Feedster engages new list for marketing ploy

Posted by: Stephen Baker on August 16

New blog rankings are upon us, and they’re sure to include lots of marketing twists. Feedster’s new top 500 list comes with a Feedster Top 500 badge. top500-2005-08.gif (No, we didn’t make it…)
This gives the blogs boasting rights, while providing Feedster with a nice promotion. No wonder they made the list so long. Sites such as SingleServeCoffee are already picking it up. Two troubles: These badges might become jumbled as other search engines come out with competing rankings. (IceRocket’s should be coming soon.) And I’m guessing the top 50 won’t want to brag about being in the top 500. They’d probably be more interested in a more exclusive look.

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Reader Comments

steven streight

August 16, 2005 12:12 PM

This assumes that search engines drive highly valuable traffic to blogs. It also assumes that search engines are free from bias and credible.

This seems more like an assault on free services, judging by the title.

Rex Hammock

August 16, 2005 12:45 PM

WHAT??? That Feedster list is a "marketing ploy"? Man, I'm so disappointed. I thought it was like one of those, what, "non-marketing ploy lists" ( http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/05_14/B392705bw50.htm ) that BusinessWeek runs each year. Silly me!

steve baker

August 16, 2005 03:52 PM

Good point, Rex. But I think theirs is even more clever, because of the badges on the sites. But just to be clear, when I point out smart marketing ploys, I'm not criticizing.

Rex Hammock

August 16, 2005 05:56 PM

Well, I think the 50 press releases issued by everyone that makes a BusinessWeek list and all the Power Point presentations such rankings make it into and the advertisements that proudly note, "As ranked by BusinessWeek" are more clever than some lame badge appearing on a weblog. But, to your main point, I'm in total agreement.

Jim Dermitt

August 17, 2005 08:50 AM

I still enjoy a good print magazine, even if they don't have a blog. If they have a blog, that is great.

Nandini

September 10, 2005 11:58 PM

I like the Feedster top 500, if they could mention a brief description below each blog along with RSS, it would be a great find.

Marketing ploy or not, but a useful resource which could be made better.

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In Blogspotting Senior Writer Stephen Baker and Associate Editor Heather Green take a look at how cutting-edge technologies are changing business and society. Whether its blogs or wikis, data crunching or data targeting, technology’s advances are reshaping the world that we live in.

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