Make tagging and bookmarking easy: Don’t make users try to figure out how to add
your blog or site to their content feed. Instead, make it easy by a function that generates
the necessary URL or code for visitors to add you to their important links. There are tools
available to help with this, including the RSS Button Maker: http://www.toprankblog
.com/tools/rss-buttons/.
Reward inbound links:People who link to you want something in return. If you can
provide a link to them in your blog, blogroll, or some other area of your web site, people
and companies will be much more likely to link to you. Just remember to keep the links
into and out of your site directly related to the topic of the site.
Help your content travel:Having traveling content means having content that can be
accessed from another site easily. If you have content that many people will be interested
in, consider making that content available in PDF format or as an audio or video file. Then
when users want to spread your content, it will be easy for them to do.
Encourage the mashup: A mashup is a web application that combines data from more
than one source into an integrated experience for your site users. For example, if you make
it possible for others to embed your content in their blog or web site in exchange for a link
back to you, you’ll find that your popularity climbs faster than if you won’t let them move
your content from one place to another.
Be a user resource, even if it doesn’t help you:Today’s Internet users, and most espe-
cially those users who participate in social media and social networking, will expect you
to provide information that is useful to them. If you’re not providing that information,
they’ll go to someone who is. So, call it being a Good Resource Ambassador, but try to
help people without expecting anything in return. Your returns will come just because
your actions proved your site’s worth.
Reward helpful and valuable users:Helpful and valuable users will be the best help you
can have as you’re working with your social-media optimization. Find a way to reward
those users so they’ll continue to be helpful.
Participate:If you don’t participate, your thoughts and opinions will not be welcomed
in a social-media network for long. If you’re going to leverage the power of social media,
you have to be willing to participate.
Know how to target your audience:Audiences can be tough. If you approach the wrong
audience with the wrong message, you’ll be slaughtered in the court of opinion. Before you
make that kind of mistake, take the time to learn who you’ll be in the community with.
Create content:Content is one key to social-media marketing. If you make it a point to
create fresh, unique content regularly, visitors will come to you because they know they
can find the information they need.
Be real:Social networkers can spot a fake nearly as quickly as they could spot a three-
dollar bill. Don’t try to con your audiences. Eventually, they’ll catch on and annihilate
you. Be who you are. That will get you much further than being what you think others
want you to be.
Don’t forget your roots, be humble:When you participate regularly in social media,
you may find yourself in the position of being considered an expert. Many people will let253
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