FeedBurner, which is wholly owned by Google, is a useful service that serves many purposes for bloggers as well as blog readers. Here's a really short list of the benefits of creating or burning a feed of your blog with FeedBurner.
- Your readers can stay on top of updates to your blog or website via Google Reader and a long list of other feed readers
- Your readers can sign up to receive email notifications each time your blog or site is updated which you can use for list building
- You can create an account with CommentLuv and add your blog's feed to create a backlink on blogs with the CommentLuv plugin installed from your last 10
Remember I said this is only a short list. There are many uses for FeedBurner, and in the past I have demonstrated other FeedBurner tools like how-to send your RSS feeds to Twitter and adding FeedFlare to FeedBurner which allows for easy sharing to social networks including del.icio.us, Google Buzz, Twitter, Digg, and Facebook.
I am inspired to write this post based on a question that appear in a comment on this blog from my friend Gary of Lawmacs involving his feed for CommentLuv. It seems that the feed for Gary's CommentLuv account included his links from del.icio.us instead of his blog posts when he was leaving the comment here. I think others might find themselves in this same predicament so here's the fix.
First let me say that there's so many features and options in FeedBurner that it's terribly easy to forget the options that we selected, how each one works, and how they will enhance our feeds. In the case of del.icio.us links appearing in your CommentLuv list, go to the Link Splicer setting options of your FeedBurner account (pictured below).
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| DEACTIVATE LINK SPLICER! |
- Login to your FeedBurner account
- Go to the Optimize Tab at the top
- Scroll down to the Link Splicer settings from the list on the left
- Deactivate del.icio.us or any other service you previously added
The point of Link Splicer is to insert links from these other sources and "splice" them in among your traditional blogpost links. In the screenshot you will notice that Link Splicer is not activated for my blog's feed. When you have a CommentLuv account I suggest that you deactivate Link Splicer as well - UNLESS your use of CommentLuv is an exception to the rule and you have a very specific reason to promote your del.icio.us, Furl, Digg, etc. links on CommentLuv enabled sites. If you do, I would love to hear about it in the comments because it does sound like a very unique and creative use for CommentLuv.
Here's a list of recommended reading (another short one) that go into more detail about the benefits of having a CommentLuv account and installing the CommentLuv plugin for Blogger or WordPress:
- How CommentLuv Works - from CommentLuv owner Andy Bailey
- How CommentLuv Grows Businesses and Blogs - by Gail Gardner from GrowMap and the Editor of CommentLuv
- The Really Sneaky CommentLuv Trick for Better Blog Marketing and Promotion by Karl Foxley of FMSSEO and the post that convinced me to sign up for CommentLuv
- The Biggest Blog Commenting Folder in the History of Blogging - Hesham of FamousBloggers.net has linked to every post featured in the Famous Bloggers Comment Luv Blogging Contest (the deadline for the contest is extended to July 13th)
- CommentLuv Gives Your Blog Heart - my post on the benefits of CommentLuv for WordPress.com, Blogger, Wordpress and other blog platform users as well which includes detailed instructions on adding default links to your Comluv account
Just like my friend Gary, if you ever have questions about anything about on this blog including FeedBurner, CommentLuv or blogging in general, please feel free to ask.
Happy Blogging!
