How Do You Social Bookmark?

Social bookmarking is the process of finding websites that interest you, sharing them with people who may also enjoy them, and tagging them for easy access at a later date. It can take place in many forms, such as sending the URLs through an email, or using sites dedicated to social bookmarking. You may be aware of StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, and De.lic.ious, but what can these sites provide for you from a business standpoint?

Subscribing to bookmarking sites allows users to add any webpage that they find appealing. So sign up for these sites, add your company page to them, and watch the traffic soar, right? Wrong. Although you will see some increase in traffic, it will be minimal, and more strategy is required in maximizing social bookmarking sites to their fullest potential.

The first way to increase your site traffic is by using common sense; grow a substantial friend following. Having followers on your social bookmarking sites will give them access to all of your preferred sites. The more people who can see your favorite sites, (your company page,) the higher your chances of generating traffic.

Additionally, your friends can always be used as promotional tools. Have them like your site, blogs, or press releases, and the traffic will be driven from multiple sources. Do NOT make fake accounts and then like your own webpage to seem as if you have a larger number of friends, as it will reflect poorly on your business tactics.

Now that you have a fan base to support you, how do you make your social bookmarking legitimate? In all Internet senses, no consumer likes a spammer. Therefore, having your site added to a bookmarking site by one of your customers, friends, or family members makes it seem as if your products and services are important to the general public. Post content that has the ability of going “viral,” or sites that will grab attention across the board.

Your company webpage can also be perceived as spam if it the only site you have bookmarked. Browse around StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit and De.lic.ious and find other sites that pertain to your industry to add to your favorites. By doing so, it will tell your followers that you are not just using social bookmarking for self-promotion purposes, or getting your business up on any random site that allows you to. Take the time to “stumble” and “digg” in order to show you’ve done some research and you are interested in all aspects of social bookmarking.

Most importantly, be aware of timing and tags. Post items, news, or blogs during a time when there would be high traffic. Make sure you use tags that allow people to easily find your site. Headlines are also extremely important when thinking of keywords that will supply you with views. The more hits you get in a shorter amount of time, the higher your content will be ranked on social bookmarking sites, and the greater traffic return you can expect from it.

Lastly, link all of your social bookmarking sites to your blogs, webpage, and other social media networks. If your company’s site traffic takes a liking to your posts, the have the ability to follow it instantly on StumbleUpon, Digg