Blog Follower Options - What would you do?

[RebeccasSoapDeli]

I host my blog on blogger/blogspot. For a while I've been using the Followers List Widget that shows the images and numbers of those following me. However, there is now a widget that allows people to sign up by email to receive your blog posts and I have added that. Would you keep the Followers Widget in light of this newer email subscriber widget? I feel most people don't look at the blogs they are following through blogger anyway. I rarely if ever do. And I think I'd get a lot more traffic from the Email Sign Up Widget. So I'm leaning towards losing the followers box. Plus people can still add my blog to the blogs they are following on blogger manually. What would you do?

[Former_Member]

I don't know about the new widget you mentioned but I have RSS email subscription as an option on my blog. I also have the followers widget. I would never remove that or suggest that someone remove it (unless they use their blog as a website, not a blog).

Is there a reason you want to get rid of the followers widget? Does it take up too much space? Do you not like it?

Many people (me) won't take the time follow blogs manually. It's much easier to simply click one button right there on the page.

[Former_Member]

I would (and plan to) use both. Not everyone will want the email option and not everyone will want the followers option. This way, you can appeal to both. :)

[Former_Member]

Personally I would never use the email option, it's just one more thing I have to fill out. I use Google reader every day and it's created through Friend Connect. But that's just me.

[MagnoliaSurprise]

I'd keep the Followers widget. I personally use my dashboard to read blogs and like it. You could always have both options available -- some people might not want to leave their email address, or have more emails to read. But it would be good to give them the choice!

[RebeccasSoapDeli]

My followers widget was at the bottom of the page. It took up 3/4 of a blog post in width. I think it'd make more sense to just add the blog to your RSS reader rather than your favorite blogs to follow. Do people really go back to blogger to read their favorite blogs?

[hopeandjoyhome]

I rarely even check my email..it is all spammy stuff! I always follow from the sidebar.

[hopeandjoyhome]

I check on fav blogs! I check on people who are following me periodically and especially if they comment.. so if you follow me until I follow you and then unfollow me..I will never find you again!

[RebeccasSoapDeli]

Actually it takes up a full post length.

I have mine at the very bottom of the blog - always been there. I don't like the way it looks in the sidebar. I put the email sign up at the top.

[Former_Member]

You can change the size of the widget. I will find you a tutorial if you're interested.

[justByou]

I have both on my blog, as well as the option to subscribe in a reader.

I think it's great to keep options open, but a lot of people use the Google Friend Connect to follow.

The thing I don't like about the email subscriptions and subscribing with a reader is that I don't know how the blog owner knows they have followers with those. ??? So if anyone knows that, then you can fill me in. =)

[BubbyAndBean]

I removed the top blogger "follow" bar, but I kept the Google Friend Connect widget to make it simpler/easier for people to follow. The only thing I dislike about it is the fact that it states the number of followers - I wish there was a way to remove that. The majority of my subscribers are through readers and email, not Google Friend Connect, so I feel like it's a little misleading to readers to see the number.

JustByou, you can use Feedburner to see the number of subscribers you have in readers, etc.

[CountryChicCottage]

Keep both -- some prefer one method over the other. I have both:

http://www.thecountrychiccottage.net

[Former_Member]

I think that everyone has different preferences.
In truth, I never read my Google Friend Connect subscriptions. I prefer to use Google Reader, so I subscribe to feeds by clicking on the feed icon on a page.

Your Follower widget doesn't have to be so big. You can make it have a few as 2 rows of faces. Instead of using Bloggers' default Followers widget, go to http://www.google.com/friendconnect/
and you can create your own custom gadget (I think they even introduced one that shows no faces).

My personal favorite feed service is Feedburner: http://feedburner.google.com/
People can subscribe however they choose-either through using one of the many feed readers or via email. If you go to my site and look at the right sidebar near the top and click on the orange feed button (among the small social media buttons), it will take you to my site's feed where you get the option of following however you please. And since it is associated with Google, it works well integrating with Blogger.

I agree that I don't like a whole lot of STUFF junking up my sidebars, but I think you also need to give your readers several options on how they would like to subscribe to your blog.

http://hideousdreadfulstinky.blogspot.com/

[Former_Member]

Can you make comments on peoples posts in Google reader?

[Former_Member]

No, but if you click on the post title you will be taken to the post page where you can comment.

[RebeccasSoapDeli]

I'd rather have no faces. It's just overwhelming. And you can always also subscribe to the RSS through feedburner by clicking on the icon in the url bar.

[RebeccasSoapDeli]

Friend Connect is not the same as adding to your google reader though is it?

[justByou]

No, friend connect isn't the same as google reader. And bubbyandbean is right, the friend connect shows # of followers, but it doesn't count people subscribed via email or readers. That's a bummer.

Thanks, bubby - for the tip about feedburner! =)

[Former_Member]

I offer both! Plus a facebook and a Networked Blogs app follow widget. I don't want to make it hard for anyone to follow my blog, just because they prefer using one method over another.

[Former_Member]

You can read your Friend Connect subscriptions on your Google Reader, but Google Reader lets you read anything with an RSS Feed. So you're not limited to just blogs on your Reader (like news sites).

[BubbyAndBean]

Google Reader also allows you to read ALL blogs you're subscribed to... Not just blogs that use Blogger or install the GFC widget.

If you decide to keep the GFC widget after you reduce the size/rows and still feel like it's too much or distracting, the best advice I can give is to find ways to streamline it with the rest of your layout. There are options in GFC to change the colors and fonts, etc. to match the rest of your blog (www.google.com/friendconnect/ ). Many of my favorite blog designs very simple, but many are also very colorful/artistic but streamlined. I think this is key, and you can make widgets work for you instead of against you if you streamline. My blog has actually has a lot going on in the sidebars, but I've designed the graphics to go with the theme of the blog - same button types, color schemes, and fonts. (Here's a link if you want to see how my GFG widget looks in relation to my blog design: www.bubbyandbean.com)

melissa