Someone asked me last week, ‘What makes you want to follow a blog?’ Before I started this one, nearly six months ago, I read a lot of blogs about blogging, and everyone agreed that your goal should be to get people to sign up rather than call in from time to time.
Now that I’m blogging myself, I can feel the difference this makes, because the signed-up members feel like a community, and the result feels more like a conversation.
Most pundits seem to agree that the way to get people to sign up is to offer an incentive, usually in the form of a free download. Following that advice, I offered my printout about dream recalling and recording, which I had been intending to put up on my Tips page.
But when this friend asked me last week why I personally subscribe to the blogs I like, I realised that for me it’s all about content. I subscribe if I like the content enough not to want to miss a post. In fact, free downloads are a disincentive to me, after my experience of them so far.
I’ve only signed up to three blogs because I was curious about the free download, and each time, it’s lead to a slew of nuisance emails about topics I never asked for information about. In two of these cases, they also quickly went on to try to sell me downloads or get me to sign up to courses.
So as of today, my sign-up offer ceases. You can see my recalling-and-recording dreams info on the Tips page, and here’s a heads-up on some great content coming in the next few weeks.
How to use dream material to energise your writing… guest post from one of my fave bloggers, Katherine Roberts… interview with lovely dreamworker, Toko-pa Turner… the Death card and the end of the dream book…
If you haven’t done so yet – I do hope you’ll sign up!
Jenny Alexander's blog: Writing in the House of Dreams 
I think you’re right Jenny, these offers just go straight over my head. I subscribe to blogs written by people I feel I connect with, and whose posts I find interesting and well-written. No amount of freebies would persuade me to subscribe – it has to be genuine interest in the blogger and what they have to say.
That’s very affirming Abi – I wondered if I was missing something! Can I get email reminders about yours? I’m following but keep forgetting you’ve got new posts every Friday…
i agree with you – I loathe being pestered all the time. I am a bit of a newcomer to following blogs, but have found out quite quickly that some people just see your subscription as a virtual foot in the door!
Yes, me too – and then I feel annoyed. I’ve unsubscribed from one like that today.
I agree fully about content – there is so much nonsense to wade through out there, I feel it’s important to choose carefully what I take ‘on board.’ That said, I always look forward to your new posts.
Thank you so much Toko-pa – I’m delighted you like my posts – I love your fb updates…
PS: I would kind of love it if you had an FB companion page so your updates would be in my newsfeed there.
Duh….I just found it 🙂
Well I have an author page, but I use that for my children’s books, so I don’t usually post about the blog unless it’s a children’s writer/young person guesting. I feel like two writers really, and they don’t seem to gel together very well! I’d have a dreaming-writing fb page, but I think you’re only allowed to have one ‘page’ in there
Oh sure – you can have as many pages as you want! I have 3 (so far).
Hey that’s brilliant! I’ll set one up next week 🙂
I absolutely agree with this as I tend to immediately close a blog if it has a pop-up or free incentive for more information. Free doesn’t seem to always mean free these days so unless I’m just receiving updates of blog posts I tend to stay away. Of course this may mean I visit less but if it’s good enough I will save it as my favourites and visit often.
This also encourages me to know which direction to take my subscription option once I add it. Thanks!
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Butland
Adding to favourites and visiting often – yes – that’s a good way forward. I tend to sign up because I’m a bit lazy and like a prompt! But if the blogger updates too often – for me, more than, say, twice a week – I can feel bombarded and consider unsubscribing. Funny old business, blogging…