Simplify Technology and Increase Readership

Guest post by Juli Camarin.

I have issues. I want to publish my written work to the world only to find out that I am limited in time, money and, some might argue, talent. After a little R and D, I found a great solution called RSS, really simple syndication. When I built my RSS feed first, I thought I was living the high life. Imagine... a tool that allows you to publish to your blog once and then replicate the information seamlessly in multiple ways... Bloglines, Google Reader, other websites and yes, even the ever popular iTunes. I thought I had it made! After all, everyone knows that 'if you build it, they will come'... right?

Wrong! Although RSS feeds have made my life as a writer easier, unfortunately society as a whole doesn't understand them and people's eyes tend to glaze over once you mention subscribing this way. The problem isn't in the technology; the problem is that subscription can be cumbersome if you don't intuitively understand this technology. Because of it, less tech savvy individuals are reluctant to implement them for daily use. So, I was back where I began...tons a great information and minimal readership. There had to be an easier way!

I realized that if I was having this constant problem with RSS feeds, then chances were that millions of other bloggers were experiencing this issue as well. So then, the question became how could I utilize this amazing tool and make it easy for my readers at the same time? What I found was FeedBlitz. I realized I could let technology do the grunt work while I sat back and enjoyed the pure pleasure of writing. Sounds simple and easy right? Well with the right tools, it is just that...simple and easy!

FeedBlitz creates a delivery method for my feed that millions of users are familiar with... email. Simply put; this tool translates RSS feeds into email. What is beautiful about this application is by enabling a simple and easy sign up form on my website; users can subscribe and unsubscribe themselves to my feed without any additional work. And after the initial 3 minute setup, you can let this tool go to work and then forget about it. Your blog post comes into their inbox and looks just like a typical message. Since it takes no configuration on their part, it takes the guess work out of the subscription process.

Since implementing this tool my subscribers list has multiplied eight times. I have been able to connect with my readers on a proven platform instead of hoping they come back occasionally to read my posts. I’ve also noticed an increased amount of conversation and reposting on Facebook. This was none existent before but by adding the ever popular 'like’ button to my email, readers effortlessly promote my blog. The result was my fan page jumped from 50 fans to over 200 in a matter of one month without any additional marketing on my part.

Another great thing about this tool is that it dynamically lists past article titles, with links, in each email it sends. They neatly display under your current post. This is a great way to catch the skimmer's eye, converting to readership. Perhaps they didn't have time to read yesterday's article so simply reminding them it is there may bring them to the site to read it. A total win in my book!

Equally important is that this tool converts your posts to tweets without ever having to login into Twitter through the website or your smart phone, it does this automatically for you. It is important it is to keep presenting your information to your followers, and by connecting your RSS feed to your Twitter account this tool does the work for you. One reason I love this is that I am constantly forgetting to tweet. Twittering is quick and easy either way you do it, but why not automate the process when possible?

Along with the amazing features I have already described, FeedBlitz also gives the ability to do newsletters, surveys, subscriptions and advertisements. These can all be geared to making money in the process. All for one low monthly fee, based on the number of subscribers, it amounts to mere pocket change. This tool lets you buy in for cheap and costs only increase as readership grows, which fits nicely into my long term plans. Plus, it offers a dynamic analytics package, so tracking opens and click through is a breeze. If you haven’t used it yet or are thinking about trying it out, I give it two thumbs up! Try it today to start building your readership while simplifying technology!

About the Author

Juli Camarin writes a daily blog that explores the Bible and gives insight into scripture. She is currently blogging verse by verse through the book of Hebrews. After serving on a pastoral teaching team for over five years, she felt called to focus on writing down and sharing what the Lord constantly reveals to her. A teacher at heart, her passion is to teach the word of God as it comes alive trusting that it will also come alive to her readers. You will find her daily thoughts and inspiration at jcblog.net.