Social bookmarking offers many opportunities for marketers to collect information and learn about the behavior patterns of their customers, as well as firsthand reviews for particular brands and products. Social bookmarking sites are chock full of different perspectives and information, and all of this is stored in an easily searchable database.
Copyright (c) 2008 Sean S Sampson
Social bookmarking offers many opportunities for marketers to collect information and learn about the behavior patterns of their customers, as well as firsthand reviews for particular brands and products. Social bookmarking sites are chock full of different perspectives and information, and all of this is stored in an easily searchable database.
Since like-minded individuals are creating tags on every item they post, it becomes easy to find relevant products and related subjects within each area of interest.
Social bookmarkers are primarily interested in learning more about products and ideas that interest them, and will network accordingly. They are more exposed to new information, whether this is pulled from blogs, media sites, or simply a product page from a business. The more involved marketers are with these social networks, the higher the chances of increased brand exposure. As more social bookmarkers participate in their communities, the buzz about a particular product or idea can easily be broadcast across multiple markets with very little effort.
The thinking process of a social bookmarker is relatively simple. First, they find an idea or product of interest. They then upload this information to the social bookmarking platform, whether this is a news site such as Digg.com, or a social shopping sites such as ThisNext.com. Next, they describe the product or idea, usually posting a brief summary that includes keywords and other relevant information. This is noted on the social bookmarking site's search engine, as well as the tags that are added to the item after this. Once complete, a picture or other media clip may be added, followed by the social bookmarker's signature (if it does not automatically get posted as part of the profile). Once submitted, the new item is organized and implemented into the appropriate category on the site.
Any new information posted to the site can now be viewed by the entire audience; subscribers to various channels will see new topics posted immediately, in a very similar format to an RSS feed on a blog. In either case, this fresh information will be on the 'roster' of all the people in that community. If others find it important as well, this increases the chances of sharing as they are more likely to 'note' it and include it on their lists.
But what does all this mean for the marketer?
Essentially, this means that the marketer or business can create unique content and products to send to various social bookmarking sites. Once they create a valuable presence, it becomes much easier to influence the decision makers in each and every community. This is the essence of social bookmarking and networking at its best; community building can create a network of influence that can now also be enjoyed by marketers and entrepreneurs on the web.
Blogs As A Social Bookmarking Platforms
Blogs offer countless opportunities for launching your business into the social media networks, and they can be designed as an extension of an existing website, or simply stand alone. Blogging is moving far beyond the casual journal style of the initial growth stages, allowing businesses and large companies to develop a fresh identity.
Getting On Social Bookmarking Sites Front Pages
The first step in reaching the top ranks is to develop a creative headline. All articles on social bookmarking sites that have some leverage contain a unique and compelling opening; they encourage readers to click on the link, and essentially draw people in. It may be helpful to brush up on article-writing and effective web copy to understand the guidelines for writing compelling headlines.
Avoiding Becoming An SB Site Spammer
Social bookmarking offers you a lot of freedom, and can help you drive traffic to your website overnight. Still, abusing this freedom can lower the credibility of your business, your brand, and your company name. Moving beyond the potential for spamming will help you to build a strong and regular community, instead of being booted off a social bookmarking network.
