Does having followers help your hubs?

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   DdraigXposted 13 years ago

   Just a quick question, as above, does having followers help your hubs/hubscore?

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      ankigarg87posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes followers help your hubs.By tariff and giving comments they increase your earning and  hubscore and also gives the tips to what is wrong in your hub and what good things in your hub

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   Website Examinerposted 13 years ago

   Not directly. But traffic and comments to your hubs play a role for both scores.

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      andycoolposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Then why are hubbers so crazy to have followers? Eventually it's the traffic outside the HubPages world that'll drive one's ad revenue! I've noticed that not all good quality hubbers have high number of followers... rather there are many not-so-good writers whom a lot of people follow! Can it be concluded that people who follow others do not necessarily look for quality?

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         Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I think that is true. Followers give people a sense of prestige and accomplishment. Maybe they don't quite realize that it doesn't bring much income.

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            DdraigXposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks that is what I was thinking as well. I mean sure it is probably nice to have a couple of hundred followers because they are potentially looking at your hubs but don't really see a need for it.

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               Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               It depends on how you got them. I only follow a few, so I have kind of "earned" those that I have. I get lots of feedback to my hubs, which I appreciate. Not that it is economically significant.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You've hit the nail on the head, WE.  New Hubbers frequently confuse the social side of Hubbing with the business side of Hubbing.  Whereas they're almost totally separate.
            
            Following others, gaining followers, reading/rating/commenting on other people's Hubs, Hopping, forum posting - these things contribute to our sense of community and help your Hubber score, but they don't earn you a cent.   Your paying audience is made up of people who come from outside HubPages, and they're not at all influenced by any of those things.

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   anime_nanetposted 13 years ago

   It boosts your ego at least

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   Uma07posted 13 years ago

   Most of them just follow you and never come back to read your hubs.I thought "to follow" meant they were really interested in reading your hubs.

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      ceciliabeltranposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I can't always follow but I do when I find a hub interesting. It's an automatic filter...these are the guys whose hubs I dig. So when I do find time, if I do find time, I start of with those i followed.
      
      A lot of the writers in my fanlist come back and read my work. But they only comment when they have something to add or to say.

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   lorlie6posted 13 years ago

   Perhaps followers do not directly affect scores, but they certainly help in the traffic department!  Which in turn affects scores.

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      bayouladyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That is what I was thinking,too. Kind of gives your hub that first boost! At least that is what some hubbers told me when I joined in June. the hubber score is like a game to me. It's just fun to try to get to 100, which I do from time to time.
      
      One thing I do about following others now; If they follow me,I click their profile and scroll down. If I see that  they have spent two hours just following hubbers, I figure I'll wait and see if they really do read and comment on my hubs. Then, if their topics interest me, I follow them. I have stopped following some that I reciprocated thir following me when I first joined. They never made the first comment, though I did to theirs.

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         Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         The longer you are here, the more impossible it becomes to read all of the hubs the people whose writing you enjoy put out. I think that the intent to reciprocate (I'll read yours if you read mine) is a common originating point for hubbers. But eventually, that becomes an impossible contract.  At some point, someone is going to fall off your list, just as you are going to fall of the list of others.  This is inevitable. And continuous.
         
         What happens then is that "fans" or "followers" that remain (a very, very, very small percentage of the actual number of "followers" that have clicked that button) become real, regular or semi-regular readers. They read what you write without some unspoken arrangement of reciprocity. If you are a reader, you will have hubbers for whom you do likewise.
         
         That's my sense of it.

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            bayouladyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I reluctanly agree,though I really enjoy reading. Unfortunately it is how you said.It becomes impossible.Still, sometimes I just rate, and leave w/o commenting. It's a time factor. There are some that read and comment on my hubs often, so I make it a point to do the same to theirs.

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         lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Bayoulady-that's one of my pet peeves here on HP.  Some people go on following sprees, so I do as you do-check out their hubtivity before I decide to follow them.

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   shazwellynposted 13 years ago

   Hub and profile visits are part of movement.  Activity keeps your content fresh and promotes revisits by the google bots.  It keeps your hubs refreshed.  Activity is great in its smallest and largest forms.  When people follow you, it is another endorsement - an approval.  It all goes to help, in a small way, by helping your profile and hubs to breath.  Each small activity - like tiny steps - make for great strides in the eyes of Google.  Keeping the buzz, buzzing, and making your profile and hubs breath.  This helps to keep your hubs/profile alive and active.
   
   So, yes, when looking at the whole, a follower can add to your success.  You have been endorsed!

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      andycoolposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hey shazwellyn it's not only true for Google, behind every giant stride there are tiny steps... like becoming an adult from your childhood! But to be more specific I feel the craze of many hubbers to run after adding followers and then ignore what they're writing about is worthless. Do you remember that famous saying, "Friends should be few and well chosen"... well a lot of followers will be added without any effort if you effort to produce good content. And Pcunix correctly said somewhere that Google is developing a technology that will search out good content. The lives of keyword tagged low quality contents are just to be finished!

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         shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Like Pcunix said also... cream rises.  You can follow people, but unless they have written something that catches your interest, you dont have to read it.  If you dont follow, how do you know you are missing something?
         
         So by following, it doesnt mean you read everything... just some things that draws your interest!  Its ok to be followed and follow, if only to look forward to what might be written in the future.  I would rather not miss anything that Edweirdo writes, for example, but I certainly dont read all his stuff - how to tie a bow tie, for example, simply is not my bag man! lol
         
         Oh... and where did this keyword stuff come from?  Dont remember mentioning anything about it here - on the contrary, I think I was emphasising that followers give a ring of endorsement - this is just what Google wants to see.  Not talking cheating here... just an endorsement by people who happen to like something that one may have written!

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            andycoolposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I strongly believe in what you've written. My point is to avoid over emphasising on getting followers. The "keywords" stuff is relevant because more emphasis on it will lead to nowhere in the long run... just like adding more followers only would not serve the purpose in the long run. OK, let me humbly confess that I love followers too, but only those are welcome who will join my fan club after reading my hubs. BTW is it a corporate boardroom where only that on the agenda could be discussed! It's a forum my dear... an online club to chat! lol

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               shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I think it is about the whole package.  Followers and following is just one element to the whole - and a very small element at that.  Keywords are another element, url, another, onpage optimization another... all contributing to our accounts being individual and active.
               
               So as an element, followers and following is a good thing, but it must be natural and genuine.  Following, in order to gain followers, then dumping them (which I have seen happen a lot here - but more on twitter), is not a good thing. 
               
               Glad to have met you on this forum... maybe we could meet in the boardroom sometime?

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                  andycoolposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes shaz we could meet in the boardroom of HubPages shortly! I've received an email from HP, they wanted me on the board as a director and they wanted my nomination for another member on the board. I've nominated you... so you'll receive an email from HP. lol

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                     shazwellynposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Ummm... deciding... shall we take up the offer?  lol

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   Cordaleposted 13 years ago

   I don't have like any followers but I still write for an audience that I feel a part of.

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      bayouladyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      impressive hubber score,though...........

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   TopUniverseposted 13 years ago

   More followers means the internal traffic should increase that eventually help for search engine traffic later.

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9. 82

   ponxposted 13 years ago

   I think that the number of followers are not going to help you earn any money. After all followers will not click on ads on your page. Yes but you will get a trusted fan base who will read your hubs regularly and maybe recommend them to others as well. Or they may even link to your hub if they find useful content out there. So having followers is helpful . And yes it will give you a sense of pride that you have lots of followers!

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    Listerinoposted 13 years ago

    I write because I enjoy writing not for the money. If I get followers it makes me feel good because I know people are liking my hubs and gives me extra incentive to want to write more. So I guess I see followers as motivators and an indicator that your hubs are good reading.

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    SubmissionWorkposted 13 years ago

    For the rankings and similar things followers is not significant but yes for the bubpage community good numbers of follower can represent that you are established member and provided quality service here.

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    ns1209posted 13 years ago

    Yes, I think it does indirectly as any activity helps.

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       WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       As discussed above, it may help you feel a sense of achievement but does almost nothing towards making money...

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          Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          That's hard to prove.
          
          If I really like one of your hubs, I may tweet it or FB it and even send it to friends and relatives in email.  Other people may do the same. Who knows what can come from that?
          
          I do that twice a month or more.

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             WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             I hate to say it Pcunix but....  you are one of a kind.
             
             Maybe I'm being cynical, but I have a feeling you're one of very few people who are not obsessed with self promotion on this site.
             
             Sad, but true.

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                Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                I doubt i am the only one.  But even if true, are you saying that if you found a hub that you knew would be helpful to people you know, you wouldn't share it with them? Someone would have to be very self absorbed to not do that.

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                   WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   Honestly? Yes I would.
                   
                   IF I found one. There are two things stopping me from finding one.
                   
                   1. I am generally either on the forums or writing hubs (trying for three a day right now), looking after my baby, working on my studies, cleaning my house or at work. And since an estimated 1500 hubs per week are published by new hubbers, I can't imagine how many are done on the whole site. I'm flat out keeping up with people I follow and my referrals.
                   2. Sifting through hubs for the good quality ones is, sadly, hard to do. Not just in the hub hopper - sometimes I'll click links on my own hubs (the ones on the right tool bar) and be sadly disappointed. Sorry, but it's true. There are a few rare exceptions but even the people I follow are usually posting hubs that I wouldn't recommend to friends - not because they're bad but because they're the making money types such as sales hubs.
                   
                   That said, I often recommend HP related hubs to people on the forums, especially ones by people such as Darkside.

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                      Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      If you do not have the time to read things that you and your friends enjoy, you aren't living the right life.
                      
                      Heed that carefully. Life is short and there is nothing that follows.

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                         WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         I'd completely agree with you but.... I just can't right now.
                         
                         If I work flat out and get all this set up, I'm hoping that I can earn enough to stay at home full time. And THEN I can sit back and relax, at least more than I do now!

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                            Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                            Ok. Don't forget.  And when all is in harmony, you can read some hubs you enjoy.

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                               WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                               Yup. I'll mark it in my calender for two years.

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                   saleheensblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   I very often share other peoples hub. I have seen other people doing it also. Last time I saw Klara sharing a hub on gypsy in her FB account. And personally I joined HP after reading a hub of "ten blogger" on "funny job interview question" which was shared by someone else in FB.

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    Len Cannonposted 13 years ago

    Here is a fact: people are crazy about numbers going up.
    
    Don't believe it?  MMOs like World of Warcraft have billions of people paying 20 bucks a month to watch numbers go up a little every day.  And that's fine; people like to feel the rush of making progress.  It is, quite literally, addicting.
    
    That's one of the reasons Hubpages let's you monitor your friends, your hubscores, your author scores, and all of these other metrics that make you excicted as you watch them rise higher and higher.
    
    And you know what, I'm not above it.  I like seeing my followers go up and every couple thousand extra hits make me feel warm inside.
    
    But the best way to make something out of that is to become obsessed with watching the numbers in your bank account go up.  Watching earnings go up is going to be way, way more exciting and addicting than new followers.
    
    Give in to the madness... just make it work for you.

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