Comments on: What If No One Actually Visits Blogs? http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/ Insight and Analysis from North of the Border Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:42:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Are Pro Bloggers Going Extinct Soon? | Mark Evans http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-62584 Are Pro Bloggers Going Extinct Soon? | Mark Evans Mon, 19 May 2008 11:58:18 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-62584 [...] More: This is a subject I initially wrote about last November in a post called “What if No One Actually Reads Blogs?”. [...] [...] More: This is a subject I initially wrote about last November in a post called “What if No One Actually Reads Blogs?”. [...]

]]> By: Gillian http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-23032 Gillian Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:05:50 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-23032 Hey Mark -- I tend to click through from my reader when I am tempted to write comments (take a poll, see content that is not included in the post). Some bloggers write specifically to attract this kind of traffic from the RSS lurkers, and are up front about it. They may only do it once in a while, as a sort of ratings exercise. Love reading, in whatever window... G Hey Mark –

I tend to click through from my reader when I am tempted to write comments (take a poll, see content that is not included in the post). Some bloggers write specifically to attract this kind of traffic from the RSS lurkers, and are up front about it. They may only do it once in a while, as a sort of ratings exercise.

Love reading, in whatever window…

G

]]> By: Mark Evans » Blog Archive » No Money in the Blogging Long Tail? Really! http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-22418 Mark Evans » Blog Archive » No Money in the Blogging Long Tail? Really! Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:52:20 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-22418 [...] is waiting to capture your attention. Not good news for revenue-seeking bloggers or advertisers. I riffed on this growing reality earlier this [...] [...] is waiting to capture your attention. Not good news for revenue-seeking bloggers or advertisers. I riffed on this growing reality earlier this [...]

]]> By: Professional Blogging News » Blog Archive » Will RSS Kill Online Advertising? http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-22121 Professional Blogging News » Blog Archive » Will RSS Kill Online Advertising? Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:31:16 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-22121 [...] pay for ‘eyeballs.’ That’s the intriguing question more and more bloggers are asking [...] [...] pay for ‘eyeballs.’ That’s the intriguing question more and more bloggers are asking [...]

]]> By: Johnny Bones http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21318 Johnny Bones Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:35:44 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21318 You don't need to change RSS readers to make them more ad friendly; you need to change your perception of "The Internet". The net is a way to efficiently share and move information and data. Traditional websites are going to change significantly, as more people adopt the RSS reader as their main browser. Remember, the Web browser killed paper media. Now we might be seeing a second shift toward more efficient info routing. You don’t need to change RSS readers to make them more ad friendly; you need to change your perception of “The Internet”. The net is a way to efficiently share and move information and data. Traditional websites are going to change significantly, as more people adopt the RSS reader as their main browser. Remember, the Web browser killed paper media. Now we might be seeing a second shift toward more efficient info routing.

]]> By: Alex Barrera http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21216 Alex Barrera Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:35:04 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21216 Mike, that's a very good question. I suppose it depends on your audience. I read ycnews on a daily basis and they don't have any content, just the link (maybe this is even better than giving half the content). I still use it, but tend to skip the ones I'm not interested in. So it all depends on your interesting_posts / %_of_interested_subscribers ratio. I suppose that if you have a big subscriber pool it might be worth it in an economical sense. The problem to me is that it seems as if that ratio might oscillate very fast, so getting real numbers on that can be problematic. Then of course, nothing assures you that the readers that do click for the extra content will get you ad $ :) Mike, that’s a very good question. I suppose it depends on your audience. I read ycnews on a daily basis and they don’t have any content, just the link (maybe this is even better than giving half the content). I still use it, but tend to skip the ones I’m not interested in. So it all depends on your interesting_posts / %_of_interested_subscribers ratio. I suppose that if you have a big subscriber pool it might be worth it in an economical sense. The problem to me is that it seems as if that ratio might oscillate very fast, so getting real numbers on that can be problematic. Then of course, nothing assures you that the readers that do click for the extra content will get you ad $ :)

]]> By: Mark Evans http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21111 Mark Evans Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:42:57 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21111 Writers just focused on writing while others take care of advertising and design - it sounds like a newspaper. :) Seriously, you make some valid points but I think part of blogging's current appeal is the ability to do and be everything. For many bloggers, this will probably remain how they operate while the pros (and A-listers) could outsource their non-writing activities. A good example is FeedBurner, which handles advertising for many bloggers who have a high enough RSS subscriber count. Writers just focused on writing while others take care of advertising and design - it sounds like a newspaper. :)

Seriously, you make some valid points but I think part of blogging’s current appeal is the ability to do and be everything. For many bloggers, this will probably remain how they operate while the pros (and A-listers) could outsource their non-writing activities. A good example is FeedBurner, which handles advertising for many bloggers who have a high enough RSS subscriber count.

]]> By: Omar http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21058 Omar Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:08:19 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-21058 You know, this begs a question, what IS a blogger? Are they primarily writers? Or as you've pointed out, does the page itself, the design and plug-ins make blogging something more? Personally, I think it helps to focus. If you're a designer, then do design stuff. If you're a writer, then focus on writing. The problem of course is that the current blog mentality forces both types of people to do everything. Obviously it's a pretty broken model. Wouldn't it be nice if writers could just focus on writing, and not have to worry about selling ads, content, design, etc? The current model is fundamentally broken, and your post about RSS just highlights that. You know, this begs a question, what IS a blogger? Are they primarily writers? Or as you’ve pointed out, does the page itself, the design and plug-ins make blogging something more?

Personally, I think it helps to focus. If you’re a designer, then do design stuff. If you’re a writer, then focus on writing. The problem of course is that the current blog mentality forces both types of people to do everything. Obviously it’s a pretty broken model. Wouldn’t it be nice if writers could just focus on writing, and not have to worry about selling ads, content, design, etc?

The current model is fundamentally broken, and your post about RSS just highlights that.

]]> By: Mark Evans http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-20943 Mark Evans Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:30:21 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-20943 Alex, I agree that RSS is going to change to make it more advertising friendly. I do wonder whether partial RSS feeds are actually effective. Do they make people visit a blog or do they encourage people to keep on trolling down their RSS blog list? Alex,

I agree that RSS is going to change to make it more advertising friendly.

I do wonder whether partial RSS feeds are actually effective. Do they make people visit a blog or do they encourage people to keep on trolling down their RSS blog list?

]]> By: Alex Barrera http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-20936 Alex Barrera Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:45:22 +0000 http://markevanstech.com/2007/11/26/what-if-no-one-actually-visits-blogs/#comment-20936 Ah I forgot, you can always create a subscription RSS, but I think that defeats the actual purpose of blogs :) About the comments, you can always syndicate the comments or, as some blogs do, add a counter with the number of comments at the bottom of the RSS item. As before, we'll probably see an evolution on the RSS version so that comments can also be append to an RSS item. Maybe you want to be the first to propose it? ;) For the record, I do click through the RSS and onto the website to comment on something I think is worthwhile :) (See this comment hehe). I suppose a big part of subscribers tend to be very shy. Just take a look at TechCrunch. They have 165K subscribers but normally they tend to get something around 30-50 comments per post. The ratio is quite small. Ah I forgot, you can always create a subscription RSS, but I think that defeats the actual purpose of blogs :)

About the comments, you can always syndicate the comments or, as some blogs do, add a counter with the number of comments at the bottom of the RSS item. As before, we’ll probably see an evolution on the RSS version so that comments can also be append to an RSS item. Maybe you want to be the first to propose it? ;)

For the record, I do click through the RSS and onto the website to comment on something I think is worthwhile :) (See this comment hehe). I suppose a big part of subscribers tend to be very shy. Just take a look at TechCrunch. They have 165K subscribers but normally they tend to get something around 30-50 comments per post. The ratio is quite small.

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