I remember it starting with Feedburner’s RSS feed reader counter (chicklet).
I would see it on nearly every blog and even included it on mine for awhile. Some showed numbers in the tens of thousands. Others were only double digit. And some of the big name bloggers would hold contests to see who could get the most new subscribers.
The next one I remember was the Liz Strauss Comment Count Badge.
For bloggers who loved comments, this was the best widget to display. After all, we were proud of all of the comments we received on our blogs and wanted to show them off. Although there weren’t competitions, you can bet each blogger was comparing their comment numbers to others.
When Twitter came along, the Retweet button 
became all the rage. On Twitter we see tweets going out asking to “please retweet” and it becomes a game of watching the numbers grow (or not). We proudly display(ed) that badge on our site, too.
Add to these, the traffic statistics buttons and widgets, the Alexa rating badge and April’s Like Button (plugin for WordPress users), and anyone can show others how popular they and/or their posts are.
But, I have to ask….
Today’s Lesson
Are badges benefical?
Some will say, “If I show high numbers, others will believe my blog is so good you’d be an idiot not to subscribe to it.”
Or, “If I show low numbers, readers may feel sorry for me and will sign up.”
Then there are the bloggers who manually manipulate the numbers, or those who just like to brag.
Unfortunately, there’s also a flip side.
First of all, unless you’re another blogger, you probably don’t even know what the badge means.
Then, what happens when another blogger thinks we have “enough”. If they’re feeling competitive and don’t want to contribute to our numbers, they may hesitate before they subscribe, retweet or comment.
Some, when they see dozens of comments, feel their voice won’t be heard and leave without sharing their thoughts.
Badges can also intimidate bloggers.
If they don’t take into consideration the work a blog author has put into acquiring the numbers, the numbers could be so overwhelming, they may either think they are doing something wrong, or just throw their hands up in the air, and quit.
Although numbers posted by others can show us the possibilities, they can also make it appear blogging is a race.
And that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
What say you?
Today’s Assignment
How do you feel about the badges others display on their blogs?
Do they inspire you to subscribe, comment or retweet a post?
Or do you think badges are a total waste of space?
Care to share?
.
You probably know what I think about badges..(heh heh). I make my OWN. 🙂
Heh, Heh Friar,
Why did I KNOW you’d be the first to show up. And yes, I do know what you think about badges. 😛
I think I agree with Friar on this. 🙂
I don’t pay much attention to them and don’t use them — don’t see the benefit.
.-= Check out Mike Goad´s awesome post: My Wife’s “Insanity Revisited” =-.
Hi Mike,
That’s two votes against them. I’m curious to see what others share and if they feel they may be beneficial.
Hi Barbara,
I think, like all things, badges are okay – in moderation. I don’t have a problem if I visit a blog and see a Feedburner badge telling me how many average subscribers a blog has. However, I do not like going to blog where there are retweet buttons, share buttons and all sorts of badges every which way you look. It’s as if that blogger is trying to show off their blog’s popularity. Sure, be proud of what you’ve achieved, but don’t clutter your sidebar with it.
In the end, the only thing I’m interested in is the content – are the posts going to entertain, inform, teach etc. And one thing I have learned – just because a blog has a lot of commenters or subscribers, does not necessarily mean the blog’s content is excellent.
.-= Check out Sam Liu´s awesome post: Fragments – A Story =-.
Hi Sam,
That’s very true. The “numbers” do not guarantee great content. I’m sure you’ve see it too where a newer blogs with very few subscribers far surpasses one with thousands.
I agree with Sam, too. When I first started blogging, I paid attention to those badges thinking, “Hmmm, if they’ve got this many subscribers, they must be doing something right.” I can’t tell you HOW MANY of those blogs, though, ended up totally disappointing me in terms of content, and I’d find myself wondering after a few feeder reads, “HOW did this person get this number of subscribers?” Click: unsubscribe.
Now the badges mean very little to me. In fact, even when they’re around I don’t really notice them. I’m not sure what the point of them is?
.-= Check out Chania Girl´s awesome post: Guess What? I’m Not Perfect =-.
Hi Chania Girl.
That is disappointing, isn’t it? We assume a large subscriber count means fabulous content, but sometimes that’s not the case at all.
Hi Barbara – I think it’s okay to put whatever you want on your blog. I will say I was disappointed to find out the numbers could be faked – naive, huh? It seems like that’s a lot of effort for what kind of gain?? Anyway, we have a networked blogs/Facebook kind of follower thing that shows our number of followers. I just like looking at everyone’s photo on that. I don’t think a numerical thing means too much.
.-= Check out Betsy Wuebker´s awesome post: What I Learned from Motherhood =-.
Hi Betsy,
I wouldn’t say you’re naive. I’d say, you’re trusting. After all, who would ever think a blogger would inflate their numbers? Although it may help to attract advertisers, it’s not like an advertiser wouldn’t figure it out pretty quick.
I don’t pay much attention to them because I know they can be faked. Also, just because a person has a lot of followers / readers doesn’t mean that I will like their content. In fact, I might even wonder if they give false hope (self-proclaimed prophets) or generic advice (self-proclaimed make-money-online gurus). My thoughts in some aspects aren’t exactly mainstream. Besides, I read things in my feed reader anyway. I can’t really recall what’s on those badges, or even whether there is one.
I actually thought of providing a service for people that want badges I made. It will be like: 143,001,234 people are NOT reading this blog, 135 Martians are reading this blog, 166 sea lions are reading this blog, or 15673 hungry hippos want to eat this blog. And then I got lazy and never made it happen…
.-= Check out Kelvin Kao´s awesome post: What You Can Learn From Popeye The Video Game =-.
Hi Kelvin,
I LOVE your idea for badges. You can still make it happen. And…when you do, let me know. You could do a guest post and get it rolling. Yeah?
OOH! I love that idea, Kelvin! That’s the kind of thing that appeals to my inner 12 year old. 🙂
.-= Check out Lisa at Practically Intuitive´s awesome post: Wisdom from Slade =-.
OMG, Kelvin. I loved your response! And I would totally be on board for one of those Hungry Hippos badges … when they’re ready. (Can I design my Hippo?) 😀
.-= Check out Chania Girl´s awesome post: Guess What? I’m Not Perfect =-.
LOL @ Kevin! I think humorous badges like that would totally make me a fan of his blog right off. In fact, I’ve not been on his blog in a while, and his comment here will make me pop over and see what he’s been up to! I love people who can laugh at themselves, like this!
And yes, it’s really me, Barbara. Well, it’t not me “Barbara” it’s me, Jannie. You’re Barbara! 🙂
(I’m switching my default e-mail addy, in case this goes into moderation.)
.-= Check out Jannie Funster´s awesome post: Let’s Drink Up The Stars (lyrics draft) =-.
Yup, Kelvin is my new best bud! I LOVE that idea!
It’s weird, isn’t it, how we seem to have to “prop up” our online writings with statistics and numbers. Are they not legitimate enough on their own? Is it not good enough that we decided to marshal our thoughts, feelings, and experiences into a corral of words to feed the brains of others?
That I have readers at all is a wonderful thing, but I don’t see that advertising how many I have adds to or subtracts from what I think I’m trying to achieve… which is just to share and communicate for a laugh or sniffle or two. 🙂
Well put, Tony,
Like you said, we shouldn’t have to publish “numbers”. Our content should be able to stand on it’s own.
Oh wow. Now I really need to implement this, huh? Whoever wants to help should get in touch with me!
.-= Check out Kelvin Kao´s awesome post: How to make Caesar salad =-.
Barbara,
I do use the retweet button you describe above. What I like about that button is how easy it is to re-tweet an article. I also use a Facebook “share” button (that doesn’t display any numbers). And that’s it. I don’t think I need to display numbers – that it’s the content that really matters, anyway.
.-= Check out Lance´s awesome post: What Does It Start With? =-.
Hi Lance,
You’re right. The retweet button does make it extremely easy to tweet a post. It’s a lot better than copying and pasting links.
I hardly notice those anymore. I used to care, but I can say with confidence that after spending over 2 years in the blogosphere, I couldn’t care less about the numbers game. I do care about good, high-quality, engaging content.
.-= Check out vered | professional blogger´s awesome post: Do You Believe That “Retail Is For Suckers?” =-.
Hi Vered,
Time does that to us, doesn’t it? Some of the numbers, ours and others, just don’t matter. And I echo your sentiments on quality content. That overrides a number every time.
I like the ‘manipulated count’ image. My favorite. I need to try that one sometime.
Badges are cool if you have numbers to support them, but some of us (me) do not have numbers to brag about. I tend to ignore them anyway.
.-= Check out Colleen´s awesome post: West Pasco Washington Homes For Sale =-.
Hi Colleen,
I give you permission to use the manipulated count badge. Just right click on it and it’s yours to use. 🙂
From the looks of it, you and everyone else has become blind to the number badges.
Hi Barbra,
When I was just reading and commenting and that wasn’t long ago, I paid attention to them. After starting a blog, I pay no attention to them at all.
Hi Bruce,
That’s interesting how before you started blogging, you noticed the badges, but after you started blogging, you’re “blind” to them.
For me, when I first started blogging I looked at them a lot. One of my thoughts was, “Wow, look what’s attainable”, but then the more I blogged, the more I realized it might take a LONG time to reach tens of thousands of subscribers. Because I didn’t want to be affected by “the numbers”, I took the badges down.
Hi Barbara .. I have to say I glance past them probably .. sometimes if I’m thinking of following a blog I’ll see if they’ve got lots of followers or not – but I’ll only follow if the content is good and I get some form of recipricotation .. not necessarily comments over at my place – but eg replies to mine & I end up building a ‘relationship’ with the other blogger, who I value from their input/ honesty or the trust I feel in their space.
I don’t actually know what badges mean .. but I think when I get myself organised (when?!) I’ll do what Lance does – retweet, and use the FB button .. but just not go overboard –
I’d rather have value and a slow build, than burn myself out chasing things for the sake of it ..
Thanks – mainly I ignore! Because ignorance is bliss!!
Bye – have a good rest of the week – Hilary
.-= Check out Hilary´s awesome post: Bat and Moth Survey Night – tonight =-.
You’re welcome Hilary,
That’s a great way of approaching it. Like you said, chasing things for the sake of it could lead to burnout. We certainly don’t want that to happen since we could all be blogging for many years to come, or for as long as we’re enjoying it.
Hi Barbara, Your blog design is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t mind the Retweet buttons, but they don’t always work. Integrating these things can be a problem in WordPress – I never was able to get the Liz Strauss comment counter to work properly. So if you’re going to display them, it’s a good idea to test them periodically, like after an upgrade. Like most of the others, I don’t pay much attention to them.
Thank you Brad,
I started with a free theme I found and then tweaked it a little. I liked it because it is so different. 🙂
That’s a good point. Sometimes they aren’t displaying the correct information, and Feedburner has had issues in the past where one day you’re showing half as many subscribers as the previous day. I’m sure they’ve resolved that problem, but it would be frustrating.
If I like a blog, I will look for Google friend follow, networked blogs, Blog Frog, etc….widgets as I am a member of those communities.
But I do know those numbers don’t mean a lot – on SOME blogs you need to follow in order to participate in any give-away’s or contests they may be holding.
As far as tons of badges and buttons, I got rid of most of mine…………….
.-= Check out Carolee´s awesome post: ESP? Strange and unusual Sunday! =-.
Hi Carolee,
I hear you. Some bloggers do require a subscription in order to enter a drawing. Although that is a great way to gain more subscribers, unless the blog is something we think we’ll frequent, it could just end up taking space in our readers or email.
Of course, we can also unsubscribe if the blog doesn’t meet our expectations.
Good and interesting content makes me a subscriber – visitor counts and badges however don’t 🙂
Those counters also remind me of the 90’s, back then every website had some sort of visitor counter on it.
I’ve used them all at one time or another on different blogs, and yea I think most hold more pro then con, but that’s me. They can also slow your blog though.
There is also a 3rd bad. This bad is bad for the badge clicker, not the blogger hosting it.
The retweet button for example. Lets say you hit a post with 30 retweets, but you happen to notice the post itself is horrible for one reason or another, and obviously so.
These retweeters are obviously only doing it in hopes of a return tweet and only hurting themselves in the process.
.-= Check out Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s awesome post: 10 Social Share Sites Chosen – Do You Agree? =-.
Umm, speaking of retweets…..?
.-= Check out Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s awesome post: Oops I Lied-HAHA =-.
Hi Dennis,
I never thought of that; how badges can slow down the load time of our blogs, but it makes sense.
The second part of your comment very true. Plus, if we start retweeting posts that aren’t all that good, it becomes a reflection on us, too.
Your second comment reminded me my “Sexy Bookmarks” wasn’t activated. It is now. I like how it sits quietly at the end of the post. Thank you! 🙂
Barbara,
Most badges I pay no attention to. In fact, I believe I tune them out completely except for a few.
The only one these days that I find worthwhile is the Tweetmeme Retweet badge. I love seeing that. I get to RT the post in a flash and it is way convenient. Otherwise I have to go through my Shareaholic button on the browser and it adds another step.
Interesting post, and I have to admit, ya got me with the 4035 tweets badge. Clicked on it I did ’cause I didn’t want to miss the party…
George
.-= Check out George Angus´s awesome post: Classic Tumblemoose: Green Eggs and Spam =-.
Hi George,
You’re funny. I didn’t think anyone would click on that button. And I can only wish I had a post with that many tweets. 8)
You’re right about the retweet button being an easy one to use. With us bloggers often being in a rush, eliminating as many steps as possible makes us more apt to share.
I have no problem with badges of any kind on someone’s blog, and yes, I do have a few on my site. But I have removed some that no longer served my purpose as well, so I really think it’s up to the blog owner to determine what and why they put something up along the side.
.-= Check out Mitch´s awesome post: The Myth Of Link Building =-.
Hi Mitch,
Definitely. With them being our blogs, we can add whatever we want. But like you said, sometimes we need to reevaluate if they’re really serving a purpose.
I just love these little social media debates!
So, like many I appreciate the simple re-tweet button and other simple “share” buttons. In regards to the RSS subscribers badge enticing me to join in and subscribe – ehh, not so much. It comes down to a popularity contest, of sorts. Just because someone has a lot of followers does not mean the content is really that great that I need to subscribe! 😉
I don’t post my subscribers numbers on my site and I don’t discriminate with those who do post their subscriber numbers. But to each their own! If it is something you find has a value to your readers then include it, by all means.
.-= Check out Heather Villa´s awesome post: Kick Your Email in the @ =-.
Hi Heather,
Yes. As I was telling George (see above comment), if we can make it easy for our readers, they’re more apt to share or join.
And I agree. Many use numbers as a means of showing their popularity whether their blog has great content, or not.
I never be a fan of stat except my monthly revenue table 🙂 I always believe stat is a good way to destroy our concentration and frustrate us. I don’t show any type of batch in my blog except retweet button and that too because it allow others share my article easily. I never have a race with anyone except me.
.-= Check out Arafat Hossain Piyada´s awesome post: 4 working tool to check site is down for everyone or not =-.
Hi Arafat,
I’m with you. Stats can frustrate us. As much as we know it takes time to build our numbers, if we’re constantly looking at them, we could begin to think we’re doing something wrong, or need to be doing more.
Hi Barbara.
I don’t put a lot of thought or energy into badges on blogs. I hardly see them anymore. Numbers won’t sway me to read one blog over another. I’m there for the reading, the entertainment and the education. I wonder why people still use them if the numbers can be faked? Though I guess not everyone is aware of that… especially non bloggers. It looks impressive for someone off the street to land on a blog that has thousands of subscribers.
.-= Check out Davina´s awesome post: Dial-1-2-1-Muse =-.
Hi Davina,
I’m not sure why people continue to use them except for MAYBE attracting advertisers. However, an interested advertiser can check a blog’s Alexa rating and page rank, with just an addon or two.
And…I think there are those online who see the big numbers and don’t want to be “left out”. i.e. the follower type personality.
Hi Barbara,
Another topic of particular interest to me. I have recently joined up with Twitter and Stumble Upon, and I have these on my sidebar. I chose small ones that were less obtrusive. I don’t want to clutter up my blog, but I do want to make easier if anyone wants to Stumble my posts or follow me on Twitter. (I’m not one of those folks who tweets every 5 minutes about absolutely nothing.) I included the retweet button on my posts, also to make it easy to tweet a post if they like it. I’m also on Google Friends.
As far as what others have on their blogs, it doesn’t matter if they have a lot, a few or none, if I like their work. The stumble and retweet buttons are helpful to me, which is why I put them on mine.
Hi Linda,
I just looked at what you did, and you’re right; they are less obtrusive than most. Looks good. I also like how you added the retweet at the bottom of your posts.
And, I clicked on your Twitter button and am following you on there now, too. Although I don’t go on Twitter too often, next time I do, I’ll look for you. 🙂
Hi Barbara,
The use of badges doesn’t really bother me one way or the other, unless there are so many of them ( or poorly placed ) that they become distracting. I certainly see the use of them and how they can be beneficial. I think ultimately it’s all about communication between the writer and the readers, creating that connection and community. Like others have said here, numbers don’t impress me but great content does!
Thanks Barbara!
.-= Check out Keith´s awesome post: DON’T DODGE THE DETOUR! =-.
Hi Keith,
It’s great to see you here today. I was just looking at your blog and see you’ve had a facelift. Looking good. 🙂
What you said is true. Too many or poorly placed badges can become a distraction. When that happens, the content often becomes secondary.
Badges I believes serves different areas of our concern. It may feed our ego, it may fortify our claim, it may attract readers, it may enhanced a blogs design, etc. But despite all the badges the truth will always be revealed, and that I believe is the quality of one’s work. 🙂
Hi Walter,
You said that so eloquently. 🙂
And yes. The quality of the blog authors work is what needs to stand out.
Hi Barbara,
I’m OK with it, as long as the writing is good. But I think it’s a delicate balance. I’ve definitely noticed a certain kind of desperate ambition in the blogosphere. And sometimes a good writer suddenly begins to emphasize numbers and subscribers and programs and products in an oppressive way. And the writing, in turn, grows heavy under the weight of all that ambition. In fact, the writing becomes more about ambition rather than heart. That’s when I decide to unsubscribe, because it’s not my cup of tea, although it may appeal to others.
.-= Check out Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s awesome post: Meaning Mondays: Creative Chick Meets Warrior Woman Edition =-.
Hi Patty,
That’s true, It’s not just badges that can distract a reader, but ads as well. I know what you’re saying. In an effort to monetize, a blog author can end up appearing desperate and it can bleed into their writing.
HI Barbara,
I am saying this out of trial and error experience…that badges have the weirdest effects. On the blog owner and on the reader. I remember when my subscriber base had increased ,…i put up the chicklet too…and gladly showed it off..till i realized I was showing it off. Wow! Thats not what I had wanted to do..i only wanted people to feel like my content was good enough. But the effect was different…there might have been a number of people who did subscribe and started taking me seriously…but there were other bloggers..who actually emailed me and said..”you have such a huge reader count…I wonder what I am doing wrong?”
Its then that I realised..i cant feed my ego…or show off so to say…to upset or intimidate other bloggers. After all I(my blog) was there for their motivation…not angst.
I removed the chicklet within a week…and have never looked back. I cant stand the numbers game that goes with having a blog…the higher the numbers the better the blog.. isnt how it works…I personally am happy if I have one reader, who really enjoys my content..and learns from it and implements it in his/her life. My work will be done then…..
I think we put far too much value into numbers..
Lots of love to you…
Z~
Hi Zeenat,
I hear you. Badges can give off the wrong message. Even though we’re proud of the hard work we put into our blogs and enjoy an increased readership, by “showing off” our numbers we can easily send a message to others that can be totally misconstrued.
I keep my Alexa badge up and public, as my own personal contest, to keep whittling it down. I find when I am posting because I’ve got something new to say it generally lowers, but when I post just to post because “OMG — it’s been 3 whole days and I’ve not posted!!” my Alexa stays the same, or goes back up. So it keeps me posting things I believe in.
I too, am disappointed to hear some are faking their numbers. But… “it takes all kinds, I guess.”
.-= Check out Jannie Funster´s awesome post: Let’s Drink Up The Stars (lyrics draft) =-.
Hi Jannie,
That is disappointing, isn’t it; that some feel a need to fake their numbers.
With regard to Alexa, if you need that space in your sidebar, you can sign up for the Alexa toolbar and it will show your ranking in either a new toolbar or in your taskbar. That’s what I use, and like you, make a game of it.
I allowed badges to intimidate me when I first started blogging then I ignored them and now I do not really see them. I try to tweet and Facebook posts that I think are good and others would enjoy reading as much as I did – and those I think are top notch I SU and make my comments known.
I am hoping others will do for me too? I am reminded right now because I would like a specific affiliate ad on my site and I need about 400 subscribers and I have a long way to go….I get lots of readers but not many subscribers?
.-= Check out Patricia´s awesome post: Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay ~ Michael Chabon =-.
Hi Patricia,
Yes. Tweeting or Facebooking posts is a great way to share your finds, as is StumbleUpon. Although doing so may take up a little bit of time, it’s a great way to show fellow bloggers their work has made an impression.
I was just looking at your blog, and what you might consider doing is adding another “subscribe” invitation to the bottom of each post or underneath the comment box.
Barbara — Like others I laughed at Kelvin’s idea…it would fun to do this. You could have a badge that said “the # of people in the Universe who read this blog” Imagine, the number you could put up for that one:~)
My feeling about this is that it’s up to the blogger. It seems to me that it depends on what you want with your blog.
If it’s important to you and the purpose of your blog to keep track of how many readers/subscribers you have or who likes your blog, then the badges may make sense. It does bother me a bit, however, that the numbers can be falsified.
Personally, I don’t use badges or keep track of numbers. I find that by doing this, I lose some of my creativity and authenticity because I end up paying more attention to the numbers than my writer’s voice, but that’s just me. Each to his/her own, I say.
As usual, great topic. Thanks:~)
.-= Check out Sara´s awesome post: One Cute Squirrel =-.
Hi Sara,
Very true. Each blogger has that option; to show badges or not. For some, they could be inspiring, however, for others, like you mentioned, the numbers become a distraction.
Yes. Kelvin’s idea is a hoot. I’m hoping he follows up on it.
Hi Barbara,
I also thought Kelvin’s idea was hilarious! This had me rolling:
“15673 hungry hippos want to eat this blog”
I think this would obviously be a huge hit if he pursued it.
By the way, I really like the “Thank you for visiting” sign that you have on your blog. Very nice. I definitely think you could be a blog designer.
.-= Check out Greg Blencoe´s awesome post: 30-day money challenge: Day 10 – Being grateful for the Internet =-.
Hi Greg,
I can see it now, “badges by Kelvin” being displayed all over the internet; each funnier than the next.
Thank you for the compliment on my thank you sign and your kind words. Although blog designer isn’t on my list (yet), I am having fun making free headers on The Blog Boutique.
I think badges are only good for blogs which have some reader counts to show. and for new blogs it would be simply a waste and loss in loading time too.
.-= Check out TechGyo´s awesome post: Now See the Moon in 3D using Google Moon =-.
Hi TechGyo,
Loss of loading time on our pages does become an issue, thus if a blogger sports numerous badges, it could slow the load time quite considerably.
Hi Barbara
Probably think more about bagers than badges, but now you mention it.
I tend to concentrate on the articles and don’t look much at the sidebars and footers etc so I probably miss all the badges.
Alas Greg / Kelvin no hungry hippos want to eat my blog!
.-= Check out Keith Davis´s awesome post: Laugh and the world… =-.
Hi Keith,
Yes. The content of a blog is what most readers visit for, so the badges are often overlooked. If that’s the case, including them could be all for naught.
Ah ha, another vote for Kelvin and his humor. 🙂
Badges are sometimes hilarious, fake, interesting and some that really describe the site. Most of the time, I usually just read the content. If the content matches the badge, then hoorah for the site.
Either way, are they a necessary must? No but they are a part of the blogospher.
.-= Check out Linda´s awesome post: BP Greed Equates To Malice Aforethought =-.
Hi Linda,
Yes, the badges have become a part of blogosphere, and like you said, sometimes describe the site. If that’s the case, they can be beneficial.
I believes serves it may attract readers, it may enhanced a blogs design, etc. But despite all the badges the truth will always be revealed, and that I believe is the quality of one’s work.
Hi Panorama,
It does come down to that, doesn’t it?; the content of a blog.