May 4, 2010

How to Get More Social Bookmarking Traffic

Social bookmarking is a method of sharing, organizing, searching, and managing bookmarks of web resources.

Unlike file sharing, the resources themselves aren’t shared—merely the bookmarks that reference them.

Most local Connecticut small businesses aren’t doing much in terms of trying to get Social Bookmarking traffic.

However, a strong social bookmarking campaign has the potential to make your website a great success.

Being able to get to the front page of sites like Digg, Delicious, Stumbleupon, and others is a big boost to your website traffic, and it isn’t as difficult as you might think.

All that you have to do is know what you’re doing, and know what these sites look for to make your website bookmark-worthy.

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING TRAFFIC IDEAS

Here are some tips to help:

  • Pay attention to headlines. Your headlines matter. You need to make sure that you use something catchy so that people will want to read more.
  • Descriptions count, too. Once people are captured by your headline, they’ll want to know a little bit more. Keep your descriptions short and honest.
  • Make the first paragraph the most important part of your article or content, and make sure that it’s the best content that you can provide.
  • Content rules. You have to have interesting, simple, straightforward content. People like things that are fun to read, but that also provide useful information.
  • Timing is key. The rule of thumb is to post after 10 A.M. central time, but other users claim they get more traffic around 3 P.M. central time.
  • Choose correct categories, even if you choose ‘Misc.’ or ‘General’.
  • Build a profile that shows you’re not just a self-promoter.
  • Cooperate and work with other social bookmarkers.
  • Keep it current and fresh. If it’s yesterday’s news, no one cares.
  • Check the facts, and check the spelling. You need to have correct facts and proper spelling or grammar for credibility and successful posting.
  • Understand some topics just don’t work. No matter how hard you try, not every topic will be front page-worthy.
  • Have popular or related article links. Show people you’re more than just an article poster.
  • Use RSS feeds, affiliate marketing, and newsletter subscriptions to increase bookmarking ranks.
  • Do NOT use automated submission tools. These are often seen as spam and can get you banned.
  • Respond to comments. People are looking to have a conversation, and want to hear from you.
  • Prepare your server. If you’re trying to become front page material, your website needs to handle the increased traffic without crashing.
  • Snowball your success. Start with the major players in social bookmarking. From there, if your story is good, it will get put on smaller bookmarking websites by other users, and you’ll get moved up without even having to put in the effort.

These tips should help increase traffic, but the one thing to always keep in mind is that you’re trying to impress people and get them interested in what you have to say / offer.

To schedule a free consultation with Connecticut’s leading Social Media Marketing (SEM) firm, please visit www.allaccessunlimited.com or call our Stamford, CT headquarters directly at: 203-276-9812

Filed under: Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 12:33 pm

April 22, 2010

How to Get More Facebook Traffic

Facebook was not the originator of the social network, but it has quickly become one of the most popular sites that people use for their social networking.

FACEBOOK TRAFFIC CAN EASILY BE CONVERTED INTO WEBSITE TRAFFIC

Facebook is a valuable tool that you can use to increase traffic, promote products and services, and get visitors to your website.

As with other marketing channels, Facebook (along with other social media sites) have to be tested on an individual basis so that you can find what works for you.

With that said, here are some tips to help generate more interest with your Facebook profile:

  • Your profile counts. Make it interesting, keep it public, and give people information so that they can establish a connection with you and become a supporter.
  • Use your wall, gallery, and other pages wisely. Include information about your website in your photo gallery and on your wall, because the more people can see information or elements relevant to your site, the more interested they will be.
  • Build a network. The major player in your success is the network that you have, which is why you should find potential prospects and add them to your connections.
  • Regular posts are a must. Whether you post daily, every other day, weekly, or even every few days at random, you must keep updating your profile. People will not come back to your profile if you haven’t been on lately, because there is nothing to draw them to your page. If all else fails, at least post daily status updates.
  • Activity counts. Make sure that you visit other people’s profiles, leave comments, take part in groups and discussions, and do as much as you can through Facebook to get the most out of it. People who are interested in others will generate more interest in themselves.
  • Page arrangement matters. Take the time to move around the boxes and areas of information on your Facebook page to customize it and capitalize on what is important.
  • Use apps that suit your needs. Find the apps that help you save time and effort, and that assist you in putting your best foot forward.
  • Facebook social ads are a great alternative, functioning much like Google Adwords. Use them when you need them.
  • Start a group or page. You can relate it to your business and encourage others to join.
  • Write your own Facebook extensions, if you are capable. If not, don’t sweat it.
  • Use separate profiles for business and personal information. Your personal details may deter visitors, so it’s better to keep them separate.

These tips should help increase traffic, but always keep in mind that Facebook changes regularly. Just give these things a try and see what works.

To schedule a free consultation with Connecticut’s leading Social Media Marketing (SEM) firm, please visit www.allaccessunlimited.com or call our Stamford, CT headquarters directly at: 203-276-9812

Filed under: Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:04 am

April 13, 2010

How to Get More Twitter Traffic (And Improve Your Social Media Marketing Efforts)

Twitter is one of the hottest social networking websites that exists.

More people use Twitter because it is simple and easy to use, which creates accessibility for anyone.

But before you capitalize on it, you will first need to set aside some time to learn the lingo and figure out what strategies you can utilize to make this magical website work for you.

TIPS FROM OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
FIRM IN STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

Here are some general suggestions for you to get more Twitter traffic:

  • Have an interesting profile, otherwise people will be bored and leave. Make the most of the space that you have.
  • Usernames matter. Pick one that is keyword-oriented around your website for the best result.
  • Include your URL(s) in your profile. Website, blog, Facebook, etc. All of these links will help.
  • Share your Twitter profile to associates, clients, coworkers, friends, family, and anyone else who cares.
  • Find Twitter users who have similar interests, and follow them. Invite them to follow you, also.
  • Socialize, socialize, socialize. You need to make friends and be sure to follow people who are following you and keep up on posts. If you don’t utilize your Twitter account, people won’t visit your profile.
  • Tweet. Although you currently might not even know what a tweet is (posting something on Twitter), you need to do it on a regular basis. If you haven’t tweeted since a month ago, people can see that.
  • Fight the urge to spam! It can be tempting to invite everyone, send mass emails, and so on. However, that’s spamming and it will only earn you a bad reputation.
  • Twitterfeed is your friend. Use it to manage your feeds and help you with Twitter.
  • Become the apple of Twitter Search’s eye. Utilize your tweets to post relevant, hot news updates. You will be more easily found on search and you will reap the rewards.
  • Personalize with gadgets and tools. You can add various custom features to your website from Twitter, including one that allows blog readers to become Twitter followers with one click.

These are some of the best ways to get traffic from Twitter to your website, but there are also several others that you can consider.

If you’re creative with your tactics, you will generally be able to find more traffic generation tools and tips for Twitter on your own as you go along.

To schedule a free consultation with Connecticut’s leading Social Media Marketing (SEM) firm, please visit www.allaccessunlimited.com or call our Stamford, CT headquarters directly at: 203-276-9812

Filed under: Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:42 am

February 9, 2010

Your Beginner’s Guide To Social Media Marketing PART II of II: “Testing The Social Media Landscape”

We’ve been getting more calls and emails lately than ever before by businesses interested in marketing themselves on the Social Networks.

We’re hearing questions like:

What are all the Social Network sites that everyone is talking about?

How do we create an account—as individuals or as one company?

What exactly should we say once we’re on there?

When do we say what we’re supposed to say?

How much do we post and how often?

Can we sell anything or not?

Our answer to the newbie is always the same.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s better to hire an experienced company to provide consulting, at least to get you started (yes, we do that here).

However, if you don’t have a budget, and you would like to try it out on your own, then the best thing to do at first is to watch and absorb—start with one or two social networks only. Be yourself. Try to have fun and interact. Don’t initially worry about selling.

While you’re on there, keep track of what other businesses are doing, what they are saying. Decide what you like and what you don’t like.

Once you feel comfortable, you can wade in slowly. Think touch and go—NOT media blitz.

Here are just a few social networking sites you may wish to start with:

Twitter: The big site right now, next to Facebook. As described by Twitter themselves: “The timely bits of information that spread through Twitter can help you make better choices and decisions and, should you so desire, creates a platform for you to influence what’s being talked about around the world. Search results spread across Twitter and in other ways across the Web so you can discover what’s happening on and off of Twitter.com, wherever you prefer.”

Squidoo: The world’s most popular site for building free, single pages about whatever topics you’re passionate about. Highlight books, videos, blogs, online shops, or just spread the word about what you love most. An added bonus is that you can raise money at the same time (even for charity). It’s fast, free, and simple to use.

Facebook: Here you can join networks organized by city, school, workplace, and region. The goal is to link up and interact with other people. You can also add friends and send messages, and update your personal or business profile. You can be successful if you provide useful and interesting content here, and if you interact in a fun and exciting way.

StumbleUpon: An online community that allows users to discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos. Web pages are presented when the user clicks the “Stumble!” button on the browser’s toolbar. StumbleUpon chooses which Web page to display based on the user’s ratings of previous pages, ratings by his/her friends, and by the ratings of users with similar interests.

Digg: Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg shows the best stuff as voted on by users. You won’t find editors at Digg — they’re there to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content; this site is known for some of the nastiest remarks online. It’s not for the faint of heart. Submit links or vote on the ones there.

YouTube: Video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Accounts of registered users are called “channels.” If you supplement your copy with images and video and place them out there, it provides linkage back to you for users who might not otherwise access your site.

Flickr:  Almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. It has two main goals: 1) to help people make their content available to the people who matter to them; 2) to enable new ways of organizing photos and video.

Slashdot: A technology-related news website that features user-submitted and editor-evaluated current affairs news with a “nerdy” slant. Each story on the site has an Internet forum-style comments section attached. The summaries for the stories are generally submitted by Slashdot’s own readers with editors accepting or rejecting these contributions for general posting. Warning: if your content gets placed on Slashdot, make sure your servers can handle the traffic. Google the “slashdot effect” for more information.

Yelp: Yelp helps people find great local businesses like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics. As of February 2009, more than 20 million people looked up a business on Yelp in the past 30 days. Yelpers have written over 5 million local reviews, over 85% of them rating a business 3 stars or higher. You can use Yelp to find local events, lists and to talk with other yelpers. Every business owner (or manager) can setup a free account to post offers, photos and message customers.

LinkedIn: A professional community that was originally intended to act as a sort of job-reference site. The content you place here is all about you, so it can serve as a mini-resume to which (and from which) you can link. LinkedIn makes staying in touch simple, as you can find past and present colleagues and classmates quickly. You can discover inside connections when you’re looking for a job or new business opportunity. Your network is full of industry experts willing to share advice. Have a question? Just ask.

Technorati: The leading blog search engine, Technorati.com indexes millions of blog posts in real time and surfaces them in seconds. The site has become the definitive source for the top stories, opinions, photos and videos emerging across news, entertainment, technology, lifestyle, sports, politics and business. Technorati.com tracks not only the authority and influence of blogs, but also the most comprehensive and current index of who and what is most popular in the Blogosphere. Founded as the first blog search engine, Technorati has expanded to a full service media company providing services to the blogs and social media sites and connecting them with advertisers who want to join the conversation, and whose online properties introduce blog content to millions of consumers.

Newsvine: Updated continuously by citizens like you, Newsvine is an instant reflection of what the world is talking about at any given moment. You can submit stories here, but make sure that they’re newsworthy and not just advertorials.

Helium: This is one of the best content sites. Too often content sites are used by first-time writers looking to “publish” their work, and by companies desperate to get links to their site who will throw up an ad or even a paragraph and call it an article. Helium is a lot of content in a lot of areas, and while it’s not strictly speaking fact-checked, at least an editor takes a look at the material. It’s a good place for your content to appear.

Sphinn: This is a pretty good content site with a social community for Internet marketers. There is a lot of good SEO and other web marketing information and opinions. Users have the option to “sphinn” the content found here.

Wikihow: Just as Wikipedia offers information, WikiHow is a how-to site/community made up of user-generated content.

Reddit: Social news website where you can post links to whatever web content you like. Other users may then vote the posted links down or up, causing them to appear more or less prominently on the Reddit home page. Users may discuss the posted links and vote for or against. When there are enough votes against a given comment, it will not be displayed by default, although a reader can display it through a link or preference. If you submit lots of interesting that gets “vote ups” you receive “karma” points as a reward.

If you want to try social media marketing, take a look at these and other sites (new ones appear daily!) and see which ones might work best for your company, your product, your service. Then behave responsibly.

Remember, in the social network marketing world, it’s all about trust.

At All Access Unlimited, we advise small-to-mid-size businesses and organizations, as well as entrepreneurs and individuals on how to use social media marketing (also known as social network marketing) to build relationships and deliver value.

Filed under: Internet Marketing Tips, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 2:22 am

February 5, 2010

Your Beginner’s Guide To Social Media Marketing PART I of II: “Testing The Social Media Landscape”

At a recent Social Media Marketing conference here in Connecticut, an esteemed panel member noted the increase in the use of social networking sites “as portals to the Internet.”

What does that mean exactly?…“portals” to the Internet?

That means there are more and more people who, instead of going online and searching for things using Google, Yahoo and MSN as their starting-place, are actually going online and visiting social networking sites instead.

Now, that’s a BIG deal!

If you’ve got a business, you NEED to start marketing on the social networks—period.

However, if you’re not really sure how to go about it, be careful.

Do your homework first—a warning you may have heard before.

You can easily destroy your reputation fast, and that won’t be good.

So, what Social Networks should you use to market your company?

And how should you be using them?

Good questions. The answer is, that really all depends.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TIPS FOR CONNECTICUT BUSINESSES

My advice is to pick one first. These days, it can be daunting to try to bite off more than you can chew, with all the online communities out there, and more coming on the scene every second.

The first thing you should do is DON’T take action—just listen, at least for now. Observe, study, research, contemplate, reflect.

Pay particular attention to how people are interacting with each other, what they are saying, how they are saying it, what they are sharing, how they are sharing it, and so on.

You’re trying to envision at this stage how you might contribute.

Keep at it and it won’t be long before you realize that social communities are about presence, about people sharing things—ideas, experiences, stories.

That means that if you’re going to do any marketing through the social networks, you need to interact correctly.

Forget about all the marketing hype on your Sales Letter page—that won’t get you far here.

Instead, use these basic tips:

  • Establish your “personal” presence. Do this early on, long before you try any advertising or marketing (if you even try any at all, at least in the traditional sense). Usually people will need to recognize you as a person before they listen to your recommendations, ideas, advice, and so on.
  • Join the community. If you don’t have time to interact as much as possible, then pick and choose the right times and places when and where you can interact. Try to reflect and comment on a variety of things, not just topics and issues that affect your business. Remember, becoming a trusted “person” in a community goes a long way toward establishing your credibility.
  • Take the necessary time. You shouldn’t look at social network marketing as some kind of quick fix. You need to become an active part of whatever community you’re targeting or you will not build the necessary trust to be successful marketing to it.
  • Try to be as flexible as possible. Videos, images, and other creative approaches are at the core of most social networking communities. Try to use and incorporate these and other media as frequently and appropriately as possible. Don’t stop trying to find new and creative ways of getting community members interested in you, your products or services.

Keep in mind, with social networking, the phrase “content is king” applies more than ever. Getting your stuff onto these sites and getting it read, watched or otherwise listened to by a viral crowd may be challenging, but if you can swing it then you’re looking at appealing to a tremendously important demographic.

In a few days, Part II will look at some of the more popular sites, and how you can use them. Stay tuned.

Filed under: Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:16 pm
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