Why would you care about social bookmarking sites? They are search engines that are people-driven. Some tips to help you get off on the right foot, socially:
- When dealing with social media, it may be wise not to be too opinionated on politics and religion. The more popular social media sites are liberal and tend to shun those who are not.
- Users are quick to point out spam, even if they are mistaken. Unfortunately you pay for their mistakes if you are removed from the site.
- The no-follow tag, which signals search engines not to value tagged links, means that you need to be accepted by the community as opposed to leveraging its size.
- Asking for votes in social media is acceptable; just never demand it or try to buy votes – members will decide for themselves if they approve your contributions.
- Every social community is unique; learn your way around Twitter, Digg, Facebook, Bebo, etc.
- Even if you have excellent content, your site will be judged on its’ appeal. A difficult time reading the text, whether it’s because it’s white or red against black, tiny lettering, or poorly spelled, will make a difference. So will a site that is difficult to navigate, or enjoy because it looks boring, can affect you negatively.
- Members will be rude from time to time; accept it.
- Timing seems to make a difference. Thought-provoking pieces do better from Monday to Thursday, but not so well on Friday afternoons. Pictures do well anytime if they are compelling.
