Monday, November 15, 2010

How Do You Drop?

For the past few months, I have been dropping using EZDrops.  Lately, though, I have been noticing that a lot of the blogs on there haven't been updated in months.  Even the guy who does the site hasn't updated since April.  The thing I love about it is that I get to open ten sites at a time, and it makes dropping easier.  I want to find a new list, though, that updates more regularly.  I used to be "in a bucket", but for some reason, whoever runs that site took me out.  I have no idea why.

So, my question to you is...how do you drop?  Do you have a master list you use, or do you do the whole "u drop I follow" thing?  The only problem I see with that strategy is that a lot of the sites that drop on me every day are crap.  And since I get more than 300 drops on here most days, I can't return every drop anyway.

I am open to suggestions...anyone willing to share their secrets????

52 comments:

StaceyC4 said...

Okay, here's my deal and it works pretty good. I installed the Entrecard toolbar and Greasemonkey. What that allows me to do is to click on/open ten sites at a time and the widget for entrecard automatically goes up to the top left part of the page so I don't have to scroll if I don't want to. I click from my inbox mainly and then I use my favorites that I've found.

I hope that helps!

jenn said...

Stacey ~ I've never heard of greasemonkey...what is that?

chefchefan said...

i use the entrecard toolbar also.. but can you share to ask the greasemonkey we need to get those as for me all in my inbox then all popular

Nona said...

I use the firefox toolbar. I drop on my inbox first, then usually drop under Mixed bag (or pets, depending on which blog I'm dropping for), from most popular first.

If its been a few days since I dropped I'll go to my inbox at entrecard itself and drop on everyone who has dropped on me recently, then go back to the toolbar and mixed bag.

Ruth said...

Toolbar here too, I start with my Favorites list then to go to Top Droppers and then either the Inbox or the category lists sorted by most popular. I have heard that it's actually a good idea to stay out of the Inbox if possible, because some of the widgets that end up in there can be fake clicks from sites that can download malware onto your computer. Most of the time I don't get all 300 drops done though, it takes a long time!

stevebethere from bethere2day said...

I also use the FF EC toolbar, i drop on my favourites first then i drop on as many as possible on the previous days drops from my inbox,it works a treat.

I also sort out my favourites monthly those with 0 drops get taken out and replaced :-)

Have a brilliant week and thank you for your continuos drops :-)

John | English Wilderness said...

I start by dropping on about 60 of my favourite blogs. Then if I have time I drop on about 200 of the top blogs and finish up with a few from my inbox.

Sparkle said...

I'm actually pretty picky - I try not to drop on blogs I would not want to have advertise on my site! I bookmarked my favorite sites, grouped them so that the ones with Adgitze come up first (I also have an Adgitize account). So I dual drop (Entrecard and Adgitize) until I've hit the max for Adgitize, then cherry pick from my Inbox, opening about 10 or so blogs at a time, until I've reached about 175-200. I used to drop 300, but it was just too much time for too little reward for the way I drop.

fetus said...

i agree with the last 2. i drop on my blogroll/favourite blogs, then drop on those who i think are legitimate sites.
i really take time and read those blogs. well that's just me :)

Karen said...

I never drop from my in box. I got a virus doing that. I just go to my favorites. I have narrowed it down to about 40 sites. I can't get the tool bar to work on my updated version of Firefox. Maybe I should try again. Anyone have the link to download the toolbar?

Miah said...

you can use the fast dropping like 200 then the rest, use your inbox to return a favor. i have been dropping here for more than 25 days but i only received 7 drops from you. you should check your inbox sometimes so that you can return a visit as well. the reason i dropped here is for permanent because you link those top tens entrecarders.

Lidian said...

I use the toolbar a lot too - first I drop on my favorites, 20 or 30 at a time (or I just click between 2-3 at a time, I can go pretty quickly that way, stopping when I want to read something). Then I try to get the most popular sites, and sometimes I check the inbox for friends I might have missed.

I applied to be in a bucket but I never heard back from the guy. Oh, well.

Da Dude said...

I hit my favorites first. Then I hit the EC add on my favorites. I figured I'd give my favorites a boost with their advertisers.

Lynne said...

I drop from my inbox but am very picky. I won't drop on a site that hasn't been updated in more than 30 days.

Tara Beaulieu said...

I drop on my advertisers first, then my favorites, then select ones from my inbox. Not very technical, but every time I install any kind of widgets I seem to have trouble with them, so old fashioned one at a time seems best for me. :)

jenn said...

chefchefan ~ as soon as Stacey shares the greasemonkey secret, I will pass it along...lol!

jenn said...

Nona ~ it seems like my inbox is full of "spam" blogs, and I hate dropping on them. On one page of my inbox, I might have 20 real blogs. It's so time consuming for me to do it that way.

jenn said...

Ruth ~ I do 300 drops every day, and it is getting a bit tiresome. I might have to try dropping on the most popular blogs...though i find that by chain dropping, I usually end up dropped on all of them anyway.

jenn said...

steve ~ everyone is talking about their "favorites"..is this an option of the toolbar?

jenn said...

John ~ that sounds like it would work...I may need to make a favorites list.

jenn said...

Sparkle ~ I have seen a lot of blogs that do both...I have never looked into adgitize...is it a good source of traffic for you?

jenn said...

fetus ~ I read a lot of the sites I drop on, too, when they have something new...I am just a horrible commenter!

jenn said...

Karen ~ in the two years or so that I have been doing this, I think I have only gotten a couple of virus'. But, a lot of times my computer blocks sites, which I am thankful for.

If I decide to use the toolbar, I'll find the link and share. :)

jenn said...

Miah ~ like I said, I have way too many people drop on me every month to drop back on all of them. If I figure out how to make a list of my own, I will make sure you are on it, kay?

jenn said...

Lidian ~ I don't know about the buckets...I used them for a while, and then all of a sudden, my blog was gone. No warning, no explanation...I wish I knew how to make my own "buckets"...my drop list would be AWESOME!

jenn said...

Da Dude ~ how do you keep up with your favorites...is this a feature on EC that I am missing?

jenn said...

Lynne ~ there are so many out there that don't update, and it wastes my time opening their site when I refuse to drop on it...there has got to be a better way...I thing this "favorites" method is going to be what I try next.

jenn said...

Tara ~ I never thought to drop on my advertisers...I mean, they are all sitting right there on my dashboard...I think this weekend I am going to be doing a lot of investigating! lol!

Rachele said...

I'm a lazy dropper. I use whatever system feels right on the day I'm dropping. I never drop 300 and usually only drop when I want to expose a certain post. I then drop from my inbox (which usually has like 5 drops in it) and then drop (using the toolbar) to most popular blogs in the niche the blog I'm promoting is in.

jenn said...

Rachele ~ a lot of people say they drop on the most popular blogs, and while this is a great idea, how are all the other blogs going to get popular if no one is dropping on them? No matter how hard I try, it's so hard to get past the top blogs in my category, and I drop 300 times every day for this blog.

Rachele said...

Sometimes I drop on "random" blogs but then I really find "crap". I only drop 25 -50 so I want to maximize my chances of getting those people to visit back. Maybe I'm naive, but if I'm looking for exposure then I want someone who's "playing the game". I use EC as a tool not so much as a way to find new blogs. I've been there and so many of the good ones are hanging out in other places that I like to converse with them there, and on their blogs.

jenn said...

Rachele ~ I am all for dropping on the top blogs, because I am on the third page of "most popular", so I do get a lot of drops. My issue is finding blogs that are updated regularly, and avoiding the crap. My inbox is loaded with crap! I think amybe later, if i have time, I'll post a screen shot of my inbox so you can see. I have also found that though I get a lot of drops every day, I don't get a lot of visits. Make sense?

Patrice-The Soap Seduction said...

I do what Stacey and chef do-entre card toolbar. That way I load 10 faves at a time and drop away! I've been really slacking lately though...

Tammy said...

This is very interesting. Please pass on to me what Stacy has to say about greasemonkey (send it to me on FB)I use firefox with the toolbar. I do my inbox first then All or sometimes is have 2 or 3 browsers open with firefox and have inbox, fav's and all. I find all are the people that do drops. I don't do 300 a day I'm happy with 150. Just not time.

I didn't get anything done with what we talked about last night. Maybe tonight.

Silvergirl said...

i open my ec and click my EC drop Inbox. I try to work with Adgitize and EC drop..

jenn said...

Patrice ~ again, can you put your favorites into the toolbar somehow? I'm really going to have to check this out.

jenn said...

Tammy ~ I am going to send you a message on FB in a little while...

jenn said...

silvergirl ~ do you find that you have a lot of spam blogs in your inbox???

Sparkle said...

Jenn - it is really hard to tell just how much traffic I get from Adgitize, although I do know I get traffic! I seem to get more from Entrecard, but honestly, I'd say the bulk of Entrecard/ Adgitize traffic is what I call "B" level traffic - bloggers who are just looking to drop and not really focused on reading my blog. Case in point: I was dropping regularly on one particular blog until I read a post where he said he did not care for pets and did not understand why people were so drawn to them! Heh, then what is he doing dropping on a blog written from a cat's point of view? So I don't drop on him anymore. That said, Entrecard has raised my Alexa rating considerably and I have found a nice selection of bloggers on both Entrecard and Adgitize that I enjoy reading, and some who like reading me back! So that's why I am still with both of them. Ideally, though, I'd prefer not needing either service! :)

jenn said...

Sparkle ~ I'm with you...it would be so nice to be one of those blogs that people just visit...just to visit. I also love what dropping does to my alexa rating, too. If I don't do the 300 per day, I see a huge increase in my number.

Vixen said...

Whew, that is a lot of comments and I am behind on visiting and dropping. Like months behind. So I didn't read them all, sorry if I repeat. But I used the toolbar and I drop from my google reader first (I have my drop box saved on there), then I use the toolbar to do faves ten at a time and if my fingers aren't dead by then...well I go to most popular. Thing is I don't try to do 300 drops anymore. Havent for a while. Instead I drop while I read and try to comment on everyone if I can.

jenn said...

Vixen ~ I don't mind doing the 300 drops...it doesn't take too long. I am off to download the toolbar right now.

Ruth said...

I'd love it if the toolbar had a sort option for "most recently updated" but it doesn't. Not sure if it's even possible but it might be something for them to think about for a future update.

Robin said...

I drop on sites that I enjoy reading and that I find interesting, even though I may not always comment. Even if a site regularly drops on me, I don't necessarily reciprocate, especially if the site hasn't been updated in months. Having said that, however, I haven't been around for the past couple of weeks because I've been away.

jenn said...

Ruth ~ that would be awesome!

jenn said...

Robin ~ that's what frustrates me...having to look through all these sites, and most of them haven't been updated in months.

stevebethere from bethere2day said...

Jenn i also use Greasemonkey

Go to the Greasemonkey add on page here and install it.

Then go here to install the Adgitize & Entrecard Widget Relocator script.

Now all EC widgets will be placed top right of the page to save scrolling, greasemonkey can be turned on and off as required from the yellow monkey icon bottom right of your browser.

Hope this helps


Steve

jenn said...

Steve ~ Thanks! I added the toolbar last night, and saved a lot of time dropping...I bet this will make it even easier!

Harriet said...

I got a BAD malware infection from using Greasemonkey. Now, I just make my own bookmarks and update them monthly. People come and go from Entrecard. Good luck!

sheila said...

I always feel guilty because I don't use my inbox when I drop. I drop on any CMF Spike people with ECs then I drop on any Adgitize guys with EC - then - my favorite, the EC toolbar - I drop from the top until I reach 300.

jenn said...

Harriet ~ you know, Stacey gets a lot of virus' from dropping...could that be because of greasemonkey?

jenn said...

Sheila ~ I am a firm believer that I will drop on you if I want to, not because I am expected to just because you drop on me. I know that sounds kind of bad, but there are so many crappy blogs out there, and I don't want any part of my blog being associated with them.