Are you a blogger or a feed reader? Do you use/like full or partial feeds?
I have always used full feeds for my RSS subscribers. I recently changed it to partial feeds (for one week) and the results were astounding. Page views from my RSS feed increased by about 5X’s. That is pretty significant. However, I did get one comment asking me to change it back. Here is a pro/con list:
PROS for partial feeds
- I like to digest my feeds quickly. For a blog like mine (where sometimes 6-7 posts are listed in a day) many of the posts get lost near the bottom. With partial feeds all the page titles and summaries appear near the top of the email/rss and people are more likely to see them (since they do not have to scroll).
- Comments – if a reader likes/dislikes/has a question about a post in a partial feed they click on it to see the full post and comment on my blog. If they have a question about a post in a full feed then they tend to hit reply and email me directly. Emails are harder to keep up with than comments and I will sometimes get the same question a few times.
- Page Views – if a reader wants to read a full post they click on it and actually show up on my site, which shows up on my stats. They are more likely to support me and my sponsors by clicking an ad and my direct sale ads sell for a higher amount.
- Article “stealing”- There are many sites that take RSS feeds and put them on their own site as their material. Some link back, some don’t, but the main problem is in SEO. When a site takes your information word for word google dings it as duplicate content and you both get hurt. Giving them a full feed is allowing this to happen much more easily.
CONS for partial feed
- Your readers have to be interested enough in the topic to click the link and see the full article. This may cause some people to unsubscribe from your feed. Fewer readers, but the ones you do have would be more active.
Sound off!
Are you a feed reader (what service), email reader, or blog reader?
Do you like full or partial feeds?
How often do you click to the blog you are reading to support the writer? Is it different for your full and partial feeds?
When you get my full feed emails/RSS do you scroll down to see all of the posts I wrote that day?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Full feel definitely. I read in RSS and yours is one in hundreds I read, so if its partial I skip to the next one. Its really annoying to only have partial feeds so typically I'll unsubscribe. Also I read while at the office and most blogs are blocked from my employer and even if I wanted to click through to read it I can't. All pictures are blocked too, unless they are uploaded through Google Photos by the blogger.
full feeds. if you use partial feeds for good, im out.
I like the full feeds. I subscribe to one too many blogs, and the partial feeds throw off my rhythm. Sometimes I read in class, and like the first comment I cant always have another tab open… However, I do understand why the partial feeds can be better for a blog. I find if I am short on time, I sometimes switch my Google reader to titles, instead of expanded (full post), that way I can read the articles I really want. I'll keep subscriber either way.
I was the original comment about missing your full feed. Yes, I read every post you make, but I also read lots of other blog posts as well. I don't have time to go to the website to read your posts. So, if you choose to go partial feed, then I will be unsubscribing. My time is too valuable to be popping on your site every time you post something. I do not blog, and I do not steal information. I read my blogs through google reader, and I read them multiple times a day. I hope you keep your feed full feed in the readers.
There are some passionate subscribers here! It is such a hard call. It is nice knowing that there are people that read what you write, but it can be frustrating when you write, but never get activity or support from your readers.
I am going to keep it full feed for now. Personally I also like full feeds except for twitter and email – I like to digest it even faster in those mediums, which means short/quick and if it interests me then I click.
Thanks for the insight and I hope to see you commenting on my blog again sometime – even if it is only once a month! It really does take a lot of time to put together everything on a blog and it is nice to see that people are benefiting from it occasionally 🙂 Numbers are so bland without the comments, emails, and stories to go with them!