DIG Drives Improvements and Staff Recruitment Update

The biggest news of 2024 is easily DIG 9000 (AAJ's chatbot assistant) and our app which will support push notifications (coming soon). Both are of monumental importance to our platform and to All About Jazz's future. If you haven't had the chance to ask DIG a question, please do, as it's designed to learn and improve every day, so the more you interact with it, the sharper and quicker it becomes. One of the unexpected benefits of the chatbot is it highlights potential problem areas in website design, phrasing and functionality. We've been busy addressing them through code changes or simple page adjustments. Between the chatbot inquiries and reader feedback, we've made some improvements to All About Jazz and Jazz Near You this week...

Added

• We added an "upload tips" link to the Jazz Near You event submission form. Just to clear things up: listing your events on Jazz Near You has always been free. Some folks thought it was a paid service, but that's not the case at all. If you want to give your event a little extra love, check out our super affordable Event Spotlight service.
• We added a link to your sent messages from your private messages page. (Thanks, Josh R!)
• We added a CONTACT US link to the EXPLORE page.

Improved

• The quick search feature. Ideally, you'd pick something from the dropdown, but no worries—you can still get results even if you don't.
• We also spruced up the language on the AAJ Pro page and the Musician Toolkit page to make things clearer.
• The reseting of your password.
• We revampled our Frequent Questions page. We moved the AAJ questions up to the top and added some new questions based on what you've been asking in the chatbot. Check it out!

More Questions Answered

• Q: How can I pay my membership fee?
  A: If you're referring to making a new donation, click the DONATE button in the top right corner of any AAJ page. If you are referring to renewing your premium musician page subscription, go here.
• Q: How do I reset my password?
  A: Click "Sign in / Sign Up" on the AAJ navigation bar then click the "Reset It" link.
• Q: How do I claim a page?
  A: If you're referring to a musician page, search for the musician, go to the page, then click the "Claim Page" button.
• Q: How do I provide some constructive feedback about the AAJ website?
  A: Click the CONTACT US link on the EXPLORE page or add your suggestion from your member settings page.
• Q: How can I join the All About Jazz staff?
  A: Click the Join Us link located in the footer of every AAJ page. There's also a link on the Our Staff page.

Staff Expansion Update

We were beyond thrilled with the response to our recent call to contributors and we're now in the process of onboarding 50 writers, podcast/radio hosts and photographers. We're seeing a rich array of interests—some are eager to develop regular columns, others prefer concert and album reviews, while a few are interested in one-offs or publishing book excerpts. With such diverse contributions, the onboarding process is taking a bit longer than anticipated but that's ok. Some have been onboarded and have been published already. If you have an interest in joining the All About Jazz staff, you can kickstart the process by updating your AAJ member information by uploading a thumbnail image, completing your one-sentence bio and an expanded bio (located under the "About You" tab) and selecting your preferred genres. Once complete, share a writing sample with us here or email me directly and explain how you want to contribute. One of the best things about writing for All About Jazz is the freedom to write about what inspires you, all on your own schedule. Our platform connects you with a vibrant community of jazz enthusiasts and professionals, offering a space to showcase your passion in the most positive light.

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Posted to Publisher's Desk IN THE All About Jazz GROUP
Read more posts by Michael Ricci