Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Puzzle Piece #5: Social Bookmarking

Telling you to add the “share this” bookmarking feature had a purpose – to get you some face time on social bookmarking sites. Once an article/press release/etc. is created, adding it to bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us and Digg could potentially get your information out to thousands of viewers (if not more!).

These sites are great because your material is shown to people who are interested in the things your company is interested in. Traffic can be directed back to your site, relationships can be forged and your information can be shared with an educated, captivated community. It’s free advertising, placed in front of people who actually want to see your stuff. So basically, it’s a no brainer.
The following are just a few of the top social bookmarking and sharing sites. Noted are their strengths, weaknesses and potential business drivers.



Del.icio.us: 317,747 people per month (as of 2/28/09)
• Save all your bookmarks online, share them with others, and see what others are bookmarking
• You can access the sites from anywhere using your login info, and there is an
ability to set some as private (i.e. work- or client-related sites).
• This site would be great for organizing websites.

How to bookmark on Del.icio.us:
• Once logged in, simply click on “save a new bookmark” and enter the URL of the site you want saved.
• Click next, and enter notes and tags (to help you remember what the site is all about).
• You can select whether or not you want this site to be kept as a private bookmark.



StumbleUpon: 1,145,760 people per month (as of 2/28/09)
• Users choose their interests (cooking, business, advertising, etc.) from a list,
install the StumbleUpon toolbar and then a click of the “stumble” button takes
them to a site they might like.
• Users also click a button to say whether they like the site or not, and
StumbleUpon keeps track of the sites you like.
• Others can access your favorite sites by viewing your profile.
• This is more of a promotional vehicle. Add images and short articles and expand your network so others see the sites you have in your arsenal.

How to add favorites to StumbleUpon:
• Once you create an account, go through the topics and click on those that interest you.
• Opt to have the StumbleUpon toolbar installed, so from whereever you are on the web, you can simply click “Stumble” and you will be shown a site you might like.
• For each site shown, click either “I like it” or the thumbs down icon, and StumbleUpon will keep track of your preferences.
• If you discover a site you want added to StumbleUpon, click the “I like it” icon and fill in the site’s information.
• All the sites you liked will be saved on your profile.



Digg: about 23,900,000 people per month (as of 2/28/09)
• All news articles, videos, images, etc. are submitted by the community.
• Once something is submitted, other people see it and digg what they like best.
If your submission receives enough diggs, it is promoted to the home page of its category — or the front page for millions of viewers to see.
• Users can customize their home page and see only stories they would be interested in.
• Use this for promotion by adding some new media to the mix. Submissions will be posted under “upcoming stories,” where viewers look and either “digg” them or don’t.
• People see what you digg, so be active on the site and others will want to see your favorites. Add all forms of media to this site.

How to add favorites to Digg:
• Once you are logged into Digg, simply select “submit new” at the top of the site.
• Enter the URL and select which type of media it is.
• On the next screen, enter the title, a description of the site, choose a thumbnail and the topic you want it associated with (such as Business and Finance or Educational and submit the story.
• Digg will keep track of your favorites and share them with others.





Reddit: 1,347,084people per month (as of 2/28/09)
• The site aims to have what’s new and popular on the web. Users customize what they’re interested in. Votes train a filter, so the site only shows users things they might like.
• You determine what shows on your front page by saying if things are “hot” or “cold.”
• Use this as another promotional vehicle by uploading new sites — submission
titles are key to gaining recognition.
• Best for posting short articles and blogs.

How to add favorites to Reddit:
• Once you have signed in, click on “submit a link.”
• Simply enter the URL, title and category, and the post is submitted.
• Your faves will be saved, filed and shared.

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