My Answers to the Feed Count Meme
Maki at DoshDosh is running a survey about displaying your Feed Count and has tagged me with his meme:
I would really love to know the purpose (if any) behind putting up a feed count chicklet. Other secondary issues I want to examine include the following:
- How long did it take you to reach the current feed count? Was the growth gradual? Any notable external factors that had a positive or negative effect?
- Apart from displaying subscription buttons, what other ways (if any) do you use to encourage your readers to subscribe to your blog feed?
- In your opinion, what is the most effective way to increase your feed subscription?
I have mostly answered these questions elsewhere, I talk about displaying my feed count and how quickly I reached more than 1000 subscribers in seperate posts. Here though are my answers for the sake of the meme.
- My blog has been around just over a month
- The growth was intentionally quick but not quick enough
- Many external and internal factors but you will have to read my next ebook to find out
- I think it is fairly obvious what I do to get people to subscribe to my feed (hint!)
- Your feed subscription is a reflection of your A) design B) content C) publicity D) networking E) “offer” (what is in it for the reader, articulate the benefit of your blog, provide Flagship Content)
I think in most cases bloggers just don’t get out and spread the word effectively. Every day I find well-written and beautifully designed blogs with no focus, no hook and no promotion. The blogger has obviously put in a great deal of work but is not getting the recognition they deserve. In 99% of cases they would develop a great following if they just got out there and let people know who they are and what they are about.
By Chris Garrett. Posted in Blogging
And what would you say is the best way to ‘let people know who you are and what you are about’? Besides commenting on other blogs.
Chris, thanks for participating in the meme.
I have to say, the Killer Flagship eBook was a great way to promote feed subscriptions. I was one of the greedy ones who signed up because I wanted to read it.
And I’m glad I stayed after that!
@John, comments is the obvious one but linking out, forum participation, taking part in memes/carnivals/projects/guest posts/open mike ..
@Maki, I’m glad you stayed around too
Chris, my blog’s been around for about two weeks so your insights have been super helpful. Another way to gain attention is to create other smaller web projects (sitelets, games, resource directories, etc) that are simply endorsed by your blog. I like to think of them as gifts to the community. Seems to me that the best way to get people to love you is to reward them for the attention they give you, right there in the moment they give it.
With regards to the comments on your linked entry about only showing the widget (ugh, I hate that word “chicklet”) when the reader count is over 100 readers… I’ve currently got ten readers (not counting myself), and I display my number proudly. By most accounts, ten readers for a six-week-old blog isn’t spectacular, but is the implication here that it should be a source of embarrassment; something I should hide away because it can’t compare to what the “big boys” have? As I said in my own response to Maki’s questions, I don’t see it that way at all.
http://raygunrobot.com/archives/Feed...
I don’t think it is to be ashamed of, everybody has a low count to start with. Another important point, it is not just the count that ..um.. counts. Rightly or wrongly though people will infer certain assumptions from all aspects of your blog. And by the way, you should have one extra tomorrow (me!)
Heh, thanks!
Interesting words, Chris.
I must say, congratulations on reaching your current figure within that timeframe.