Well troops.. There has always been grumblings with Google being the web marketers only real choice and that we should have other ways of getting traffic

As I mentioned a while back I started playing with Social Networks with MyBlogLog ( recently purchased by Yahoo).. I have expanded

I am know playing with;

MyBlogLog
Digg
Technorati
SEO yak
Orkut
LinkedIn


I have left out

MySpace -I watch the Black Hats talk about exploiting it, so I have a bad taste in my mouth on that one

StumbledOn – I am NOT installing software simply to ply. Seems like an ‘auto-surf’ kinda crap anyways…. Sure, it is getting some BUZZ.. just not mine

Boing-Boing – Still watching it


Out of the gate, Digg and MyBlogLog are producing the best traffic, but it’s early. Another thing I am interested in is seeing which are browsers and which are buyers, including retention rates data…. Should be fun

I thought I’d start this thread for those already playing in Social Media/Networks or for those interested in chatting about it

Ok.. I added Squido to the list today..... see how it goes....

Anyone else signed up at ANY of these?

Oh yeah... I just posted links finding EVERY possible Social Networking site out there.... (most of them)..... What's Dave thinking about

I have MyBlogLog and Technorati accounts. I'm just taking it 1 step at a time, watching if it gives a reason to pursue on the others... so far both gives reasonable traffic. not sure on ROI (time invested) yet though. still watching and analyzing the stats...

Out of the gate, Digg and MyBlogLog are producing the best traffic

I would suggest that Digg could be working well because you have subject matter in line with the readerships needs.
I have used it to poor success.
Of course there is delicious etc, a huge list really if you start to look....

Found any worth the time to date??

Speaking of the gazzilion or so out there.. I posted some links of Social Media website lists

There seems to be more 'tech' related than anything, for any decent traffic. I'd be interested in other markets.... hmmmm.. need a Ginuea Pig.. he he

Ginuea Pig you say?

Well, my market is anything BUT tech. hahahahha

Dave - Concerning this whole social network thing, are you looking into this in regards to traffic, traffic value, etc.?

Or SEO for ranking?

I considered these services for ranking, but came to the conclusion that its just the new cool thing among the webmaster geeks..... something that will be shot down by the SE's very quickly.

As far as traffic is concerned, nobody in my market would use any of those services anyways... ok... maybe there's that ONE person that might.

Either way, in my market, I just don't see it as time well spent. What do you think?

I am interested in it as an additional traffic source (though one of my DIgg stories is out ranking the actual page I submitted... he he.. Duh)

So I am certainly interested in playing in some other markets.... U thinking your site or Willy?
I am certainly interested in trying it out on a 'non-techie' type site...

We'd need a site with some activity though (frequent content additions) - new page program, Blog, Articles .. etc...

U thinking of playing?

I also have some experiments going on with 'Google Personalizes Search' ... that one is a MAJOR undertaking (patents the works) - but I ned Ginuea pigs for simply using it and reporting back data to me after a couple weeks....

Lot's of fun since I retired from the boards... ( except here of course)... I have been writing a TON more on my personal site as well....

Let me know if ya want to play Bro...

hah! let me join the fun! i have an hour or two to spare... who knows what we could learn thru the experiment....

Well I grabbed Charles (WaveShoppe) MBL login lst night.. and a quick bit o 'the Gypsy method' has him 4 new members already... he he...

Dunno about the traffic (if any) - haven't talked to him yet this mornin'

What site did U want to play with?

I can play with my www.sicopropertyinvestments.com sites since it's the slowest moving of the three sites I have. How are we gonna do the experiment?

matte wrote:

Out of the gate, Digg and MyBlogLog are producing the best traffic

I would suggest that Digg could be working well because you have subject matter in line with the readerships needs.
I have used it to poor success.
Of course there is delicious etc, a huge list really if you start to look....

I agree. Dig is a good place to start and Delicious is helpful also. But what other tools do you suggest?

Hard to say what I 'suggest' at this point. I am still on the fence with the valuation of SMM. I am going to use Charles ( WaveShoppe) as part of my testing since his is a very unique niche.. see what if any real value (ROI) we get from it.. I am obviously doing my sites (2 of them at this point) since I write a fair bit and have fresh content to keep things going....

What market are you in? ( what's your site about)

TheGypsy wrote:

StumbledOn – I am NOT installing software simply to ply. Seems like an ‘auto-surf’ kinda crap anyways…. Sure, it is getting some BUZZ.. just not mine

Do not rule out StumbleUpon.  They are actually quite nice and can provide a significant amount of traffic.  I actually launched an entire site using them alone.

SiteReference wrote:

TheGypsy wrote:

StumbledOn – I am NOT installing software simply to ply. Seems like an ‘auto-surf’ kinda crap anyways…. Sure, it is getting some BUZZ.. just not mine

Do not rule out StumbleUpon.  They are actually quite nice and can provide a significant amount of traffic.  I actually launched an entire site using them alone.

Great.. so U can watch that one.. he he... I just get creeped out by the 'software installation' ie; tracking and the 'auto surf' kind of implications...

Some one even got turfed by Google because they though it was an 'auto surf' program - they explained it and were re-instated.. but it certainly perked my ears up....

I know many SMO folks are giddy about SO... byt they usually are, that's why I am never an early adopter in the SMM stuff... more of a sit and watch kinda guy... see who survives....

The MyBlogLog traffic has peetered off lately and now we have the whole ShoeMoney get's banned saga going on....

MySpace and Google are having growing pains over the Peer Prominence deal proposed by eBay

Utube keeps losing major player after major player over the copyright infingement stuff ... a very rocky road over there....

So it's still murky for me... but as part of the nature of the beast, I must continue down that road....

Let the battle begin

SiteReference wrote:

TheGypsy wrote:

StumbledOn – I am NOT installing software simply to ply. Seems like an ‘auto-surf’ kinda crap anyways…. Sure, it is getting some BUZZ.. just not mine

Do not rule out StumbleUpon.  They are actually quite nice and can provide a significant amount of traffic.  I actually launched an entire site using them alone.

Last year, my top traffic drivers from social media marketing efforts were:

1. digg.com
2. stumbleupon.com
3. reddit.com
4. dzone.com
5. del.icio.us
6. sharepointkicks.com

I like stumbleupon, it gives me traffic and also some good resources.
I am also "playing" with the "not developper" oriented plugim.com (internet marketing community).

Ok s now the big question, are they converting?

In my limited studies, we're expanding on, it is more a browser than buyer group. A Digg or Squido on 'The History of Lamps' may bring traffic, but not necesarily sales for some one in that market.
My concern is the cost to clients/website owners and the return on that invesment....

Do you track any metrics as far as conversions of that traffic? I am a curious one... haven't seen much on it... SMM seems fine for a guy like me in the technical trades, I do wonder about the others though...

I'm always up for a bit of experimentation and I have a couple of sites that we could 'play' with to see how we do....

Well it's not a bad idea John, we have some articles to play with and heck... more back links the better I always say.....

I do though.. as you know, wonder about the eficacy....  we shall see ...

Let me get a plan of action together tomorow... I have some ... er.. ahem... 'Analytics Reports' to do tonight... he he....

Which site do you add articles to the most? ( More Vacation Rentals?)
Do you even have a 'Blog' or simply the article batabases?

I have a blog with Wordpress - [floridavillas.wordpress.com]

Much underdeveloped but ready for experimentation.  Its more of a 'topic pivot' the aim being to keep each of my sites closely focussed on its theme but to use the blog as a tool to connect them.  Of course, that was the idea - the practical aspects of producing unique copy of interest at a regular rate is muuuuuch more challenging!