Posts Tagged "RSS"

To Subscribe or Not to Subscribe

Posted by cafebebemama on Feb 10, 2010 in Blogger Love, Motherhood | 21 comments

RSS- Really Simple Syndication

I’ve been conflicted for a while.  I tend to be an neurotic freak agoniser over my blog.  It’s my way of clinging to the competitive side of myself which makes my life miserable interesting.  There are so many ways of measuring the success or failure of your blog.  Let’s go over a few which give me sleepless nights pause:

• RSS- Really Simple Syndication:  Most blogs these days have a button or icon (like the one above and like the coffee cup in my right sidebar) which you can click thus allowing you to receive that blogs regular updates in something like Google Reader (or other…to tell you the truth, I don’t know what the other is!).  Then, you can just go to your Google Reader account and view all the blog posts from all of the 9 million blogs you follow.  Easy peasy, no?  Well, no!  I have a Google Reader account and subscribe to a fair few blogs but I can’t tell you the last time that I visited my Google Reader.  In fact, I think I’ve been locked out!  Some blogs have hundreds of subscribers.  Some (like this one) apparently have 10!  Here’s my conflict:  whilst I am troubled that apparently only 10 people want to regularly be bothered by me, I know that people are reading my blog so why should I worry?  And personally, I prefer visiting people’s blog DIRECTLY to see what wonderful things they have on offer.  I love seeing blog design and many blogs have so much more to see than just one post.  So, yes, I would love to have more subscribers (feel free to click now but come back to read the rest of this post) but I would also love it if you just FAVOURITED or BOOKMARKED my site and came for a nosey every so often.  Actually, I would love it if you came maybe every day.  Yes, every day would be great for me because you just never know when I may have an utterly boring brilliant post or vlog or another gorgeous picture of Little Miss.  Well, then, if you’ll be coming every day, why don’t you bring some cake and a cuppa and well, just go ahead and subscribe while you’re at it.  Got it?!
• SEO- Search Engine Optimisation:  There are a million and one ways to get your blog noticed.  It appears that if I put some video, mentioned fetishes and allowed all spam and nutbars into my site, I would be noticed a lot more.  That’s not quite me though.  This SEO business is confusing and boring and stressful.  I try not to be bothered by it but it’s hard not to when you are trying to be noticed and visited by more than just your Dad (thanks for reading Dad, you’re great).  I may have cracked the whole rigamarole however, as I have finally made it into the Tots 100- the Top 100 UK Parent Bloggers Index.  If you scroll down…yes, keep scrolling…I’m in with a bullet at number 95!  I’ve been blogging since May (I think) and this is the first time I’ve made it.  I’m rather thrilled and am really liking the feel of number 95.  I am very much hoping that the “only way is up” from 95 but now I’ve got the pressure of STAYING ON THE LIST!  In no way, shape or form does the SEO or Tots 100 change the way I blog but it does affect my mood!  Again, that goes back to the whole competitive me but that’s something I need counselling for need to accept.
• Blog Envy and Critique:  I look at some blogs and I am amazed at how wonderfully they write; how beautiful their sites are; how seemingly effortlessly they succeed.  I look at other blogs and wonder how the bloomin’ heck are they so successful?!  But maybe this is a good thing?  It makes me look at my blog; try to keep it interesting and readable; write good content that’s SPELLED CORRECTLY with PROPER GRAMMAR (I hope); keep the content fresh.  Perhaps my envy has helped me to succeed?  You tell me!
• Social Networking:  Twitter has become a source of support, encouragement, promotion and happiness.  Twitter has also become a bit of an addiction!  If you don’t Tweet about your posts, if you lurk and don’t tweet, if you get in a cat-fight with another Tweep you lose your audience and followers.  I have been amazed that since I joined Twitter, my blog is being seen by more people and I am finding more connections and interests out there than I knew existed.  But it can also be a real distraction.  It is nice to know that there’s always someone there to support you and new people to find you, however.  If you aren’t following me on Twitter, you can find me @cafebebe (there’s a FOLLOW ME icon with a blue Twitter bird on it if you want to do it easily).  I’m an entertaining Twit I think…you tell me?!
• Comments:  I believe I am similar to other bloggers in that, if I write a post which receives only 1 or 2 comments, that post is a bit of a dud.  But I don’t always comment on everyone’s blog posts.  Sometimes I just have a quick read, nod knowingly or laugh appropriately (or inappropriately) and move on.  To comment on some blogs is like trying to hack into the Pentagon’s computer system (not advisable).  Maybe mine is like that?  I’ve never commented on my own posts from outside my admin dashboard.  Have you?  I don’t want every spammer to be able to comment so I think I’ve put in a few features that make commenting slightly more than just a click but is it too difficult to comment on my site?  Do you want to comment on my site?  I rarely, if ever, go back to a site that I have commented on to see if the author has commented back to me YET, it’s considered good blogging etiquette to reply to reader’s comments.  What to do?!  What do you do?

So, let’s sum up.

• RSS- if you’d like to receive regular updates from Cafe Bebe, you simply have to click on the button on the top right of this site (RSS- strangely enough) or click on the coffee cup icon as well.  You’ll get me straight to your door.  What a lovely way to start your day!
• SEO- Well, I don’t know but I finally am on the Tots 100 so who cares…until next month anyway!
• Blog Envy- I think it makes me a better blogger as I want to be just as good as the next blogger.  Or at least as good as number 94 and 96 on the Tots 100!
• Social Networking- come follow me @cafebebe!  I’ll brighten your day after you read my latest post.
• Comments- to comment or not to comment…that really is the question.  Please leave your comments below!

Thanks to all the lovely friends who support Cafe Bebe and keep me on the straight and narrow…I couldn’t do it without you!