Google Trends: Social Media Secret Weapon

I've known about Google Trends for a while, but the last couple days I've come to a realization.

Google Trends, for those who don't know, is a pretty cool service from Google that tracks the daily top search trends. Basically it gives you the list of the top things people are searching for that day. (For example, "How To Cook a Turkey" on the day before Thanksgiving.)

Like I said, I've known the site existed for a while, but it hasn't been until I've been playing around with it the last couple days that I've realized how much of an awesome tool it could potentially be.

Google Trends is actually a great way to see kind of the major things going on in the world. Often the popular search terms have to do with a show finale or recent sporting event. But whatever's going on, whatever's being searched, what better way to brainstorm social media post topics?

We all want to be engaging and timely social media users, right? Well, Google Trends is the secret weapon that can help us do that. When we want to think of more things to post about, Google Trends can provide a good list. And I'm definitely not saying that anyone should always post about all the search topics all the time. That would just be really annoying. And uh, I have no interest at all in posting about sporting events, even though athletes and teams often make up half the list.

What I am saying is that occasionally checking out Google Trends can be a good reminder of what the hot topics are that day, and sometimes there will be topics that you find interesting enough to post about. And since they're hot topics, you're jumping in with the engaged and numerous crowd, which hopefully means your little ripple will multiply.

Another thing. There are charts of top searches in various categories, including authors. Outside of being able to use this info in social media use, I just think its fascinating.

So what do you think? Can Google Trends be helpful in social media, and can you think of any additional ways to use it?

Sarah Allen

Is Blogging Stuck in a Loop?

I'm gonna start with a caveat.

I love blogging. Adore it. I especially love the generous, supportive and intelligent people in the blogging community. I have learned more from the blogging community about the publishing industry than anywhere else. I've made tighter connections here on this blog than I have anywhere else online, and every time one of you amazing people leave a comment, I smile and my day gets a little brighter. I plan on being around the blogosphere for a long time to come, whether you want me or not.

That being said, its no secret that blogging in general has been in a bit of a steady decline in popularity almost since I started. But I think that maybe, from my perspective, blogging has reached its sort of plateau. The serious bloggers still around are staying, and the drop in blog readership has leveled out. I could be totally wrong, that's just my perspective, and who knows what will happen to blogging in the future.

All that's not really my concern, though. I don't care if blogging is no longer the most popular social media outlet around, I love it anyway. The thing I've been thinking about lately--and I'm going to be totally honest here--is that as I've been doing my reading, as fun and enlightening as each post is, I'm seeing the same topics discussed over and over again. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hearing important advice in new and fresh ways, repeatedly, is how we learn. The key lessons need to be repeated. The danger--the thing I'm worried about--is that I feel myself getting repetitive.

This isn't just a case of hearing similar lessons from various bloggers. I know it's just a function of being around the blogosphere for a while, but I'm more and more frequently at a loss for intriguing and useful topics that I haven't discussed already.

I want this blog to grow and evolve. That is important to me. I want to be as informational and entertaining as possible. What I've been thinking about lately is how to do that. How to keep this blog from getting stuck in a loop, as it were.

The way I see it, there are two main categories of blogs that I personally find interesting. The first is on the more business, informative side. Examples of this type of blog would be The Business Rusch by Kristine Rusch or Anne R. Allen's blog. Both these fabulous ladies have incredibly valuable insight and inside info and experience in the industry. The second category is a more personal, humor-focused style. Two ladies that have found pretty wild success with this are The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson and Allie Brosch of Hyperbole and a Half.

I would love this blog to be equally enjoyable and informative as these ladies' blogs, but the thing is, I am way behind Kristine and Anne in intelligence, experience, and insight and am nowhere near as hilarious and witty as Jenny and Allie. I am doing my best to take lessons from these wonderful ladies, and all of you other amazing bloggers, but as the indomitable Walt Disney said, you can't beat pigs with pigs. These ladies do what they do brilliantly, and nobody can do what they do in the same way. I need to evolve in my own way, continue finding my own voice and niche.

All this is a rambly and round-about way of asking for your input. Do you agree that bloggers need to evolve to avoid being stuck in a rut? What do you believe is the best way for them to do it?

And also, what other examples can you give me of bloggers who have succeeded in evolving their voice and niche in this new world of blogging?

Sarah Allen

Do soul-bursting romance moments only happen on television?

A couple nights ago when my roommate and I got back from Frozen, we were both sort of riding the emotional high the movie had given us. We sat for a while listening to the songs from the movie and analyzing it together and then I was trying to decide on something to blog about. I sat there for a few minutes, unable to think of much besides the movie. Then my roommate said, "Just go with the emotion." So I did, and wrote out my Frozen squee. I'm sort of doing that again.

So, I don't handle pining and romantic moments in movies and shows very...calmly. The really, really intense ones that have been building up for seven seasons (i.e. Niles and Daphne) leave me sort of in shock for like a whole twenty-four hours and then I start feeling like I need to go jump on a trampoline or take an angry shower or write letters to the President or run laps around my apartment complex belting songs from Wicked.

Um, I've been catching up on New Girl. I know I'm a bit behind the times, but I just watched the episode where Nick and Jess and all the friends are playing the crazy bizarre game around the apartment. Nick and Jess end up locked in a room until they kiss. Nobody will let them out. They start, but Nick refuses to do it. He says, "Not like this!" and climbs out the window. You can tell Jess is a little hurt that Nick climbed out a window rather than kiss her. Eventually everyone leaves or goes to bed, but Nick comes back to help Jess deal with the scary noise. Then before she goes back to bed he grabs her arm and pulls her to him and gives her one of the best kisses I've ever seen on television. He says, "I meant something like that." Then he walks to his room and shuts the door.

Aas;ldkjg;akslhgdklhsjhkfjkls.

Do things like that actually happen in real life? I'm asking sincerely, because my life right now is about as romantic as Teletubbies. Tell me this. What is the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you?

Sarah Allen

Movie Review: Frozen

Oh wow. Oh jeez.

Okay.

SO MANY things done right in this movie. I don't even know where to start. John Lassetter produced, and clearly he just has a magic touch. I don't know why I expected any less. But yeah, Frozen was unexpectedly amazing.

There were several flip-the-Disney-trope-on-its-head moments, which I really appreciated. I'll try not to be too spoilery, but I love how they spend so much time making fun of the engaged-to-a-guy-you-just-met. And the necessary, saving act of love was between sisters. And that its about sisters. It's a sister movie. YISSS.

The animation was gorgeous. Beautiful, and exactly right, despite all the female character design complaints that have been going around. Both sisters were beautiful. And the setting was just as amazing as in Tangled.

I think my favorite was the humor. Let me just say, "valiant pungent reindeer king" are words said in this movie. Also the word gassy is included in one of the songs. And let me just say this. Any movie with a song called Reindeer are Better Than People is BRILLIANT BY ME.

And the music. Freaking Idina Menzel man. Idina Menzel. I would post a video of The Song if I didn't want to spoil it for you. But you'll know it when you hear it. In fact, my main complaint would probably be that they during the credits they had somebody else do an autotuned version of The Song when you already had FREAKING IDINA MENZEL.

Not to mention Josh Gad and Alan Tudyk and Ciaran Hinds.

So yeah, now my roommate and I are listening to Idina on repeat. Go see this movie.

Sarah Allen

Writers and Our Own Magic Feathers

First of all, can I just say how freaking excited I am that it's December? December has all the best things. Big coats, twinkle lights, hot chocolate, The Osmond Family Christmas album, Albert Finney as Ebeneezer Scrooge. All the best things.

Anyway. I've been thinking a bit lately about magic feathers. I've talked about this subject occasionally with my writer friends and its something interesting to think about.

As writers, there are a lot of things that can become our "magic feathers." Maybe its NaNoWriMo, and you can somehow only make yourself really crank out during the month of November. Maybe it's a hat or a robe you wear when you write that puts you in Writing Mode. Maybe it's certain music or a certain spot on the couch or a certain caffeinated beverage. Maybe it's a scheduled time during the day.

I think for me, I don't necessarily have a magic feather as much as I'm way too willing to give in to excuses. I'm too worried about money, or I didn't get enough sleep, or I only have a half hour chunk of time, or bla bla bla. So I guess my problem is that I don't have a magic feather and have a hard time making good progress without one.

My point is this. I actually think magic feathers are a good thing. The problems arise when we become over-reliant on them and can't write when situations arise where we don't have our magic feathers (which is my problem). But, knowing what our magic feathers are and manipulating and taking advantage of them to push and "trick" ourselves into crushing it every day...I say use whatever tools we got, man.

So I'm going to get me a magic feather and stop folding under all the lame excuses. I'm going to make solid, specific word count and pitching/querying goals and actually write them down and use whatever magic feathers I can find to accomplish them. No excuses, and here's to flying.

What are your magic feathers?

Sarah Allen
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