Does Entrecard work for me?
By AndrewBoyd • Jan 13th, 2008 • Category: Promoting Australian Blogs, Recent posts
Suzie posted a link to the Aussie Blogger’s Forum today - apparently, John Cow is dropping out of Entrecard.
John writes:
Here’s the thing: The whole purpose behind EC is to get noticed in the blogosphere because your 125×125 ad gets displayed on other blogs that have signed up with EC. Obviously if your card is featured on a huge blog like Problogger (who gets sponsored by EC) or JohnChow, you’re bound get get a nice bump in traffic for those 24 hours. Currently the cost for these two blogs is 330 and 260. So why on earth would someone waste over 400 credits to get featured on a blog that has 21 RSS subscribers? You wouldn’t if you have your head screwed on the right way!
I thought about this for a minute and came to the following conclusion:
Hi Suzie,
John Cow’s argument is about the echo-chamber effect that happens in this kind of thing, with the top people getting higher up because they are the top people. This is a fair argument and I can certainly see it happening.
If I was paying for points then I would feel weird about allocating several hundred points to advertise on a blog with 22 RSS subscribers.
If I was worried about Entrecard bringing in non-Entrecard traffic, that is - but here is the scary bit - I am not
The truth is that I do not see Entrecard as anything more than a way to promote my blog with other Entrecarders - and in this, it has been a raging success, because there are several people subscribed to these forums now because they came via On Blogging Australia, either through dropping their cards or on blogs that were advertising On Blogging Australia (that they were also possibly only visiting to drop their cards).
Additionally, I know that every Entrecard member has at least one blog, and I blog on blogging, so for me there is no downside.
I think that John Cow is missing the point - but he has given me the idea for an article on why it does work for me
Thanks for the link.Best regards, Andrew
And John, thank you for helping me to think this through 
An additional thought: if I am after Entrecard traffic, I would happily fork out more points to place an ad with one of the top Entrecarders - purely because of their position in the Campaign page. When I am in a hurry, I just race through the campaign page and drop cards on the top three blogs in each category - that is, those I can get to without going to a separate page. There would have to be other busy/lazy/crazy people like me who do the same.
So yes, for now at least, Entrecard works for me. If all it ever did for me was drive a few more Entrecarders to the Aussie Blogger Forum then I’d be a happy man
AndrewBoyd is a consultant by day and blogger by night. He loves good food, good wine, and discussing faceted classification schemes with friends.
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Seems like everyone is blogging about this. The ironic thing is that John Cow is getting link love from the very sites he finds controversial. Interesting, eh?
Anyways, nice thought process on this issue. I have to say that is really what EC is about at this point in time. I have had more success advertising on “small” sites than the “big” sites in terms of bringing in readers.
Hi Gary,
thank you for your comment.
There is nothing like stirring up a bit of controversy to boost reader numbers - and John Cow is no stranger to controversy - I agree that it is ironic if not entirely unexpected
Like you, I will continue to advertise with small sites. I’ll advertise with some of the larger ones when I become one of the larger ones myself no doubt, but I agree that the smaller ones are certainly great value.
Thanks once again, Andrew
I really like Entrecard. It’s giving me a good boost in traffic. Why is JC being such a crybaby?
Hi Leon,
thanks for your comment. I like Entrecard too.
I think that Gary may have touched on John Cow’s reasons above - controversy is good for business
Best regards, Andrew
There is a really good counter argument on Sam Freedom’s Internet Marketing Controversy Blog available at here. In it her makes the valid points that so called false traffic is better than no traffic, and that it is up to you to write compelling content to keep the punters coming back. The premise that Entrecard traffic is poor traffic is just simply insane.
Hi SK,
thank you for your comment and thank you for the link. I agree wholeheartedly with Sam’s point - any traffic is better than no traffic. I certainly wouldn’t call Entrecard junk traffic - my subscriber numbers here are up and several people have gone from Entrecard to here to the Aussie Bloggers Forums - they are about as quality as traffic gets in my book
Best regards, Andrew
I have given it a squiz. No idea where it will end up, but WTH.
Personally, I think John Cow came up with a brilliant piece of link bait.
He got his popularity, he’s ready to go beyond the realms of EC, so he’s letting everyone know. Which, in turn is making everyone keenly aware of who the hell John Cow is. I’ll bet his pageviews went up after he made that post.
As for EC, its bringing in traffic. Even if its mostly chaindropping, I dont mind. Traffic is traffic. Every now and then, someone stops their chaindropping and reads a column (like I did just now) and from that, maybe they subscribe to my RSS feed. If not, at least they remember the name and might surf back again some other time that might make them sign up then.
The point is that even worthless visits can generate some help to a website. For me, EC has been fantastic.
Hi Colin,
welcome to the great brotherhood of entrecarders
All I can say is that it has worked for me - and it continues to bring in a lot of traffic.
Best regards, Andrew
Hi Judge,
brilliant linkbait indeed
He protesteth a little too much 
Thank you for taking the time to read this article - it reinforces the point that Entrecard traffic is not junk traffic, and while there is some chaindropping, any traffic is good traffic.
Best regards, Andrew
Dropping cards on the Top 3 widgets of each category on the campaign page will not get you a visit from them. I’ve dropped cards on John Chow, John Cow, Tyler Cruz, etc. and they don’t bother to drop their cards in my blog. I’m too small of blog (bloke?), they don’t have time, or whatever excuse it might be. Heck, even Saphrym hardly visits me anymore even though he’s a chain dropper.
The best people to drop cards on are the bottom ones. The ones hungry for attention. The ones who are curious about this Entrecard thing. Unfortunately, the bottom ones are generally sparse in quality blogs, but traffic is traffic, right?
Hi Rudy,
thank you for your comment.
As I said above, I only drop cards on the top three in each category when I’m in a hurry. I know it is better to pick a category and go a fair way through it, and yes, people at the bottom of the category are pretty good at returning the favour. I know that I will drop 2-3 cards for every one that is dropped in return.
That said, I have had cards dropped in return by the leaders in several categories - perhaps they don’t have the adoring readership or the egos to match those in Make Money Online.
Best regards, Andrew
I am in the top 3 all the time for the Home and Garden category and always drop back. In fact the other blogs in the top 3 of the Home and Garden realm also always reciprocate. Ao your generalisation may be incorrect
As for the Make Money and Marketing mob, what can I say, they have other priorities like making cash during their internet sessions rather than dropping cards on the general populous. Also, if you look at John Cow’s site you will see that he openly admits he does not drop and secondly that he clearly had no idea how Entrecard works.
Embarassing on the second front, but common on the first. He has other priorities such as writing content.
So how do I drop I hear you ask. Well the following is my process:
1. Drop on my fellow Australian bloggers.
2. Drop on my regular acquaintances within the social networking realms.
3. Drop on those that have taken the time to consider and then advertise on my site.
4. Drop on those whom I wish to advertise, or am advertising on.
5. Drop on those that dropped on me.
6. Drop on those that drop on me regularly that are in the top 10 from the details page.
7. Drop on those that I advertised with in the top 10 from the details page.
8. Drop on the new arrivals.
9. Complete drops by dropping on the smaller categories. Those cstegories are often the ones with <20 members and do not attract much attention from the world. As such they are often more than happy to reciprocate.
Works for me, and I am sure others follow the same approach.
Hi SK,
If I were you, I would so turn that process into a post - other Entrecarders would love to hear about your strategy (and it is a successful one, as your position in your category shows).
You are a regular dropper here, and I thank you for it
Best regards, Andrew
[…] while it isn’t about the money, there is always Entrecard. Entrecard has given amateur blog promoters like myself a hobby - and if nothing else, it has […]
Might do that when I have my next bout of bloggers block or bloggerpathy heh.
Hi SK,
sounds good
Do you mind if I use it in the mean while? “A winning strategy for Entrecard” sounds like a winner to me 
Cheers, Andrew
Sure go for it.
Hi SK,
thanks!
Cheers, Andrew
Entrecard is working for me too, some have become regulars/subscribers so it’s better than no traffic !
Hi Jayne,
that is great news
It is worthwhile for me too.
Best regards, Andrew
Hi Andrew,
I’m convinced, have just joined and will keep you posted
Hi Suzie,
thank you for your comment.
It has worked for me - here’s hoping that it works for you too
Best regards, Andrew
Having just rejected 8 very inappropriate requests, I will keep an open mind
Hi Suzie,
thank you for your comment. Were the ad requests inappropriate owing to content or because they were out of your niche? I’ve rejected some owing to content but not because they were out of niche (this works for me, because my niche is blogging, and everyone who sees the ads will likely be a blogger - granted that it may not work for you).
Cheers, Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Both, lots of dating, electricity. I will see what is there later today,
Hi Suzie,
hope things improve for you soon.
Best regards, Andrew
Just letting you know that there is a nice utility that helps you to drop http://ec.createlf.com
Hi Thiru,
the randomiser at createlf.com looks good - thanks for the tip
Best regards, Andrew
Yes Andrew, seems to be getting better and can see if will work well for a new site I an building
Thnaks for the initial push
Hi Suzie,
I am very glad to hear it
I still believe that it has a lot of potential to bring in both click-through traffic and real sustainable readers.
Best regards, Andrew