Many bloggers can not understand the reason why their numbers of RSS feed subscribers are not increasing or why current feed subscribers are not re-visiting their blogs.
Reasons behind unable to attract new RSS feed subscribers:
- Displaying the full RSS Feed, instead of just a custom written excerpt of the RSS feed is probably one of the most common reasons that RSS feeds are not even subscribed to in the first place. Also, the delete finger is faster in those RSS Feed as the feed reader(s) tries to clean up the subscribed feeds. In addition to getting less RSS Feed Subscribers; full RSS Feed has some problems SEO-wise, which we discussed in a previous article.
- RSS Feed icon either looks bad, is positioned at a wrong place, appears too common or does not appeal the visitors in any way.
- The target audience is used with RSS Feed: Typically, a RSS Feed is subscribed by the advanced users. Advanced users generally do not seek free stuff(s) on the Internet. So it goes without saying, if the blog contains mainly downloads; it is very tough to get more RSS Feed subscribers rapidly.
- Low traffic from the search engines: Referred traffic are less likely to subscribe to RSS Feed.
- Using an automatic plugin generated excerpt that appears on the RSS Feed.
Reasons behind RSS feed subscribers not returning or un-subscribing:
- Full feed, instead of custom written excerpt of the RSS Feed.
- Using automatic plugin generated excerpt that appears on the RSS Feed.
- Advertising on RSS Feed: It can be annoying enough to cause a reader to un-subscribe.
- Incorrect or unreachable RSS Feed: It happens again and again that feeds are flawed and thus not at all or not properly displayed from the RSS Feed reader and cannot be recognized. Flaws include: incorrect character sets, special characters from the CMS / blog system not being implemented properly etc….
- Too high rate of posting: A blog which has a high rate of posts / day, where readers, due to time constraints, simply lose the desire to read so much information and quickly un-subscribe before they drown in it.
- Change of topics: Obviously, if the blog was about wine originally and now you are writing against alcohol consumption; honestly, if I was alcoholic I would un-subscribe the RSS Feed.
- Repeated posts lists of the same things: The same posts title appears in the RSS Feed over and over again. This can have for various reasons, either purposefully or accidentally by the author. Most RSS Feed readers perceive it as annoying rather than adding value.
- Delicious updates: Not used that much now. But it was a cause of un-subscription due to date specific updates of RSS Feed.
- No original content / copy pasted news: You got it from ZDNet RSS Feed, then from my dog-blog’s RSS Feed, then from your neighbor’s blog RSS Feed. Typical example are those who leak news, scams etc.
