Despite my mixed feelings about Google Reader, I clung to it until I heard it would shut down on July 1st. Then I thought seriously about alternatives. I read that lots of bloggers love bloglovin’, so I decided to give it a try. I’m just sorry I didn’t make the switch sooner.
I’ve added both blogs I founded to bloglovin’. You can subscribe to LivingMontessoriNow.com and BitsofPositivity.com through the bloglovin’ buttons in my sidebars.
Here are the top 10 reasons why I’m lovin’ bloglovin’:
1. It’s easy to get an account on bloglovin’. (Here’s my profile.) This just took a few minutes. I recommend filling out your profile as completely as possible, though. If you have a blog, others can find and follow your blog from your profile.
2. It isn’t hard to claim your blog on bloglovin’. To add a blog and get a bloglovin’ button for your site, you just need to add a bit of code to your site to “claim” your blog. Some add it to the sidebar. I just added it to the bottom of an already-existing post in the “text” view. You don’t need to publish a new post to add it unless you want to announce bloglovin’ through your post.
3. It’s easy to follow blogs through bloglovin’. For blogs that have a bloglovin’ button, you just have to click the button and then click “Follow.” You can search for any blogs within the bloglovin’ site and follow them even if they don’t have a bloglovin’ button.
4. You can move all your blogs on Google Reader to bloglovin’. It’s amazingly simple. I just followed the directions on bloglovin’ when I signed up. They were clear and easy to follow. Just go here if you aren’t automatically directed: Import Your Favorite Blogs from Google Reader. Be sure to check that you follow me and your other favorite blogs when you do move your blogs. I lost a lot of the blogs I followed when Google Friend Connect was discontinued for .com blogs. I know a lot of my followers lost my blog at the same time. So I’m still adding blogs that I lost. My list isn’t complete yet.
5. You can organize all the blogs you follow into categories. I need to do more with this, but I plan to do it in the future.
6. You can discover new blogs easily within bloglovin’. I love this feature! I set my emails to notify me whenever someone follows my blog. Then I can follow them if I wish as well as check who they follow and find new blogs to follow. There are also “top blogs”in different categories and “popular posts” features at bloglovin’ that enable you to discover new blogs as well. When you follow a blog, there’s even a “Similar Blogs” tab, which is really fun and helpful.
7. Bloglovin’ is faster than Google Reader. I had actually stopped using my Google Reader because it simply took too long to scroll through entire posts. With bloglovin’, I typically see the title, short excerpt, and an image. I can easily tell if I want to click on the post to read more.
8. You can get an email with the updates from the blogs you follow on bloglovin’. I’m overwhelmed with emails, but I still really appreciate this. It’s so easy for me to scroll down through the blogs I follow to see the latest updates. I try to keep on top of the latest activities and posts in my niche, and this is the easiest way I’ve found to do it. (I still use my Parent/Teacher Twitter paper, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Sulia as my top ways to keep up with and share the latest posts as well. I do share on Google+, although not as often.) It’s totally impossible to keep up with everything, of course, but I want to be as knowledgeable as I can. Even though this is my dream job, it is my job … and I like to be as informed and competent as possible.
9. You can get a free app to follow bloglovin’ on mobile devices such as your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad: Free Bloglovin’ App.
10. Blogs get pageviews when you read their posts through bloglovin’. That isn’t the case with Google Reader. Many bloggers are trying to help support their families through their blogging. We tend to put in way more hours than we’re actually “paid” for, but pageviews really help us. You can also “like” posts on bloglovin’. It’s always nice to get “likes” for encouragement and to see which posts are especially popular. If a post gets enough “likes,” it could be seen in the “popular posts” feature on bloglovin’, which helps even more.
Please check out Bloglovin’ … and have fun! 🙂
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Dayamonay says
I love Bloglovin, too! Signed up yesterday and it was love at first click!
Deb says
That’s how I felt! 🙂
Renae says
I’ve got to admit, I’m completely lost here, being new to this world. You mentioned that Blog Reader is shutting down on July 1st. Considering I know nothing about what it is, will it affect my blog in any way? Sorry to sound so completely uneducated, but… I really am. It’s amazing how fast things change.
Deb says
I can relate, Renae! There’s always something new to learn in blogging. From what I’ve heard, Google Friend Connect will still be available but will only be able to be read from the Blogger Reader. I’m not sure how many people use that. Google Reader will be gone on Monday, and I know LOTS of people who use that. Many are going to bloglovin’, so I’d really recommend adding that to your blog. You’ll probably like reading your favorite blogs on bloglovin’, too. 🙂
Jennifer Fischer says
I’ve been wanting to utilize something to help me read other bloggers much more. Might have to give it a try.
Deb says
I definitely love it. I hope it works well for you, too, Jen! 🙂
Melissa says
Thanks for posting this, Deb! I’ve been using feedly since the news of the reader shutdown came out, but have not been thrilled with it. I’m going to give bloglovin’ a whirl and see if that’s a better fit for me, too.
Deb says
I haven’t tried feedly, but I’m definitely happy with bloglovin’. I hope it works well for what you need, too, Melissa. 🙂
Kate (Here Now Brown Cow) says
I’m loving bloglovin’ too! And am already following you there, which is how I found this post! Great way to keep up with it all.
Deb says
Thanks for following me, Kate! I just found and followed you on bloglovin’, too! I LOVE the “Similar Blogs” feature. I just used that to add a couple of other blogs I had lost when Google Friend Connect was discontinued for all the .coms. It’ll be quite a while before my list is close to complete. 😉
JDaniel4's Mom says
I am really enjoying it too. I really like getting e-mail updates. I would sometimes forget to check Google Reader.
Deb says
I’m amazed at how much I love the emails, since I was overwhelmed with emails already. But I think it really helps to see short excerpts with a picture. I just couldn’t get through all the blogs I followed on Google Reader. It’s a nice change to feel that my blog reader is manageable. 🙂
Angela says
This was very helpful! I was wondering what Bloglovin was about, so thank you for explaining! I will have to join!
Deb says
Thanks, Angela! I’m so glad my post was helpful. I know I put off checking out bloglovin’ for a long time. It’s much easier to use than you’d think. 🙂
Trisha says
I always check the e-mail update from Bloglovin’ to see what’s new, but I forget to check Google reader. I’m happily adding more of my favorite blogs to Bloglovin’.
You do have to be careful when pinning from a blog with the Bloglovin’ bar at the top. Bloglovin’ gets the pin URL credit {but you are taken to the correct page}. I just close the toolbar at the top right before pinning.
Deb says
That’s a good point, Trisha! I went into my settings and clicked that I didn’t want the bloglovin’ frame. Since I typically read from my daily email, I don’t need the frame. Then I just have a regular blog page. 🙂
Trisha says
I didn’t know you could choose to not have the frame. That’s even better for me!
TheBargainBabe says
I am new to Bloglovin but like it! Hopefully more of my followers will make the switch as well. 🙂
Deb says
I’m hoping everyone who wants to switch from Google Reader learns in time to save the blogs in their reader. 🙂
Amy says
I totally agree!
I have grown to love BlogLovin for these reasons, too!
Deb says
Thanks for your comment, Amy! It really has some amazing features, doesn’t it?! 🙂
Deb says
I would like to know the answer to this question: If we have followers that don’t have a blog can they still follow us through bloglovin and how? Great post and I love Bloglovin too!
Deb at Fabulously First
Deb says
Thanks for your comment, Deb! There shouldn’t be a problem for followers without blogs. They can sign up for a bloglovin’ profile either through Facebook or their email. They can keep up with the blogs they follow by getting a daily email or by reading the blogs on bloglovin’. They just won’t have a blog to “claim.” 🙂
Emil Vikström says
Hi Deb! I’m a Bloglovin engineer (I love this blog post and all the comments by the way, thank you all!).
Your readers do not need their own blog to use and follow blogs on Bloglovin. They just need to sign up and search for your blog. If we don’t yet have your blog they can paste the address to the blog and we will add it immediately too.
These kinds of questions can also be sent to Johanna on our support team through the contact form at http://www.bloglovin.com/support
Deb says
Thanks so much, Emil! I think you’re doing a great job at Bloglovin’! 🙂
Elena says
Yeah I’ve been on bloglovin’ for awhile now and fell in love with it! It’s so much better than GFC! Great post for people that aren’t familiar with it! Hope you’re having a great Thursday!
– [email protected]
http://www.croppedstories.blogspot.com
Deb says
Thanks so much, Elena! I like it much better than GFC, too. 🙂
Chrissy says
Hi Deb,
I wanted to let you know that you enumerated the reasons why I like Bloglovin’ beautifully! I copied your list and information and used it on my blog. Of course, you are fully credited for the post and I have linked back to your blog as well as this post.
I love how articulate your explanations were and this post was recommended by Bloglovin’ for those looking to inform their readership of the changes.
Thank you!
Chrissy
Deb says
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Chrissy! Could you just post an excerpt, though, instead of my complete list (maybe the first 3 reasons)? I always prefer readers to come here to read after finding my post featured on another site. Thanks! 🙂
OneMommy says
Oh, I need to add a button… Didn’t know that was possible.
Love that the blogs I read there will get pageviews.
Deb says
Thanks, OneMommy! It’s awesome that the blogs get pageviews, isn’t it?!
Racheous says
Definitely time to me to update blog lovin and transfer over! Thank you for all the info 🙂
Deb says
Thanks for your comment, Rachel! I see you got a Bloglovin’ button. I just followed you on Bloglovin’. 🙂
Elise Xavier says
Very late to the boat but I just started using Bloglovin’ recently – digging it! Still not going to replace Feedly for me but I think I’ll be using both. SO easy to discover new blogs with Bloglovin’.