OK this is really driving me nuts guys. That counter on my blog keeps bobbling around 9,955 subscribers! I checked my Aweber stats and sure enough each time I mail out there are a few bounced emails that get dropped.
Please don't bounce your emails =P It's like there is this glass ceiling that is preventing me from hitting 10,000 subscribers. I don't know what it is. But anyways, it is kinda cool for you guys cuz you can see I'm not faking them. If I were I woulda hit 10,000 already LOL
So this morning I did a bit of research on some "Gurus". I say it with quotes because anyone's list of Gurus will be totally biased based on who they know. Nevertheless I found some interesting information:
- Many of them don't have blogs or are impossible to find - No excuse IMO, if you have one and you are a guru, searching for your name should bring the blog up.
- Many have lame looking sites - Another no excuse thing. Its like videos of people in front of broken office equipment saying they are millionaires. If you're really floating in cash, make your site look good. You can buy custom designs for $300.
- Many post once every 3 months - I'm sure they are mailing to their list more often than that, so taking the time to post isn't hard.
- Many post ads, and that's it - Seriously, that's lame guys. Especially when there are 10 other blogs with the exact same posts, no wonder some of them aren't in Google (duplicate content pwn)
- Some are impossible to subscribe to - Huge shock.. Why have a blog if there is no RSS feed or email form? Really they still had feeds but stripped all the links out of the templates, useless if you ask me.
There you have it. Some things to think about with your own blog. If you don't have a blog, go sign up at WordPress.com and get one. There are so many benefits to blogging it's incredible!
{ 13 comments }
Oh wow @ the counter thing. It’s always something, lol.
Maybe by next week!
One of these days, Tim, the glass ceiling will break and you’ll zoom past 10,000 subscribers in a hurry.
Setting goals is important. The catch is that once you hit the goal, you have to set a new one. LOL
More important than ‘quantity’ on your list is ‘quality’ of the list. Each time an email bounces (for automatic removal) or someone unsubscribes, the quality of your list just improved.
I would rather have a list with 100 buyers than a list of 100,000 tire-kickers and freebie-seekers any day!
One of the proud (almost) 10k that is looking forward to the 10k celebration!
Thanks,
Stephen Whittle (swhomebiz)
I am guilty of not posting to my blog enough, and I never did replace my sign up form when I redesigned the template. I concentrate so much on other areas, I sometimes forget to pay some special attention to my blog.
Thanks for the reminder Tim.
Realistic recording of your subscriber base is frustrating AND quite admirable, Tim.
Your subscription numbers are already AMAZING! (few folks realize what an accomplishment that really is) Of course, that magic 10k will be fun!
I agree with Scott… quality NOT quantity.
Some of my members at IS complain when their referrals disappear from their lists. Of course, they are not aware of all the bounced emails, spam-blocks, and Boxbe BS… lol
But, if we cannot communicate with membership or referrals… they are completely useless to our marketing efforts.
10k may take longer than you would like, but… many of us are enjoying the progress.
Thanks for a blog worth reading, Tim…
Carl Bailey
Instant Splash
“Many post ads, and that’s it – Seriously, that’s lame guys. Especially when there are 10 other blogs with the exact same posts, no wonder some of them aren’t in Google (duplicate content pwn)”
These days there are much automation software and PLR articles. I really can’t see the point of that automation stuff. Software doesn’t have imagination and is limited to some templates. The more people use such software the more some content on the net. If you use automation software to post blogs and tweets, then you might buy some software that will read that. Real people won’t because they will soon realize what is going on. And the use of PLR articles? You must change the content anyways if you don’t want the same stuff as other people.
I know that you have purged your Twitter account and I very much agree. I advertise my Twitter account with banner because I want real people there that might even be interested in what I post. How much can you expect from someone who uses automated subscription tools. Will they read your tweets. NOT. I takes much more time to get followers, but I do get sign ups, because I don’t auto spam.
Hey Tim,
I read this blog- every time. Now I could give a d**** how many subscribers you have.
It’s all about content. Do you present to me something new or of value? Can I learn from you?
I am amazed how you keep asking the right questions on so many topics that affect TE’s. Controversy- you welcome it. And the subscribers here give back to us all. So you keep asking and we will all keep replying. Right or wrong it’s the best blog on the net.
Gary Canada
trafficantics.com
Hello Tim –
Congratulations on reaching such a great milestone – well deserved I might add. You bring so much value to your readers, sites members, and our friends around the water cooler we call Traffic Exchange Live.
I love you easy going way and understated brilliance as you have raised the bar over the past year with your sites and the awesome redesign of your blog.
Keep it going and know that we will all celebrate as you break through to the next level of subscribers!
James
If you want I can bring the number up subscribing with 50 email addresses from my domain lol
I’m sure you’ll hit 10k on an ethical way though
Hi Tim, I enjoyed your blog about email overload. While I do read some of my emails, I do get 2000 emails a day. Its enough to say that I might read as many as I can or 2 out of 150… or I don’t really count. Anyway, I recently had a wordpress blog set up for me by tenpenny sites and at the end of the email informing me of the completion he said ” Now start blogging”. With that said, now what?
I recently found a good product by Phil Henderson called “Stupidly Simple SEO and I am excited to use it, but I can’t afford the upgrade at this time. So, to shorten this a bit he has articles in the promote section of the site and I want to know is a blog a good place to put an article? Check out my blog and maybe you can tell me how I can improve it. Although I have trying to make a living in online marketing for 4 years now I’m not a computer wiz and blogging is very new to me. Is their a free WP manual out there to help me.
Signed
Robert Moore
LOL Tim. I see the numbers going from 9955 to 9946 to 9966. What’s happening?
I was just thinking about the “guru” part of this blog post.
What I think is that many of those big marketers don’t have the time to keep a blog as they have a company to run and are spending a significant part of their time offline (for example on networking events) where the most business deals are made.
And they probably realise that the blogging hype is overrated as they only seem to focus on activities that make them money.
Tim,
Congrats on such a huge milestone (almost…)! While I agree with Walter that some of the “real” movers and shakers are making plenty of money without having a blog. But, in my opinion, for the other 99.9999% of us, a blog is an integral key to our marketing efforts and success. Besides branding us, I think that it just lends credibility to us as marketers, in an otherwise anonymous internet. Our blog shows who we are and what we can offer.
Keep up the great work!
Steve Hawk
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