Blog Tip Sharing Project 3: Blog Promotion and Social Networking

June 7, 2008 | Filed in: B.T.S.P., blogging

So glad to see you all back in class today! I’d like everyone to welcome any stragglers, I mean newcomers. You can read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.

Today we’re going to discuss two areas of blog promotion…Sites where you list your blog and social networking sites. I’m looking at these two areas differently, as I’m going to call those places where you go and sign up your blog, and basically your blog is added to a list, Blog Promotion Sites. Those sites where you can interact with others and add contacts, I’ll refer to as Social Networking Sites.

I’ll begin with Blog Promotion Sites.

When I first began blogging, I signed up with every blog promotion site I could find, HUNDREDS of them. It took me hours to find the sites, add my name, confirm my request…and most of that work was for NOTHING. With a few exceptions, I never saw any traffic generated from the majority of those sites. Also, some of the sites claimed to be very exclusive and rejected my blog for various reasons including “lack of quality content.” What. Ever.

There have been several sites that I thought were worth the effort to sign up.

1. The Good Blogs

What I like about this site is the fact that the widget shows blog post titles. The catchier my title, the more hits I received. Please note that I no longer have the widget in my sidebar…this is because I feel like I already have too much stuff in my sidebars and I didn’t want it to look cluttered over there. (I’ll talk about that in an upcoming post.)

2. Alltop

I have no idea if it’s still possible to get your blog listed on Alltop, but if it is, I’d recommend trying. I have received quite a few referrals from moms.alltop.com. What I like about this site, is that a short snippet of the post can be seen by scrolling over a title. More reason to make those first few sentences of a post really catchy!

3. AllMediocre

There is no way that I can mention Alltop and NOT mention AllMediocre! My friend Meghan started this blog promotion site in response to not being included on Alltop. It started as a bit of a joke, but it has really taken off. There are some really great blogs listed…you should click over there RIGHT NOW and get yourself listed!

That’s it. All those sites I signed up for and so few were even worth the effort! I am curious if anyone has had luck with other blog promotion sites…if so, please let the class know in the comments section.

The bottom line: Most of these sites are a huge waste of time and effort.

Moving right along to social networking sites…

With any social networking site, I think that you get out of it what you put into it. There are only so many hours in a day, so I recommend choosing just a few to devote your time. In the interest of time management, here are a few of the sites to which I belong, but devote very little of my time…Cre8buzz, Facebook, Gather, MyBlogLog, FriendFeed, Plurk (New!), Blog Catalog , Bumpzee, and Maya’s Mom. There is NOTHING wrong with any of these sites, I have just chosen to invest my time with ONLY TWO other social networking sites that I really enjoy. (Edited to add: Here’s a very timely post from Problogger about which sites people use the most.)

1. Twitter

There are SO many things I enjoy about twitter, like the ability to talk about myself in 140 characters or less! (Self-absorbed much?) Also, I enjoy reading others’ SUPER hilarious tweets. It’s fun to be a part of many different conversations, sort of like being able to flit from person to person at an uber cool party!

Recently I discovered twhirl, a twitter client that you download. It makes following conversations INFINITELY easier than hitting refresh over and over. A small icon in the lower right corner dings and tells you when those you are following have posted new tweets, tells you when people have replied to you, and when you get a direct message. You can also shorten URL’s, search for friends, and add friends. All from twhirl! As somewhat of a computer application dimwit, I easily figured out how to download and install twhirl, so if I can do it, you can DEFINITELY do it! As an FYI, there are many other twitter applications, I just happen to use twhirl, you may find you like another one better. Please feel free to share your favorites with the class in the comments section.

So how does can twitter help promote your blog, you ask? Well for one, you can promote your new posts via twitter. For example, you can say something like, “Blog tip sharing post at my place! You bring the beer! http://playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren.com…” Also, if you’re a Wordpress user, you can install a plugin that does this for you. I know that I tend to click on the tweets that give me a funny, little tease about their blog post.

Also, twitter is a great way to become friends and communicate with lots of other bloggers. Being a part of the blogging community is, I think, VITAL to blog promotion. Twitter is one way to get yourself out there.

Now go on. If you haven’t joined twitter, what ARE you waiting for??? When you get your account, follow me…twitter.com/playgroupie!!!!

2. StumbleUpon

Technically, StumbleUpon is a social bookmarking tool, not a social networking site. However, I’m putting it in this category because it’s a place to interact with others and add contacts.

There is SO MUCH I have to say about StumbleUpon, that it’s going to have to be a post unto itself…next week. Here’s a little teaser, though. As a result of some of my posts being stumbled, I’ve received as many as 1,000 hits in ONE day. 1,000. Hits. In one day. Now I realize some of you reading are yawning and thinking, “1,000 hits? So what? I get that many in an hour.” Others of you are messing yourselves from the excitement of the possibility of 1,000 hits in a day.

Homework! (STOP groaning, it’s worth it…1,000 hits?? Remember??) I recommend that you download StumbleUpon’s toolbar. It will make what I’m going to talk about next week easier to understand. While you’re at it, add me as a friend! playgroupie.stumbleupon.com.

Share your favorite blog promotion and social networking sites in the comments section.

Until next week! Class dismissed.

Share with others

Excellent tips, as always.

I never really thought of facebook as a blog promoting site, although I guess that a few of my friends have clicked through from there.

I also have to blame you - I mean thank you - for getting me hooked on twitter. Because what I really needed was another thing to keep me drawn to the computer like a moth to a flame. Although I have to agree with you, I think that a lot of the things that people post as tweets are hilarious!

Maggie’s last blog post..A Lesson in History

[...] Blog Tip Sharing Project 3: Blog Promotion and Social NetworkingToday we’re going to discuss two areas of blog promotion…Sites where you list your blog and social networking sites. I’m looking at these two areas differently, as I’m going to call those places where you go and sign up your blog, …Playgroups are No Place For Children - http://playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren.com [...]

Interesting! I get a few hits to my blog from Myspace, but I’ve quit putting any time into Facebook, MyBlogLog, etc. I have Twitter and like it, but neglect it. Oops.

I can totally relate to having spent hours upon hours signing up at sites, though, only to realize I’d wasted my time. Remember when webrings were all the rage? I do, and they are a waste of time as well.

I still need to work on catchy post titles and catchy sentences, though. For a while, I’ve been very, very boring. Trying to get my mojo back!

Devilish Southern Belle’s last blog post..I just survived a brief cable/internet outage!

man, I read this and think “must. get. crack-a-lackan.”

and then I just write, post and wonder why I have mediocre (low? who the hell knows and I hath no barometer and sorta like that :)) hits and make $0.00 on my blogging venture of ‘08.

oooh but I am on ALLTOP

I think I still am

must check

duly noted.

MizFit’s last blog post..Hey WOMAN Challenge Women!

(and yes, Im now seeing my post title and thinking it should read more like LIVE NUDE EXERCISING WOMEN WITH MONKEYS AND FIREWORKS!!!)

MizFit’s last blog post..Hey WOMAN Challenge Women!

Wonderfully written.

And I think we are already friends on Stumbleupon, no?

Veronica’s last blog post..Whine Whinge Whine STOP

LOVE twitter and twhirl!

Lauren’s last blog post..Have a great weekend,…

Again, thanks for all the tips. I did not even know blogging promotion sites existed. Twitter sounds totally addictive and lots of fun . . . I like the idea of coming up with blog title teasers!

mep’s last blog post..Talk about customer service . . .

[...] Blog Tip Sharing Project 3: Blog Promotion and Social Networking [...]

OK, teacher, I INSTANTLY took your advice and signed up for everything (feel the POWER you have?). I had already signed up for Twitter but…I feel kind of stupid here..I’m not exactly sure how to use it and had some difficulty figuring it out. And now that I have said that - I am techie, really I am! I’m the webmaster at my school. But I can’t figure out how to twitter or see twitters or…help me!

Adoptic is new and pretty cool!

The Mom’s last blog post..20 Things I’ll Never Do

AllMediocre is my friend Meghan had such a great idea there!!

Sarah’s last blog post..A little of this, a little of that…

Hey! Thanks!

I’m working on my weekly AllMediocre Blog Pimping/AllStars post and was checking out who was linking to us…and there you were! You’re the best! :0)

And I totally can’t figure out StumpleUpon, so I look forward to your post next week.

AMomTwoBoys’s last blog post..Is 30 REALLY Time for a Mid-Life Crisis?

I meant to say in my post that many people use SU incorrectly, I know I did at first. There’s a learning curve and some tricks.

Hope you get lots of new AllMediocre recruits!

Can someone on Alltop also be on AllMediocre?

Madness is going to do everything.you.say to do.. Oh the excitement!
1000 blog views in ONE DAY!!
Yes, *I* am the one who just peed her pants thinking about that one.. oh yes.
Jennifer.. you rock. Plain and simple.

Madness’s last blog post..a terrible thirst for blame

[...] And even though she’s on AllTop & is therefore out of the running for a true AllMediocre AllStar Award, an honorable mention goes to Jennifer of Playgroups Are No Place For Children for pimping us out. [...]

The only thing that has annoyed me about StumbleUpon is that I recently discovered they put a cap on how many friends you can add there. Only 200. That’s DUMB. So BOO on that.

Otherwise, I quiet enjoy Stumble, and think it’s great.
Sarcastic Mom’s last blog post..Operation Paci Removal: A Story of Triumphs and Failures

Um. QUITE.

Me no spel gud.

Sarcastic Mom’s last blog post..Operation Paci Removal: A Story of Triumphs and Failures

Great post! I am a very beginning blogger and I had no idea what stumble upon was or what it meant until today. You added one of my posts and it’s the most tickled I’ve been in my entire blogging career. Thanks! But, here’s the funny thing. I would never have known about it at all if I hadn’t just joined sitemeter this morning. I had no idea why so many people use sitemeter (I was using a generic counter.) Now, I get it. It shows you how people linked to your site. (And, it shows you when people link to your site, so that you can say THANK YOU!)

I probably sound hopelessly clueless right now, but I really had no idea why that was important until the light dawned today. Maybe someone else reading is as new to this as I am.

anymommy’s last blog post..Hairku Friday: The Learning Curve

Thanks for the tips! I already emailed “allmediocre”. I love that site!

dysfunctional mom’s last blog post..Sweaty Hot Fun

I am horrible about using social networking to promote my blog. I can barely keep up with email let alone with all my cyberspace friends. And I am afraid of Twitter. I have an addictive personality.

But since I do value your advice. . .

Jerseygirl89s last blog post..Should I Post This In Town?

I love twitter !!! My favorite thing is being able to send in a tweet from my phone when I ‘m out and about:)

I am @mandyg

will add you to my list!!

mandys last blog post..Observations …

I love that you are doing this.

I now have to do my homework and install the bar…

HRHs last blog post..Road trip…

Another social marketing strategy is to use social bookmarking sites to create backlinks to your site.

I have found 15 sites so far that Google will follow back to your site and return a backlink in Google results.

However, think about this: If Digg has 5 million users and the average number of posts, from the Digg top 100 to the user who no longer participates is 1 post per day, that is 5 million posts.

How can you possibly expect that Google will see your 1 link in Digg in 5 million others as a backlink to your site. In fact if you submit your site to Digg and no one else Diggs it, I have come to feel that is a negative indicator in Digg’s eyes. the worst thing you can do is submit your Digg posts yourself and then get no Diggs.

One of my friends on Social Marketing Central wrote an article that went hot on the Internet. He got like 1500 visitors in a few days. The bad news is that he only got 18 Diggs. Now tell me this: Don’t you think that Google, that has access to the popularity of post on Digg just like we do, would not see 1500 visitors and 18 Diggs a negative indicator of this blog and the blog post itself?

I can easily get 100 to 200 Diggs for any article I want in Digg in 2 days. I do that through my own strategies and participation.

So social bookmarking if done wrong can actually hurt you. Social marketing is about being social, so be social on social bookmarking sites, don’t just submit you own content and expect that this will bring you results.

Chris Langs last blog post..Social Marketing and Digg Can Be Seen as a Negative Indicator in Google’s Eye

Thanks for the ideas, I’ve sent an email to Alltop and included my blog in the first one you mentioned. You refer to Problogger’s thoughts on social networking sites. I saw that article as well. Daily Blog tips this morning reviewed a site and talked about the inclusion of all the social networking buttons at the end of a post. He suggested to the blog this morning not to include them in every post, which I thought was interesting.

Ritas last blog post..Put the money where your mouth is. Literally.

Mmm, StumbleUpon. I had no idea it could affect numbers so much until one day I got over 600 hits because of it. And thanks to it (along with some other excellent linky action), my Illusion of Choice post has had over 1700 views. That is completely insane.

I’m still trying to resist Twitter, though. I’m tempted, but unsure if there’s room in my life for another time-suck.

andis last blog post..More mouses in my houses

I did sign up with The Good Blogs (see I’m trying to be a good student) Oh, but wait, I don’t mean to brown nose or anything…
Anyway, I’m a member of Facebook, My Space, Mom’s Blog Network, Cafe Mom, but I probably don’t spend enough time at any of them to even matter.
I promise to do better.

Maryes last blog post..FromTwilight to Breaking Dawn

[...] in this series…Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 Bookmark It Hide [...]

[...] I’ve talked about this before, no need to rehash. Whether you choose Plurk over Twitter or Cre8buzz over Facebook, choose a place you enjoy, make friends, and participate. It will pay off. [...]

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Comments protected by Lucia's Linky Love.

Nice to Meet You

I'm Jennifer, Mom to Carson, 3, and Ella, 1. Wife and Bossaholic to Tate. My claim to fame is that I'm the #2 search result on Google for "kids pooping in pools!!." You can follow me on twitter, see my stumbles at StumbleUpon, view my photos on Flickr, and contact me by email.

Back in the Day

Go shopping!

Photo holiday cards: the prettiest thing with a stamp on it.

Find an affordable selection of adorable baby bedding at Smarter.com.

Click!

Get your own flickr badge

Comment policy

Flaming
An online argument that becomes nasty or derisive, where insulting a party to the discussion takes precedence over the objective merits of one side or another (Urban Dictionary).
(Do it and I'll delete it)

Ajax CommentLuv Enabled d24c3fd0704707450ed668bb38aac8d2

Free Subscriptions!

BlogHer 09 Fund

This Savvy Quiz Sponsored By

kids' educational toys & games for math & reading skills

2008 Booklist

~~Pillars of the Earth~~ B-
~~East of Eden~~ A-
The Kite Runner
~~Memory Keeper's Daughter~~ C+
Water for Elephants
~~Nineteen Minutes~~ B-
~~HP and the Deathly Hallows~~ A++
~~Running W/ Scissors~~ A
The Rabbit Factory
Waiting for Birdy
~~Life of Pi~~ A
~~Outlander~~ A
~~Dragonfly in Amber~~ A-
~~A Tree Grows in Brooklyn~~ A+

playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren