Thursday, September 04, 2014

Book Girls Don’t Gry… Or Follow a Million Ways

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Book Girls Don’t Cry is a feature where we will discuss/vent/advise on a bookish topic. This feature is co-hosted with the lovely Amy at Book Loving Mom.

 

ALL of the Following Options!

When you stumble on a new blog you enjoy, how do you follow? Do you simply go to their social media links and follow there? Do you pick one or follow via all available options? I’ve noticed since the fall of Google Reader, blogs are really scattered when it comes to how you should/can follow them. Some use Networked Blogs, some use Linky Followers – which I tried and don’t really understand how to get updates from blogs I followed (though it’s been a while since) – and some still have GFC but, same with Linky, I have no way of reading the feeds of those I follow.

So what is my preferred way to follow a blog? I’m still unsure, really. I don’t like to subscribe via email because I find it gives me way too much to sift through, it’s not as easy as scrolling down an RSS feed. I haven’t really found an RSS reader I could get completely used to as much as I had with Google Reader. Feedly is one that I use sometimes, but I’m still not used to where everything is and how to find a specific blog/post. And then there’s Bloglovin, which seems like the go-to option of choice for a lot of my blogger friends. I do like it myself; I find it user friendly and easy to use. I just wish you could read the posts directly in the app, and not have to load each blog (it’s good that it gives page views, but it takes more time).

Also, is having so many options a good thing or a bad thing? This is my opinion, but I think a blogger should pick a couple of options and stick with them. If I go on a blog that has GFC, Linky, Networked Blogs, and whatever else, I have no idea which they prefer if I want to show my support/love for that blog by becoming a follower. So then I’m like…. do I have to follow using ALL? And if it’s all the same followers on each one, what’s the point? (and it often is). I also find that having all of those widgets significantly slows down a blog. But anyways, that’s a personal choice.

I know this was discussed a LOT when Google Reader got deleted, but now that it’s been… What? A year? (Has it really?) I’m wondering where everyone stands on this how-t0-follow issue.


What’s your preferred follow option?
Do you have an RSS reader rec?

Questions about blogging or anything book related?
Have topic suggestions for future discussions?
Leave a topic suggestion or ask a question via this form!
You know you love me!
XOXO, Book Girl

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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

Latest posts by Giselle (see all)

35 Responses to “Book Girls Don’t Gry… Or Follow a Million Ways”

  1. Soma Rostam

    Well, I was using GFC. But now, I am mostly concentrating on Bloglovin, and I mostly follow blogs with Bloglovin. But my own blog, I have used both GFC and Bloglovin, though I would really love to completely transfer my readers to Bloglovin. It’s much more efficient.
    But it’s really hard. I remember you had GFC followers once, too, Giselle
    What did you do with it?

    • Giselle

      I moved to WordPress and GFC only works on Blogger so I let it go. Well if CAN work on WP but it’s finicky and I don’t trust it. Bloglovin is a really nice program and it’s def my favorite but it’s not as easy to read posts as an RSS reader as you have to click on each one (and load the blog) to read it in full. I don’t think you can transfer followers from GFC to Bloglovin, but if you get rid of GFC, you’ll start getting more BL followers (at least that’s what I found).

  2. Amanda @ Book Badger

    I stick with GFC because I can follow ‘most’ blogs via that it works best for me, everything in one place, but for blogs it won’t let me view their posts, I just check them manually, like NoseGraze and such, it’s not that difficult, and a lot of the time, I have the bloggers on Twitter so their post gets tweeted there if I miss it anyway. I don’t follow on lots of things. I have Bloglovin’ and don’t really use it, and Twitter I use an awful lot, but the others, Facebook, BB, Feeds, nah, not really, but it’s personal preference isn’t it? 🙂 Great topic girls, I so prefer your typed up BGDC post! 😀

    • Giselle

      How do you read posts from blogs you follow on GFC? Just through the Blogger rss reader? I never really got used to that one. I use Twitter a lot to see post links from blogs I like, too! I’ve started to make a “list” and put all my fav bloggers on there so when they tweet I actually see it – because my main feed is crazy flooded by the 900 or so people I follow haha! >.<

  3. Ashley

    I think Linky followers is a bit of a joke. I’m pretty sure no one uses that method to actually stay updated with new posts on a blog. I remember I ran a poll about this last year and no one chose Linky as a method they actually use. So when you have that in your sidebar it’s pretty must just an arbitrary number that means nothing.

    Same with NetworkedBlogs, but I think that one actually got like 3 votes instead of 0.. so SOME people use it, just not many.

    I think the big ones are:

    * Bloglovin
    * Feedly
    * Email
    * Manually checking back

    I personally use email when I subscribe. I guess that’s because I only actually subscribe to a handful of blogs so it’s not enough to drown my inbox. For blogs that I like but don’t necessarily need to read every post immediately, I use Feedly.

    • Giselle

      Oh darn I was actually planning to put a poll to see what people used now and forgot haha. That’s what I figured that Linky was – nothing but a number with no actual use. At least GFC would put the blogs Google Reader. Networked Blogs I know a couple who use it but I find super confusing to navigate, personally.

      I use Twitter a lot for this purpose, too. Like I have a “List” with my favorite bloggers on it and I’ll see their links tweeted. Oh, blogger problems!

  4. Susan

    Love, love, love Feedly. It did take me a while to get use to but I love how I can categorize my blogs by type (authors, bloggers, publishers, etc.) I mourned Google Reader but really like Feedly better now, especially the save feature.

  5. Giovana

    I have differents things for different dispositive I use. When I’m in my pc I use Google Reader (as I into Blogger), but when I’m in my phone I use blogloving app to keep track, I haven’t try Feedly yet! Thought I think that give many options to the readers make everything more easy to them, the most usefull one, of course!

  6. Maja (The Nocturnal Library)

    I dislike email for the same reason you do, and Linky and even Feedly never really worked for me. I just use Bloglovin’. I like that I can create groups, they make my life so much easier. I’m used to it by now, I’d hate it if I had to switch to something else again.

  8. Booketta

    Great post! It is a nightmare. I guess I’m a box ticker although I find if I follow everyone on Twitter I get way too many tweets that I’m not really interested in and have to cull just so I can ‘manage’ the tweets I see. I have a G+ option and I am happy for folks to follow with that. My GFC is still there and I have added Bloglovin. My FB page, twitter and other links are there. I don’t mind how folks follow my blog.

  9. Lola

    My preferred way to follow blogs is either through social media or bloglovin. I tried feedly, but I thought it was confusing. I like bloglovin, it’s simple and I just scroll through my feed and can click on interesting posts. I follow a few blogs by e-mail, but not many.
    Before google reader stopped I used that, although I have to admit I like bloglovin better. On my blog I offer the option to follow by bloglovin, RSS feed or by e-mail.

  11. Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)

    I still prefer to follow on GFC. Since it is still working, unlike everyone said, I still check it almost every time I go to my blog, so it is convenient. The other way is Bloglovin. Networked Blogs will update to my facebook, so that is good too. I have a few that I now follow by email, but I’d prefer not to do that, as some blogs post so many times a day it would just annoy me to get that many emails.

  12. Eileen @ BookCatPin

    I really love Bloglovin! It’s so convenient to use to check for updates from the blogs I follow but then again I’ve never used Google Reader… I have both GFC and Bloglovin for my blog because I want people to know they have the option to choose which way they want to follow me. I’m just happy to know people would want to follow my blog. I think I do an internal happy dance every time I get a follow haha 🙂

  13. Ashley

    I love using bloglovin’. I find it kind of irritating every now and then and sometimes i feel like the blogs don’t update their posts as quickly as i would like. But it’s the only sure way i can keep all of my blogs in one place.

  16. ShootingStarsMag

    I actually really like GFC still. I guess I’m just used to it, but I know a lot of blogs don’t have it. I kept mine for those that want to follow that way…but I also added Bloglovin as an option. As for ME following a blog, I tend to use GFC and Bloglovin…with some on emails if that’s the main way they want.

  17. Jennifer Bielman

    I use Bloglovin. Then I sign up for the daily emails. It’s easy to sift through really fast and convenient. Then I use email for like my tops 3 blogs I follow.

    I took Linky and GFC off for my following options. When I moved to wordpress, I didn’t see the point of moving GFC over even though I did have about 1500 followers on there, but it seems like no one uses that anymore. Linky is useless. I did keep Networked Blogs because it’s what updates my blog on my facebook.

  18. Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

    I don’t have an RSS reader but it seems to be a really easy option to follow, especially since the notifications pop up in Chrome. But in all honesty, I mostly follow my favourite blogs in Bloglovin, and sometimes I add them on GR and Twitter. It does get confusing though!

  19. Kayla (The Bookish Owl)

    I use Bloglovin to follow my favorite blogs. I’ve found it a really efficient way to check out the posts that I’m interested in and comment on them. It’s really easy to find blogs there too. 🙂

  20. Anatea

    I never actually used Google Reader, so I can’t compare anything to it, but I love Bloglovin’ that’s the only thing I use. I love how we’re also able to sort the blogs we follow into groups, so that’d allow me, if I’m really busy, to just check out new posts from my favorite blogs. I also follow a few blogs via email, but that’s pretty much it.

  21. Mel@thedailyprophecy

    I tried following through email for a while, but I follow far too many blogs for that and my inbox exploded. After that I tried Bloglovin’ and I’ve used that ever since. I really like it and how I’m able to save posts for later 🙂

  23. Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

    From the comments on this post, it seems the consensus seems to be that Bloglovin’ is the preferred method, and I absolutely agree. I love how it goes straight to your inbox and waits there until you open it up – that really forces you to comment and interact! 😉

    As for multiple methods, I think it’s a bit annoying, but it’s definitely necessary. Everyone has their own perferred methods of following, and if you don’t have that method on your blog, you’re cutting off a bunch of other followers you could have had.

    Thanks for sharing Giselle, and fantastic post! <3

  24. Sarah C.

    I follow on Bloglovin’! It’s super convenient for me as all the posts are in one place and my email inbox is not over-flowing. And Twitter’s nice too.

  25. sjp (@sjp_title)

    I tried an RSS with Feedburner but it didn’t do much so I stick with the Blogger feed/GFC and bloglovin. I mainly use the Blogger feed as its easy to scroll through with a preview of each post and you can follow most sites by entering their URLs.

  26. Lea Krnjeta

    I still use GFC, it is simple and Bloglovin. I usually follow with either one and sometimes by email and on my blog I have these three options. Those work the best for me and they dont take much space on the blog.

  27. Anya

    I use InoReader.com since I was looking for a Google Reader substitute and it is the closest I found :). I used to have Linky and have taken it down now because it doesn’t seem like something that anyone actually uses to keep up with blogs. I try to make sure all the main following methods are available so that I don’t lose any potential followers, but also not pressure my followers to follow multiple ways besides maybe Twitter and the blog?