Tags
Author Blog Challenge, authors, blog challenge, blog code, blog feed full vs truncated, partial vs full RSS feed, would-be authors
Full blog feed or partial feed – what is your readers’ preference?
So I have a little question with today’s post.
When you subscribe to a blog via e-mail or RSS feed, do you prefer to have the whole post 
(regardless of how long it is) right there in the e-mail, or to have a “Read more of this post…” link you have to click to see the rest?
I ask because I notice in my own subscriptions that some bloggers do it one way while others do it another way.
FULL FEED
PARTIAL FEED
I am personally MUCH more inclined to read the full post in my e-mail than I am to click through to a post on the Web from an e-mail link. Even though clicking that link is an automated process, it means a few extra steps. First, I have to wait for it to load (yes, I can be that impatient) and then when I’m done reading, I’ve got to close the tab/window. Not to mention that if I’ve been making time for e-mail, now I’m back in the browser and look … there’s a new comment on my Facebook page, so let me go see what that’s all about. Really, I don’t need any more help wasting time.
The only upside I can see to a blogger using a partial feed for their e-mail subscribers is that with a strong headline and a big hook in the intro content, people may click through to the blog to read the rest, which can lead to increased page views from otherwise one-dimensional subscribers.
According to Best Blogging Tips Online, two other benefits of a truncated feed are the appeal to folks with short attention spans and those reading on mobile devices, for whom a really long post can just be too much in an e-mail. Hmmm… I can’t say I’m really convinced. Best Blogging also notes that unless you’re a great teaser writer, you’re going to have to “offer a great pull to convince people that the full blog is worth clicking through to.”
Of course, as I think on it now, I am definitely more likely to share a post after I’ve followed a link to the Web, because I’m already there and the link is so easy to copy. If I’m reading the whole post in e-mail or RSS feed, now I’ve got to make that extra effort to click the link, go to the website, and then copy the link. An extra step of a different color. Hmmm… I may be coming around on this one – or at least seeing both methods as having benefits.
I don’t think this is really a case of right or wrong – more just a preference. But with the idea of keeping your readers in mind, it might be worthwhile to poll them to find out their preferences so you can increase their enjoyment – and sharing – of your blog.
To that end, we’d love to hear your feedback on this issue!
Laura & Marcie
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The Author Blog Challenge is hosted by Laura Orsini and her alter ego, Marcie Brock, of the Marcie Brock – Book Marketing Maven blog. Please visit Marcie’s blog for loads of great low- to no-cost marketing ideas for self-publishing authors.
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I’m definitely a shorter-is-better-let-me-click-to-the-full post kind of person. I actually just recently polled my own newsletter subscribers on this topic. 57% stated they preferred to read the articles in the email. It’s a pretty close call on that.
Thanks for responding, Nicole! I think you may be in the minority – but it’s good that you know what your own readers want.
I just invested in a program on creating 6 Figure Newsletters. The advice is to give your readers the full feed because click-through’s are so low. You can track your click-throughs on your website. Sure, you can ask your readers, but response rates are often pretty sparse, so I’ll go with 1. my own click-through tracking rates and 2. the advice of someone who teaches on this topic for a living and makes high 6-figures a year doing it.
Plus, think about this: What is the point of getting someone to your blog page? If you have them click-through to your article, they’ve used their action step for the day. Are you going to ask them to then click on something else to buy it?
No. Give them the full article in your newsletter. Then give them the link to your buy page in another section of your newsletter, a link that will take people to a landing page for your product or services. Your website “traffic” numbers will go down, but your income will go up! Isn’t that the point?
I have a website that gets over 22,000 hits a month that makes about 20% of my income. My website that gets about 1,500 hits a month brings in 80% of my income. The only people who go there generally purchase or download something.
That’s fantastic information, Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share what’s working for you. I inherently knew it was better to provide the full feed, but you’ve given us numbers to back it up!
When I’m out, away from WIFI, I can read all the e-mails downloaded automatically the last time my I-Pod had access to WIFI. I can read the whole e-mail, regardless of how long which is really great, but I can’t click on anything because of lack of Web access. So for me, I want the whole thing.
There’s always another side to the story or a facet we haven’t contemplated. Thanks for sharing, CKay!
Would it be possible to do both? I would want the full thing, but I can see where someone wouldn’t. I wonder if its possible to let the reader choose.
Pianist –
It really depends on your blog platofrm’s setup – but I don’t know of any that have that option when you’re subscribing to someone’s feed. Maybe you should suggest it to WordPress!
Thanks for the response –
Marcie/Laura