Last week, everyone was in a tizzy about Feedburner. Me too. Our stats dropped to zero and not too long ago they announced they were dropping the API.
I’ve seen the Feedburner bug significantly drop numbers before but never to zero. But it’s back!
Luckily, our subscribers are there. For now.
And Feedburner is still alive. For now.
While I don’t proclaim to have all the answers, I thought I could answer a few I’ve been getting or hearing lately. But first let me say this: Feedburner won’t be around forever. The most recent post to the Feedburner blog before Friday’s post? June 5, 2011. They also closed the Feedburner Twitter account back in July. And the Feedburner API will shut down October 20.
If that isn’t writing on the wall, I don’t know what is.
But don’t go freaky-freak out just yet. Take a deep breath. Break out a yoga pose. Then read this Q & A about Feedburner.
So What Exactly Happened Last Week?
A Feedburner glitch caused all subscribers to look like they were stripped down to zero. It was a glitch as our subscribers were stil there. Last week Google posted on the Feedburner blog to say they were working to resolve the issue. The issue is now fixed and your subscriber numbers should be there.
How Do I See My Subscriber Lists?
For RSS, you actually can’t see a list of people who subscribe to your blog. You CAN click on “See more about your subscribers” and see how many are subscribed through RSS feed or RSS-to-email.
For Email RSS subscribers, click the Publicize tab then click “Email Subscriptions.”
You can click View Subscriber Details and the list of your email subscribers will appear. (My Momcomm RSS email subscribers are on Mailchimp but I haven’t yet moved Adventuroo over.)
Can I Export My Email RSS Subscribers?
Yes! You see that image above where it says “Export: CSV”? Just click on CSV and it will download a file that you can open in Excel or Google Docs. (CSV means comma-separated values aka comma delimited- doesn’t matter what it means, just that you can open it as a spreadsheet!)
Does My Blog Already Have an RSS Feed?
Yep. If you have a WP blog, your feed URL should be: http://www.BLOGNAME.com/feed/.
If you’re on a Blogger blog, your Feed URL should be: http://blogname.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss.
Keep in mind that typing that in will re-direct to Feedburner if you still have it set up.
The thing is that with your blog’s built-in RSS, readers can’t subscribe via email. It also isn’t as easy to subscribe to an RSS feed through the native feed. Plus, you don’t get any analytics, like how many subscribers you actually have. See why it kinda sucks?
If I Wanna Switch, Who Should I Use?
Aaah the golden question. With your RSS you have two things going on: your RSS Feed and your RSS to Email.
RSS Feed
These subscribers most likely receive your feed in a feed reader like Google Reader. I’ve researched a few options like Feedity, RapidFeeds, Feedcat, and Feedblitz. Out of those Feedcat is free and Feedity has a free version but they say it’s “for evaluation purposes.” Feedblitz is only $1.50/month if you just use their RSS feed service. I’ll be switching to Feedblitz soon mainly because it’s the most well-known one (I’m time-crunched and know I can trust them).
RSS-to-Email
These subscribers receive your RSS feed in their inbox. Now here’s where you’ll have an even harder time finding something that’s free. There are tons of ESPs (email service providers) that can do RSS-to-Email. I use Mailchimp. There’s also AWeber and Feedblitz. There are also a host of others but these are the big ones in the blogging world. Again, I doubt you’ll find a free place to host email. Sucks I know.
UPDATE: There are apparently two plugins for WordPress.org users to do RSS-to-Email for free. I can’t vouch for them but if you want to give them a try they are RSS-to-Email and SendFeed. Also, there is a widget in WordPress.com (thanks KeAnne!). No word on Blogger options yet.
UPDATE 2: WP.org peeps- You can also try JetPack. I hear good things but again, haven’t tried it. Thanks Meg for mentioning it!
If anyone knows of others (especially free ones), let me know and I’ll add them to the post.
Okay, this probably answers only some of your questions. But you’re in luck! I’ll have a special awesome guest poster here on Thursday to talk about her experience moving from Feedburner.
What do you all think of the Feedburner mess? Are you planning to move away from it?
Momcomm gives blogging chicks practical, can-do tips for writing, blogging and using social media (and sometimes a snarky rant).
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I'm a mom who loves marketing, photography and all things social media. I have two boys whose claim to fame is that they were born on the same day... three years apart.
Twitter: makeithandmade
says:
Thanks! This answers so many of my questions! You mentioned on one of your posts that you cannot export your email subscriber list in mail chimp. Is that still true?
Hi Palak- did you mean import? You can import an email list into Mailchimp and click a checkbox to say that the list members already opted in. If you’re already in Mailchimp, you can also export any of your lists. Does that answer your question?
Twitter: makeithandmade
says:
Melissa, Thanks for the clarification! Yes that does help! I was thinking export– ie, in the future, would I be able to leave mailchimp without loosing my subscribers?
The post is this one about friend connect:
http://www.momcomm.com/2012/01/how-to-move-your-readers-away-from-google-friend-connect/
Thanks so much for the answers (and this wonderful blog in general!)
Palak recently posted..Conductor Cap
Twitter: AlisonSWLee
says:
I’m still in two minds about moving because I worry about losing subscribers in the process. I’m considering Feedblitz and MailChimp. I’m guessing if I want to do, I should do it sooner rather than later, right?
Alison recently posted..Home Is Where All The Children’s Stuff Is
Only feedblitz has integrated RSS service (like FeedBurner) and powerful RSS to email. Also, MailChimp strictly forbids affiliate links in emails. If you monetize with affiliate programs and they catch you, you’ll be dumped.
What about WordPress.com’s widget option to allow users to sign up for email notification? I don’t know if that is available for self-hosted wordpress, but I re-enabled it on my blog after the Feedburner scare on Friday. It’s not limited to WordPress users.
KeAnne recently posted..An Open Letter to Google
Not sure! There may be a WordPress.org alternative like that. I’ll look into it.
I added that there was a wp.com widget and found two WP plugins too that I added. Thanks for the heads-up– I credited you in the post.
WordPress has a built in subscription service that you can use-it’s not fancy or anything but it works. I have some email subscribers through WP and I like that it emails my posts as soon as they go live.
Kelly recently posted..5 Simple & Frugal Tips for Packing Kid’s Lunches
I have been thinking about this very thing this week… And I imagine that I will probably move to feedblitz, for the same reason that you are…. It’s easy and seems to be proven. But I am wondering if I should go with MailChimp for email instead….
Ugh- another thing added to my to-do list!
Sharon at Momof6 recently posted..5 Reasons Why Kids Should Play Organized Sports!
Twitter: Lindsay_Blogs
says:
If I switch my RSS to Email to go through MailChimp (which I already did) do I need to remove the Feedburner RSS links from my site or will they be just fine and dandy?
Lindsay recently posted..In the words of a Compassion child
Hey girl!
If you want to completely break from Feedburner, then you’ll need to move your RSS away from there too, not just the email side of it. Right now those who have your feed come into their RSS Reader (like Google Reader) are still getting your updates. If Feedburner pulls the plug then we’ll have to wait to see what they say about how things will be affected. I’m planning to move mine now so I won’t have to worry about it down the road.
Twitter: artchootwit
says:
I suppose I will move away from Feedburner- I’ve been waiting to hear more concrete info, but I think it’s probably time to go ahead and move. Feedblitz, here I come. I’ll go look into the WordPress plugins for WP, too.
Artchoo! recently posted..How To Give Your Kids a Dose of Daily Creativity
Artchool, How is Feedblitz? I have heard about it but not about its performance. I have made up my mind to quit using feedburner too.
Rose recently posted..Kim Kardashian Ranks High on the Forbes List
Twitter: artchootwit
says:
Hi Rose- I haven’t switched to Feedblitz yet, but I’m planning on doing so within the next few days. It sounds like the best alternative for me. (And many other bloggers:)
Artchoo! recently posted..DIY Scratchboard Art Project
If you’re considering a switch, FeedBlitz has a free Migration Guide, available here: http://www.feedblitz.com/the-feedburner-migration-guide/
Thanks Phil for stopping by and sharing a link to the guide. I saw you speak at Type A and you were awesome!
Twitter: homemakersdaily
says:
Thanks for the info. Have to make some decisions ASAP, I guess.
Patty@homemakersdaily.com recently posted..Attention All Glass Breakers With A Shortage of Matching Dishes!
What a great article. I spent way too much time this weekend trying to figure all this out. I was going to go with Mail Chimp for e-mail subscribers, and Feedblitz for RSS readers, but thanks to the comment above, I’ll have to reconsider. I have affiliate links. The biggest drawback I heard from Jetpack is that there’s no way to import your current subscribers from Feedburner. While we’re all figuring this out, I think it’s a really good idea to start backing up your subscriber list in Feedburner by exporting it and just saving the file.
Linda McClain recently posted..Knot Now Recipe Swap Quickfire
Twitter: MommieDaze
says:
I tired to move from Feedburner to Feedblitz last week, and I must have done something wrong because it wasn’t working right. Looking forward to Thursday’s guest post on moving!
MommieDaze recently posted..Avengers Family Fun Night
Hi Melissa — great post! Actually, we’ve built a platform that will handle email subscriptions and auto-sends for free… Just thought I’d throw that out there as another option for your readers, since most email service providers are paid… It’s in private beta right now, but we’re trying to get as many bloggers as we can in right now. More details here: http://www.launchbit.com/blog/want-to-move-off-feedburner/
Twitter: thaunak
says:
Thank you for posting this Melissa!! Great information.
Thauna K (@ThaunaK) recently posted..The Cabo Divas
OK, Inquiring minds, well mostly mine would love to know, did you take a class on all things blogging?? Did you get a degree or are you techno blessed?? I really want to know your scecret of information. I have tried and tried to figure this stuff all out, to no avail, I am no further ahead. I want to know how to do what you do. Then I can grow a successful blog like I planned 6-8 monthsago when I started. Please don’t take any offense of my choice of words, I am in AWE over your skills. I would love if you could shoot some words of wisdom my way to help me figure out what exactly I am doing. I am so excited to have dound you.
Many Blessings,
Kimmie H, <3
Kimmie recently posted..Day25: Today I Smile Because…..
Awwww thanks Kimmie! I’m not offended at all but quite flattered.
My background is actually marketing communications so I’ve spent 12 years writing professionally, editing, managing projects, learning new media, etc. A lot of what I do in blogging are things I’ve learned in my years in the marketing world, translated over into blogging. For example, Content Brew? I’ve been planning marketing content out for years and years so I thought “why can’t this be applied to blogging too?” I also Google the crap out of everything when I don’t know something. I research and research. I didn’t know much about WordPress when I started but I spent lots of time looking up answers and teaching myself. Hang in there and know that having a marketing background or being really tech-savvy isn’t necessarily a requisite for success. The best place to start is to define exactly what you want and don’t want out of blogging. If something isn’t getting you to your goals, then don’t waste time on it. And don’t be afraid to take giant leaps that scare you. Every big decision I’ve made on Momcomm scared the crap out of me, but I realized that failure would be a learning experience and success would be, well, success. You’re on the right path in that you’re interested in learning and growing so keep it up! 
Twitter: ElaineSGriffin
says:
Hi Melissa,
Can you explain how you use MailChimp for your email subscribers? I am subscribed, and I downloaded the AutoChimp plugiin, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what to do. I want a widget in the sidebar, but there doesn’t seem to be one?
Thanks!
Elaine
Hi Melissa
Great overview of the Feedburner issue and the alternatives available.
I’ve been pulling together information on how to move over to Mailchimp, which is free for a certain number of subscribers.
It’s just a matter of finding the time to sort it all out.
Lots of warnings out there about Feedburner closing down at some stage so it’s best to be prepared.
Keith Davis recently posted..Genesis Extender plugin – Create an EZ Static Homepage
Subscrbe2 is another rss to email subscription type.
It’s free: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/subscribe2/
I currently use it. I really want to switch to the WordPress Jetpack Subscriptions, although there is no way to import or export your reader base into Jetpacks subscription section. BUMMER!
I love Mailchimp, but still not sure I want to switch to it.
Great post btw!
Sarah recently posted..Ideas to get kids to eat