Social Bookmarking: StumbleUpon

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This week we are exploring social bookmarking. Social bookmarking is a great way to keep track online of sites you like and a great way to drive traffic to your site. The first social bookmarking site we’ll look at is StumbleUpon. This site is fascinating and rather addicting.

Here’s how it works

You sign up for an account with StumbleUpon. You fill out your profile including keywords related to your interests. Now you have two options. Read more

Social Bookmarking

I was recently introduced to the term social bookmarking. As I’ve explored the networks associated with social bookmarking I’ve become a huge fan! Since social bookmarking has unique characteristics which differ from social networking, I thought it would be valuable to define social bookmarking and spend a few posts discussing social bookmarking sites individually.

What Is Social Bookmarking?

You’re surfing through the Internet. You find a blog and follow a link to another blog which links to another blog with a super perfect and timely post. You want to capitalize on this information in your own blog. You leave a great comment introducing yourself and find another interesting blog in the comments. You click on that link which leads to another link and before you know it, you have moved several blogs away from that awesome post. You try to retrace your steps but you can’t find that post anywhere. Read more

Intro To Social Networking

Here’s a quick overview of social networking.

This video is a couple years old so we now have Twitter in the limelight while MySpace has lost popularity blog promotion.

Prior to watching this video, I hadn’t considered how our social network’s potential is hidden in real life.

For me, my local community is an important place to build readership and work with local brands. I need to be more proactive in uncovering these networks when I can’t access them on Facebook or Twitter.

What potential are you overlooking in your social network?

Developing Your Brand in Two Steps

As a blogger we are part of an online community. Since blogging is a social act, we often extend our social activity outside of our blog and venture into other communities like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and niche specific forums or communities.

As we visit each place, networking and building relationships with readers and fellow bloggers, we want people to know who we are from place to place. I want people to know that I am Amber Passey on Twitter and that I’m that same Amber Passey on Facebook.

There are two easy things you can do to be consistent which will help people recognize you as they move from community to community. By the way, as people connect with you in different communities they are able to see all the sides of you, your blog and your business. This builds trust as they see you be consistent in your values and behavior.

Step One: Choose the Same User Name

As you sign up for different communities, choose the same user name or ID to have appear next to your activity in the community. You can choose your name or your blog name. There are merits to each depending on your goals. But for branding yourself, the important key is to be consistent. Read more

How to Attend a Twitter Party

And benefit from it!

A while back Twitter parties hit their peak of popularity and then were criticized by severely for a variety of reasons. Namely that Twitter parties increase the number of conversations during a set time thus “polluting” the Twitter stream with irrelevant content. Another gripe is that Twitter parties promote brands in an ineffective way and just bug the people not interested in participating. One final complaint I saw a lot was that people participating in Twitter parties were often rude or aloof to questions about the Twitter party.

I explain all this so you understand the reputation these parties have developed for themselves in order that you can make an informed choice about attending or not attending a Twitter party. While I understand to some extent the complaints I’ve mentioned regarding Twitter parties, I believe there is merit to them, especially for Twitter users trying to find people to have conversations with.

How to Attend a Twitter Party

Refreshing your home page at Twitter.com is not going to cut it given the speed at which Twitter parties travel through the Twitter stream. Read more

Social Media For Beginners

I found this terrific video that explains social media using a simple allegory.

It’s a great introduction to Social Media and will serve as a solid foundation for exploring this topic more in depth.

How do you participate in social media?

• Do you blog, podcast or vlog?
• Do you provide feedback?
• Do you use feedback to improve your business?

5 Things To Do When Setting Up Your Twitter Account

Taking the plunge into the Twitterverse can be a little intimidating, not to mention a bit overwhelming. By following these 5 steps when setting up your Twitter account, you’ll get started on the right foot and be one step closer to developing a strong presence on Twitter. By the way, the first four are what I look at in deciding to follow someone on Twitter. If they are missing this information, I usually don’t follow.

1. Choose Twitter ID

There’s a choice to make here. Do you use your personal name or your blog’s name for your Twitter ID? there are pros and maybe some cons to each. I use my name because I feel most like myself that way. Also, I want to be known as an expert in my niche and I want people to know MY name, not just my blog.

Using your blog name helps build the brand of your blog. It helps people connect that you on Twitter is the same as you on your blog. However, Twitter IDs are only 15 characters long so you may need to do some tweaking. Read more

How to Have a Successful Cross Blog Conversation

I love a great Cross Blog Conversation.

I first learned the concept from Liz Strauss of Successful-Blog.com. I had my first Cross Blog Conversation with my pal Nicole Dean. You can see the thread of our conversations here:

Nicole then Kelly then Nicole then Kelly then Nicole then Kelly then Nicole then Kelly

Awhile later, I had another great conversation with Reba Collins of Internet Marketing Boomer.  I made up a cute little graphic for my posts.

Kelly then Reba then Kelly then Reba then Kelly then Reba then Kelly then Reba then Kelly

A CBC can last forever if both bloggers wish, but in both of these examples, our Cross Blog Conversation ended without closure.  We got busy and lost track of what we were doing.  The lesson I’ve picked up from that is to have a firm beginning and ending – so both sides know how long they’re committing to participate and know when it is finished.

Here’s the plan:

1. You write a post that first explains what a Cross Blog Conversation is, then tells your readers who you’ll be conversing with.  Finally, you’ll write a section like a letter composed directly to your conversation partner, ending with a question for them to answer.
2. Now, on their blog – they will let their readers know that they have been engaged in a Cross Blog Conversation.  They will link back to your explanation and question.  Then they will write a section directly to you, answering your question and closing with a question for you.
3. Now, on your blog – you will let readers know that you’re continuing the Cross Blog Conversation, link to their answer and question – then write a section directly to your CBC partner, answering their quesion and asking another of your own.
4. Now it’s their turn.  They link to your question, answer it and ask another.
5. Now it’s your turn.  You link to their question, answer it and ask another.
6. Now it’s their turn. They link to your question, answer it and ask another, letting readers know this is their last one.
7. Now it’s your turn – answer their last question and close the CBC with a special thank you for their participation.

It would be great if you created a final wrap up post that lists all of the posts in order so that those who come upon it later can catch up on the whole conversation.

Some Tips for Success:

Have fun with your Cross Blog Conversation. Ask engaging questions that will inspire answers that people really care about!  Don’t ask dull questions that have been asked a hundred times before.

Keep your attention on the other blogger and write TO them, not to your readers.  The idea is to create a voyeuristic situation where others are observing.

If you don’t know your CBC partner very well, a quick phone or Skype conversation is in order.  Get to know each other a little bit, that will help you create a great friendly tone in your blog posts.

Here are some more Cross Blog Conversations for you to check out:

Debbie then Jill then Debbie then Jill then Debbie then Jill then Debbie

Jamie then Edie then Jamie then Edie then Jamie then Edie

Breaking News From MomDot

Want more exposure for your blog?  You can be a contributor on MomDot.com.  Here’s an announcement from Trisha Haas.

MomDot.com has recently changed its site where you can promote your own articles, ideas, and link back to your sites. If you would like to submit any of your articles to be included in the lifestyle, frugal, or any of the many many sections and categories we have set up. If you would like to be a feature author weekly for us, please contact me. 

Also, you can go to the site, register, and login. Then submit an article. Please feel free to link your site, your bio, pictures, etc. in order to advertise yourself as well!

24 Hours On TweepMe

The bare facts:
Started June 2 with 1,072 followers and following 1,048.
Deactivated June 3 with 1,420 followers and following 1,569.

Why did I start?
I volunteered to do a review of TweepMe after a quick perusal of their site.  I cleared my inbox of new followers so that the above stats would be accurate.  Then I signed in with my twitter name and password and got $2 off for sending a tweet that I was joining.  I left the API limit per hour at 50.

What happened next?
There were no further instructions so I started browsing to see if there was something else I needed to do.  I noticed a lot of standard avatars without pictures when browsing tweeps. I clicked on 2 pictures of nice ladies.  One I followed.  The other was all in German.  I have nothing against German; I just can’t understand it.

I immediately checked email and had 4 new followers.  The first two that came through had protected updates, and one’s website was in Portuguese.  Of those first four I followed 2.  Then I had 2 more followers in email.  Three hours later it said I had 66 new followers.  By 9:00 that night I had 400 emails from Twitter.  Of the first 35 I looked at I followed 11.  Two of those I blocked, 2 were French, and 2 were Spanish.  I spent 2 hours going through those 400 emails while watching a movie with my husband, but when I was done I still had 400 emails from Twitter!  It seemed like they were coming faster and faster.  I told Twitter to lock my updates because I didn’t know what was happening.  It said I was following people that I would never even read.
Read more

How To Find People To Follow On Twitter

After my first rash of following people I’d been letting my Twitter followers just grow by themselves. [The popular word right now is "organically."]  I’d check out everyone who follows me and usually follow back.  I’d see an interesting conversation and follow one or two more people.  Recently I was told that I should be following a lot of new people every week.  Every week?  Yes, every week.  Now I need to find people that I want to follow, and hopefully who will follow me back.  Here are some ways I came up with.

One at a time

• Check every blog you visit for a “Follow Me” sign.  Make it a habit for every single blog you look at!
• Go to your favorite tweets page and follow who they are talking to and who is replying to them.
• Whenever you are following a new-to-you person check out who they’re replying to and you can quickly double the people you find to follow.

Read more

How To Irritate People On The Internet

Want to make your username one of the most hated in the universe?  Follow these eight tips and in one week or less you will start receiving hate mail and be banned from at least 3 sites.

Be a Spammer!

There are multiple ways to accomplish this goal.  Take over someone’s e-mail address so they have to change a valuable address on many sites.  Leave totally irrelevant comments pushing a useless product.  Scrape blog content that the author spent hours on and repost all of it on a stupid site.  Make sure you have a web host that won’t reveal your identity and won’t help the original author.

DM often!

Send lots of Direct messages through Twitter.  If you want to be slightly irritating send autos that say “Hello.  Thanks for the follow.”  If you really want to get under their skin send a plug for your latest product.  Use your huge list of followers to plug your product, but never reply when they ask you a question or for a favor. Read more

Are You A Twit Yet?

People who use Twitter can be called twits after they tweet.  What is Twitter?  It’s a social networking tool.  It’s blogging on steroids.  It’s marketing for your blog.  It’s free.  It’s addicting.  It’s plain fun!  It’s a way to make your blog/business more profitable.

When you first start Twitter it will probably be a bit confusing.  Just keep at it for a little bit each day and soon it will make sense to you.  You might not be able to explain it to anyone, but it will make sense to you.  It made a lot more sense to me when I started using Tweetdeck.  There are some videos at The Ultimate Video Guide to Twitter for Business that explain how to get started, how to find people, and more.

What can I do on Twitter?

Read more

Twimailer.com Transforms Follower Notifications

If you use Twitter you probably receive a ton of follower notifications.  Annoyingly, the only information in the email is the follower’s Twitter name.

Twimailer.com has a solution to this annoyance.

With Twimailer you receive the follower’s name AND profile page.  Now you can really see who is following you and if you want to follow them.

Sign up for your FREE Twimailer account today and transform the way you see Twitter follower notifications.

Twitter: Explained in 2½ Minutes

Do you understand Twitter? Could you explain it to a friend in 2½ minutes?

Lee LeFever can and does. Watch it here:

Did he accurately describe Twitter? Do you understand it better?

Let me know in the comments.

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