck with that and I don't necessarily link to anything for it. Good luck on figuring out what you want to do!

    Tressa @ Tressa's Wishful Endings

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  12. I don't read memes. I barely have enough time to keep up on reading reviews.

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  13. I like to visit memes like TTT and WoW to get new books and to find new blogs, but I could also do without it. I don't like to feel forced to post a certain thing on my blog, so that's why I don't stick to a meme. I do them when I feel like it, the same for my own meme.

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  14. I really like TTT and WoW, just because I love seeing what other people are reading.. or looking forward to reading. But it's kind of hit or miss for me. I participate in both, but I kind of just do them when I feel like it - whether there's a book I'm really excited for or a topic I'm interested in.

    Hope you figure out which direction you want to go in.

    - Tabitha @ Tabitha's Book Blog

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  15. I like specific memes. I'm not in to the WoW or Teaser Tuesday ones. I skip right over those in my feeds. I do like more unique memes though and enjoy stopping on those.

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  16. Memes are hit or miss for me to be honest. I like lists, book related questions, quotes, or what books are being anticipated, but I focus on reviews and new book reviews or special postings more than I do those.

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  17. No memes are alright with me. They come and go and I definitely know how much time it takes just to get a post up. I like them but sometimes it's just too overwhelming. I especially love the Teaser Tuesdays because who doesn't love teasers?!
    But I use to follow so many memes at one point and now, well, I only have two that I really follow and a third one on and off depending on what it is I want to post for it.
    But if you latter decide to stop posting memes it's all good because I'll still be here visiting.

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  18. A lot of memes are great for finding new reads, so I do think they're useful. Necessary? No. When I see a book on Teaser Tuesday that looks interesting I usually check back a few days later for the review. Same thing for TTT - when the topic is previously read books, I search for the review.

    It really bothers me when folks just post the requisite meme stuff and don't add anything more. It just screams "filler!" to me. However, I don't think it's a bad thing to use them as filler as long as it's personalized, if that makes sense.

    Either way, we are still going to frequent your blog because the main reason we're here is for your opinion on books.

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  19. I can honestly say I have never read one of the book memes on any of the blogs I follow. I skip over them as I am going through email updates. I only click on the reviews, some of the promotional events, and the personal posts. I rarely do memes on my own blog, but that might be out of sheer laziness, you know having to organize another post and remember to do it every week. :D I say if you like them leave them because some people enjoy reading them, if they are becoming to much work on top of your other posts, let them go.

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  20. I enjoy memes for the same reasons others have highlighted - they're quick, easy and a great way to find new blogs/new reads.

    As a reader, however, I generally skip memes when they're not one's I've participated in.

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  21. I use to be big on memes because starting out, it was a way for me to get OUT THERE. But now? I find myself commenting less on them, visiting others and even posting mine. I like WOW, because I have found many books this way. But at times, it feels like a ploy to get comments and visits.

    I think they're good if you are passionate about them and generally love doing them. Otherwise, what's the point?

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  22. Waiting on Wednesday and Teaser Tuesday are both memes I almost always skip (not just here but on any blog), so I would definitely not miss them. They usually don't really interest me. I do read Top ten tuesday from time to time, but it really depents on the topic. I don't think I would miss memes. The reviews are what interest me most.

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  23. I only do memes that I can really benefit me in the end. I do Friday Finds (weekly), WoW and TTT (when the topic or book is worth bragging about), other than that I don't participate in the others like #FF or others, I'm try to do a few that still allow me to have space to post my reviews and conversation starters.
    - Krys

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  24. I actually do like WoW. And that's only because I have a thing about stalking for new releases!

    I don't like TTT because for me, it takes forever to make the posts and I've only been reading YA for a year, so I never have enough books to make my top 10.

    I also don't like F&F because I only follow blogs I actually read, LOL. It wouldn't be fair to follow a blog and not read their posts.

    I'm all about original posts on blogs. Posts like this one interest me more than reviews or memes. So that's my opinion.

    Insightful post, Jen <333

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  25. I love this post! I do meme's sporadically when I feel like it. I agree that they are time consuming for commenting, but they are usually easy to set up, which I like. I spend hours on every post, but memes make the process much simpler. But I don't think you should have to do them. If you have time for all original content, that's awesome! Whatever you do this year, I'm excited to see it.

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  26. If you don't feel like posting memes then you shouldn't. I'm happy to read anything that you post whether reviews or discussions or memes. I think that memes are also completely fine as fall back posts if there is nothing else going on that day.

    For me, during this last semester when I was student teaching and working and going to school, I found that the only way to really keep on the blog at all was throwing together meme posts, but I do agree that it can be so hard to get back to everyone who comments are your post can be time consuming and a bit tedious--when it's somebody who obviously couldn't care less about you and are just like: great pick, now come to my blog.

    In the end your blog is your blog and you can do whatever you want. You can post a hundred things a day or nothing. You have plenty of readers who are just happy you post at all.

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  27. *is meme whore* Memes are fun to read, but only when the person writing it is having fun doing the meme. :)

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