The Huge RSS Icon Experiment: Subscribe Today!
I always preach that blogging and online marketing is about experimentation, so here we go with another experiment. That big arse RSS icon (I know it hurts the eyes, sorry about that!) is to remind you visitor, you that have not subscribed to Daily Blog Tips yet, that you should! Else you risk losing the simple yet valuable tips that we publish every day.
Considering that it is 7 pm of Wednesday here, I will track the results on Friday and see how many visitors we encouraged to become RSS subscribers.
Daniel Scocco on March 26, 2008
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My eyes! My eyes! LOL.
Looking forward to the results of your experiment. I’ve been subscribed a while, so I’ve been blinded in vain. Hope you get good results.
You are keen, that’s good…
Where does one get a RSS icon of that ginormous size? I’m also already subscribed, by the way
follow-up experiment: put a giant blank space the same size…so that any accidental click on the middle of the page makes you sign up…or is it the sudden shock of the glaring orange that makes your index finger contract reflexively, thus signing you up for RSS?
Signed,
A satisfied RSS subscriber.
@executivehacks, I think the RSS icon works better than a big black box :).
Lol! I need to try this one out too! But i’m already a subscriper to your blog, so i can’t say if this worked on me.
@Suzy, you can grab a 2000×2000 RSS icon here:
http://www.havelaptopwilltrave.....stRSS.html
*laughs uproarously*
*struggles to control herself*
I’d try to subscribe, but alas, I subscribed the first time I read your blog. So sorry I cannot help.
C’mon Daniel…with over 10K subscribers, don’t you think you’ve already captured our syndicated attention?
Having slightly fewer subscribers than you do, I’ll increase the size of my [rss] unit this week and let you know how it works out for me over at jcyreus.com
Good luck with growing your already respectable subscriber count (not that you need it).
Jcyreus, it is an experiment, if it works I can always recommend it to the readers.
Plus it sounded like a cool idea. You got think outside of the box :).
Damn, if I wasn’t already subscribed, I sure would be signing up right now. That icon is really huge…. and really, really orange.
Nice try.
I actually just found this web site, and have no idea how I hadn’t already! I’m not so keen on RSS myself, I like to visit web sites the old fashioned way.
Is there any software which can make the icon appear smaller for those who have already subscribed ?
On the topic, do you think I’m losing subscribers by not having a button, Daniel?
Yours is bigger than mine! My site only has a tiny RSS kitten.
Wow that is an awesome idea. It would be a great idea if you went away on holiday or something.
Thanks for making me laugh today. Seriously. And I’m already a subscriber, but let us know how the experiment goes.
Ouch. You write the most painful posts.
If you look at it long enough there’s a hidden message. Kind of like playing music backwards. 
LOL…This is big . I always thought you already have a big RSS icon but I was wrong
I am keen to find out the result of this experiment .
Good one! Except I arrived here from an RSS reader already.
I look forward to seeing the results, good luck!
I had difficulty fitting in that big orange into my computer monitor! LOL!
I am already a subscriber at my office and home computers. Now, I need a notebook to subscribe as a mobile user. Bwahahahaha!
I have subscribed though … so why is this huge button in my face? You said it’s to remind me I haven’t subscribed
Or maybe I misread … then I didn’t bother re-reading and editing my comment
Armen asks an interesting question, whether he’d be losing readers by not having an icon. This relates to my own blog, as I did away with the RSS button some time ago. I did, however, keep the orange colour for the feedcount, so there’s a (oh, the word’s on the tip of my tongue, but I’ve forgotten). Hmmm.
Ok ok, I’ll subscribe. I like a blog with a sense of humor.
OK i’ll try this out… if my readership explodes, it’s gonna be *your* fault lol
Sorry for all the people that were already subscribed!
I know I blinded you in vain :).
No way to get around this. I’ve subscribed.
@Armen, yes I do think you might be losing some subscribers if you don’t display an RSS icon.
It shouldn’t be a big number, but some people will definitely just scan your whole page looking for the orange icon, if they don’t find it they might just forget about it.
That is huuuuuggggggeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
But honestly, icons and other intrusive reminders don’t save much purpose. The majority of your visitors will already have subscribed, and those that do not, need only the small icon on the header region.
Like Darren Rowse says, this post is actually preaching the wrong sheep (or was it people?
)
PS: There is one thing you could do, though. Buzz up Brian Gardner to move the RSS subscription icons to the left sidebar, above category lists. This is because the header area tends to be ignored by visitors (I do so too), and is not as effective. We read (English) from left to right, so placing RSS subs options/form on the left sidebar provides maximum exposure.
See Copyblogger’s design for an excellent example.
Sumesh, from yesterday to today I gained 300 RSS subscribers or so :).
You forget that the majority of the Internet users do not RSS consistently. Other times visitors will just check your site without subscribing.
For those, a small (or big) reminder can help.
The idea of moving the subscription forms to the top of the left sidebar is one that we have considered in the past already.
When we have some time we will play with it, thanks for the input.
AAAAAHH!!!! It’s burning my brain!!!!
No, seriously. Good idea. Unless you’re a blogger, you probably don’t use RSS and a big yellow icon is just the thing to bring some attention to it.
Of course, I can no longer see, so *I* will be unsubscribing
I subscribe to your feed already and was curious to see how big was big, so I clicked the link. Wow. . . curious to know the results!
I should do the same for my blog. I only have one RSS button which is located way below at the footer area. Lol.
lol! rofl @ that 2000×2000
2000×2000? Have you made that your desktop wallpaper, Daniel?
Okay so the gigantic orange icon burns your eyes, gives you a sunburn, and maybe lowers your IQ.
I read this post because of the huge icon. It got my attention. I clicked. And now I am leaving a comment.
Random stuff like this gets attention. Gets noticed and gets clicked on.
@redwall, yeah I guess one could :).
300 readers in one day? Dang, did that take you over 10K? I wasn’t keeping track of your count but it looks like it could have done that. Cool.
Nice post!! We all know how hard is to get subscribers, and this is a really good idea!
I’ll tell u later if it work.
I’ll try the same experiment with my blog
hello daniel,
nice to meet you.
i feel trapped like a fly in a spiderweb.
i would have subscribed anyway, but your feedzilla made it happen quicker.
and ahem, you did say addressing people by their name pays off in the long run. is it true? i mean, i have addressed you by your name. so if your hypothesis is correct then i can assume that you are gonna respect me at least by visiting my blog, no?
{whisper: gotcha!}
Correct Netty :).
Can’t….look away….must click….huge….icon