Personal Theory: RSS via Email doesn’t work…

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Posted in » Personal - by Ades on April 10th, 2008

After this, once in a while I would like to post theories that is based on my own personal experiences, thoughts, and ideas. We could then discuss them if they were true. This week’s theory is:

RSS via Email doesn’t work. Most of the people who subscribe to RSS via email will eventually unsubscribe. Ades

This is from my own personal experience. I had subscribed to quite a few blogs’ RSS through email. But at the end I have unsubscribed from most of them. The main reasons for my unsubscribing were:

  • I ended up not reading them, partly because I have a lot of other emails to read (attend to).
  • Too many blog-posts a day.
  • The posts didn’t bring any value.

If this theory is true and if your blog posts are mainly “ramblings” then it’s not a good idea to emphasize RSS via Email feature on your blog. Rather it’s best to concentrate on normal RSS subscriptions i.e RSS that is read through RSS readers like Google Reader.

What is your thoughts on this theory? Do you think, in general, this theory applies to most blogs?

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32 Responses to “Personal Theory: RSS via Email doesn’t work…”

  1. By Futon-Matt on Apr 10, 2008

    I agree, I don’t really like subscribing to anything via email. Everything I do I drop in the end.

  2. By Erica Schuth on Apr 10, 2008

    I personally, only subscribe via email. To me its more interesting and have always thinked that. Its better because you dont have to visit the site and check it that much. You can be checking other mail while looking at the blog from email. My opinion of course :)

  3. By Tom Beaton on Apr 10, 2008

    I would tend to agree there. I think newsletters and rss should be totally separate. I dont mind occasional newsletters, but daily emails from a load of blogs? no way! It would be fine if you just followed a few blogs, but once it is over ten, then it gets out of hand.

  4. By Rice Blogger on Apr 10, 2008

    to be honest, I do no like subscribing via email too…..it is actually quite a hassle to read it together with emails. I would prefer rss reader like google reader which i read daily too.

  5. By Jai on Apr 10, 2008

    I will agree to this fact but really wish it wasn’t true at all :)

  6. By SEOrious Results on Apr 10, 2008

    Generally speaking inboxes are far too cluttered…personally I try to keep the amount of stuff pouring into my inbox to a minimum, otherwise I spend the whole working day just trying to attend to incoming mail…got my RSS feeds on my Bookmarks toolbar in Firefox, where I can check on them whenever it suits me, not the other way around.

  7. By Social Wonders on Apr 10, 2008

    yew, I woiuld rather to use my lovely “FeedDemon” to read RSS Feed. I am reading more than 20 email messeges everyday and I dont want to spend more time in just reading emails.

    Tahnx

  8. By David Bradley on Apr 10, 2008

    I think one issue that you’ve overlooked is that the vast majority of people on the net (outside the small circle of bloggers who blog about blogging) still don’t know what RSS actually is, whereas everyone knows about email. I still think it’s worth offering visitors who reach your site from SEs an option to get your updates by email. I’ve seen my Feedblitz numbers steadily rise over time, currently around 300 and about 800 in the Yahoo Group associated with my site too.

    I think choice is critical to catch all kinds of potential fans.

    db

  9. By PS3 on Apr 10, 2008

    Volume is a real issue for me. I am already scared to open Outlook Express because of the number of useless mails I get, add RSS to that would just mean “switch off” time.

  10. By shawal on Apr 10, 2008

    I found that your theory is true.. Same goes to me especially if the mail are always about selling product…..

    Me subscribe to the blog especially for the info.. Not to buy any product….

  11. By Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com on Apr 10, 2008

    While I agree with those who say they would RATHER read in RSS, many people still have no clue what RSS is, let alone how to “read” one.

    Offering both an RSS feed and email subscription allows people to choose one or the other or both.

    Though I do think one mistake many blog owners are making is creating a new email every time they create a new post. In most cases you shouldn’t send more than one email a day, and it should “tease” info to be read on your blog, not have complete posts.

    My two cents.

  12. By Jacques Web Design on Apr 10, 2008

    Hallo all. IMO they aren’t half as effective when delivered into your inbox.

  13. By Dining Tables on Apr 11, 2008

    I get a lot of RSS by email and find them quite useful for one reason. I have to attend to a lot of emails and IMs on a daily basis and I am rarely off line. When an interesting RSS email arrives, it helps me to take a few moments off and read something different, and if need be visit the site to comment. I am however quite selective with my choice and have not subscribed to too many.

  14. By SEOrious Results on Apr 11, 2008

    Time to spread the gospel of RSS then Aaron!

  15. By PublicRecordsGuy on Apr 11, 2008

    I think subscribing by email is a particular good option for my niche. I’m also trying to get people to read who aren’t all that techno so many don’t have any idea of an RSS Feed. I saw the RSS Awareness Day posting idea on DBT, and I agree. I actually have a bunch of my co-workers who are stuck behind a firewall and can’t access my blog directly, but they do get the email version. Sure it doesn’t help my ad impressions or click thru but they do forward to their friends and hopefully some click through to the actual blog.

  16. By Marketing Man on Apr 11, 2008

    The more options for the website to communicate with its readers the better.

    I often find a site and then forget about it until someone replies, and then I use Thunderbird to put it into a folder until I might have the time.

    But these emails do not interfere with my daily email. When I got a break I will look.

  17. By Aaron at FullTiltBlogging.com on Apr 11, 2008

    I just blogged this post over at mine. I decided to reveal Email’s Dirty Little Secret.

  18. By Ades on Apr 11, 2008

    Thanks guys for your comments. It’s interesting to read your opinions about this. I see that I am not alone who thinks RSS via Email doesn’t work on most of the blogs.

    But as some commenters suggested RSS via Email shouldn’t totally be ignored (i.e this option must be provided), because newbies who do not know how to use RSS readers, tend to subscribe to your posts through Email.

  19. By Carla on Apr 11, 2008

    I only subscribe to RSS feeds through a reader. I’ve come across a few blogs lately that only allow subscription by email and those I pass by.

    I don’t follow my feeds every day, but when I do, I speed read through most of the posts, thoroughly read a couple, and comment on a few.

  20. By Marketing Man on Apr 11, 2008

    Hi Ades

    You amaze me at how fast you respond to posts on your blog. Awesome

  21. By Ades on Apr 11, 2008

    MM, thanks. I try… most of the time it’s just a coincidence that we are all online at the same time ;)

  22. By Sheila on Apr 11, 2008

    I think your theory is blog topic/niche specific. My theory is that the more tech savvy a blog is, the less likely that e-mail via RSS will maintain the long-term reader.

    I blog about Hawaii travel and over 40% of my subscribers are via e-mail. I often get comments from my e-mail subscribers that they love their e-mails from Go Visit Hawaii and they print them off, etc. I get notified of people unsubscribing and thankfully, that doesn’t happen very often.

  23. By Watch Weeds Online on Apr 11, 2008

    I also tend to subscribe to RSS via email only if it is requirement for entering in a contest or something, but I usually end up unsubscribing in the end of the contest…

  24. By Fitness Site on Apr 11, 2008

    I have to dis-agree with you.
    You can read various posts in your mail without opening those heavy/big blogs which takes lot of time due to advertisements and so.

    In email, I can read 20 posts within a short period of time. :)

  25. By Scott Sweeney on Apr 12, 2008

    I already receive 2000 pieces of spam email a day. Whenever I sign up for an email list, even if I wanted to read it, I usually discard it quickly for my ‘personal’ mail.

    That is the reason we use email, anyway. Right?

    So I find using the RSS is much, much easier. At least for me to do my daily reading

    Cheers!
    scott

  26. By chinedu on Apr 14, 2008

    Is there anyway to stop these spam mails from geting a way into my box?

  27. By Television on Apr 16, 2008

    Having a RSS via Email feature on your blog is a good thing. It may not bring you much traffic or subscribers to your website because it is a small piece in this “machinery” called website/blog, but remember that small things are what makes the big things to be big!

  28. By Marketing Man on May 3, 2008

    The best thing for a blog is actually replies to posts activated. Its amazing how many blogs don’t have this feature activated. This is what brings people back. I think it is equally important.

  29. By givi on Jan 20, 2009

    I agree, it doesn’t work.

  30. By Faydal?web on Nov 18, 2009

    Try feedburners email subcrictions. It works fine or you can try paid services for this my opinion:)

  1. 2 Trackback(s)

  2. Apr 11, 2008:   Blog Marketing: RSS and Email’s Dirty Little Secret by Full Tilt Blogging.com
  3. Apr 18, 2008: AdesBlog.com » Personal Theory: Top bloggers don’t read other blogs

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