Over the last 10 days I’ve been running twin polls on two of my blogs – ProBlogger and TwiTip – asking readers whether they’d prefer more Twitter Followers or Blog Readers.
The overall results were fairly clear – 84% of those who responded people would prefer more Blog Readers.
I expected this result but was curious when starting the poll to see if there’d be a difference in the responses by ProBlogger readers to TwiTip readers (given the topics of the blogs). Here are the results as they happened on each blog (at the point of writing this the ProBlogger poll has had over 1230 responses and the TwiTip one has had just over 700):
Again – the results are fairly clear on each blog although there is some unsurprising skewing towards Twitter on TwiTip.
The comments section on each of the poll pages (ProBlogger and TwiTip) really illustrates the Pros and Cons of each option quite well and is a fascinating read (at least I enjoyed it). People argued strongly for one or the other (although there were a lot more for ‘Blog Readers’ of course. Let me highlight some of the comments that caught my eye:
Arguments for Blog Readers:
“I chose blog readers. Twitter, for me, is like melted butter and the blog is the lobster. They can compliment each other very nicely, but if I have to choose one I want the one that provides the most meat and satisfies the hunger.” – Howard Hopkins
“People follow too much with the hope of a follow-back and don’t pay attention as much on Twitter. If they are subscribing to your blog, it usually means that at least one point they were engaged with your content enough to take action, they didn’t just go down a list of people and click a button. I’d trade every Twitter follower I have right now for a blog subscriber.” – Andrew
“The viral power of Twitter is amazing, but if it doesn’t convert to more blog readers, it’s just an ego trip.” – Janet Barclay
“Capturing and retaining a small percentage of faithful blog readers is more difficult and time consuming than acquiring and keeping Twitter followers. Blog readers are not easily replaced, whereas lost Twitter follower counts can generally be recouped within a day or so with little or no effort. Therefore, I would much rather have more blog readers than Twitter followers. There’s more of an investment and sense of loyalty.” – Snow Vandermore
“Definitely blog readers! I can’t type huge articles in Twitter, and plus the posts on Twitter scrolls so fast that most people will miss what you have to say.” – Kai Lo
“That’s like asking a newspaper: Would you rather have someone read your headlines or your stories?” – Jamie Littlefield
Arguments for Twitter Followers:
“I do think you have more ‘power’ with a large follow count on Twitter (and make of that statement what you will), but a large subscriber count on a blog monetizes significantly better.” – Sheamus
“With that said, as time goes by, I’m beginning to value Twitter followers just as much as my blog readers. While it’s harder to promote and convert Twitter followers using 140 characters than it is with full blog posts, the relationships that can be created on Twitter are very valuable.” – Jamie Harrop
“Depends on what business you’re in. If you have a media business model, a blog post offers more engagement (which translates into revenue via ads or some other kind of media-based monetization). But if you’re marketing physical goods, Twitter can spark a more immediate call to action (that is, it can drive demand and generate sales through other channels). ” – Jonz
Some Wise Words to End On
I think Monologue Blogger had some good thoughts:
“Both serve a specific purpose and yet both complement one another as well. I think first and foremost, it depend on the nature of your usage of both media and the goals you have in place regarding that media.”
Personally I would prefer Blog Readers to Twitter Followers (as I wrote a few weeks back here) however I don’t believe that there’s a right or wrong answer with this poll. Rather it needs to come back to your goals for using these mediums. It probably also has a fair bit to do with your personality, style, skills and the topics that you’re writing about.
I think the result was clear before you run that poll.
but the Twitter supporting figure surprised me 12% is considerable number and i wont be surprised if the result shuffle on your next poll run.
looking at the way people are twiting every day (specially you Darren) the number of people preferring twitter flower might increase in triple fold soon.
I would prefer blog readers because you can get your message out and your message remains forever online for anybody else to read.
I have to admit that I want more blog readers. I just wrote an article a week ago about how your Twitter followers that are not actually following you if you build your network with no strategy in mind. We don’t have to neglect the power of Twitter but in order to benefit from it you need an authority blog or many hours on Twitter interacting with your followers, answering their questions, engaging them in discussions and so on.
@TomaBonciu
You are kidding, right?
Who would like to have more followrs?
It’s like what would you like: 100 000 000 USD or world peace.
As a researcher in the field my questions center on the experiment than the results.
Between blogs and twitter readers, there is a further qualification- those that merely subscribe to the blog and dont read it, those that read the blog, those that follow but dont read your tweets and those that read your tweets diligently.
In my opinion, the numbers that follow a person and yet ignore their tweets are significantly higher than those that subscribe but dont take interest to read through.
In analytics terms- bounce rate at twitter is a lot higher. This isnt even an apples to apples comparison because the effort involved in getting a person to read your blog, and then actually like it and finally subscribe is far more than getting someone to follow your twitter.
While the experiment is fun, i hope you’d run some controls in your next iteration with:
1. no of followers to number of hits
2. no of twitter action-follow-throughs to blog bounce
3. no of replies and rt to no of comments./ trackbacks
I guess I prefer blog readers too, but I don’t think Twitter and blogs should be mutually exclusive; they go together. I like the lobster and butter comment.
I would have thought the numbers wouldn’t be so high in favor of blog readers. Although, blog readers is my choice too :D
I think it goes to show that people believe blogs to be long-lasting whereas twitter has still yet to be proven as more than just the ‘latest fad’! :)
Sam
I’d be in interested to see the difference if you were to run the poll again in 12 months time.
Twitter has come from a standing start in the last year (yes, I realise it is 3 years old, but its only really had traction in the past 12 months) and has plenty of growth left in it. Blogs have been around far longer and are more established
Very interesting though…
I’d have chosen blog readers over twitter followers – but it’s almost the other way around when following, personally.
I just realized I probably take more interest in most tweets I follow than most posts in my feed reader.
I’m finding that Twitter is great for getting some traffic to my blog but as far as Targeted traffic blog readers are what we need. You need both but I’m not surprised at the poll results
I’m one of those 84%. Tweets are for short messages, usually just for what I’m doing, and blog posts are much more serious.
But it’s good for interaction: I found myself reacting to Darren’s tweet before responding here, and reaching this post via Twitter before getting to my RSS Reader…
I would prefer blog readers, just because Twitter doesn´t have a right way to make money. In my blog I can expand my content to another blog by trackbacks and pingbacks(twitter backs doesn´t have the same power).
Finally, the Twitter can´t be indexed by Google and Yahoo!
Twitter for me is a means to an end. It ends at my blog.
Even if I follow someone on Twitter, I don’t go through and really “follow” all their twits like I would their blog. And really, I usually want to hear more of what they’re saying than 140 spaces.
Both have places on the web, but they’re not the same places.
Either or for me. Seems like the followers are readers if you post that you have a new blog post.
It’s very easy to get a following in Twitter. Blog readers if you happen to make a connection with them makes for more satisfying relationship. They comment more, they stay longer, and respond to the reaction to their comments. More interaction from them.
I maybe wrong, but I find twitter users who take the time to visit blogs do so at a discreet distance. They flutter in the air just near enough to look what’s inside your blog – then they flit away. They generally do that. They must be on steroids or like a bird possessed or something.
But then again this maybe a function of my blog’s perceived value or lack thereof. Will have to work on that.
In balance though, I’m abiding by twitter and my followers. I simply love the conversations and interactions with them.
My blog is my home.
Twitter is the public playground.
I love Twitter, and it does have its great uses. One is to draw attention to my blog, and other sites I want to draw attention to, and another great use is keeping up with friends online.
But overall, I would definitely prefer blog readers, because really, think of the effort involved. 140 characters versus a post you may have poured your heart into, possibly containing picture s or videos you spent however much time creating, If I am gonna do all that work, I sure as heck want to get it recognized. And Twitter can’t do that… though, as I said before, it can draw attention to the blog post, which I love.
I’m definitely with the majority on this one. Both blogs and twitter are great audience engagement tools but there’s something lasting and committed about blogging. Yes, tweets live on forever too, but when someone subscribes to and/or leaves a comment on your blog, they’ve told you that they want to invest more time in you and what you have to say. Followers on twitter may engage you in the future or they may not.
Okay, can’t resist. Gotta add my own metaphor to the mix:
Twitter is a 24/7 mix ‘n mingle.
Blogging is a lunch date.
My blog readers like my spirit and twitter followers like my flesh, I need them both.
*Chuckle* I’m the different bluebird here, Darren: I got rid of my blog two years ago & I’m a *total* Twitter microblogger. Relieves me of too much “my blog” stress and more time for client blogs/sites. Plus, allows me to show them how to use various marketing channels wisely, including Twitter. Also, it would be interesting to see your question asked of a more general Twitter population. I am finding more Twitter accounts w/out blogs lately w/links to Facebook or LinkedIn or MySpace. Twitter is growing as a microblogging site. Yeah!
the blog (Master)
twitter (Slave) like hard disk drives
When I took this poll (about 10 days ago), I didn’t even have a twitter account. I have one now and although I like it far better than I thought I would, my answer would still be for blog readers. Twitter is a good tool, but a blog is the engine.
I have only recently starting delving into twitter and generating traffic from there to my blog to be honest for me it would be an engaged blog reader every time!
They are more likely to consume more content add to the blog (via comments) as opposed to faceless follow who probably doesn’t even see your updates in the sea of their tweets!
I am no surprised at the results on either one of websites. I voted for blog readers and I don’t even have a blog yet!
I’ve been trying to come up with great themes for blogs and doing a lot of research on Problogger along with other blogging websites trying to get a sense of what I’m about to delve into.
The results aren’t especially surprising but interesting nonetheless; as a poster said above, perhaps the 16% for Twitter is larger than one would have though, but the network is going through a real boon.
And with that said, I’d be interested to see this poll repeated in six months, or maybe a year. I really think Twitter has captured the imagination of the media in a way that blogs never really did.
One, because the latter are so varied and disparate, whereas Twitter is all in one place and if you so chose you could follow everything (heart-attack permitting).
And two, I think that Twitter has superseded blogs in many ways, notably when it comes to breaking news and being ‘on the scene’. Because of Twitter’s easy access through smartphones and the availability and convenience of Twitpic and the like, Twitter will increasingly be *the* source of news.
In my opinion, Twitter, or something very much like it, will become our main newsfeed in the years to come. I think by then it’ll be very important who you follow, and even who you are followed by, certainly if you want to stay on the very edge of the information curve.
As Sheamus says, results could be very different in 6 months.
Today the blogger still monetizes through their blog sites. Twitter does not currently present a source of direct revenue for them. However, with the attention the Twitter-sphere is getting now, I am sure that someone out there will develop a simple and accessible business model to monetize your ‘tweets’.
Magpie has already starting to do that. I am sure there are more on the fringes now just waiting to break out.
I prefer blog readers, but twitter helps drive traffic to my blog. So really, they are both valuable. I try to get my twitter followers subscribed to my blog feed, because, as pointed out above, the blog monetizes better.
A+ on the lobster and butter comment.
I would personally prefer blog readers but I think Twitter is a great opportunity to keep in contact with your readers. I personally like to follow people whose sites I visit on a regular basic because it’s a nice way to get to know them better. I also like to follow my affiliates on twitter, because I see them more as a friend and Twitter is like a online mobile phone with which I can send text messages to my online friends. Though overall I would prefer blog readers, like said at the beginning of the comment.
I like the comments left. I have to agree with the majority, blog readers over followers any day.
I don’t want to choose between the two. I need both tools to develop a relationship and build a tribe. It’s like choosing between mail and telephone, or email and instant message.
It’s an interesting question though and I’m glad you asked. The responses and descriptions of why one prefers one over the other are themselves wonderful observations worth taking note of. Wonderful feedback!
I’d prefer blog commenters most of all!
Often you will get a reply on Twitter about a blog post but not a comment on the actual blog. I’d much prefer a comment to show activity on my site and show that someone is getting something out of the posts!
I would prefer more blog readers. I have it the other way though. 473 readers and 862 followers. The followers grow very rapidly, but my RSS count climbs far too slowly.
By the way, you have an open strong tag on the loose…
These results are not surprising. I put more effort into my blog, so of course I would want to have more readers than twitter followers. Besides, my theory is the more people that visit my website, the more likely the will click on an ad. I haven’t found a way for me to directly make money on Twitter, if you know of any, please let me know. Twitter is nothing more than a way to connect with my readers and promote my posts.
That’s enormous for Twitter.Even a minority of 16% is too much for it.
Finally,it’s your blog and the audience that can bring fame and money to your blog
Hey Darren.
I was 100% sure about the poll results. I know that Twitter is important for your blog traffic but the main reason why people start Tweeting is that they want traffic to their blogs. It is actually something that helps their blog so they would like more blog readers. They for sure will want to have 50k or 60k Twitter readers but they wish for this many followers because they want them to come to their blog.
Mohammad Afaq
Free Website Traffic
Uh, yeah. Sort of a no-brainer, I would have thought?
I would trade Twitter entirely for more readers.
It’s encouraging to see that people value the right thing – content – over the latest pseudo communication channel that is Twitter.
I can’t think of anyone on Twitter, be it for personal or professional reasons, who would choose followers over blog readers.
Perhaps if you have little to say of any substance Twitter is of more value to you… :)
the reason for this skewed response might probably be because twitter does not facilitate revenue, whereas blog followers can earn the bloggers revenue even through feeds.
Blog readers would give response to me, while Twitter followers not. Perhaps I’m not famous enough for them to response me, or all of the twitter followers are not active with their Twitter. So, I still prefer blog readers.
Comment from Howard Hopkins makes me hungry. :D
Anyway, good comment they all have!
Regards,
Lee
I can’t deny that twitter is great, but having lots of blog reader is awesome.
I prefer blog reader, it seems that people enjoy with what we write, twitter for me is an additional tool to announce what I have wrote, and of course for socialize.
Blog readers truly show a care about what you write. Twitter people could be following you to try to get you to follow them. At the end of the day, Twitter is a tool to try to expand your realm of influence with your blog.
what’s the benefits, we can take from the comparison result above, especially for our business and networking? thanks daren
Though bloggreaders are the first preference for blogger ,there is a chance that Twitter followers turns into blog readers .
They should be because Twitter is not providing as much knowledge as the Blogs are giving much more interesting things.
I think that it is important to interact with the community, whether it be through blogger or twitter. The way some people use twitter does annoy me though, only posting about their own posts which you would read anyway through their feed. I think people should use twitter to share what they find as well as their posts.