Tuesday, November 11, 2008

How Much Time Do You Spend Using Entrecard?

A common complaint by people leaving Entrecard (for various reasons) is that it takes too much time to use to its full potential.  Some claim that "dropping" three hundred cards/credits on other sites is a waste of time and isn't effective in building your site - you could instead be writing a few posts on your blog.

However, there are a few reasons why this myth can be proven as false.  Now, these aren't anyone else's opinions, but my own findings through the use of the site.

First of all, there is no "requirement" of the number of sites you need to visit within the system, only a limit of 300.  People that strive to reach the maximum amount often become exhausted and call the task a chore. You can cut down the number of drops daily to under 50, or any other amount, depending on the amount of time you have.  If you encounter "dropping fatigue," then rest for a while.

The main problem with the current limit is the "need" to achieve that level day in and day out to get the most results.  The truth is, the popularity of your blog also weighs in on that as well as the date you joined the site.  Alone, dropping on all 300 sites won't get you as far as the previous two tasks, which should be put first.

Another suggestion is to network with a few blogs and promise that you will only drop on a select twenty or so blogs.  This alleviates some of the hassle of dropping on so many sites, while still being able to take advantage of what Entrecard offers.

Finally, you have to look at the system in perspective.  If you took the time to visit three hundred random sites on the Internet, it would take you the same amount of time, if not longer.  You get something out of dropping on Entrecard - more experience as a blogger, an idea of what is happening in the world through non-media eyes, personal thoughts of other bloggers, and traffic returning to your site everyday (along with subscribers, comments, and more).

So, the question of the post is: How much time do you spend using Entrecard?  Is it worth it to drop on 300 sites daily, or do you find that it is best to use an approach that balances drops with comments and other promotion methods?

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