Are You An Effective Networker?
Yesterday, as I signed up for yet another social networking site, I couldn’t help to think that the craze was going a little overboard.
Other than taking up an abundance of time, sending some visitors our way, and making us keep track of more passwords, what are social networking sites doing for us?
What is it about the possibilities within these sites that make us continue to register, use, and network? It’s not back links.
Do you know that most social networking sites use the no follow tag on links? This means you’re not getting those all important back links by just bookmarking. So, what are you doing it for?
Networking.
You’re saying duh, I can hear you, I know I can.
Have you read the multiple posts floating around out there saying that traffic from StumbleUpon and the alike is worthless? The blogger proceeds to explain about this huge bounce rate on their site that is the direct result of social networking sites.
Let’s discuss some key points in choosing to use social networking sites, how to pick which ones to use, and how to use them in a way that lowers your bounce rate.
Choose Wisely
Not all social networking sites are created equally. Explore the community before you jump on the bandwagon of using the site. You’ll find that while all social networking sites typically cater to the majority of people, some have a more target niche audience. Know who is using the site, what they like, and how you fit into that mold. If you’re blogging about cats and the social networking site is mostly about gadgets, you may get some votes for your article but your bounce rate will be high.
Participate
There’s more to all these networking sites than just saying you like a post. Take a minute to write a review of the post, even if you’re just copying/pasting an excerpt of the post for the review. If you show that you bring in quality bookmarks, you’re likely to be favorited by more people. More friends, more favorites, means more traffic even when it’s not your post making it to the front page.
Use social networking groups to find people with like interests, become a favorite of one of the top users of the site and see what they like. You’ll want some of those “big†people on your site so know what they like when you’re submitting your own posts (when allowed).
Give, Give Freely
You want people to befriend you and add you as a favorite. But people won’t do that if you don’t actively use the site. For example, joining StumbleUpon and simply looking at other bookmarks isn’t going to get you anywhere. You need to stumble sites, write reviews, and participate in groups.
When you’re active in a site, like StumbleUpon, there is a limit to how many friends you can have (200 for free users). Make people want to know you, when they want to know you, they want to know your site. Bookmark articles that you find useful, informative, and well written.
Tag Properly
This is huge. If you’re the first to come across a post to bookmark, choose the category to place the post in appropriately. This very simple thing is the key to getting sticky traffic from social networking sites.
Recently, my post Better Alexa Rank in 5 Days was tagged in statistics on StumbleUpon. While in theory this seems to fit, the majority of the blog posts in this category refer to how popular a person’s name is, world clocks, population, etc.
While I’m more than appreciative for the stumble and the 749 visitors that came to I’m Blogging That because of it, what would the result of that stumble have been if it was tagged differently?
Login Often
If someone sees that the last time you visited a site was a month ago, regardless of how often you’re submitting bookmarks, they’re not likely to become your friend. There is a need to visit these sites, use them, and actually do the networking parts. It’s not enough to just have your StumbleUpon toolbar up and stumble sites. This is a good start but it’s not the finish line.
Browse
Look at everything the site has to offer. Visit more categories on the site than the ones you’re interested in. You may find that you have the possibility to network with people outside of your niche if you can find a gain for the both of you.
Browsing through the different tags on the site will also help you to better understand how to tag the sites you’re bookmarking. Basically, the point here is to become familiar with each social networking site.
Reference
When you’re writing your posts, reference your networking pages so that people can see what you’re interested in. There have been many times, including in this post, where I have mentioned a social networking site and linked directly to my profile page.
By linking your social networking profile pages, you’re giving your visitors the opportunity to network with you on another site. You’re giving them reference points for things that interest you online. By giving this information out, you’re making yourself more likable and easily approachable by other bloggers for some one-on-one networking.
Conclusion
Social networking is time consuming. Set aside time in your days and weeks to effectively use all the sites that are out there for bloggers. Know what you’re getting into before you just jump in it. The end result will be better than you expected.
For more information on social networking, be sure to check out Chris Garret’s latest blog post How to Get More Bookmarks and Better Links.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Thank you!
It’s nice to read such a simplified and easy to understand explanation about this topic. For the longest time I couldn’t see what the actual benefits really were regarding social bookmarking. You’ve sparked the desire in me to get off my duff and actual start taking my blog seriously.
My poor blog has been neglected far too long now. It’s main purpose on the net has merely been a place to rant and complain once every cpl of months or to post yet another one of those horrid, “I promise to be a better blogger one day” posts.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:35 am
So far, the only major “social network” I’m really involved in is Blog365 on Ning.com. I get quite a few visitors courtesy of the friends I’ve made there (and doing the daily memes a lot of them do, as well).
I’m having problems finding ones where a majority of the members don’t just add to add, but add because there’s something in common.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Mindy » I remember the day when it was you telling me that I should be using social networking sites because they were “new and interesting.” Now I have to admit, I smile to explain my latest blogging whatevers while we’re on the phone.
I do hope you blog more, even when talking about your personal life, you’re funny. More people should get to see that side of you.
Sarah » I signed up with Blog 365 and I totally fail at doing anything there.
Memes are good, for viral linking, something I don’t really do anymore here. It’s a matter of what works best for you. There are a lot of social networking sites out there that would completely tailor to your “personal” niche, find them and use them!
February 9th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
[...] Katy Castro asks Are You An Effective Networker? [...]
February 9th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
[...] Are you an effective networker? I have accounts on several social networking sites but I never or barely use them for networking. One of my newest blog friends, Katy, shows us how to effectively use social networking websites. [...]
February 11th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Thanks for the sharing more about social networking. Social networking could give some benefits of course. If it doesn’t work for you then there are other options available that you can get.
February 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Phil » You’re very welcome. There are many options out there for traffic. But, I think by not attempting to use any of the networks out there, you could be missing the boat. There’s nearly something for everyone.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I just joined Blog 365. I took some time to review their different groups before selecting two that I think I can participate in and fit the niche. I just don’t know what my niche is yet. I am going to continue trying until something fits. Thanks for the article!
February 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Beeker » When I first started blogging, I didn’t know what my niche was either. It wasn’t until the last 6 months or so that I have found my place and voice. And while I still “generally” cover topics, in the end you can bring what I say back to your own blog. For me, this means that I’m a “blog resources” blog. I love it!
Keep writing, I noticed your blog is only a few months old. With a blog that new, keep digging to find what you love.
I joined Blog 365 also, I couldn’t get myself involved. If you haven’t yet participated at BlogCatalog, join, and start talking. In the beginning a lot of my traffic came from that site. Even today, I still love it.
Good luck!!!
February 12th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Nice to read more about social networking. What I enjoy most from social networking is to have more friends and sharing our thoughts. I get special pleasure when my opinion being responsed by others, especially by the writter or the blogger.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Thanks Katy,
I learn something new each day. Yesterday it was how to add a favicon and going on to Blog 365. Who knows what I will try or learn tomorrow. I like your blog, so I will be checking back.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Simple yet powerful;.. that is what i have to say about this… And yeah.. these tips (like the stumbling one) are worth trying as well.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Jerome » I very much agree with you. It’s creating friendships and share thoughts with others that I enjoy the most as well. It just goes to show that there is even more to gain from social networking.
Beeker » You’re welcome. Looking forward to seeing you around again soon.
Beautiful Minds » I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Be sure to come back and let us know how to test run of my ideas work.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
[...] I’ve already asked, are you an effective networker? Become one! Know other people; don’t be afraid to reach out to others in your niche and the [...]
February 13th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Social networking could also help in increasing the traffic to your website. There are other options too, just have patience to test which one works well for your website.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Guy » Excellent point. The reason I didn’t spend too much time on the traffic is because my recent post Improve Alexa Rank In 5 Days brought up the topic.
To summarize, my Alexa rank improved by over 12,000 with recent Stumbles to multiple posts.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
[...] Are you an effective networker? I have accounts on several social networking sites but I never or barely use them for networking. One of my newest blog friends, Katy, shows us how to effectively use social networking websites. [...]
February 15th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
You make some good points about social networking sites. I have a “share this” widget which makes it easy for readers to submit my posts to StumbleUpon and some other places. I get lots and lots of Stumble traffic. And some of that traffic does convert to RSS readers and some of those readers do join my AWeber mailing list and I do get some comments. But, I don’t get many clicks to my Amazon product recommendations nor to my “If you like my site, show your appreciation by buying something from Amazon.” I think what some people mean when they say that social networking traffic doesn’t convert well is that it’s not easy to get people to buy stuff from you if they came from a social networking site.
So, in my case, I’m too lazy/busy to really work the social network scene because I already get lots and lots of traffic from writing good posts that get stumbled. But, if I were brand new to the blogosphere and wanted readers I might spend more time hanging in those communities as you suggest although it is very time consuming.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Sol » I have the social bookmarking plugin used throughout my blog as well and it has greatly changed the way that my blogs are submitted to social bookmarking sites.
This blog as well gets a great deal of traffic from StumbleUpon. Usually around 300 page views per day come from StumbleUpon and I find that most, not some, of the traffic converts. I attribute that, in large part, to my constant effort at building a stronger profile on StumbleUpon by using their system and networking.
Not all of my visitors from places like StumbleUpon come because I had a post “stumbled.” It’s important to note the difference because it’s due to my networking that visitors are coming without a post being submitted by my visitors.
I agree with you that social networking takes a lot of time. However, I also believe that the time and effort are well spent when you’re making the right connections with the right people in the right niche.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:17 am
No, I’m not an effective networker, I don’t like networking for networkings sake.
Actually I dislike that I need to network at all in order for my site to gain stats. Imagine a library where the best books are considered best because their name is mentioned most in other books… ya know?
Googles link importance is doing some damage imo.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Popular Wealth » The best books get their name mentioned because people have found them to read and mention them. In the case of the blogosphere, to get your name out there, networking is key.
Everyone has their own preference to networking or not for just the sake of networking. I do it so that I find articles and people to learn from. There will always be someone that excels better than I do, I find it important to learn from those people.
My second reason to network is traffic. If I never mention myself or make myself known, how can I expect that anyone will find me?
February 19th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Something I don’t hear discussed very much is this: What do you want to get out of your blog? If it’s revenue then your approach to networking will be different than if it’s to become a more popular blog.
I myself have fallen into the trap of networking just for the sake of watching my RSS and page views grow. That’s fine unless I want to monetize my blog which I would like to do and am slowly starting to do.
I have a second blog that I’m not planning to monetize, at least not directly. My goal in networking for that blog is to share an important message with as many people as will listen.
A third blog I publish is an industry blog. Its goal is to become the leader in its sector. So, I try to get the ear of other bloggers who are influential in the industry.
So, I encourage everyone to consider what they want to get from their blog and then to find the most efficient way to get there. Track how much time you spend commenting on blogs and see if that brings you the readers you want.
In my case, I’m commenting here because I enjoy this blog. I don’t expect to get many Math blog subscribers from here. For that blog I target StumbleUpon, other Math bloggers, and the Carnival of Mathematics.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:52 am
Sol » Asking yourself what you want from your blog is a great question. And if the answer is monetization, while your approach may be different, in the end it’s still traffic that you need.
What I have found for myself is that I network for the sake of just networking. I enjoy getting to know new people and discovering new blogs. It’s something I do without any very specific goals in mind. :D
March 10th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Thanks for posting all the tips. It seems that you know what your doing when it comes to social networking sites. Thanks for sharing it with us.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Jason » You’re very welcome and thank you for the compliment. :o)
March 12th, 2008 at 8:06 am
[...] result of my networking efforts are now displayed in my Alexa [...]
March 17th, 2008 at 10:50 am
[...] be wondering about some of the best places to network for your blog? Well, here I’ve taken all of my blog posts about networking and have put the information together to tell you what works from [...]
March 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
[...] replying to your commentators, you’re giving them further reason to promote themselves on your blog. Allow it! It’s not only good for you but your commentators as [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 6:47 am
This makes so much sense.
I’m a member of so many social networking sites. The only one I check frequently are StumbleUpon and Blog Catalog both which I’m not using to their full potential.
I need to schedule time among everything else to affectively network. I also need to work on this in person as well. I’m friendly but I can’t schmooze to save my life!
May 18th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Cynthia » Thank you! I was inspired to write this post because of the crazy number of networking sites that I belong to. And while I try to pop into most of them all the time, it’s just not efficient at this point for me to actively work all of them.
Good luck with your time management for getting the most out of your networking. Sometimes, this is easier said than done and even for me, takes a back seat to other priorities a time or two.
May 25th, 2008 at 11:29 am
[...] the time came that I built Joanne’s blog, little by little I gave her the run down on networking, blogging, and using the WordPress [...]
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Great post!
You listed this and broke it down very well to understand.
With the no follow rule, it seems to be such a waste of time to even use those sites.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I can only participate in one social network site (spicypage.com) although I had sign up a lot of them (digg, stumbleupon, technorati), as a part-time blogger it seem impossible to concentrate to a lot of social networking.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Totally agree with you. I was into Social Networking in a big way a while back and I mean the whole lot like Twitter, Digg, Orkut, StumbleUpon, and a whole lot others too, even the ones to just bookmark your bookmarks online. Now I have stopped it especially after Twitter going down recently and it still has not come back on IM on my GTalk. Now I spend my time blogging and reading other blogs and generally rely on that to bring in the traffic through search engines. I might end up with Social Networking in the future who knows, but as of now probably not.
July 21st, 2008 at 2:22 pm
[...] count on others to link back to you, talk about you, or create your community. Seek out places to network and get involved to bring people [...]
July 31st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
This is very useful advice, because about a week or so or so go I started submitting to several social book marking sites.
Then about a week later I read something along similar lines to this blog that it won’t work just submitting links (pah, why can’t it ever be easy!)
So you’ve just confirmed what I slowly started to suspect, is that you have to be a proper member of the community to get any benefit from it.
So I guess I need to pick one or two, because that’s probably the only extra communities I have time for, and start getting involved properly. So does anyone know which high quality social bookmarking sites don’t use the ‘no follow’ tag?
By the way, one social/business networking site that doesn’t use the no follow (I’m pretty certain they don’t anyway) is http://www.ecademy.com and is an excellent website for business owners. I’ve been using it for years as a proper member, and it’s excellent.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:29 am
You make some good points about social networking sites. Especially StumbleUpon which happens to be one of my favorites. In order to get effective on any social platform you are going to need to spend some time figuring out the features of the platform and writing reviews etc. You can just login every once in awhile and post one of your links and expect to get results.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:55 am
With all of this skepticism let's not forget how powerful online networking can be.Because there are so many half -heated online network out there,being good means an incredible advantage for the small but substantial group of talented networkers who strive everyday to perfect their art.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
First let me tell you that being a new blogger I am addicted to your site. Tons of great info, Thanks you!
When I hear the word "Networking" it takes me back to the days I was selling newpaper ads and trying just about anything to get business. Doesn't sound like much has changed, other then now its all via the internet. Great article, thanks!
March 24th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
First let me tell you that being a new blogger I am addicted to your site. Tons of great info, Thanks you!
When I hear the word "Networking" it takes me back to the days I was selling newpaper ads and trying just about anything to get business. Doesn't sound like much has changed, other then now its all via the internet. Great article, thanks!
March 24th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
First let me tell you that being a new blogger I am addicted to your site. Tons of great info, Thanks you!
When I hear the word "Networking" it takes me back to the days I was selling newpaper ads and trying just about anything to get business. Doesn't sound like much has changed, other then now its all via the internet. Great article, thanks!
May 18th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
these tips like the stumbling one are worth trying as well.