August 23rd, 2007 by Rhys

RSS makes reading blogs more efficient. To find out about RSS, I encourage you to read What is RSS?, but the general jist of it is that RSS Feeds allow all the blogs you read to be in one place. As a blogger, you should build your RSS Readers, because they are your repeated visitors. Whilst good content and all that jazz is important, here are a few alternative, bordering on evil, ways to build your readership.

1. Comment using your Feed URL as your URL

Should you ever visit Super Huge Mega Bloggers site, you may get a few curious clickthroughs from people to your site. Instead of directing them to your site, why not put your feed URL in the “Homepage” blog. Most good browsers (and Internet Explorer) usually save your feed in the “Live Bookmarks” folder, or load it up in something like Google Reader. Bish bash bosh, another reader, who will probably at least read once or twice what you have to say.

2. Blog Exclusively For RSS Readers

There are a number of plugins that have the ability to add text exclusively to the bottom of posts, kinda like the “Feedadvertising” bit on Text Link Ads. Why not include a little extra text to the bottom of posts? A little extra bonus for your readers. A good example was over at Pureblogging: they are running a competition where to enter you had to type in a secret word in their RSS feed.

3. Use Your God Given Assets To Create A RS Breasts Button
I’m surprised a number of my female readers (**cough**Merrick**cough**) haven’t done something like this, as I’d probably do it if I had two X Chromosomes, breasts, a flat stomach, and a few bottles of wine:

RSS + Breasts = RS Breasts!

Degrading? Probably. Sexist? Probably. Will it get you more readers? Abso-fucking-lutely! A little titillation goes a long way, especially in blogging. “Would you like to see more?” could easily relate to point 2, couldn’t it? So you’re not techically a liar.

Certainly, if you had a similar button on your blog, I’d subscribe. I’m shallow like that.

Popularity: 7% [?]



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25 Comments »

Comment by Guy

not that i’ve studied that picture but it’s some shoddy air brushing on the mammories ;) blatantly she was holding a copy of zoo or nuts or something! *insert pun about holding my nuts*

have to agree thou.. im more inclined to click on boobs no matter where it goes. Please for the love of god don’t dress up as minietta and get any crazy ideas….. ;)


 
Comment by Rich Minx

“Subscribe to my RS-Breast feed.”


 
Comment by Roberta

Too funny!! RSBreast…lol


 
Comment by Rhys

Guy: She wasn’t actually, she was kinda teasingly holding her bra open.

Rich Minx: That’s what I said, didn’t I?


 
Comment by Rich Minx

But I added ‘feed’ after ‘breast’. Or did you say that? I was distracted by the breast.


 
Comment by Rhys

Probably. I dunno, I was distracted by the breasts when writing it.


 
Comment by Geedos

Sorry I’m not really sure what your post was about … all I saw were breasts … and something about feeding them?

I think I got a bit distracted somewhere along the line. :-)


 
Comment by Maren

Are RSS feeds really that popular? :p Personally I never really got into using them, although the one thing that I find useful is when sites have a syndicated feed thing on LJ.


 
Comment by Debbie

I keep trying to convert my friends onto RSS but they just don’t get it, no matter how many times I demo and explain about the goodness.
Now I think I know where I went wrong..not enough breasts.


 
Comment by Madhur Kapoor

Man , i love the last way , this will definately increase your RSS subscribers .


 
Comment by Merrick

And hence why I do not have a little RSS icon in the middle of my boobs: because it would be distracting, and the following RSS feed would not be nearly so hypnotic. Although that *would* make for an interesting tattoo…


 
Comment by Han

I’m SO tempted to get the RSS icon tattooed on my boobs now!

If someone forced me to subscribe using method 1 I’d unsubscribe out of principal, things like that annoy me - I’ll subscribe if I like your blog not the other way around.


 
Comment by GnomeyNewt

Hahaha! OMG … I guess I should expect that sort of RSS button to pop up eventually.


 
Comment by Geedos

You’ve raised the spectre of an RSS button tattoo, which in itself is quite an achievement!!

Imagine a whole new generation of women with RSS tattooed boobs, Technorati on the back of their shoulder, and StumbleUpon just below their naval!

I’m not sure if that’s sexy or scary?!?


 
Comment by Bush Mackel

Nice post. Out of the box thinking is certainly something ppl should do more often.


 

[...] Three Alternative Ways to Increase Your RSS Readers by Rhys - Good marketing is often out of the box thinking. Maybe it’s time you started thinking outside the box to increase your readership. If you liked this post, do the world a favor and share it! var addthis_pub = ‘HFD04246WCU7F8PG’; [...]


 

[...] Three Alternative Ways To Increase Your RSS Readers by Rhys [...]


 
Comment by tyler dewitt
 

[...] Three Alternative Ways To Increase Your RSS Readers by Rhys [...]


 
Comment by Leon

Your last tip was the best. If that doesn’t draw attention, then I don’t know what will.


 

[...] Problogger Community are a humourless bunch who don’t appreciate the cheeky smut I peddle [...]


 
Comment by Kurt K

Love idea 3. I just wish Merrick would hurry up and get those buttons made for us.


 
Comment by Trumpi

Great hints! I think I’ll try number 1 right now!


 

[...] Three Alternative Ways To Increase Your RSS Readers - By Rhys [...]


 

[...] Three Alternative Ways To Increase Your RSS Readers | The Gospel According To Rhys [...]


 
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