So, I was originally going to lump this one in with my slushpile links yesterday, but I decided to split it off into its own entry.
Last week, News.com had an article entitled, "Study finds weak participation on Web 2.0 sites", which quotes a study that suggests that the vast majority of visitors to social media sites (where users submit content like pictures, videos, links or stories), are sponging off the comparatively few people who are creating or submitting content.
The particular numbers they cite are:
* 0.2% of visits to photo sharing site Flickr are from people uploading photos
* 0.16% of visits to video sharing site YouTube are people uploading video
Now, this general phenomena is not a new thing; as anyone who's participated in an online community knows, you've typically got a small, core group of frequent participants, followed by a slightly larger number of occasional contributors, then surrounded by a big crowd of lurkers.
Back in October, user interface guru Jakob Nielsen did an entry about this participation inequality and the 90-9-1 rule (90% lurkers/9% occasionals/1% frequent participants) -- the exact percentages will vary depending on where you are, of course, but it's a good rule of thumb.
You can also look at it from a personal level -- in your own blog, you'll have one content creator (you, the poster), a small number of commenters, and a larger number of lurkers -- people who read, but don't comment.
If you use a hit counter, you'll get a sense of how many people are reading, though sometimes, not knowing (or not caring) how many people read your blog can be kind of a saving grace.
Anyway, the Nielsen article suggests some ways that Web sites can encourage participation from more people. For regular folks, I always suggest asking questions that are meant to be answered, as well as making sure you do unto others what you would have them do unto you: Participate in other people's blogs and online media spaces (by linking to them and talking about their content in meaningful ways, as well as leaving comments to let them know that you saw what they posted).
Lastly, remember that no matter how low the participant ratio may be in online social media sites, take comfort in the fact that it's probably still tons higher than in older online media, and especially traditional media (where participation used to be limited to a letter to the editor, or a phone call to a radio call-in show).
Following my own advice, here are a few questions of my own:
* Have you found ways to increase people's participation in your blogs?
* Would you rather have a repeat visitor who lurks, or a drive-by commenter who just says "Hi"?
* Have you ever made a conscious effort to participate and comment in other people's blogs?
Leave a comment and let us know.
Thanks -- Joe
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10 comments:
This is very interesting, Joe.
I was wondering if there a way to determine how many people:
A. receive the AOL alerts? (many read the alerts and not find a need to visit the site if the entire content is in the alert)
B. Receive RSS feeds? & such.
I know I have 100-200 visitors on average per day; some days 300-500 (considering it's fiber art themed journal, I think that's a pretty good number), but I have no idea of how to determine the actual numbers of "the lurkers of the lurkers." I'd love to have a more accurate number; any suggestions?
Thanks,
~Dee
journals.aol.com/CrochetWithDee/CrochetWithDee
PS: Total # of entries to date ... 954
To answer your questions:
* Have you found ways to increase people's participation in your blogs?
Many would rather send me an email than be *forced* to sign up for an AOL/AIM account. Is there anything in the future to allow comments w/out having to do so?
* Would you rather have a repeat visitor who lurks, or a drive-by commenter who just says "Hi"?
I enjoy all my visitors -- I had one "lurker" spot me in a store and treated me like a celeb! That blew my mind! (Of course I enjoyed every minute of it!) :)
* Have you ever made a conscious effort to participate and comment in other people's blogs?
Yes; besides utilizing AOL's alerts, I also check out Technorati looking for similar content blogs and leave comments.
~Dee
journals.aol.com/CrochetWithDee/CrochetWithDee
Dee -- we don't have numbers available for the Alert recipients of any one particular Journal (although I agree it would be nice to have); nor for the recipients of the Journals RSS or Atom feeds.
However, if you run your blog feed through Feedburner (www.feedburner.com) and make that feed URL available to folks, you can see the metrics for those people who choose to subscribe to that feed.
Thanks -- Joe (posted & mailed)
I've been playing a little game called "who sings it". Folks seem to like it. I do. It's fun! I comment reguarly in other journals. If someone asks me a question in their comment, I always email them back. I also usually send an email to a first time commenter.
LORI
Who I am… underneath it all:
http://journals.aol.com/scotthlori/DiscoveringMe
Very interesting questions, Joe.
I don't think I've ever found a way of getting people to consistently participate, but that's not really what I am after with my blog. But, I suppose if I wanted to increase and encourage participation, I suppose I'd try to respond to people's comments more. Sometimes, just saying thanks for the comment is enough, I believe.
To answer your next question, I suppose I appreciate both the lurker and the drive-by commenter. So long as people take the time to read what I've written, I'm happy. But, with me and my writing, it's pretty much hit and miss as to whether or not people will be hooked enough to read every word.
And, for the last question, well... I'm here, aren't I? I try to comment here on your blog because my secret goal in life is to drive you insane to the point where you run around the AOL campus frothing at the mouth while throwing cheese curds at people. I personally believe this could be good for your career, and I want you to go far in this life, Joe. Ya got moxy, kid!
Hopefully, that will make a smidgen of sense. I have a head full of pain killers, so I'm sort of violating the first rule of blogging/commenting, huh?
-Dan
http://journals.aol.com/dpoem/TheWisdomofaDistractedMind/
* Have you found ways to increase people's participation in your blogs? I try polls and questions. I also ask advice.
* Would you rather have a repeat visitor who lurks, or a drive-by commenter who just says "Hi"?
Lurker
* Have you ever made a conscious effort to participate and comment in other people's blogs?
Absolutely. I enjoy blogs as a relaxing pasttime now.
I'm not making a conscious effort to increase readership. I seem to have large numbers of lurkers, judging by my sitemeter readings, many of them not on AOL i.e. not in a position to comment. Interesting to read that about Flickr and YouTube.
In the beginning when I first started my journal I would invite anyone and everyone to come and read and comment but over the years I have mellowed. I am in the Technorati Directory and am using the tag system and when I do comment on other blogs I do leave a link to mine. I figure if new readers want to find me and subjects that I write about that is the best way to do it. (But I do miss AOL Journal's Guest Editor's lists!!)
I appreciate anyone who takes the time to stop by my lowly little journal, even if they do not comment and are just lurkers or if they comment often and are regular friends. Ofcourse I prefer ppl to comment but my life will not be ruined if ppl don't. My blog is more for me than anyone else. I do like it when ppl leave a link to their blogs in the comment section so I can be lazy and not have to search it out. I comment often in others but if I have nothing to say or I know I should be using my internal editor and not say what I REALLY thought I just lurk.
Much Love,
Mary
http://journals.aol.com/hunybea4him/HunybeasOpenJournal//
1. Occasionally, but not on a continuing basis.
2. Literally just "Hi"? Then I'd rather have the repeat lurker.
3. Sometimes, but I just don't have the time to do it properly, and end up feeling all guilty about it.
Karen
http://outmavarin.blogspot.com
I have thought a lot about blog participation and have blogged about how to get read, and I agree that participating is the biggest key to getting meaningful comments. I hated not being able to get respect with reactions to newspaper columns. I thought that was making reader reaction seem unimportant even to the writer. I never thought that made sense So I visit as many blogs as I can and still have a meaningful other life and try to comment as I really value some of the good comments that I get. That's the fun of it. Now I have broadband my journal writing and posting photos, etc, is pure pleasure. I still have a few tech things that I am going to e-mail you about, Joe, now BamBam is gone. Gerry
http://journals.aol.com/gehi6/daughters-of-the-shadow-men/
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