readers, subscribers, followers???

I After reading bloglines was closing I had to work out an alternative. Hence try to understand the difference between followers and subscribers (all linked to google reader) think I have it slightly..........

Some of you had no idea what I was even talking about so maybe this post will help explain.  

It is long and photoless so Kris you might need more then a cuppa to get thru this one.......ie top shelf alcohol cupboard.

I know I saw on a blog a few months ago someone going on about how many followers they have......well in my opinion it is interesting but it's not any sort of competition to see who has the most.........but for some people it is..........

I have been blogging for a long time and I post what I want.........I would prefer to have less people to come to my blog and read it and look at the photos because they enjoy it instead of lots coming because I have free things to giveaway........they don't really care then - just in for something for themselves........

I suppose what we all want to know is that someone visits and reads what we write......and takes the time to leave a comment.

As i found out in my “research” there are readers, subscribers and followers......

Readers are how I started out. I just typed in addresses. If I liked them I had all the people I visited saved as favourites/bookmarked in my internet explorer/chrome internet browser.  I would open each page individually and see if you had put up a new post on their blog or not. I was on super slow internet (not much better now) and I used to get frustrated waiting for a site to open to find nothing new..........

Readers also come from blog lists on sidebars where people click from one blog to another.

A girlfriend was visiting and she got me onto bloglines aka subscribers. Saved me heaps of time. 

Subscribers is what you would call bloglines and google reader

Bloglines(now closing if you use it export your subscriptions and then import them into google reader)

Google reader - I have my own account and I tell it what sites I want to keep track of and it searches the web for me. I go into my google reader account and it shows all the updated posts you have put on your blog. If I want to comment on one of the posts I click on the post title and it opens up your blog to that post ready for me to leave my comment. 

I have mine sorted into folders for countries or different groups etc that makes more sense to me. 

I subscribe to all mine privately therefore no one knows if I am following their blog or not and no one is offended if I change my mind and unsubscribe. 

(Note the above is also referred to as RSS feeds. The internet in the background searches all your sites for the feeds that are automatically sent out from your blog unless you make it a private closed blog followers find those same feeds but uses them a little differently)

There doesn't seem to be any other feed readers known like bloglines and google reader so I will stick with google reader for now. I did check out "Feedly" which works with google chrome web browser and also links into google reader and it's not bad - nice clean look and as you read feeds in there it updates back to reader so you don't have to clear out both - but still thinking about it.  

Followers has developed with the more recent social networking ideas (from my opinion). (tied up with google friends connect). Mostly it would be safe to say if you clicked on someone in a list of followers they would have similar interests to the blog you have been on. Hence it is a good way to find other blogs with the same/similar interest. 

Followers shows up down the bottom of your dashboard (in blogger)......showing the posts of blogs you “follow”........you only get a snippet of the post.........at the bottom right of that box you can click on google reader and view all the blogs you “follow” in google reader instead. 

As Dawnie found out today. It also should show the whole post for you.

When I started blogging there were various “rings” and people were members of those surf rings and they had to post so often and a certain sort of content etc..........it was a way to find blogs of similar interest. They have died over time. I never joined any or were asked to join but I posted about a variety of things not just quilting.

I have only “followed” my own blog to see what it looks like for others if they use followers. 

When I went into google reader there is a folder of “Blogs i’m following” there so if you already have subscribed in google reader then you will be doubling up if you “follow” them too.

Most “followers” are public hence why we are able to see all those little icons on blogs if people choose to show them on their sidebar (or at the bottom of the blog in my case). 

For some people it is only a matter of numbers...........how many people “like them” so to speak. Some people get a bit disappointed it if they only have a few.........how do they get more.....some have been upset when someone stopped “following” them.......

I am unsure about my followers button down the bottom of my blog whether I should keep it shown there or take it off???

I think some people act like it is a popularity contest. You truly have no idea how many visit your blog. All the people that go thru subscriptions don’t show up in stat counter........unless they actually come to your blog.........and if someone is following how often do they look at your blog anyway.

Some days I get no comments but know from my stats that a lot of people have passed by.

There is also many people that just jump onto one site then click on sites on the sidebar and hop from one blog to the next...........in my case when I do this I usually don’t remember where the hell I started or how I got to be where I am but finding lots of great and some not so great stuff to look at along the way.........

So how do you know how many visit???

I use a stat counter to get an idea where people are looking from (country) and I can see what sites they have come from.  Blogger does have new tabs with stats but I have a shinystat account. 

There are also others around. If you see one you like on someones sidebar click on it and it will usually take you to the home site and you can make your own. I have tried a few over the years but find shinystat easy to understand.

Many have giveaways where you have to “follow” their blog to get an entry in the giveaway and this is a way to get more traffic to their blog.....downside- are the visitors only there for the giveaway and never back to read again...........(these giveaway's are a pet hate of mine as regular readers would know)

So how do you get people to find your blog and get it out there?

You have to put yourself out there - blogging does take time and effort

Visit peoples blogs AND LEAVE COMMENTS – you may need to leave a few to get noticed by a blogger sometimes. I could be too busy to go visit your blog when you leave the first one and only reply to your comment. But see another comment from you and go to your blog. 

Visit other bloggers in a swap you have joined - most people who host a swap include a list of the other girls in the swap. Check them out while the swap is on.

Include a linked list of blogs you like on your blog - I have never asked anyone to include my blog in there sidebar.......and I have only been asked by one or 2 people to inlcude them on my sidebar..........not something I would recommend - asking people that is - I was a bit put off by it. 

The people I have on my sidebar are there because I like their blogs. I don't update it as often as I should but I do it 4-5 times a year.

Put relevant and useful content on your blog  - your blog is personal and “about you” but things that help here might be to think of the reasons why you might visit another blog.............i’m not saying copy here but what makes you want to go back to a blog and visit again..........ie I am not really into crazy quilting so wouldn’t be searching out crazy quilting blogs.......

The reason I go to one blog could be completely different to why I go to another blog even though the blogs may be similar.

Photos - everyone loves to see photos of what you making/made, where in the world you are

Include links in your posts to other blogs – when you mention things you have seen on others blogs or you went and met up with a blog friend etc or joined a swap or won a giveaway etc

Post frequently and keep your blog moving – regular posting is a key.....be it several times a week or once a fortnight or monthly........don’t say you’ll post daily cause 99.9% of us can’t manage that.......

Rambling – don’t ramble on for too long in posts – keep it short and sweet (unlike this post)

I suppose what we all want to know is that someone visits and reads what we write......takes the time to leave a comment......we all want/enjoy the social interaction, friendship and motivation we get from blogland..........and we’re just as good as each other...........have fun and do what works for you.

I have added this post the sidebar list of "How to....blog bits"

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........