Posted 8/12/08
Are you still sitting back and waiting on some of these big social media and networking sites? If that is the case, then your blog will probably cease growing and within a year, you may be forced to shut the bad boy down.
Sound harsh? Good. It's about time you woke up and recognized the power these sites possess.
Here are some tips to get you rolling into the world of social media if you haven't already made this jump.
1. Open your eyes. The hints and clues to dominating these sites are sitting right in front of your face. Take a week and watch the front page of Digg, BallHype, YardBarker and Stumble Upon. Look for trends on current news, funny stories and even the oddball standout. These could all lead to your next big play!
2. Friends make the social world go 'round. Digg, Stumble Upon and BallHype all have power users that can make your post blow up within a couple of hours. Run Google searches on the power users of Digg and work your way into their circle by digging their articles while leaving worthwhile comments. If you gain 10 Digg power users as friends each month, you'll be taking over the front page of Digg on a regular basis in just months.
3. Posting other's content will give you credibility. Sites like BallHype recognize when you submit quality article after quality article. To build a top profile with social media sites, you need to submit more than just your own content. Take on the major news sites and be the first to spread their word into Digg, YardBarker and BallHype. Trust me on this, it will pay off in the long run when you finally have something worth submitting.
4. Top 10 lists...so yesterday? It's time to get creative people! Run a contest or create a post like this and you will instantly gain a new fanbase. Giving away prizes and creating something no other blogger has seen before can give you traffic and countless links that help to move your blog's post to the front of sites like BallHype.
5. Videos drive social media. Found an instant classic on Youtube? Post it to your blog and be ready to release it to your social sites! It may not be "your" video, but I can give you countless blogs that are making a living using this technique. Social media sites eat up the next big viral video.
6. Don't abuse it mofo. I mentioned the thought of submitting your own content earlier and I should have said it with a heavy squint and a little tongue in my cheek. You start submitting every single one of your articles to Digg, BallHype and Stumble Upon while asking every single one of your friends for hypes, and you will find yourself quickly on a steep downslide. Don't overdo it!
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6 comments:
good tips Kellex and thanks for the link. I have been focusing on participating in Digg and SU and not really worrying about my own stuff as much.
I stumble randomly a few minutes every day and it has really influenced my own posts in a positive way.
I try to stumble everyday as well and the time I've put in is really paying off. Plus people start sending you some interestingly random stuff!
Stumble Upon is also one of my top topic generators. There is so much quality information on there and once you set up the categories you'd like, it gives you a ton of related material.
Great post KB. Social Media can be a Rubiks Cube, or a 10 piece Mickey Mouse Puzzle. It is whatever you make it out to be.
Great post and tips.
Stumble is a great program for fresh category specific content. Really easy to use and generates a ton of sustainable traffic on posts that have big pickup.
What are your thoughts on digg? It seems to be more a function of the work you put in, and not as much the quality of the content. Obviously there is some balance there, but not as much as other social media such as ballhype or stumble.
Also you didn't mention facebook in your post. What do you think about harnessing the powerhouse that facebook has become?
Yo Dr!
You know, Digg has really become a tough obstacle to take on over the last year. If you don't already have a solid reputation on there, it is almost impossible to get one. The site is basically run off of your long term reputation along with friendship with Digg elitists.
As for Facebook, I've got to say that I am not a user of Myspace or Facebook. I just can't handle them at all. I'd love to have someone give some feedback on Facebook and perhaps write a post on it. Unfortunately I am not at a point where I can give you a good answer. But I think you did just give me a little motivation to start working with it. :)
never interesting about digg, stumble or something like that..........
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