I think that the sidebar is a very integral part of “Marshall and the Movies.” It has not come to my attention that anyone has had any problems with it, but nonetheless I felt like it deserved some ‘splainin (Lucy and Ricky style).
So, in this three-part series, I will dissect the sidebar and how you, the reader, can optimize your experience by using it.
The "Search" Box
Pretty self-explanatory, I think. Type in anything you want, and you’ll find anything that has ever appeared on the site with those words. For example, if you want to find all the times that I have talked about “Avatar,” just type it in. You’ll find my review and plenty of other posts where I referenced it.
But say you want to find the last movie I described as dreadful. Type in dreadful, and you will see my review of “Clash of the Titans.” The word is hidden somewhere in the post; from there on it becomes a seek-and-find on your part. (NOTE: The search tool doesn’t pick up negation, so I could have said “Clash of the Titans” was not dreadful. I didn’t, but it could happen for some other movie.)
The "Subscribe" Button
The subscribe button is a relatively new addition to the sidebar; I added it on the suggestion of other bloggers who say that it’s a great way to encourage traffic and reader loyalty. It looks intimidating, but let me explain it for you as simply as possible.
Are you one of those people who so longs for an e-mail just so you can hear the ping? Or to have that great feeling of importance of getting an e-mail? Subscribe to “Marshall and the Movies,” and you can get that feeling all the time! Because I publish a random factoid daily, you are guaranteed at least one e-mail a day. And most days, I publish some additional content, so that’s up to two e-mails a day! Are you feeling stoked yet?! Just type in your e-mail address and hit “Yes! I want updates!”
The LAMB (Large Association of Movie Blogs)
To the normal reader, this strange photo is probably the biggest unknown on the sidebar. What is it? Should I click it?
Yes, I would LOVE for you to click it. Here’s how it works: I’m a member of a very large conglomeration of movie blogs, called the LAMB. It’s a nice community for movie bloggers, and I’ve been unfortunately limited in my interactions with them due to my hectic life. However, by directing traffic to their site, you can put me on the “LAMB Leaderboard,” a prominently featured part of the site which would in turn bring flocks back to “Marshall and the Movies.” It’s a win-win situation for clicking, so why not do it 7 or 8 times?
My note to every reader.
I have made no efforts to keep my commenting problems secret (taking the reverse Sandra Bullock approach, if you will). So I have left any old reader a note imploring them to comment.
Please, non-blogging readers, I really NEED your comments! Unlike most bloggers, I don’t write for the blogging community. I write for the average moviegoer who deserves to hear an average person’s take on cinema. So help me out here – please (yes, again with the nice manners).
Do you, as readers, have any suggestions on the sidebar? In particular, I’d like to know what you think about the order that the boxes are arranged in. Is it really as easy to use as it can be?
Despite what I often infer from the lack of comments on the blog, people are actually discovering “Marshall and the Movies.” A few days ago, I saw a link to a post on British film site 
There is more than one “Marshall and the Movies” on the web.
To adapt the immortal words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your blogger can do for you, but ask what you can do for your blogger.” Thanks, devoted reader, I thought you would never ask. You can help me out by visiting this site from my blog. The more hits they get from Marshall and the Movies, the higher I rank and the more visitors I can draw here.
Marshall and the Movies 
The Winner of April’s Comment Contest Is…
2 05 2010It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the culmination of the commenting contest!
Before I announce the winner, I wanted to thank everyone who helped make April a banner month for “Marshall and the Movies.” I’ll show you pictures of some fantastic stats.
The daily stats started high and generally stayed pretty high, and this was the biggest month of viewership in “Marshall and the Movies” history! Thanks everyone!
And as for the comments, which is what I was really trying to boost, there was also tremendous success! Before April, there had been 355 comments left on the blog. Last month alone, there were a whopping 160 comments!
All in all, April was a tremendous month, in large part to you, the reader. Your comments motivated me to write some of what I believe is my best material yet, and I hope I have earned your readership in the months to come.
But now, for the capitalistic exercise of this blog: the incentive. Hopefully, you commented because you wanted to help a poor blogger out, but I’m sure that couldn’t have been entirely it. You obviously wanted the big prize: one of last year’s Best Picture nominees.
Who got it? First, let me explain the process.
I wrote down all the comments (and bonus comments) on Post-It notes, folded them up, and put them inside of my “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” cup. I figured it could serve as my goblet of fire, and I thought it was fitting to draw from something that I had mentioned in a previous factoid.
But now, the moment you have all been waiting for … the winner revealed.
Read the rest of this entry »
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: April, Comment Contest, Marshall and the Movies
Categories : Marshall and the Movies