Entre blog roll
June 30, 2008 by Megan · 10 Comments
Entrecard is a very popular bog indexing and blog marketing site. I like Entrecard and have found some very good blogs via my participation there. Something that has bothered me since I began participating there though is the value and ethics of the raised traffic (including some traffic from alleged child abusers). There is no doubt that Entrecard is a traffic builder…but if I want just traffic then I would build a dodgy site that focuses on making money from hits.
Imaginif Child Protection became Serious Business is about consciousness raising and making a difference, celebrating the child protection that most parents already do and helping those who are not sure what to do. Traffic is nice, certainly helps in keeping me high on the elite top 50 lists, but not mandatory: my means must justify my ends. I like comments because I value conversation, change and transparency.
Entrecard is attempting to encourage comments and ethical drops – droppers that do more than click for credit and leave. Entrecard has started a “Comment Rush” where they choose a post to become the recipient of one hundred dropper comments. I love it. That is smart marketing and very nice flipping of a product that was becoming unruly and undisciplined. The first chosen post is Irish Ken Armstrong’s Music and Driving. Have you commented yet?
The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation over Entrecard and Alexa. It seems that those who have been promoting Entrecard fast drops are to have their accounts suspended, and that, Alexa is going to ignore traffic obtained via entrecard. Ummm, obviously I am not the only one to question the ethics of a blog marketing network that has turned into a drop and run scheme.
In the event that Alexa does fail to count entrecard traffic, I have started a contingency: an entrecard blogroll of those blogs that I do read prior to dropping my entrecard (it is a work in progress as I visit sites). I will enter those blogs from my blog roll rather than from the entrecard site. This then allows my traffic to those sites to be counted by alexa. I do not want the blogs, I like, to be penalised because of how I entered them.
To those entrecard users who have commented on my posts and added me to their blog rolls, thanks. I really appreciate your help in preventing child abuse and you can be assured that I will continue to both entrecard drop and advertise on your sites. Comments breed blog karma and help keep kids safe.
About Megan
God bless you for standing up for the little ones, and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have written Entrecard and asked them to delete my account.
Hi Doug
Entrecard stands up for the little ones too. It is the abusers of the system that have caused the dissonance. Please don’t leave if you are an ethical dropper. The more ethicals that stay, the quicker the site will get back to what it was developed as.
I love entrecard and I am really, really impressed with some of the blogs I have been introduced to via card dropping.
I just came across your lovely site (via entrecard) and I’m glad I did. I look forward to reading!
I agree on Entrecard. Used in a responsible way, it is a great resource.
I agree that the Comment Rush is a great idea… but then I would, wouldn’t I?
Thanks for the link and all the positive thoughts, I agree with you whole-heartedly.
ken
Hi Andrea. Thanks. I also liked your site (I have a child with Aspergers) and that is why I advertised on it and dropped a card
Hey Colin. Responsibility – yes. Naturally people have the right to drop and run (my reading of some of the heated debate around fast drops is all about individual rights) but with rights comes responsibilities. I’ve got you added to my entre blog roll.
Ken, what a HUGE success. CONGRATULATIONS to you. Did you get time to read all of the comments? I am really looking forward to the ongoing comment rush. What a novel way to stop the drop and run.
Hiya Megan, I’ve read all about the buzz currently going on in an attempt to clean the Entrecard system. I do hope it works, and those who are gaming the system will be penalized as I’ve read they will.
I’m still undecided at this point as to whether Entrecard bring quality traffic or not, since the LIVE analytical software I use shows a very high bounce rate coming from Entrecard.
I’ve also found several, okay…many Entrecard chain-droppers will breeze through a post and leave what is supposed to be a relevant comment of some value, but more often than not these “comments” barely even make up a complete sentence. Then they never come back.
Some of those have made it through while others are filtered as spam, so perhaps Entrecard works well to bring traffic, but I wonder if it’s really worth anything.
I am so new to Entrecard…I have not heard of the comment rush and will have to look into that. I am glad that you are using your blog to stand up and say your peace. Thanks so much for doing this!!
Hi Lin – that’s interesting with the bounce rate. I’ve never checked but I know by the type of card dropped that they are people probably not interested in child protection so I figure they are here for 1 second.
Welcome Christinia, both to my blog and to entrecard. Entrecard does work Christinia – we would not have found each other but for entrecard. It was lovely to have a comment from you. Thank you so much and please retain such lovely blog ethics.
I love entrecard and would be very upset if something happened to it. I do read or at least browse many of the blogs I come across while dropping. That is a great idea of making a list of the ones that I like and clicking into them from my blog and not through entrecard.