How to Build Digg Traffic the Right Way

Digg is the leading news story submission and voting site in the Internet. Users "dig" good stories and "bury" bad ones. Because the community of users has control over the quality of content, Digg is "democratizing digital media." 

Understand the Digg Culture 

Digg's popularity makes it a good source of traffic for websites. To get that traffic, below are some things you first need to understand about Digg: 

1. Digg users influence your site's ranking. Unlike in search engines where your site is evaluated by search engine robots and algorithms. Your Digg traffic generation should factor in the human aspect in a major way. 

2. Digg submission is done once only. Duplicate submissions are not allowed. Unlike in regular SEO submissions where you can submit your site to many directories, search engines, or article sites. 

3. Submissions can be on links to news items, videos, or images. In regular SEO activities, submission is done on landing and other key web pages. 

4. Digg allows comments on submissions. The comment button for each Dugg story is similar to those in blog posts. Users who dug or bury your link can add their comment and feedbacks. You gain insight to what needs to be improved based on their comments. 

5. Digg traffic is fleeting. No site ever retains the title as the longest-running most-Dugg story. For web site owners, this calls for continuous "digging" or maximizing the big Digg traffic you generate. 


How to Digg for Traffic 

Getting Digg traffic is easy when you understand the Digg submission system and its users’ preferences. Here's how to do this: 

1. Be active. Dig or bury stories, and participate in the community. 

2. Digg quality content. Do not submit badly-written or unoriginal stories. Study the sites that made it to the top of Digg. If possible, revise your site to cater to this Digg standard on quality. 

3. Submit useful stories. "How to" and instructional articles are often liked by Digg users. Format your submission in easy-to-understand lists and bullets, with short yet clear content. 

4. Submit based on popular topics. Find the relationship between the popular topics and your niche, and write your stories based on this. For example, if you run a health care business, you can submit stories on technological advances in health care, if the popular trend in Digg is on technology. 

5. Package Digg with your marketing campaign. A "Digg this" button in your blog, a Digg reference in Facebook and Twitter, or a Digg link in your newsletter campaign can increase your Digg traffic in due time. 


Maximizing Digg Traffic 

When Digg finally sends traffic your way, here's how to get the most benefit out of it: 

1. RSS subscriptions. Digg users who troop to your site should see an invitation to RSS subscriptions. They have an option not to subscribe, but many website owners note an increase in RSS subscribers after a big Digg traffic surge. 

2. Great content. Digg-sent visitors will naturally explore your site to check the rest of the content. Make sure that the other pages are as good as the site that reeled them in from Digg. 

3. Email newsletter opt-in. Somewhere in your site, you can setup an opt-in form to increase your newsletter subscriber base. 

4. Blog comments. If ever visitors from Digg comment on your posts, reply to them at once and maintain the conversation for as long as possible with each commenter. 

Ultimately, the secret to getting to the top pages of Digg is quality digging and becoming a part of the Digg community. Your website must be prepared for the Digg traffic that comes your way, by assuring quality content and good design that converts this traffic into your loyal web site followers.

Internet Marketing Tips

If you are already aware of this phenomenal phenomenon called internet marketing then read on. You’ll learn a few easy tips and tricks to add that much needed zing to your internet marketing efforts.

For the uninitiated, internet marketing is the advertising, publicizing and doing similar stuff for your products, services, or yourself using the internet. Most of you would think you need a website for it. A modern day myth if there could be one! Having a website is definitely a plus but you need not worry if you don’t have one. You are as good without it too.

For starters, get your presence online. If you only have on youtube video or a couple of images or a bunch of books to market/sell, just register or any of the popular video, images or online book merchants.

A good way to let people know about what you are doing is to commission people to write articles about your initiative. You can ask them to upload these articles on popular articles websites like ezinearticles or associated content. Identify a few good bloggers by page rank and readership, especially blogs related to your product/topic. You could pay them to blog about your product with a link to your video, ad, site, campaign etc in the post.. However, keep in mind that search engines do not approve of this practice and it also happens to be a blackhat SEO technique. A better way to pull of the same stuff is to search for forums and websites dedicated to your topic. Signup and share your knowledge. This way you also affirm your authority on the topic, earn people’s trust while also garnering a lot of positive publicity for your online marketing campaign.

Viral marketing is the order of the day. Rope in your friends, family and everyone else you know to view your website, video, ad campaign (not if it’s a pay per click or campaign…you obviously do not want to waste money on so many non-productive clicks!) and ask them to spread the word to increase page views.

Social bookmarking is another phenomenon that follows closely in the footsteps of viral marketing. Signup on facebook, orkut, myspace, twitter, and link to your website, webpage, ad campaign or wherever else you want the public to go! Also, signup on delicious, diggg and similar sites with the keywords of your choice to let people know of your existence. These also count as back links to you webpage giving you a solid page rank boost.

Social bookmarking is another phenomenon that follows closely in the footsteps of viral marketing. Signup on facebook, orkut, myspace, twitter, and link to your website, webpage, ad campaign or wherever else you want the public to go! Also, signup on delicious, diggg and similar sites with the keywords of your choice to let people know of your existence. These also count as back links to you webpage giving you a solid page rank boost.

Today why we Use Social Media Marketing?

I am always questioned at workshops or at sales pitch “Why Should We Invest in Social Media Marketing?” I thought of answering this on my blog to address the inquisitive mind globally. The world today is getting more and more dependent on the internet. More and more studies indicate that a lot of people make important decisions researching them first online. Research also indicates that people depend on other people’s experiences to make decisions on products and services. With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other such social media, information travels around the world much faster. Therefore, today social media has become an important medium for many brands. 

When we look at social media, it is important to understand why social media has become a crucial necessity, for most entrepreneurs and businesses.

• Credibility to the Visibility: Using social media as a medium, products and services get better visibility and credibility. This, however, is tricky because it is not just important to appear online, one must ensure to be included as a positive option in front of sites. Search Engines definitely give you good visibility but connecting your website to social media channels builds credibility. The more popularity and information is available online, the more the chances are for sales and business. For example: If someone lands up to your site via Google and the person happens to see your well managed facebook, twitter, blog and other social media account integrated with your site with quality information and conversation the person might either connect you there or can request you for service on the basis of the credibility he/she builds. 

• Search enhancement: This is an important part of using social media. When a user is searching for any information online, let’s say using search options like Google, it is very important that he/she get to your page as quickly as possible. This is because as much as the user searches for information, he/she is usually looking for top results and positive opinions. Today, people just do not search on Google or other popular search engines. Their search is extended to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Slideshare, Youtube and Flickr search. People would want to read the humanized aspects of the brand and not the promotional materials. The search on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is extensively known to be “Social Search” where people search other people by defining their qualities. Also, Bing and Google have recently confirmed that links shared through Twitter and Facebook have a direct impact on search engine rankings of your website or blog. 

• Customer service: Gone are the days when there are little or no communication exchanges between sellers and buyers. In today’s world people want to contribute to the growth of a product or service. Today, the customer wants to be a part of the developing process and also ensure that their voice is heard regardless of positive or negative. Social Media is extensively used for Customer Service. For example: Comcast (TV Service Providers in US) listens to customers concern on twitter and offers a support system via the same. Similarly, Airtel, FlyKingfisher, Cafe Coffee Day in India immensely use Twitter to address customer queries and avail them quick feedback. Remember, calling or writing emails is a tedious process for many in comparison with just tweeting with 140 characters and get the problem solved. 

• Instant dissemination: As much as your product may be great or useful, with all the inventions that are taking place and the competition that prevails in today’s world, it is up to you to ensure that your information reaches its appropriate or probable user; and more importantly reaches him/her as fast as possible. With an advent of Social Networking sites you can make your information reach to your target audience with few seconds. Whereas, Search Engine Optimizing your website may require a lot of time to obtain visibility. Today, popular brands such as Subway, Coke, Dell, Ford etc. use Social Media in order to generate awareness in fraction of seconds. The content disseminated via Social Media just does not create awareness, but also makes it conversable and go viral. 

• Cheaper, yet effective: Creating a brand using social media is a inexpensive option because most of the services that are used by perspective buyers are either free or come at a marginal rate. If the brand has some goodwill there is every chance that the information will spread like wild fire. Moreover, the reach of this medium is cheaper only after a complete Social Media practise for year. It is essential for people to understand, Social Media definitely needs investment to build community, build interesting contents, for a conversational and engaging model. The ROI of this medium is yet not well defined but people who have been practising Social Media Marketing have been satisfied with the positive impact on brand equity. 

There are no ifs and buts on why social media is important. However, it is important to realize that social media is not a quick game, it is certainly not as easy as setting up a Facebook account and hoping it will receive hits. Social Media Marketing is a strategic process. To leverage the Social Media and its potential before using it at large level you can personally use Social Media for a month or two to interact with your target audience. Remember, Social Media can Make or Break a brand. So, whether you are there or not, customers will still talk about you! It is better to be there, listen to them and get the feedbacks sorted. 


Resource: http://www.google.co.in/#q=digital+marketing&hl=en&prmdo=1&tbs=blg:1,qdr:h&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=Zi4QTca6L8eIrAeRsL3_Cw&ved=0CA4QpwU&fp=f3b7b9b22debfb13.

Marketers use some Steps for Social Media Program

When talking to marketers who haven't yet seen the "social media light," I forget that this stuff is still pretty new.
When I wrote about the need for a social network like Twitter - several years before Twitter was conceived - I never thought that my days would be filled teaching veteran marketers how to build social media service offerings.
Based on my daily interactions with marketing agencies, I believe we've finally reached the point where convincing companies that they need to be using social media to build awareness, audiences, traffic and leads is almost over.
Now it's about being able to speak to them in terms they understand (rather than in terms our social media peers understand), to explain why a social media strategy is absolutely necessary. 
They've spelled out 12 key things you must consider when developing a social media program for your business.
It's a good handbook for in-house marketers, as well as agencies, who are still trying to figure out how to replace their piece-meal campaign-after-campaign approach with a full-blown social media program.

Here's the Some  Steps: 

1. Audience Identification. If you know who your audience is, you're already one step ahead of the game. The next step is to figure out where they interact online.
2. Platform Development & Design. Figuring out how to engage and interact with this audience.
3. Brand Campaign Integration. It's possible for a social media program to piggyback off a good brand campaign, but it has to be transformed into its cooler younger brother.
4. Content Creation/Coordination. You must create a consistent message.
5. Goal Mapping. In other words, how do you measure your success? Is it brand mentions? Traffic? Email sign ups? Leads? Sales? 
6. Brand Identity. Everyone that is engaging via social media on your team must understand your goals and messaging.
7. Audience Attraction. Larger brands like to start spreading the word of their new, fancy and glossy initiatives at the outset, but if your social media program is good, your audience will find them on their own and the spread the word for you.  
8. Social Media Listening. If you don't know what people are saying about you and your products, their related interests and more, how are you going to interact with them?
9. Community & Social Responsibility. Social responsibility is increasingly expected of everyone - and this engagement is an essential part of your online identity. 
10. Internal/External Community Engagement & Response. Be everywhere. All the time. It's up to you to let people know that you are listening, engaging, helping, and offering solutions.
11. Brand Advocacy. Authenticity and transparency are such huge aspects of social media, your social media and management team must be 100% on board.
12. Customer Service. Good customer service involves listening (within and outside of social media) and responding appropriately. 

Resource : http://blog.hubspot.com