Tips to Help Reduce the Noise on Your Blog
Last updated on September 2nd, 2024 at 11:04 am
What is Blog Noise
These tips are useful for personal blogs, it can also be applied to other types of blog covering more than one niche focus or when you intend to include another niche to support the main focus, but mostly on personal blogs. It can also be considered as a complement for “Creating a user friendly website” but it focusing more on the content structure rather than on the design aspect.
I don’t have any solid written definition yet on what exactly “Blog Noise” is but I hope you will get the point after reading this post.
I like to do blog walking, spend a regular time passing by on another blog especially on personal blogs while at the same time working on my social campaign by writing a comment on blogs with the same niche as mine or when it covers an interesting topic which is good enough to be ignored.
One thing I noticed when visiting other’s blogs is, most of them are noisy, not because they cover more than one topic but it’s more on the presentation. I still can see it covers 1 niche focus with lets say 3 related areas but it scattered all over the place. Just like when you have 30 cards with 3 different colors and then you throw those cards on the floor at the same time. You still can see there are 3 colors but it’s hard to locate and remember the position of each color group right?
Take this blog as an example, please assume as it yours. It covers more than one topic: Blogging Related Stuff, Programming Tips and Software Collections. Sometimes it’s very technical, other times it’s more a collection of essays on any subject that happens to interest the authors. You might have noticed it’s moving direction into more security and privacy related stuff – yes that’s all the articles on VPNs for example.
Then consider the following case:
“What if a single beautiful teenage girl named Sophia read your blog and she only interested in Blogging Related Stuff and she eager to subscribes to your RSS Feed but there is only one RSS Feed directly available to her and the feed contains all of your posts? (your full feed)”
OK, lets assume she subscribes to your full feed. Every morning, she checks his RSS Reader and spotted a new post from your blog, she opens the feed hoping that it will be a new post from your
Blogging Related Stuff category but it’s not, it’s a new post from your Programming Tips and the worst thing is, she has no idea at all about programming 😀 Disappointing right? She still likes your blog because on some occasions she have what she wants to get but she will say that your blog is noisy.
I guess at this point you understand what Blog Noise is.
You can follow these steps to reduce the noise on your blog(s):
Revisit your category listing. It is impossible to highlight each single category so the best practice is to define which one can become your “major categories” from your category list, group the others under those major categories as a child categories then highlight those major categories by – for example – put the latest posts from each of them on your sidebar. Doing so will simplify the content structure without loosing the richness of your blog and it is easier for your visitor to digest your content this way.
Provide several RSS Channels. If you’re branching out to cover a subject and list it under a specific category you’re in charge. Don’t mix up a post on where to get private proxies trial packages with your economic or opinion pieces even in the RSS feeds. Don’t let your readers filter your RSS content themselves by only providing your full RSS feed, don’t expect they willing to do it. Make it easier for them by providing several RSS Feed channels based on your major categories.
I recommend you to use Feedburner free service to deliver your feed because it has statistical capabilities like how many reader subscribe to your RSS Feed and among those subscriber how many of them click back to your blog – useful to help you understanding your audience.
Explain it to your readers. It is a good idea to give your readers an explanation about your content structure, define what each category on your blog is about. Put it on your about page or somewhere they can immediately see it. Make sure they aware and fully understand it.
Do People Still Use RSS Feeds?
Despite the rise of social media and other content aggregation methods, RSS feeds remain relevant and in use today. Although their popularity has declined since their peak in the early 2000s, RSS feeds continue to offer several advantages, such as total control over the content sources, real-time updates, and simplicity in accessing information from multiple websites in one place.
RSS feeds allow users to subscribe to and receive updates from their favorite websites automatically, avoiding the algorithms and distractions associated with social media. This makes RSS a valuable tool for those seeking a more focused and personalized reading experience.
However, the usage of RSS feeds has become more niche, with many users opting for social media platforms to follow updates. This shift has led some websites to discontinue offering RSS feeds, but they still maintain a dedicated user base.
For content creators, RSS feeds still provide benefits such as increased visibility, improved content distribution, and the ability to reach audiences reliably.
In summary, while RSS feeds are not as dominant as they once were, they continue to be used by a dedicated group of users who value the control, efficiency, and simplicity they offer.
Are There Alternatives to RSS for Content creators?
For content creators, while RSS feeds remain a viable option, there are alternative methods to distribute and manage content that have gained popularity, particularly since the decline of RSS’s peak usage.
Email Newsletters
One of the most effective alternatives is using email newsletters. This method allows content creators to directly communicate with their audience, providing updates, news, and other relevant content. Email newsletters offer more control over what is sent to subscribers, allowing for personalized messages, promotions, and monetization opportunities such as sponsored content, advertisements, and affiliate promotions. Tools like ConvertKit, AWeber, and Mailchimp make it easy to integrate sign-up forms into blog posts and manage email lists, offering a more direct and engaged way to reach audiences compared to RSS feeds.
Social Media and Direct Subscriptions
Another alternative is leveraging social media platforms. By encouraging followers to subscribe to updates on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, content creators can reach their audience without relying on RSS feeds. Additionally, many websites now offer direct subscription options for updates, often through push notifications or in-app notifications, providing another way for users to stay informed without needing an RSS reader.
Content Aggregation Platforms
While not a direct replacement, content aggregation platforms like Flipboard, which curate content based on user interests, offer an alternative way for readers to discover new content. However, these platforms typically use algorithms to prioritize content, which is different from the traditional chronological display of RSS feeds.
In summary, content creators can explore email newsletters, social media subscriptions, and other direct engagement methods to reach their audience, providing more flexibility and potential for monetization compared to traditional RSS feeds.