21 Ways to Increase Your RSS Subscribers

On Your Blog:

1. Offer an RSS Feed Subscription. Sounds silly but truthfully I visit a lot of blogs that I would’ve subscribed to but they didn’t offer a way to subscribe. When I started my blog I was guilty of this too and after receiving several emails asking about it … I bit the bullet and studied up on how to add one.

2. Size and Placement of Your RSS Button. Make sure your button is large enough to stand out and get attention … and you should always have it above the fold (the area that a visitor can see without scrolling down). Studies have also shown that the upper right-hand part of the page is the preferred spot with the upper left a close second.

3. Add a Reminder to Subscribe At the End of Each Post. One option is to use the Subscribe Reminder Plugin. Another good idea is to use the End Content Plugin and ask readers to subscribe. If you’re good at using code then you can add the offer to the single.php and/or the page.php files.

4. Write a Post on “How to Subscribe”. Keep in mind that a lot of people have heard of RSS Feed but that doesn’t mean that they understand it or know how to actually subscribe. Write a post giving your visitors step-by-step instructions on how to subscribe and if possible add some screenshots so they will know what to expect with each step. This is especially true if you are NOT in the blogging/make money niche.

5. Write Great Content. When you write the kind of content that will make your readers want to come back and read more … they’ll want to subscribe to your feed … plain and simple.

6. Make Your Posts Easy to Read. Writing for a blog is totally different than any other kind of writing. Blog readers are usually in a hurry and need to digest the content in bite sized pieces. Try to limit paragraphs to 2-3 sentences and break up the text as much as possible with headers, colored boxes, numbered or bulleted lists, etc. This is an area that I’m working hard on … I don’t want my readers to “nod off” while reading my posts! LOL

7. Add Images, Audio, or Video Whenever Possible. I know I personally enjoy blogs that use images to break up their posts and I especially like audio and video. Keep your blog interesting using these other types of media and please your readers. (Please DO NOT use any type of auto-play device that makes “noise” upon page load ~ very annoying!).

8. Link to Posts That Add to Your Topic. One way to help your reader learn as much as possible is to link to more information that adds to what you are discussing. This works great for on-site linking (to one of your other posts) and it’s equally important to link to another blog that has information that pertains to your topic. Either way, use good anchor text and link to the specific post (as opposed to the index page of someone else’s site). When you link to another blog the blog owner should get a “trackback” alert that you’ve done so. Not only is it a nice thing to do (for your readers and the other blog owner) … you will most likely get a visit (and sometimes a thank you) from the other blog owner.

9. Offer an eBook or Report to Give Away. Free eBooks and reports are a great way to encourage your visitors to subscribe to your blog. If you can’t (or don’t want to) write this type of product check into the many PLR (private label rights) products for sale or you can hire a ghost writer to write it for you.

About Your Feed:

10. Use Feedburner and Feedsmith Plugin. I personally like using Feedburner along with the Feedsmith plugin. These make it very simple to set up your feed subscription and to change any necessary code for your blog.

11. Offer as Many Subscription Options as Possible (Especially email). Truthfully, there is nothing more aggravating then finding a new blog I’d like to follow and finding out they don’t offer an email subscription. Not only that but many blogs only offer one or two feed services and I only want to subscribe using Google Reader. Well, I know I’m not alone. I’ve seen countless forum posts that tell me people are creatures of habit and they tend to use a specific reader and if you don’t offer it you will lose them.

12. Offer Full RSS Feed. Studies have shown that subscribers prefer a full RSS feed (the article in its entirety) as opposed to a partial feed (only part of the article with a link back to the blog to continue reading). Some bloggers use a partial feed in hopes of getting their readers back to their site but I believe in listening to my subscribers.

Off-Site Methods:

13. Social networking. Use social networking sites to help promote your blog. Be sure to add a link to your blog on all of your profile pages because many people check them out of curiosity. BTW … follow me on Twitter if you’re not already!

14. Blog commenting and Forum Participation. These are both great ways to get traffic (which will result in subscribers) but they must be used correctly. Do NOT go and spam your link everywhere without offering help to others. If you do, your work will be a waste of time and you’ll ruin your reputation.

15. Forum and Email Signature Line. Make sure you’ve added a link to your blog in your forum and email signature lines. The more exposure the better and, again, more traffic equals more subscribers.

16. ASK Your Visitors to Subscribe. Sometimes … all you have to do is ask! You can try the “What Would Seth Godwin Do” plugin. This allows you to show different messages to new and returning visitors. The text is customizable and is in a box that comes up right before each post. It’s a great way to ask for subscribers. By the way … if you like what you’re reading … be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feed! (See how easy that was LOL).

17. Email Those Who Haven’t Confirmed Their RSS Subscription. Sometimes people subscribe and forget (or don’t know) to reply to the confirmation email. When you see these in your Feedburner account you can email these visitors and ask them if they’re still interested in subscribing.

18. Feed Exchange. This is simply the good old “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” idea. You will see posts from time to time saying if you subscribe … I’ll subscribe. I would only do this with quality blogs that you would enjoy reading. Remember … quality is better than quantity.

19. Write Guest Posts. I will always jump at the chance to write a guest post for someone else’s blog. It’s great exposure and introduces me to a whole new “community” of readers. Just make sure that the blog is “complimentary” to yours and that all details are ironed out before you write the piece (i.e. similar audience, similar visitors/subscribers, and content that makes sense for you, exclusive or not, etc.).

20. Run a Contest. Contests are a great way to gain subscribers. Of course you should tie the contest in to subscribing and possibly blogging about your site and/or your contest. You can offer cash, advertising, review posts, or you can even ask others to donate prizes for your contest. *Watch for my contest starting next week (Monday, November 24, 2008) … my sponsors have really stepped up to the plate and we have some awesome prizes up for grabs!

And my favorite way to add RSS Subscribers …

21. Compete for the title “Blogging Idol.” I’m having so much fun as a contestant in this season’s Blogging Idol and it has motivated me to get very creative in my efforts to find new subscribers to my blog.

Have you seen my clever idea yet?

Clever Promotion Idea

Which lead to these (and more!):

John Chow Supports Suzanne Franco for Blogging Idol

Kevin Muldoon Interviews Suzanne Franco

22. (Bonus Tip) For those of you who are not competing … you can always start your own friendly competition with a fellow blogger … and try your hand at your own clever promotion ideas.

In fact, take a look at what a couple of my blogging buddies are up to this month:

“Bug Boy” vs “Sammich Man“

They are both friends of mine (and my Idol supporters) so I encourage you to go check out their blogs and subscribe to the one that “speaks” to you … or go ahead and subscribe to both … what the heck!

I hope this helps you in your pursuit of more RSS subscribers. Do you have any more ideas/tips to add to this list? Are you confused about any of them? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section! *SmiLes* Suzanne

P.S. If this has helped you at all … please help others out too by letting the StumbleUpon and/or Digg community know about it. Thanks!

I wanted to let all of you know that one of my blogging buddies, Kevin Muldoon, of Blogging Tips sent me some interview questions about my blog and my quest to become Blogging Idol. You can read the interview and/or watch my video response on the Blogging Tips site.  

It means the world to me that I have Kevin’s support in this contest so if you have a minute please leave a comment on his blog while you’re there and if you’re not already subscribed to his blog be sure you do so.

Kevin is one of the first bloggers who I followed and he has personally helped me out on numerous occasions on his Blogging Tips Forum. In fact, he has a great contest going on at the forum and if you go register you will stand a very good chance of winning some awesome prizes too. Besides, it would be fun to have some familiar “faces” over there to have fun with … so just do it.

For those of you following along with my quest to earn the title, Blogging Idol, you’ll know that I’ve invited some of the biggest names in internet marketing and blogging to come have some fun with us. If you missed the last post you can read it here, “Guru Roundup ~ Let’s See Which Gurus Support Suzanne Franco as the Next Blogging Idol.”

So here’s how I went about it and what’s happened since.

I got the videos ready for each “guru” and set up a separate page for each using a Wordpress “page” (not post). I just didn’t want to bother all of my readers with a whole slew of posts coming in at once (for each of their video messages). I added the plugin, “Page Link Manger,” (Thanks Sarah!) so these pages wouldn’t all show up on my navigation and distort it. I worked on the pages and saved them as drafts until I had them ready to publish. I made last minute edits and got all of the cross links in place. I then wrote the “Guru Roundup” post and added the links back to each Guru’s video page. Then I published all of the posts and pages at once.

Ok … then I started emailing all of my supporters: friends, family, subscribers, and past commenters asking them to come participate on this post. I did this so that if/when the “gurus” showed up there would already be some action here … and not just a comment or two … make sense?

Then I set out to try to reach these guys by any means I could dig up … email, blog post, contact page, Twitter, and YouTube. I haven’t had any feedback from them on how they got my message but it would be interesting to find out wouldn’t it?

I was a little worried that someone might play a joke on me and sign a comment as one of these guys … so when John Chow left a comment I wasn’t even sure if it was him. The fact that John blogged about my quest pretty much answers that question huh? Thanks again John! You’re awesome and as mentioned you were voted “least likely to show up” so it’s huge that you did.

Next to arrive was Rich Schefren and that was just way cool too. I know these guys are very busy so to take the time out to read my email, watch the video and come here and post is very nice of them don’t you think?

Then Bob The Teacher shows up and really makes things interesting. He started tweeting his followers asking them if he should make a video response to my post. Sweeeeeet! Of course I took that ball and ran with it and starting calling on my fellow Twitter friends asking them to re-tweet his message and to tweet him telling him, “Yes, Bob, make the video.” So … I’m hoping we’ll hear more from him here soon. Bob also suggested that I add the comment section to their video pages which I’ve done (Thanks again Sarah ~ she’s got my back huh?) so please go over to their pages when you get a chance and leave them some kudos and some invites there too. Their pages: Travis (Sago) The Bum Marketer, Bob The Teacher, Rich Schefren, Derek Gehl, Frank Kern, and John Chow.

So now I’ll just continue to see if I can get the others over here (Frank Kern, Travis Sago, and Derek Gehl) and continue to have some fun with the others in any creative way I can … I’m open to all ideas here guys. Be sure you thank them on my behalf whenever you see them around online too.

Well, a huge “Thank You” to all of you who have supported my efforts and who continue to do so … I will never forgot the generosity shown throughout this contest … I promise.

The lesson learned here is that with a little creativity and hard work … anything is possible … wouldn’t you say?

How do you think the contest is going? Are you learning anything by going along for the ride? Do you have creative ideas for me to get subscribers, votes, and/or the judges’ attention? I’m working on some rewards for you now so start thinking. I’d love to hear your thoughts. *SmiLes* Suzanne

Well … for those who don’t know I’m a contestant in this season’s Blogging Idol contest held by Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips.

Over 120 bloggers are competing to earn the title, “Blogging Idol,” and I really, really want to win this thing.

There will be 7 points awarded: for highest gain in RSS subscribers, for reader votes, and given out by 3 judges.

I’ve stayed in the top 10 for the RSS gain portion and the way I see it … “It’s not over til it’s over.” I‘ve had a steady increase since day one of the contest where others have had very large dips in their subscriber numbers. I’ve always said, “Slow and steady wins the race” and I have a feeling this will be no exception to that rule.

Each of the judges will each be awarding a point to the blogger who they feel has used, “the most clever and effective strategy for gaining RSS subscribers and for promoting the blog.”

So here’s the deal … I’ve invited a handful of internet marketing “Gurus” to stop by and watch a video asking them to support me in my quest to become the next Blogging Idol and let’s see which of these gurus we can “lasso in.” 

I want you, my readers, to comment below and let me know who you think will actually (a) come by and watch the video, (b) who will comment in this post, (c) who will subscribe to my RSS feed, and (d) who will actually tell their subscribers to support me as the next Blogging Idol. Also, if you feel this is a ”clever strategy” … please be sure to mention that to the judges in your comment below.

So without further a due … My invitees are:

(These are links to the videos I made for them)

Travis (Sago) The Bum Marketer

Bob The Teacher

Rich Schefren

Derek Gehl

Frank Kern

John Chow

Now … before you ask why someone did or didn’t make the list … these are the newsletters I’ve followed for quite some time and/or who have had the most impact on my business.

So … it’s time to find out … Who’s Hot or Not … Who’s Naughty or Nice … Who’s a Guru or a Goober …

Let’s have some fun with this … leave your predictions in the comments below as to who you think will do what … and if you really want to see it get interesting … go to their blogs, hit them up on Twitter … their YouTube channel … whatever  … and see if you can get them here to participate. List what you’ve done below too so others can see your creativity. Thanks! *SmiLes* Suzanne

Now … go tell these guys to get over here and have some fun:

Bob The Teacher: Blog, Twitter, YouTube (email: bob at bobtheteacher dot com)

Rich Schefren: Blog, Twitter, YouTube (email: rich at strategicprofits dot com)

Travis Sago: YouTube (email: travis at bummarketingmethod dot com)

Derek Gehl: Blog, YouTube (email: derekgehl at marketingtips dot com)

Frank Kern: Blog, Twitter

John Chow: Blog, Contact, Twitter, YouTube

*

There are many different ways to make money from home and here are my 7 favorite ideas:

1. Telecommute Jobs. I spend a lot of time online and I can’t tell you how many people I meet online who are looking for a “job” that they can do online from home and make a ton of money … or at least replace their full-time income. I wish I could say that these jobs were plentiful and that there are companies who will beat your door down to hire you.

Truthfully, the very best way to find these types of jobs is OFFLINE. Most people who are doing this type of work talked their “offline” boss into allowing them to work their same position from home … or they got the work through someone they know.

Please beware of the many scams on the internet. Legitimate work at home employers should not ask you for money or to pay for postage for any reason. I suggest checking out all potential companies and potential employers by doing a Google search on the company name and on the hiring person and to also check with the Better Business Bureau before making any decisions.

Read some more information about Telecommute Jobs.

Suggested Skills: computer, data entry, telephone, customer service, sales/telemarketing

2. Party Plan/Direct Sales/MLM (Multi-Level Marketing). Most of us are familiar with the direct sales/party plan business model and it’s certainly a viable option to make some money from home. It’s a great way to jump in an own your own business without the investment and risk involved with starting your own business from the ground up.

The investment is usually under $200 and should give you most of the tools you need to get your business up and running. Most will offer representative replicated websites for free or for an affordable rate giving you an instant online presence too.

Another benefit is that you will have other representatives who will train and mentor you as you start your business and you’ll have access to company training and sales tools as well.

Believe it or not, on my WAHM 2 WAHM site we have over 300 companies listed that fall into this category with product lines ranging from cosmetics and skin care to wine … travel companies to candles … pet supplies … to “green” companies … and literally everything in between.

My suggestion is to make a list of everything that you have a passion for i.e. wine, travel, candles, dogs, investing, babies, books, etc. and then you can go to WAHM 2 WAHM and search by keyword and see what companies are out there to have a look at. We also offer tips on what to look for in not only a company but also how to select a sponsor (mentor) who is a match for your personality type.

Skills: friendly, helpful, email, phone skills, good follow through, persistence, self-starter,

3. Affiliate Programs/Affiliate Marketing. An affiliate program is simply a program that pays you to drive traffic to someone else’s products and/or services. If the traffic you send results in a sale you will be paid a referral fee which is either a percentage of the commission or a flat fee per sale. This allows a merchant to have 100’s or even 1000’s of affiliates promoting their product or service simultaneously without costing them a dime in advertising. These payouts are made on a “performance” basis. It’s truly a win-win. These programs range from Jane Doe’s custom hair bows to well-known companies like Wal-Mart, Amazon, and eBay.

Affiliate marketing is the business of promoting and marketing the various affiliate programs you have decided to represent. Just to be clear, you can choose to be an affiliate for only one company or product … or for dozens … it’s your choice. Well, affiliate marketing can be done in many different ways and that all depends on your experience, desire to learn, and budget. You can write and submit articles, write blog posts, send out newsletters to a mailing list, do review pages, set up separate websites or webpages for each, use pay-per-click advertising, social marketing, and there are a host of other methods you could use. Make sure you stay on my mailing list so you don’t miss any important information I send out that will help you with your online promotions.

If this interests you please read my Newbie’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing.

4. Crafting/Homemade Items. If you have a craft or a handmade product that you’d like to make a business out of you could certainly start your own business selling your products online.

If you already have a business doing this offline you are ahead of the game as far as pricing, packaging, and hopefully some marketing ideas and materials but online marketing will usually require a website and/or a blog and some time investment on the best ways to market your business online.

5. Wholesale/Retail Products. Another option for selling products online is to investigate purchasing products wholesale to sell at retail for profit. This can be very tricky. I feel the only real way to be competitive at this market is to have a lot of start-up capital. If you don’t buy in large enough quantities you probably won’t be competitive with the “big boys.”

That’s not to say it can’t happen but it will take a lot of research to find just the right product. I would also caution you that there is a huge scam industry just waiting to prey on people looking for wholesale products and they will charge money for “lists” of wholesalers. Please be careful with this one.

6. eBay Seller. Selling items on eBay can be a great business as long as you have something competitive to sell. This can be anything from items you have around the house, to handmade items, to wholesale/retail products. Some people even shop thrift stores and garage sales for items to sell at a profit. An eBay business is sometimes just a vehicle to implement some of the other businesses we’re covering here.

 7. Start a Blog. A blog is often referred to as an online journal and the term blog comes from “web log.” It’s a website where content entries are made in a journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and the person who keeps a blog is a “blogger.”

Blogs are built and updated using software that will allow even those with little technical experience to update and maintain the site.

There are many ways to make money blogging and if this is something that interests you you’ll want to reserve your FREE spot in my upcoming “Blogging for Bucks BootCamp ($297 value) by subscribing to my blog (read about how you can get emails each time I post new content here on my blog).

Maybe these ideas will help you find your new home business. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Do you have a home business? How did you decide on your business? Do you have any ideas to add to this list? Post your questions and comments below. *SmiLes* Suzanne

The Strategies I’m Using to Win the Blogging Idol Competition (and Why You Should Steal Them)

I promised I would be sharing the strategies I’m using to compete in this season’s Blogging Idol and I want you to steal these ideas to grow your own blog too! I’ll outline the basics for some of the methods I’m using and then throughout the month I will spend time going into detail for each. What’s that? Only some? You didn’t think I’d give you everything right here did you?

So … what am I doing to win this contest?

I’m Writing Helpful Content. This might seem obvious but especially during this contest period I don’t want to get so caught up in campaigning and promoting that I forget to provide content and helpful ideas. If you want a successful blog you’ll have to learn to be discipline and stay on top of your writing efforts. Post consistently.

I’m Social Networking. I’m huge into social networking and it comes very easily for me because I really enjoy meeting and connecting with people online. I’ve been involved in some of my networks for years and I’ve made strong connections so it’s made it very easy (and comfortable) for me to promote my Blogging Idol efforts through these communities. There are also a lot of us who get lonely working from home and this is a great way to combat loneliness too.

I’m Updating My Email and Forum Signatures. If you spend any amount of time online you probably don’t realize how many emails you send out and reply to in a day. Are you letting your email do some free advertising for your blog? How about in the forums where you participate? Update your email and forum signatures today!

I’m Asking for Help. I can’t speak for you men out there but most of the women I know agree that asking others for help is usually difficult. Seems we’re the first to offer up our help to those around us yet we usually find it very hard to ask others for help when we need it. If you want to succeed sometimes you’re just going to have to take a deep breathe and ask. The worst thing that could happen is that someone says, “No.” Once you do get up your nerve to ask it’s important to tell others exactly what you need them to do for you.

I’m Adding Tools to My Blog. I started looking over my blog and reviewing those that I follow to see what tools I thought might help me succeed. I’m looking for tools that might encourage others to subscribe to my RSS Feed and to come around often and support me in this contest. So far I’ve added the Comment Luv Plugin, Comment Relish, got my Related Post plugin working, got my Contact Form button fixed, added code to the end of every post asking readers to subscribe to my RSS Feed … and I’m still looking. Do you have any suggestions? Please let me know.

I’m Focusing on My Health and Fitness. Huh? What does health and fitness have to do with me winning Blogging Idol? Well, I’m working at a pace right now that will kill me LOL or make me very run down and possibly sick if I don’t pay attention to my health right now. I’m up at around 6:00 a.m. and working practically straight through until midnight or 1:00 a.m. It seems there are not enough hours in the day to do all I want to accomplish this month!

I’m Working Hard on My Organizational Skills. Staying very organized has helped me tremendously this month. I have pre-planned, mapped out, and even written several blog posts for this month. I’ve also made use of the scheduled post feature on Wordpress. I follow a to-do-list for each day so I will concentrate on the activities that will make me a winner. I don’t want my day to “run” me … I want to be in control of my time.

I’m Dangling Some Great Carrots. I’d like to think that everyone who runs across my quest to be the next Blogging Idol will just help and support me out of the kindness of their heart (and some do) but I also wanted to offer something that would make it worth their while too. I’ve been working very hard over the past 18 months researching and writing the class courses for my “Blogging for Bucks BootCamp” and I’ve made the decision to give it away for free to those who support my Blogging Idol efforts this month (by simply subscribing to my RSS Feed). I’m also offering a nice 200 character write up in my “Sponsor Directory” for those who will blog about my quest. It’s great exposure for them and a nice PR3 backlink.

I’m Returning the Favor Whenever Possible. Whenever you reach out to others and ask for help make sure you return the favor. If someone comments on your blog … go check out their blog and leave them a comment too. If they subscribe … you subscribe. You get the idea. Building relationships is the best way to grow your business online.

These are just some of the strategies I’m using to win the title Blogging Idol and I hope they help you earn new subscribers to your blog too.

Do you use any of these methods to gain visitors, readers, and RSS subscribers? What is your favorite strategy? Do you have some tips and ideas to help me win the Blogging Idol competition? I’d love to hear your comments. *SmiLes* Suzanne

The Power of Networking on the Internet … My 5 Minutes of Fame!

The other night I was on Twitter campaigning for people to support me in my quest to be the next Blogging Idol when I got a very nice message from Jill Hart. Jill is the owner of CWAHM (Christian Work at Home Moms) which is one of the largest WAHM sites on the net today.

Jill told me that she was happy to support me as the next Blogging Idol. She subscribed to my RSS Feed and blogged about my efforts on her site. Her next message to me was a promoter’s dream come true:

“Say, I was just chatting with my BlogTalkRadio co-host and we wondered if you’d want to come on the show on Tuesday for a minute or two and share about the Blogging Idol contest? We already have 2 guests booked, so it would be just a minute or two between guests. You can find out more about the show at http://blogtalkradio.com/cwahm.”

Uhhhhh, let me think about that for a minute … Uhhhhh …. YEAHHHHHH! Too cool!

I’d like to give a huge “THANK YOU” to Jill and Diana for having me on their show. You can listen to my interview on the player below and you can listen to their show on Blog Talk Radio every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to Noon (EST). If you miss the show you can hear them anytime right there on the site or by downloading the MP3 version. 

I had fun in my 5 minutes of fame telling their listeners about the Blogging Idol contest and about a couple of the ways I’ve been promoting myself (like using Twitter, and by making great connections on Twittermoms) and just about the contest in general.

CWAHM is a wonderful resource site for work at home moms. They also have a blog and an active forum. As if that wouldn’t keep any of us busy enough, Jill also co-runs both CWAHD (Christian Work at Home Dads), as well as, Radiant Lit (a Christian book review site). She is also hosting “The Great Online Networking Extravaganza.”

Thanks again ladies and let this be a reminder to all of us that social networking and online promotion does work. You never know who you are going to meet so just get out there and get busy socializing! *SmiLes* Suzanne

And if I haven’t mentioned it … I would be grateful to have your support as I try to earn the title, Blogging Idol this month!

Do you use social networking sites? Which ones are your favorites and why? Have you had any success stories of your own? I’d love to hear your comments and please ask any questions you have.

RSS Feed … it’s likely a term that you’ve heard of but not many of us understand what it is … much less how (or why) to offer it to our blog visitors. Well … today’s the day you’re going to start learning about it and get to know and LOVE it!

An RSS Feed according to Google in their Feed 101 information:

“Feeds are a way for websites large and small to distribute their content well beyond just visitors using browsers. Feeds permit subscription to regular updates, delivered automatically via a web portal, news reader, or in some cases good old email.”

If a new visitor ends up on your site and enjoys your content they might want to subscribe to your feed. That way they’ll be notified either through a feed reader or through their email each time you’ve made an update to your blog.

Why You Should Offer an RSS Feed on Your Blog

As an online marketer I know first hand how much work is involved in driving each and every visitor to your blog. In this day and age people are busy and scatter-brained and they usually link surf with some intent in mind … usually seeking out some kind of information … and once you’ve provided that information we don’t want to send them away … possibly forever! By offering a feed you are giving them a very simple way to follow what’s going on with your blog. This way they won’t miss any new updates.

If you’ve followed my blog at all you’ll know I’m a complete and total technophobe! So anything that requires me to download, open directories, FTP … *sigh* … doesn’t excite me and I’m probably not going to get around to it any time soon!

In fact, when I started this blog I didn’t have an RSS Feed set up because I didn’t know how to do it. I got email after email asking me why I hadn’t installed a subscription feed yet. Truthfully, I was thinking something like, “Oooooo-K, Oooooo-K … I’ll look into to that RSS thing.” Well, thank goodness I broke down and did the deed. By making it convenient for my visitors to follow my blog I have benefited by having a regular readership and my readers don’t have to remember to check back to see if I’ve updated … it’s a win-win.

Now, speaking to you purely from a marketing standpoint, it’s a known fact that people like to buy from those who they know, like and trust. They will also be more apt to buy after seeing a sales message 6-7 times. So if you have a regular readership you are giving them a chance to really get to know you and to see the products and services you promote over and over.

Now that you know what an RSS feed is and why you need one … next we’re going to tackle how to add one to your blog.

Do you subscribe to any blogs? If so, do you prefer a feed reader or an email subscription? Do you have an RSS Feed on your own blog? Have you wanted to add one but don’t know how? I’d love to hear from you! *SmiLes* Suzanne

In case you haven’t heard … I’m a contestant in this season’s “Blogging Idol” and I could really use your support! I’ve even dangled a carrot or two so check out the details here … and be sure you sign up for my RSS Feed. If you’d like to read about how to subscribe please see my post, “RSS Feed ~ How to Subscribe” and let me know if you have any questions.

How I’m Going to Win This Season’s Blogging Idol Contest!

I’ve put a lot of thought into the strategies I’ll be using to win this season’s Blogging Idol contest and I’m going to share them with you right here on my blog. At first I thought I’d be all secretive about my game plan so that my competitors wouldn’t “steal” any of my great ideas but I’ve since reconsidered.

The whole purpose of my blog is to teach others how I make money online … through my successes, my mistakes, and the hurdles I’ve had to overcome. By sharing the techniques I’m using in the Blogging Idol competition I hope I’ll be helping many others (yes, even my competitors) learn how to drive traffic, gain subscribers, and how you can find your own “voice” on the internet.

I’ll be trying to post learning techniques and ideas each day throughout November and I’ll be looking to you, my readers, for support as well. If you have any post ideas or topics you’d like to see (or if you’d like to guest post) just let me know!

I’ve come up with some pretty funny ideas … so stick around and join in on all the fun … you won’t want to miss it! *SmiLes* Suzanne

Are you a Blogging Idol contestant? Do you have any topics on blogging you’d like me to cover in November? Are you willing to support me in my efforts? Do you have any creative ideas on how I might get the judges’ attention and stand out from the crowd (I’m being judged on, “the most clever and effective strategy for gaining RSS subscribers and for promoting the blog.”

Suzanne Franco ~ the Newest Blogging Idol? 

Suzannnnnnne Franco …. Come onnnnnn down … you’re the next contestant on Blogging Idol 2!

I’m so excited right now! November 1st … today is the day I’ve been dreaming about!

I’m on a quest to earn the title of “Blogging Idol” in the second ever Blogging Idol contest held by Daniel Scocco on his blog, “Daily Blog Tips.” The contest will run from November 1, 2008 through November 30, 2008.

I really want this! I mean really, really … really! So if you’re willing to help me earn this title I’m willing to do some great things for you too!

For the past year and a half I have been working feverishly to launch my “Blogging for Bucks BootCamp” and it’s nearly complete. In exchange for your support and for helping me attempt to win this contest I’m going to give you a spot in my upcoming BootCamp … for FREE.

Blogging for Bucks BootCamp is a very extensive class that will teach you from start to finish how to actually make money blogging and I promise you no detail has been overlooked. It’s going to retail for $297 so that ought to tell you how much work I’ve put into it and how much I appreciate your willingness to help me take a stab at winning this contest. I’m going to be limiting the class size so you better hurry up and get in on this one NOW!

Read Some Details About Blogging for Bucks BootCamp

It won’t take you but a couple of minutes to help me out and in exchange you’ll receive my $300 gift … for FREE!

So … here’s what I need you to do for me:   

Subscribe to my RSS Feed Here on My Blog

• Subscribe to my RSS Feed. (If you don’t understand what that is or how to subscribe you can read my step-by-step post here … it’s really easy once you “get it”). 

Cast Your Vote for Suzanne Franco!

• Once we start the voting phase I’d appreciate it if you’d go to Daniel’s site and cast your vote for Suzanne Franco as the next Blogging Idol. 

Blog About My Quest to Be the Next Blogging Idol

• If you really want to see me take this thing you can also blog about my mission to be the next Blogging Idol and link back to this post (preferably with the anchor text “Suzanne Franco ~ the Next Blogging Idol”). If you do this  for me … I’ll add your site to my Sponsor Directory page. You’ll get a FREE link (using your anchor text) with a 200 character description of your site. My blog has a PR3 so you’ll get a great backlink and this is also a great way to get the word out about your site and to hopefully bring you some new visitors.

Let Me Know You’ve Done So

After you’ve subscribed please use the “Contact Suzanne” contact form to let me know you’ve supported me in my efforts and I will reserve your spot in my upcoming “Blogging for Bucks BootCamp.” By the way, if you’re already a subscriber to my blog just go vote for me when it’s time and let me know you’ve done so … and I’ll save your “seat” too.  

I will be launching the BootCamp sometime in December 2008 so watch my blog for more details and a start date here soon. 

Pretty Easy Huh?

That’s it … I know you were probably expecting something much more difficult … but it’s that simple! Subscribe, Vote … Blog! 

It would be great if you’d also leave me a note and show your support here in the comments section. Thanks! *SmiLes* Suzanne

P.S. If you really feel passionate about helping … I would also appreciate any other support you’re willing to offer to help me promote i.e. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. … and maybe even a Stumble or Digg of this post! 

Q’s and A’s: 

Q. What is Blogging Idol?

A. It is a contest hosted by Daniel Scocco, Daily Blog Tips, where contestants compete in three categories: (1) Increase in RSS subscribers, (2) Voting by the Readers (that’s you), and (3) Votes by 3 judges (Daniel Scocco, Daily BlogTips; Ricky, Keyword Country; and Jarrod, Sponsored Reviews). They will each cast their vote for the contestant who uses, “the most clever and effective strategy for gaining RSS subscribers and for promoting the blog.”

Q. Why is winning this contest so important to you?

A. Truthfully … for a number of reasons. But, first and foremost because my kids caught wind of this and there is no way I can let them down! They’re already pretty much convinced that I AM the Blogging Idol. If you have kids … you’ll understand this one. I also really want to prove to myself (and to them) that if I work hard enough at this … I will succeed. There are also some great prizes up for grabs: some blogging tools and training, advertising … and cold hard cash! Now, these things are great … but if you’ve known me for any amount of time you’ll also know that I’m very competitive and I just plain want to WIN this title … and I’m willing to work very hard to earn it.

Q. Who will benefit from the BootCamp?

A. Anyone who has a blog or would like to start a blog … and make money with their blog.

Q. Can I give away my spot for the BootCamp?

A. Yes, I will allow you to give your “seat” away. You will just need to let me know who will be getting this great gift from you.

Q. How will you know if I’ve subscribed or not?

A. I will ask you for the email address that you used to subscribe and it must remain actively subscribed throughout the contest period (through November 30^th).

Q. How will you know if I’ve voted or not?

A. Well … because you’ll tell me you did … and I appreciate your honesty. I will also mention that voting is not a requirement to get a spot in my BootCamp. Please vote for my blog if you feel I’ve earned it! 

Q. Do you have some email wording so I can send this information out to my email list?

A. Yes, please use the “Contact Suzanne” form and I will get it to you promptly.

Q. How long will my listing stay in the Sponsor Directory?

A. Your listing will remain in the Directory as long as I have the blog online.