Who are Chain Droppers Here?

[BizBeacon]

Semantics. Chain Dropping = Widget Surfing. Power Dropping = Speed Dropping. Drop and Run could = any of the above if all one does is drop their card and quickly move to the next site, either via the widget or a tab. I do all of the above as part of my harvesting Entrecard Credits strategy. I have multiple blogs and I casually catch a glimpse of the newest post if the widget is above the fold where I can easily spot it. If I have to search for the widget because the site owner doesn't value Entrecard enough to put it above the fold, my attention is used looking for the card and not at their posts. Because I don't read many posts I don't have cause to comment. I'm only posting here today because of Ben's post on the Entrecard blog that mentioned this discussion. I believe high bounce rate to be indicative of Drop and Run, regardless of whether it comes from Chain Dropper or a Power Dropper. Time spent on site is a very misleading stat in that many Power Droppers open 20+ tabs at a time and have to wait for them all to load and then work their way through them, maybe actually spending only seconds on each site, while generating a 3+ minute time on site reading. Entrecard traffic helps boost numbers that can be misleading about the nature of one's readership, although if one's content is good they will likely pick up many new readers.

[Tambo]

When it comes to etymology, gotta agree with Ben.

Chain dropper, like in chain smoker, goes through a lot of ciggies, but still only one at a time.
They light the one from the end of the other, like the links in a chain.



The power dropper, to use the same smoking anaology, are more like this lady....



Chain droppers are more likely to read your content. A lot of them are using Entrecard, and this method of dropping, to discover random new blogs that may interest them.
Banding them into the same category as power droppers is not giving them enough credit.



I have nothing against power dropping, I have been know to do a little myself.

[WhoJayBe]

Originally Posted by Bloggeries

I tried chain dropping when I was first into EC. I'd just go and drop as fast as I could. SOMETIMES I'd read blogs. I've chained maybe 100 credits since I've been a member so I don't care.

Frankly what's the big deal with a high bounce rate from free traffic?

For the most part it's free so why is everyone complaining? 90% bounce on free traffic means 10% are sticking around and it's free!?

Also just look at a forum and look at your behavior - did you signup here FIRST time you visited or did you come to visit here via promotions done by myself a few times... lurk... read some messages ... lurk... then FINALLY register.

I believe same may be true of entrecard traffic.

High bounce rate and the lack of time on people's site is definitely an issue if you have advertisers looking to buy some space, or even a sponsored review. I think Rocky of bloggingmix talked about how an advertiser rejected him because of this issue.

As for your forum, the first time I stopped by, I signed up. It was just a great feel, I mean, if it wasn't, I wouldn't mention your forum on my blog

[bloggingmix]

Originally Posted by Bloggeries

[b]Frankly what's the big deal with a high bounce rate from free traffic?

Based on experience, bounce rate matters to some advertisers. A high bounce rate is not really favoured by advertisers as they assume that quality traffic should have low bounce rate.

[EverythingEverywhere]

The traffic isn't free if you have to spend 1-2 hours dropping cards. That time can be better spent doing almost anything.

1-2 hours a day building your StumbleUpon rating will bring in FAR more traffic than Entrecard ever could.

[WhoJayBe]

Originally Posted by EverythingEverywhere

The traffic isn't free if you have to spend 1-2 hours dropping cards. That time can be better spent doing almost anything.

1-2 hours a day building your StumbleUpon rating will bring in FAR more traffic than Entrecard ever could.

Agreed, even though, people have found out ways to drop in a VERY short time, shorter than an hour...

But SU is definitely a better way for traffic, if you ask me.

[Ben Barden]

I'm very interested in the comments about StumbleUpon.

I DO agree that SU is a great source of traffic. However, what's the bounce rate you get from SU? How many comments have you got from SU?

On my site, Entrecard generates a higher bounce rate than SU, but not by much. However, Entrecard generates a lot more comments (hundreds), whereas SU has generated maybe two or three, tops.

SU is good, but how many of those people actually interact with your site?

[EverythingEverywhere]

I think you are looking at the wrong metrics.

The key is "how many new people are being introduced to your blog?"

Entrecard is, for the most part, the same people over and over. Once you've been on the system for a few weeks, you are preaching to the choir.

Almost all SU traffic will probably be new to your site.

Some things to consider:

- If the people coming to your site are only visiting because you dropped on them, are they readers you want to keep feeding in that manner forever?
- If your blog is introduces to 100 new people, figure that 95% or more will probably not become regular readers. That is why you have to keep and keep promoting. It is a numbers game and it isn't easy. The problem with Entrecard is once you've introduced your site to those people, you are just banging your head against the wall with the same people over and over.
- Look beyond the stats. People see 100 visits and equate them with any 100 people. 100 people there to drop cards will probably never get you new readers and will vanish the day you take a break dropping. 100 new people might have 5 which stick around and those 5 might help you spread the word.
- One problem I had was people didn't know immediately what the hell I was doing when they found my site. I added some info into my header to let people know I was traveling. There are some other changes I'm going to make so people can access my best articles the movement they find my site. I'm also going to improve my header to better clarify what my site is about in a glance or within 2 seconds. My luck with SU has been getting better and better as I have been making some of these changes. You have only a few seconds to have the stumbler say "hmmm, this is interesting".


The name of the game isn't just "visits". In the long run it is, but in the short run, you can become blinded by equating any visit with any other. The whole point of marketing and promotion is to introduce yourself to people who don't know you. That is why I think Entrecard is great for launching a blog, but horrible for sustainable growth.

Oh, and in terms of raw numbers, StumbleUpon crushes Entrecard. It wins for quality and quantity. I'm not saying ditch Entrecard, just don't get disillusioned at how big you can get using that as your primary traffic generator.

[Bloggeries]

Originally Posted by WhoJayBe

High bounce rate and the lack of time on people's site is definitely an issue if you have advertisers looking to buy some space, or even a sponsored review. I think Rocky of bloggingmix talked about how an advertiser rejected him because of this issue.

As for your forum, the first time I stopped by, I signed up. It was just a great feel, I mean, if it wasn't, I wouldn't mention your forum on my blog

True; however your advertisers would see even less traffic etc without entrecard. As an advertisers I'd rather see thousands of uniques a day some with high bounce then just the portion without the high bounce you know? More is always good in my mind as an advertiser.

Now regarding you signing up first time... You're not your 'typical" web citizen. Not sure if you ever took a personality test but I'm going out on a limb here that like myself your a big time EXTROVERT. It's only natural for you to jump in the forum and start posting / networking. It's how I do it and numerous other members here have.

Flip side the typical user to some extent will visit the site numerous times and read / lurk. Finally when they have a pressing question they'll register and ask the question. Maybe post an introduction and then if they get a quick reply reply back and ... From there they either become active members or drift back into oblivion. .

I see what you're saying but if I got 30,000 uniques a month and I could add entrecard with a 90% bounce rate and get an extra 2,000 uniques a month... In my mind let's do it! That's ~200 uniques that stick around. Know what I'm saying. Don't get me wrong if I was paying it would be different but this is free!

[Bloggeries]

Originally Posted by EverythingEverywhere

The traffic isn't free if you have to spend 1-2 hours dropping cards. That time can be better spent doing almost anything.

1-2 hours a day building your StumbleUpon rating will bring in FAR more traffic than Entrecard ever could.

I would have to agree with you there. I've never really gotten into dropping cards. Since every blogger is a potential forum member what I would do is when someone NEW would drop I'd drop back on them and send them an email with what I thought of their blog and invite them to the forum highlighting a few benefits of membership. Worked really well. In fact I should still be doing that. For a typical blog I don't think it's worth your time dropping like a mad man on blogs unrelated form your niche. Even better yet if you spent that time producing researched content...

Originally Posted by EverythingEverywhere

Oh, and in terms of raw numbers, StumbleUpon crushes Entrecard. It wins for quality and quantity. I'm not saying ditch Entrecard, just don't get disillusioned at how big you can get using that as your primary traffic generator.

Agreed. It's still worthwhile to have but is not the end all be all that many people especially new bloggers are making it out to be. Let's get serious when your site is at a point of basically JUST you visiting anything that increases numbers puts a huge smile on your face and gets you excited!