When I discovered this new scheme at Entrecard, which requires us to accept paid ads, I knew right then and there that I would be leaving. This being the case, I have spent the last several weeks subscribing to sites using the Google FriendsConnect or through Facebook. I have also been experimenting with new forms of advertising using CMF ads and Adgitize. So far, I have been very happy with these low-cost forms of advertising (see the right sidebar, near the top, if you are interested in either of these services).
If you are interested in keeping in touch with me, please use the Goggle FriendsConnect on the right sidebar or if you are on Facebook, you can see me there.
I want to thank all the great people I have met over the past 16 months and I hope we will all stay in touch.
Tim Hicks | Create Your Badge
I don't blame you at all! :(
ReplyDeleteI left EC back when the first paid ads fiasco hit but I continue to follow what happens at EC out of morbid curiosity. Now my traffic did drop slightly but after a couple of months it was back up but what I noticed is my bounce rate decreased. You have a well established blog so you likely won't see much change in traffic. You are making the right decision. Any company that essentially cuts themselves off from their users the way EC has is destined for failure.
ReplyDeleteI love Adgitize! It's working quite nicely for me. CMF is also working good. Both are extremely helpful and their forums are quite nice too so stop in and say hi :)
I am not so active recently. Whenever I am free, I also drop by to visit Entrecard blogger's blog posts. Hi, sad to hear that you are going to leave but you have your own reasons.
ReplyDeleteWish you success in whatever you do, have the nice day. I had already connected with you through google friend connect, so I still can visit your blog site.
I agree with your reasoning behind leaving and did the same a few weeks ago. CMF and Facebook have been doing a great job for me too. And, I've been writing more!
ReplyDeleteJust as Mom's Cafe does, I follow what's going on. I left a couple of weeks ago and I don't miss it at all. I made wonderful friends there but things have changed.
ReplyDeleteBefore I left, I spent about a month finding other ways to network and seeking out blogs I would truly enjoy reading. My list is expanding every day as I find so many fantastic blogs beyond EC.
Long story short, my traffic is way up, my comments are way up and I am making wonderful friends. When I was so busy dropping cards, I wasn't taking care of my readers and after all they are the ones who make a blog.
I use CMF but SITS has done the most for my blog (it's not just for women).
And, I'll always visit you.
I have a list of blogs bookmarked that I faithfully visit every day and yours is one of them. I'll continue to drop in on you even without the drop...lol
ReplyDeleteI totally understand. I will be still visiting you and will keep up with you on Facebook as well. Have a great weekend and thanks for running my ad :)
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling many will be following you - me included. Good luck with your advertising.
ReplyDeleteSheila
I understand your decision and will continue visiting your blog EC or not! I haven't had time to check out any other means of bringing traffic to my blog and I'm trying to not sign up for FB but maybe I'll have to give in. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteI haven't dropped on sites since I got that awful virus last year. I do drop on sites that I regularly visit that have EC, but I don't take the (HOURS) to do random drops anymore. I've met a lot of great people and found a ton of wonderful blogs with EC, but I think I am going to let mine go when the ads run out. I see more great blog posts through FB than I did flying through blogs on EC.
ReplyDeleteSniffie and the Florida Furkids
It is a crying shame, the way EC has committed suicide. I am very sad to see you go-- but I love your blog and we seem to have a lot in common, so I will be a visitor from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Facebook much (and I hear they have been inundated with viruses). But I am with CMF ads! Let's stay in touch.
Storm, The Psychotic Housewife: Thanks, this paid advertising thing was just the final straw.
ReplyDeleteMom's Cafe Home Cooking: Thank you. I know, it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
coolingstar9: Thank you very much.
Theresa: Yes, it will be nice to have more time to devote to writing and I will have more time to comment on other blogs.
Mountain Woman of Red Pine Mountain: I know what you mean. I find that I don't even have time to leave comments anymore, which is truly a shame. By the way, what is SITS?
Ann: Thank you very much. I visit yours daily as well. Now, maybe I'll have the time to actually leave a comment ;-)
Dori: Thank you very much :)
sheila sultani: Thank you ;)
BeadedTail: Thank you. CMF is a very low-cost way to advertise. You start with a $10 deposit and you can buy ads starting from $0.01 and up (for a 30 day ad). All the money you make from people advertising on your site goes right back into your account, which you can than use to advertise.
Furkidsmom: I so agree with you. I find lately, that I just don't have time time to look at the sites anymore. I just fly through looking for the widget, which is not the way it should be done.
Mrs. Mecomber: thank you and I will definitely be visiting your sites, probably much more now:)
ReplyDeleteOh well, another one bites the dust. I have you on my blogroll and also Facebook so will still visit whether you have an EC for me to drop on or not.
ReplyDeleteI don't bother spending hours doing EC drops either anymore. Just do when I happen to visit a blog that has one on it. I visit blogs I follow and those on my blogroll. Finding new blogs through SITS now too--thanks to Mountain Woman telling me about it.
Sad, very sad that you're leaving EC, but I understand your decision perfectly well.
ReplyDeleteI'll still visit your blog, with or without the EC widget.
You are just a bit ahead of us in leaving EC, but not for long.
At any rate, there's traffic and life after EC, minus the bounce rate.
I've taken Entrecard off most of my blogs. I just left it on my photography blog in case things improve. At the moment it looks unlikely :-(
ReplyDeleteKaren, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry": Great, now I have that song stuck in my head:) I visit you through Facebook as well. I look forward to not having to spend several hours a day dropping.
ReplyDeleteEli @ Business Sphere: Thank you, I will be visiting you as well. I checked and the Entrecard bounce rate is 91%. It will be nice to have that disappear.
John | English Wilderness: I will still stop by and visit you. Your photos are fantastic!
Hey Tim, I understand completely as I've wound my EC thing way, way down even as I added CMF, Adgitize, blogroll, etc, which are all going well! I'm happy to only drop where I land for Adgitize and if an EC card is there too, great! Not to worry though, I sure know where to find your blog!!
ReplyDeleteWillOaks Studio: I've started to do the same as I go through Adgitize. I will be very glad once I am done and thank you, I will be visiting you as well. Now, maybe I'll have the time to actually leave some comments again:)
ReplyDeleteJust checking to to see why your still using EC, is there a long tail on your Ad queue?
ReplyDeleteCorran57: Thank you for asking. I went back, but I don't "power drop" anymore. The wait for my site is about a week.
ReplyDelete