Initial Thoughts On JustRetweet And Triberr As A Solution To Increase Blog Pageviews

The A-Team Is An Example Of Working Together

Do you have a blog? Are you actively writing? Are you getting many visits to your site? Would you like more?

As of late, I've been following Ms. Ileane's lead as it pertains to community engagement. How has she systematically increased the number of Likes, shares, and comments on her site? While I'm sure the answer is a complex one with many moving parts, I believe one secret of success lies in the company she keeps.

In an effort to get my blog seen by more eyes, I asked the question, "What would Ms. Ileane do?"

For the remainder of this post, I would like to focus on two web sites that may help you increase pageviews and then share a couple of lessons I've learned since joining those communities.

JustRetweet

JustRetweet is a free web site that encourages retweets on Twitter. "How does that happen?" you ask. Well, it all starts with Credits.

As a new user, you receive a set number of credits. Once in possession of said credits, you can use them to motivate others into following you on Twitter, retweeting a message, or subscribing to your blog via RSS.

At first glance, it feels like you're merely buying the attention, which some may find disingenuous. However, I encourage you to be patient and try to view the bigger picture.

To motivate retweets, follows, and subscribes, you get to determine how many credits you are willing to spend each time an action is taken. I've seen people spend as little as 2 credits and as high as 60 credits for compliance. It really just depends on how serious you are about encouraging a particular behavior.

At some point, your credits will dwindle and you'll need more. While there is an option to buy credits, I prefer to return the love shown me. Just as people are following, retweeting, and subscribing, you can do the same for them. With each action, you replenish the credit bank that will ultimately be spent on promoting your own messages. It's a self-sustaining ecosystem that promotes sharing. Neat idea, huh?

Triberr

The second web site, Triberr, doesn't use credits to reward good behavior. Instead, good behavior begets good behavior.

To begin, users join tribes. Like JustRetweet, the service runs on credits. Instead of the term credits, Triberr refers to currency as Bones. As a Tribe Chief (creator/owner of a tribe), it costs 15 Bones to invite new members. Initially, I only had enough bones to invite four or five members. While it is possible to earn bones, it sounds like a rare event. Therefore, the preferred method is through a real financial transaction.

The purpose of Triberr is to organize yourself in groups of like-minded individuals who blog about similar topics. As you write new blog posts, your tribe members are encouraged to share your post with their networks via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, StumbleUpon, and LinkedIn. In turn, you should also share their contributions.

This constant exchange of goodwill is what makes the service so successful, at least in my humble opinion.

Lessons Learned

For the period of time that I've been exposed to both services, I've noticed my own blogging behaviors begin to change. Below are just a few observations:

• Giving is the name of the game - While people may initially support you, if you're not willing to give of yourself then it won't work. To receive comments, retweets, and shares, you must first comment on other people's blog, retweet their posts, and actively share their work with your networks. When in doubt, give more!
• What starts as an exchange is really the beginning of a relationship - Earlier, I mentioned how disingenuous this all felt. Well, if there is one thing I've come to understand it's that sharing other people's work has a way of bringing you closer. We're really a band of bloggers trying to accomplish similar goals. Alone we fall, but together we succeed.
• Be selective - Just because we are encouraged to support each other doesn't mean you have to share everything others write. Think about your network, what would be of value to them? If the content works, share it. If not, look for something that will. There have been occasions where the newest post didn't work for me, but I found an older article that I LOVED. Be selective and reward well written articles.
• Don't just share, engage! - One of the weaknesses of this model is that some people just retweet or share. Sure, it's cool to say that you've had 100 retweets, but how effective is that strategy when people simply ignore the tweet? Don't just be a conduit of posts, take time to engage with your networks; ask questions, respond to posts, or share personal observations every once in a while.

Overall, I'm pleased with both JustRetweet and Triberr. As a result, I've already found some  very talented bloggers with amazing stories and perspectives to share. If you would like to join JustRetweet follow this link. To join Triberr, you can find me here.

In the comment section below, let's talk about your experience with either service. What questions do you have? How can I be of service.