Google Friend Connect is being Retired for all Non-Blogspot Sites!

How Will Blogs Connect With Their Followers with the retirement of Google Friend Connect for Non-Blogspot Blogs??

While recently trying to add my Google Friend Connect Widget to my website blog, I discovered that this much used, fantastic way of keeping track of my blog followers, is being retired for all blogs/webistes other than blogger as of 1st March 2012.

So this left me in a little bit of a diliema, while I do have a blogspot blog, I also like to keep an up-to date blog on my main website and is wonderful to see who is following your work.  So what are the other "follower options available for non-blogspot bloggers??

Google Friend Connect is recommending that all users with non-blogspot blogs (gosh that is a mouthfull!) set up a Google+  page and intergrate their badge (widget) to your blog.  I have got a Google+ Page and am still currently experimenting with this new form of social media, so I will go ahead with adding the widget to this blog and others that I manage to trial Google Circles.  You Can Sign-Up For Google Plus or find our Google+ Here.

My Other suggestions for options of keeping  track of your followers are:
1.    Bloglovin.  This is a great blogging site, where any blog users can register their blogs under different categories/locations etc.  It is also a great site for users who can follow blogs with ease and recieve daily email updates when new blog posts are published by authors they follow.  See our Bloglovin Page for an example on how to follow a blog with Bloglovin.  We allready have this widget on all blogs that I manage and find that is getting more and more popular and well know daily.  I have discovered some wonderful new blogs through this resouce.
2.   Networked Blogs Tab (Networked Blogs is an application run through Facebook which integratates blog posts from any form of blog onto your desired Facebook Page or Twitter Page.  Networked Blogs provides a variety of widgets to intergrate into your blog).  Our Networked Blogs tab is displayed on the right hand side of our main blog page.
3.    Linky Followers.  This new following site, works pretty much in the same way that Google Friend Connect Does. It has the same "look" as Google Friend Connect and shows a small thumbnail pic of your followers.  I have just added this to our Blue Bird Social Media Blog on the website in place of the Google Friend Connect Widget.  Sign up is free and you don't have to have your own blog to sign up or become a follower.  Blog resgistration is fast and simple and the html code is provided quickly and can be added to your blog with ease.  See Linky Followers to sign up for your free account or find our Linky Widget on our blog page to sign up quickly.
4.      HelloCotton.  This site is one I have just found this week and it looks fantastic!  It is a fantastic for Networking Women Bloggers. I am new to this site and have signed up and added the badge to the Blue Bird Social Media Blog on the website.  I am looking forward to spending a little more time on this newly found blog network.  You Can sign up for free and register your blog at HelloCotton.

Don't forget to integrate your Social Media Pages to your blog also and to always integrate your blog posts to your social media pages.

I look forward to hearing your feedback on the changes at Google Friend Connect and any recommendations for following widgets/sites that you use. Feel free to leave links to your blogs in the comments and we will make sure to pop over and follow your blog.

Until Next Time,
Keep it Social...