Entrecard: More Viral Than BlogRush?
February 8th, 2008 | Categories: blogs, launch, marketing, networks, social media, strategy, widgetsIn late September 2007, I wrote about the explosive “success” of BlogRush. At one point,
BlogRush nearly hit 500 on the Alexa rankings - an amazing feat in such a short period of time. This rise to glory was quickly followed by a fade into oblivion. Nevertheless, a new kid is in town and his name is Entrecard. He claims to be the next big thing, but can he live up to the hype? Even more importantly, can he sustain long-term success where so many others have failed?
Since the launch of Entrecard in mid November, the site/service has exploded onto the scene. Traffic has soared. The site has nearly broken into the Alexa top 1,000 - a phenomenal feat in just 3 months. Sound familiar?
The success of these two start-ups have followed a similar path, although the long-term prospects of Entrecard have yet to play out. Don’t get me wrong, BlogRush has only been around two months longer than Entrecard, but with such viral and volatile services, two months seems like an eternity.
In short, Entrecard is an easy way to network with other bloggers and market your blog. Although it seems like a novel idea, I’m not convinced the model is sustainable. It “feels” like an affiliate/MLM-type process, which doesn’t interest or excite me. Those who use it, swear by it - somewhat akin to MLM associates. These fly-by-night type deals tend to exploit an inefficiency in the market that quickly gets filled or copied by others. For this reason, I don’t see success over the long-term as more players move into the space, saturating the market.
I can bash all I want, but my gut simply tells me this won’t work out. I give it another 3 months tops. In any case, check it out and let me know your thoughts. If you happen to be using the service, post your comments and opinions.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I think what you’re failing to take into consideration is that Entrecard revolves around a core social network, the same way MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog operate. These services have been around for years. All we do is take the social network to the next level, allowing bloggers to leave their business card for eachother as a way to say “I was here” and also allowing people to advertise for a day on each others blog.
So right now, if you want to advertise on popular blogs like John Chow or Problogger, it can cost up to a thousand dollars. But with Entrecard you can advertise for a full day for free.
It’s much more like StumbleUpon, only its just for blogs and the admission to the network is placing the widget on your blog.
Why not give it a try and then review it?
February 8th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Graham -
First, I think it’s important that you indicate you’re the founder of Entrecard. Providing disclosure is essential in situations like this. Second, I think you need to be able to accept negative feedback. Consider it constructive criticism. It will help you constantly improve your business model and stay ahead of competitors.
To address your question, I think I already have too many widgets on my blog to start. Adding more would just create clutter. In addition, I don’t have time to go around dropping off Entrecards - it’s just not practical for me at this point. Finally, as I mentioned, I’m just going with my gut on this one. Sometimes we can’t explain our reasoning and this is one of those situations. No hard feelings. I do wish you all the best though.
Cheers,
Aidan
February 9th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I think Graham is right, you won’t know how useful EntreCard is until you try it. I’ve been using it since November and it’s been the #1 traffic driver to my otherwise lonely blog.
As for your crowded sidebar, you can do something about that “Archive” section and save 19 lines (and growing) of real estate.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Rudy - Thanks for the suggestions