Loading ...Blog Reading via RSS vs Entrecard Dropping/READING
Dec 28th, 2007 by Felix Alaita
Most of us get regular updates/posts from blogs we have found interesting enough to subscribe to. Reading these posts enriches our minds but have come to be like daily chores we deny. I subscribe to most of “the usual suspects” or “famous big blogs” like John’s and a couple of “little ones”too, but lately I’ve found myself in conflict between blog reading via RSS vs Entrecard.
RSS Chores or Entrecard Chores - CHOOSE ONE!
For those who don’t read blogs they drop cards on, this post might not make sense, but if you do like I do, then read on. With the advent of Entrecard, A lot of my time has come to be spent browsing the multitude of blogs on the network. Lately, I’ve come to discover that I now enjoy my daily routine of card dropping because I also get to read some very interesting posts as I go along. Posts that I probably would never have discovered based on their Alexa ranking, Google pagerank or something. The point is that a couple of days back, my friend Toks drew my attention to a post by one of my “RSS Chores” that made me realise I’d stopped reading via RSS. Why? I guess I already had too much fun reading new discoveries and dropping my card as I go along, ending up too exhausted to try. Which now brought up the question and topic for this post - Blog reading via RSS vs Entrecard dropping/READING which is best?
Entrecard Traffic Rules!
Card dropping in Entrecard grants the dropper credits that can be used to advertise on other blogs (bringing in some traffic), while also making his card visible in the inbox where dropped (bringing in more traffic). This simple system of advertising has leveled the playing field in the blogosphere in no small measure, granting smaller blogs a lot of visibility for virtualy nothing. A feat which they would never have dreamed of before.
Bottom Line
Entrecard dropping/READING chore in my view is much more beneficial than RSS reading chore especially for small blogs. This is supposed to be a very short post thus I’d stop here and let you digest the message. However, I think am going to make a list of interesting blogs/posts I see on my way pretty soon, even if just to prove my point.
What is your take? Blog reading via RSS as your daily chore or Entrecard dropping/READING? Note: I just might include your blog in my list
Blog reading via RSS is just that, reading. On the other hand actually taking the time to visit a site and dropping off your card while you read any new posts or articles is much more beneficial, because you are dropping your card and earning credits.
I personally do not care for checking updates on sites through RSS and RSS Readers as a lot of sites I visit will have information, links or something of interest which is not published through RSS.
Now let’s turn this around and ask which is better for the site/author. Readers via RSS or actual site visitors that will hit your site to read the content and drop their card? I think they both can be beneficial and if you format your posts/articles in a clever way and really get your reader’s attention then having RSS readers can be just as good as actual site visitors.
I much prefer visiting the blogs. I think you get a better feel for the total personality of the author by seeing the template, the choice of advertising, etc.
I’m really thankful for Entrecard as they’ve made it super easy to discover and enjoy new blogs. I’ve learned a lot in the past 10 days. Having it placed in front of me left me little choice… and that’s a very good thing.
Great post!
Well, I JUST joined entrecard today so I don’t have a whole lot to say about them at the moment. However, I NEVER use RSS. I don’t care about it at all. I don’t use it to read other blogs and I don’t care if people use it to read me (actually, I think I’d rather they come to the site).
I’ve jumped through a few sites on entrecard and most of the ones I’ve been through so far don’t interest me, but I came across one or two that made me stop and read. But it’s only my first day, so I’ve got plenty of time.
Though, I do like how entrecard is free and popular. You can advertise on big name sites without having to pay money, which is nice for small time/beginner bloggers.
I think entrecard is probably better than RSS, since it benefits the blogger and the reader/dropper.
[…] along to a relative who is having problems with their kid eating good food. She loved it! Blog Reading via RSS vs Entrecard Dropping/READING - 3rd World Blogger - The epitome of a good reason to like Entrecard. I completely agree with the […]
Personally, I think it’s important to balance out both of them. While I am enjoying discovering blogs I wasn’t familiar with before joining Entrecard, I really do take the time to subscribe, read regularly and comment as often as possible. I read somewhere recently “in order to get you have to give” and I believe that’s true.
You know, it wasn’t until I read this post that I realized I haven’t Opened my RSS reader in Weeks, though like you I have been reading a ton of blogs via Entrecard. I can’t tell you the number of times I have been chain dropping when a post caught my attention and I ended up reading the post and leaving a relevant comment.
The critics who say all those dropped cards are ‘junk’ traffic are wrong. And the folks who put their widget way below the fold are foolish. If I see the widget right away I will almost instinctively read the headline or lead in of the post that is visible while I am waiting for the little gold bar to change to “Thanks!”. And if the beginning of the post interests me, I will almost certainly read the whole thing. If the page takes forever to load and the widget is hard to find, I am annoyed by the time I am waiting for “Drop Yours” to change to “Thanks!” or the dreaded “300/day” and unlikely to read or click on anything, being by then just anxious to be out of the slow loading site.
Traffic is traffic. As a blogger it’s up to you to create content sufficiently compelling to get your visitors to stick around and to present it in a way that doesn’t drive them away in frustration Before your content can hook them.
Entrecard has increased my traffic. However, it did not bring me targetted traffic, unless i started to visit all the blogs that i see in my entrecard dashboard, and find out the blogs in line with my niche segment. Those were the bloggers who are more likely to visit my blog, and eventually become loyal readers or friends. So i started leaving comments to their blogs, highlighting their posts etc. It worked.
Cheers,
Mert
www.searchforblogging.com
I too prefer to visit the blogs from time to time straight from my RSS reader.
Entrecard is a great tool, but very few users stick around on your blog
I have gotten quite a few RSS readers from Entrecard. I also got a TON of traffic. Of course, I do have to brag and say my Alexa is much further down than yours, and my Page Rank is higher. Some people abuse EC, but hopefully they will learn it does them no good at all.
I subscribe to sites via RSS and then never read my RSS reader. I have networked on MyBlogLog, Spicepage, and BlogCatalog and have just started on Entrecard. Entrecard seems special somehow, I seem to want to interact with the sites I land on and I actually look around for ads I that interest me so I can support the site.
I do both. Entrecard allows me to discover new interesting blogs which I’ll then add to my reader to read on a regular basis.
I find that I do both fairly regularly. I like having an RSS list of sites because some of them aren’t updated as frequently as others which gives me a chance to skim over what’s new and skip what’s old. Not all the blogs I read use Entrecard either.
I run 3 blogs though, and balancing clicks using entrecard between the three is a challenge. I think the Entrecard traffic worth a lot more than most people think. Just because it is free doesn’t mean it has no value.
I still read my RSS feeds and I read many of the blogs I drop cards too. Maybe I have a lot of free time lol.
Entrecard is so good for a new blog and enterteining to use that when my spanish blog account was erased (I don’t read enough after all) I created a new blog in English just to sign up again.
That’s right. I’ve never used a lot of RSS, but since I’ve discovered entrecard the first thing I do when I come home from work is dropping cards. And You know what? I work in an IT and not so long ago I was totally bored with the internet. Now I’m again spending most of my free time on reading blogs, ’cause thank’s to entrecard I’ve found a lot of interesting people and posts!
I find that most of my time is spent dropping Entrecards at the expense of everything else. I comment on at least 10 blogs a day where before it might have been 1 blog a week. I am enjoying fresh new articles. I enjoy the Entrecard experience but I still get a little RSS reading here and there.
[…] here at 3rdworldblogger have improved by the day thanks to you all, giving me immense joy. In my last post, I hinted on making a list of sites I find through Entrecard dropping/reading. This is just my way […]
I’ve only just joined entrecard and it’s a great way to discover new blogs. I thought your most recent post about getting comments rather than having people just visit was an interesting one. Does entrecard actually bring regular visitors or is it just breeze throughs on their way to a self serving end? I know myself I’ve added a couple of new blogs to my reader but breezed through others that didn’t interest me all that much. I’ll be interested to see how things unfold over the coming weeks in terms of my blog traffic and reader traffic.
Entrecard and RSS readers are not ideal marriage, but they can survive side by side. Simply make ‘Entrecard’ folder into your RSS reader and place all blogs with Entrecard into it.
When you go through your daily feeds, open one of those entries in browser and drop your card in. After that you can continue in normal fashion.
Entrecard is the best for free advertising!
I like Entrecard for not only bringing new visitors to my site but I have found a dozen or so new blogs that I have added their RSS feed to my reader. I have found blogs that I wouldn’t usually add to my reader that I think are interesting.
I thought I already knew all the blogs that I thought were popular in affiliate marketing but after surfing through Entrecard I found a few others that I have become a regular reader of.
Most importantly by finding these new blogs I am constantly learning something new every day.
Entrecard really brings in good traffic. Despite the quality my be of variance, it’s actually quite good. You should also show respect and visit blogs that have dropped their card at your site. For that you can use eg. entrelist widget
Or you could check your RSS inbox.. The widget let’s you show of your last droppers to others.. Niiice!
Regards