Follower/Subscriber Count Discrepancy, Widget vs. Stats

emilywenstrom · Member · Aug 20, 2012 at 3:25 pm
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I am using the basic wordpress “Follow Blog” widget to allow my readers to subscribe to my blog by email. I recently noticed an issue with how my subscribers are being counted. According to the widget my follower count is over 900. However, if I go to my stats page, it lists 41 followers.

What’s going on? Have I deluded myself thinking I’m more successful than I really am?

This is regarding the blog http://www.creativejuicer.wordpress.com. Thanks!

The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
timethief · Member · Aug 20, 2012 at 11:22 pm
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If you use Publicize then I believe all your Facebook and Twitter followers are being counted in as well.
emilywenstrom · Member · Aug 21, 2012 at 12:03 am
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Hmm … Thanks for the insight, but that still doesn’t add up. If I add up my Twitter and Facebook followers I get 957. If I then add in my followers according to my stat page I get 997. But my widget says I have 975 followers at the moment.

Still confused!
emilywenstrom · Member · Aug 21, 2012 at 12:04 am
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Oh, and sorry, according to my stats page, those 41 subscribers do include Publicize.
timethief · Member · Aug 21, 2012 at 12:05 am
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I flagged this thread for a Staff response.
bryanvillarin · Staff · Aug 21, 2012 at 12:54 am
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Hi,

Are you adding the follow numbers from the Totals, Followers & Shares module on your stats page? You’ll want to add these numbers:
- blog followers
- Twitter followers
- Facebook friends
emilywenstrom · Member · Aug 21, 2012 at 7:05 pm
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Hmm ok:

Blog followers: 42 (31 WordPress / 11 email)
Twitter followers: 726
Facebook friends: 220

Total: 988

My “Followers” count in the subscriber widget is counting 980.

Is there maybe a delay in that count? If so, I think I get it now. Otherwise, I know you’re right, but I’m still wondering what I’m missing.

One way or another, I knew my followers count was just too optimistic :-/ Thanks for the help!
bryanvillarin · Staff · Aug 21, 2012 at 9:23 pm
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Hi Emily,

So I just checked and WordPress.com followers are updated instantly, while Facebook and Twitter numbers are updated daily (as long as the numbers they provide are correct).

I hope that clears things up — cheers!
reflectionsfromahungarianamerican · Member · Sep 23, 2012 at 7:20 pm
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I have a question along those same lines. My follow blog widget says I have 1,289 followers. But my total blog followers is 7, plus my facebook friends is 641. So that is a total of only 648. That doesn’t account for 641 other followers I supposedly have. What is the problem? I am most confused… Thanks!
emilywenstrom · Member · Sep 24, 2012 at 2:57 pm
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Do you have Twitter or another account linked up to your Publicize, perhaps?
reflectionsfromahungarianamerican · Member · Sep 24, 2012 at 4:02 pm
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I don’t have twitter, but I just recently linked my blog to google+ and LinkedIn. But that was just like two weeks ago, so that could be where they came from, but to get 641 more people in two weeks seems awful quick. but that might be the answer…thx!
reflectionsfromahungarianamerican · Member · Sep 24, 2012 at 4:36 pm
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only thing is, if it is google+ and linkedin, they are not showing up in my stats…
mevrouwkinderboek · Member · Sep 26, 2012 at 12:55 pm
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Same problem here…

189blog followers
mevrouwkinderboek · Member · Sep 26, 2012 at 12:57 pm
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Sorry, I will try again:

189 blog followers
1097 twitter
2383 total followers according to the follow blog-widget.

It looks like Twitter counts double??
sandykuntz · Member · Sep 27, 2012 at 3:42 am
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Along these lines, how do Facebook followers work? Are they receiving new posts on FB? And, is there a way to see who they are?
sandykuntz · Member · Sep 27, 2012 at 3:44 am
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Maybe my questions should be a new thread, sorry. New at this.
tulikad · Member · Oct 2, 2012 at 6:31 am
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Till yesterday I could see my facebook followers, as subscribers now they have disappeared, why? tulikasthoughts.wordpress.com
reflectionsfromahungarianamerican · Member · Oct 2, 2012 at 1:47 pm
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this happened to me too. so i disconnected facebook from wordpress, then reconnected, and my fb followers showed up again.
reflectionsfromahungarianamerican · Member · Oct 2, 2012 at 1:48 pm
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i read somewhere on one of the wordpress support pages, that sometimes the connection between fb and wordpress gets broken or deactivated. so it explained you need to disconnect and reconnect again when this happens. hopefully this helps!
tulikad · Member · Oct 2, 2012 at 4:19 pm
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thank u guys. it worked!

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