Social Networking to promote your blog

Social Networking can help you move up the 'blogging ladder'. If you think that you have hit the brick wall and need some new ideas for networking, consider these.

1. Limit the number of networks that you belong to.
   
2. Choose to belong to the most popular networking sites rather than the smaller ones.
3. Connect people and build relationships, not limiting yourself to one location .
4. Start out slowly and learn how to function within the networking society that you belong to.
   
5. Observe how the more successful networkers function and learn from them
6. Observe how the lesser successful networkers function and learn from them.
7. Use an image of yourself in your profile as you would like the world to perceive you.
8. Join groups related to your purpose.
9. Be polite, politically correct, and in good taste.
10. Update often.
11. Respond to messages and requests.
12. When you post in your blog, be sure to let your networking friends know about it.
13. Don't be too obvious when you are promoting something that involves money.
    
14. Build trust with your community.
15. Get ideas from your networking friends about what groups to join.

Social networking is a great way to promote almost anything. Your blog should be no exception.

Updates on Networking

I will be updating this week on social networking.
This is such a fast- paced phenomena that it seems to be changing on a daily basis.
Social networking is definitely something that can work for anyone.


With social-networking services, personal and professional contacts know what you're doing, when you're doing it and more!

Using Social Networking as a Marketing Tool

Social networking is one method of marketing your blog. It is probably the all around best method as it costs nothing to do, exposes you to similar bloggers and promotes your blog.

I recommend using social networking as a marketing tool and the one tool to use before you use any other. Social networking is an excellent source for beginner bloggers to observe and learn how things are done. Advanced and even professional bloggers can benefit from keeping aware of the trends in bloggin through the social network.

Tips to using Social Networking as your Marketing Tool

• Build your persona. This will become your branding so put some time into it. If your purpose of networking is to bring more traffic to your site, don't forget to mention your site subtly. Add a link under 'my sites' and mention that you are a blogger in your job description.

• Join groups that have to do with what your purpose it. If you are attempting to promote your hacking blog, join a hacking group.

• I would recommend a micro blogging tool- such as Twitter, and a larger network such as Facebook. Focus on belonging to two and promote the other in your posts.

• Look for friends. Usually on Facebook, someone will accept you as a friend if there is a common friend between you. When you are accepted or confirmed as a friend, check out the other persons friends for new friends. Don't request them all though.

• When you request a friend, add a note such as, "I saw that you are a member in this group and we both have John Doe as a common friend."

• Don't get carried away with sending things like bumper stickers etc. This can become annoying. Let the other person guide the level of friendship.

• Take advantage of the mailbox address importer to see who you may know. You never know who they may know.

• Never underestimate the power of a friend, no matter who they are.

• Be friendly, conscious and courteous when you post something such as your status. You never know who will see this.

• Update often. You'll be more apt to be noticed in a sea of millions.

Twitter-Specific Tips

• Every time your post something new, update your Twitter status to with a catchy teaser. For instance, "Just posted, 5 ways to promote yourself on Twitter". Then add a way that people can read it "successfulblogging.com".

• Make it a habit to add 10 new followings per day. Before you know it, you'll have 100 followers as these people will follow you and their friends will soon follow.

• Set your settings to notify you whenever you get a new follower. Be sure to follow them back.

• Many Twitterers make it a habit to e-mail their new followers to thank them for the follow. They may also add a "visit me at this site" or "looking forward to Twittering with you".

• Let everyone know you are on Twitter. Place a Twitter gadget on your blog and add your twitter address on your Facebook and MySpace.

Here are some tips for forming your blog network;

1. Have a mutual purpose to all of the blogs invited into this network. The mutual focus can be a hobby or common interest.

2. Don't go over-board with the number of blogs in the network as there will be a point will that will distract from one another.

3. If there are too many blogs, say over 20, to add to your blog network then it is time to split them up into subcategories.

4. It is okay to belong to more than one network.

5. Start a blogroll for your network. Post it proudly on your blog.

6. Use an image or catchy phrase for your blog roll. This will help in establishing credibility.

7. Keep in contact with members on a weekly basis to keep everyone motivated.

8. Inspire members to visit member blogs and leave inspiring comments.

9. Share information with and be sure to site and link to the other blogs in your network.

10. Consider having a contest, writing an e-book, or using another marketing tool with your network buddies.


The purpose of joining a network is to promote, be promoted and support one another. It's a great tool for any blogger. Market yourself just as you would market a business. Think branding and image.

GET STARTED NOW- Follow me on Facebook, join my Blog Promotion through Social Networking group. It is FREEEEEEEEEE! Totally FREEEEEEEE.

Using LinkedIn

Using LinkedIn is a two way street.
Recruiters can find recruits and job seekers can find a job. For this reason, LinkedIn is a more serious and 'less fun' social networking site.

What is the success rate? Your success rate improves from not using LinkedIn as a source.

According to the company, LinkedIn provides these tips for using their services.

Using LinkedIn as a Job Seeker

Whether you’re actively seeking a job, or just keeping tabs on where your industry is heading, LinkedIn Jobs leverages your professional relationships to help you achieve your career goals.

Utilize the advanced job search to take that first step towards that dream job. Along with specific keywords you can tailor your search by specifying an experience level or job title to find the right job for your specific situation and career goals. Additionally, you can refine your search using the following criteria:

• Location
• Experience level
• Date posted
• Title
• Company
• Job Function (ex: Writing / Editing)
• Industry (ex: Entertainment)

Browsing Jobs

Jobs that match your search terms and filtering criteria will be returned in two clickable tabs:

• LinkedIn Jobs: positions posted directly on LinkedIn, including exclusive listings
• The Web: positions from partner sites all over the web

Regardless of the source, LinkedIn will display who in your network can help you with the position. With LinkedIn you can reach out through your network and find the right person at the company for more information, to answer any questions, or even introduce you to the hiring manager.

Once you’ve returned search results, if you’d like to expand or refine your query, click the “refine search results” button and make changes without losing the information you’re already entered.

Application/referral process

Applying for a job is as easy as clicking the “Apply Now” button on the specific job listing page and filling in a few pieces of information. Information you provide during the application process along with your LinkedIn profile will be sent to the job poster.

Referrals are powerful tools that will help you get your foot in the door. Click on the “Request Referral” button to see whom in your network connects you to the job poster. You can then request an Introduction, which lets you contact people through those that you know. If you want to contact a user who is two or three degrees away from you, you can request an introduction through one of your connections. Your connection will, in turn, decide whether to forward it on to the desired recipient (if in your 2nd degree) or to a shared connection (if in your 3rd degree).

Forwarding a job

See a job that you think would be a perfect fit for one of your connections? Click the “Email this job to a friend” button and pass it along. This virtuous cycle completes when one of your connections returns the favor by one day forwarding you an interesting opportunity.

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I am a Hiring Manager

Using LinkedIn you can reach 20+ million candidates, both those actively searching for a job as well as passive candidates. Passive candidates will often receive a forwarded job listing because one of their contacts felt that it could be a great fit. Additionally, with a job module on every user’s home page, new opportunities frequently come across their radar. Industry wisdom proclaims passive candidates as the very best and most valuable candidates, but are notoriously hard to reach since they are rarely actively seeking a new job.

Begin your posting on the Jobs home page, by clicking on the “Post a Job” button. Posting is quick and easy with only a few simple steps:

1. Compose job: Provide company, job and location details.
2. Contact information: Choose how you would like to view and manage applications
3. Confirmation: Review and confirm all details for your job posting
4. Payment: Enter payment information

Did you know: Jobs posted exclusively on LinkedIn receive special promotion at no extra cost

How much does it cost?

Each job posting costs $195 and is visible for 30 days. Corporate accounts and bulk discounts are available.

Leverage the power of your network to announce your job opening. After entering payment information and posting your position, you will be able to forward your position to your network.

Social Networking for your business

This week I have been focusing on using social networking. My emphasis is mostly on using networking for promotion of something, whether it is you, your blog or your business.

A social network is a powerful businesses tool .

• Social networking can;
• Promote you as a professional to enhance your ability to et promoted or seek another job.
• Provides a way for clients, customers, vendors, and coworkers to share ideas and learn from one another.
• Serve as a motivational means by inspiring people.
• Assist you in keeping up with the latest trends that can affect your business.
• Is a simple way to advertise, if anything.

When using social networking it is important to put some kind of an effort into it on a daily, or regular basis. Here is how.

• Keep your followers informed. Update them with articles, posts, and other information.
• Keep the information fresh, new and exciting . Not unlike a blog.
• Be personable with your followers. This is easy to do with e-mails, messages, and more.
• Interact with people through polls and questions.
  

Recruiting and being recruited via social networking.

One of the biggest names in social networking for the sole purpose of recruitment is LinkedIn.
LinkedIn launched in 2003 and is designed to grow professional referrals and interactive exchanges with colleagues. With LinkedIn, members submit contacts and invite friends and associates into their loop. Members can then tap into a database of new business contacts that are nested within their contacts' circle of friends/contacts. LinkedIn is more serious and professional than other sites.

LinkedIn has more than 10 million users. Some of their users are big. LinkedIn has secured more than 350 corporations paying upward of US$250,000 each to advertise job postings.

Tomorrow, I will focus on using LinknedIn

Social Networking-Digg

Gone are the days when bloggers just blogged and readers just read.
Thanks to monetization, blogging has a lot to do with getting traffic.

A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. This is actually a great way to promote your site and thus, get traffic.

Digg is a user-driven website; all the content on Digg is submitted and moderated by Digg users.
Users submit items, other users read the submissions, and then readers 'digg' what they like best. In order to submit and item, your need to join, for free.
Then you'll be able to start Digging, or submitting, stories that you find on the Web to Digg.

Users can submit stories;

• Submit a story: Navigate to the Submit a Story URL and follow the directions
  

• Use a bookmarklet : Just drag that link to your browser toolbar (works with Internet Explorer and Firefox) and that's it.

If you are someone who is just looking for items to read or blogs to visit, Digg is a great place to find them

For website owners or bloggers Digg can send you more traffic. Your goal is to make it to the front page of Digg. This can cause what has become known as the "Digg Effect", a huge influx of traffic from Digg to your site or blog

Digg's popularity has prompted the creation of other social networking sites with a story submission and voting system.


Digg is democratizing digital media. As a user, you participate in determining all site content by discovering, selecting, sharing, and discussing the news, videos, and podcasts that appeal to you.

Discover Digg

• Submit your favorites. Find an article, video, or podcast online and submit it to Digg.com. Your submission will immediately appear in “Upcoming Stories,” where other members can find it and, if they like it, Digg it.

• Become popular. Once a submission has earned a critical mass of Diggs, it becomes “popular” and jumps to the homepage in its category. If it becomes one of the most popular, it qualifies as a “Top 10”. If a submission doesn't receive enough Diggs within a certain time period, it eventually falls out of the “Upcoming” section.

• Discover media on Digg. Visit the “Upcoming” section to discover recently added news, videos, and podcasts. Track submissions as they come in with Swarm, Stack, Big Spy or Arc, our real-time Flash visualization tools in Digg Labs. Or use Spy to watch the titles and descriptions as they roll down the page.
  

There are a variety of rules that Digg expects users to follow.

• One of the most important rules of Digg etiquette is to always submit the original source of a story. If you're submitting a blog post or page that expounds on the original source of a story by adding new information or opinions, that's okay, but make sure your submission adds value to the conversation or story. If it doesn't, find the original source and submit that instead.

• Don't Digg Your Own Posts. Digg will penalize users who submit their own content too frequently. If you want your blog posts to have a chance at making it to the main page of Digg (and generating a lot of traffic to your blog), don't be the first to submit your post. Ask a friend or colleague to submit it first.
  

Tips

• Use a Good Title and Description in Your Diggs. When you Digg something, give it a good title and description. The title and description are what you're using to convince other users to click on the submission, read the article and hopefully Digg it, too. Sell the article with a great title and description to increase your chances of getting more Diggs for it.
  

• Be an Active Digg User
  Digg users who are very active have a better chance of getting their Digg submissions noticed and attracting more Diggs to them from other users.
  

Digg links you should be aware of:

• Digg FAQ: Any kind of problem with Digg has probably been addressed here.
• The Digg Blog: What Digg is doing behind the scenes for a better user experience.
• Diggnation: this is the official Digg podcast site; the founders of Digg pontificate on various topics every week.
• Include Digg in your site: a couple of fun ways to include Digg into your site or blog.
• Digg Spy: watch Digg stories as they are submitted in real time.
• Digg Labs: Digg Labs has two new ways to view Digg submissions: Digg Stack and Digg Swarm.