How to Use Digg to your Advantage

Most webmasters and internet users alike are familiar with Digg, a popular user-driven website to share content from all over the web.

The premise is relatively simple. Users submit content they like, and Digg members vote for the content they think should be the “next big thing.” Get enough Digg’s, and you may just have your article land on the front page for millions of people to see. Pretty exciting, right?

But how exactly do you earn the coveted spot on Digg’s front page? Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed formula that will ensure your content lands on the front page, but there are a few tips you can use to help get you there.

Before we get to that, however, you might be wondering why it’s such a big deal to get an article on the front page of Digg. Well, let’s think about that for a minute - your article lands on the front page, millions of people see it, thereby increasing traffic to your website. Bingo! Now do you understand how important Digg can be in attracting traffic to your website or blog?

While there are no set rules that will guarantee your article will ever see the front page of Digg, here are a few tips that may help you get there. Bear in mind that everyone has their own strategies, so what works for some may not work for you.

First, see what types of articles are consistently popular. If you write about something newsworthy, unique and entertaining, people are bound to digg it. Add a “Digg This” button to your blog entry so readers can quickly and easily help push your article up in the ranks. Make friends, network, and leave comments on other popular Digg articles (just make sure they are actually RELEVANT comments) to help bring traffic back to your blog.

These are only a few simple tips to help your article reach the front page, and they may or may not work for you. It’s all about trial and error, my friend!

Do you have additional tips you’ve found useful? Leave ‘em in the comments!

Marketing with Facebook

There’s no denying that social networks are a great opportunity to market your products, service or business to potential customers all over the world.

Facebook continues to grow in popularity every day, and more people are choosing to spend their time on this social media platform than any other. With that being said, why not make the most of your marketing potential?

If you’re new to marketing with Facebook, these tips should help get you into the game. Even experienced Facebook marketers may not be aware of the significant benefits Facebook offers entrepreneurs when it comes to promoting their business!

First off, start by creating a profile that speaks for your company, product or service you provide. Facebook profiles are simple to create and maintain, and your profile will serve as the “face” behind whatever you are trying to market.

You can also take advantage of Facebook groups by creating a group centralized around your business – that way, customers, contacts and colleagues can interact with you through this medium, as well as invite other friends to join. With a bit of time and effort, Facebook groups can easily allow you to be connected to thousands of potential customers.

Have a hot company party coming up? Maybe you’re launching a brand new development and want people to know about it. Whatever event you have, utilize Facebook’s Events application tool to let your contacts know what you have planned.

These tips are by no means an all-inclusive listing of how you can effectively market using Facebook. However, these tools are some of the most popular and relevant applications to help you make the most of marketing with Facebook.

If you are new to Facebook marketing, these tips should help get you started. Later articles will detail further Facebook applications that can help internet marketers get the word out about their business, product, or service!

How to Write a Winning Blog Entry

If you aren’t a writer, creating frequent blogs for your website can be tough. However, there are a few simple things you can do to write a winning blog entry - even if writing isn’t exactly your strongest skill.

First of all, you need to set aside all those dollar signs floating through your mind. Don’t create a blog purely for money; while blogs can bring in revenue in addition to your website, your blog needs to be something you are passionate about in order for you to stick with it.

When it comes to actually writing your first blog post, keep in mind that visitors want to read useful, unique content that’s relevant to your website niche. Very rarely will your visitors want to read endless diatribes about your personal life!

Because internet users have such short attention spans, you’ll want to attract their attention at the very beginning of your blog post - and keep it! With that being said, create an attention-getting headline that’s also search engine friendly; additionally, ensure the title is relevant to what the rest of the blog post will be about.

The majority of beginning bloggers fail to realize how important the title is, so take your time creating one that will capture a reader’s attention and keep them coming back for more.

Of course, in keeping with short attention spans you’ll also want to keep your blog posts short and to the point. I’ve found that 300-500 words is ideal, but you can write more if it’s engaging enough to keep visitors reading.

Bullet points, bold words, and short blocks of text (rather than lengthy pages) will also make your blog entry much more reader-friendly.

As far as the rest of your blog post is concerned, make sure you KEEP the reader’s attention past the title. You want to write engaging, useful content that readers will find relevant. While you want to make sure the post is search engine optimized, well-written content will almost always be; take care not to stuff your blog posts with tons of keywords that don’t make sense.

These are a few very basics tips to writing a winning blog entry; there’s a lot more that actually goes into making a blog work. In future posts, I’ll talk about how you can write even BETTER content, attract more readers, and how adding a blog to your website can benefit you, among other things.

Questions? Comments? I want to hear them!

What is Vlogging?

Ever heard of vlogging? It’s the catch phrase for “video blogging,” and continues to grow increasingly popular as more people start following the trend.

There’s no denying that video blogging can add a certain spark to your blog that traditional written blogs lack. The act of actually SEEING the blogger creates a greater sense of familiarity within a blog community, and can allow your readers to interact with you on a more personal level (ew, not like that creeps - get your mind out of the gutter!)

Are you interested in starting a vlog (video blog) or simply mixing up your posts with a few video blogs from time to time? Continue reading to find out how to get started.

WHAT YOU NEED

To get started vlogging, the most important piece of equipment you’ll need is a video-capable camera. You don’t have to drop tons of dough on a cam, either – find one that fits within your budget that’s fairly decent and will support video.

Once you have created the video, you’ll need some sort of video software (there are a lot of decent options available, including Windows Movie Maker.) You’ll also need a program that will be able to compress the file. (A good list of programs that do this can be found here.)

If you don’t already have a blog set up, go ahead and set up a blog on a free blogging site (WordPress, Blogger, etc.) There are several sites that cater to would-be bloggers where you can set up a blog for free. You definitely need a site to host your vlog for the world to see, so this is also an important step.

Of course, a vlog isn’t any good unless you’re passionate about the topic you’ll be blogging about. While written blog posts need to be indicative of the writers passion for the subject as well, video blogs DEFINITELY can’t be boring. No one wants to watch you fumble for words, talk in a monotone or fall asleep on camera!

If you choose a topic you enjoy and will be able to stick with, your vlogging days will be that much more enjoyable – for you AND your readers/viewers.

Using Social Networks to Promote Business

We’ve already discussed using Facebook specifically to promote a business, service, or product. This post will describe the best way to use social networks in general when it comes to promoting your company.

First of all, you’ll want to pick one or two networks to focus on. Think about how much time you are willing (and have!) to invest. Chances are, you won’t be able to manage profiles on several social networks; choose a couple to focus your primary efforts on.

Once you find which social network(s) you want to concentrate on, create a profile that immediately establishes you as a leader in whatever field you’re a part of. A great profile will draw potential customers to you, especially if you take the time to make it not only keyword-rich but well written also.

Of course, slapping a profile up doesn’t mean the work is done – you still have to network with potential customers, colleagues and other major players in your field! Join forum discussions, newsgroups, etc. related to your field to get news of your business/service/product out there.

Whatever you do, DON’T spam everyone constantly! Occasional news updates and exciting changes about your company will generate buzz; a blog post or bulletin full of spam messages won’t. Highlight important news when it comes out, but don’t over-promote.

Even web entrepreneurs need to network, promote their company, and get the word out about their online business. With that being said, using social networks as a marketing tool CAN be quite profitable.

Hopefully, the above tips can help you figure out whether using social networks as a marketing tool will work for you. Experiment with a few networks and find out which, if any, work best!

Next Page »