Even with a small amount of experience in the world of social bookmarking, you’ve undoubtedly come across someone saying you need to fill out your profile. Why is that important? Well it helps to draw targeted eyeballs (prospects) to your online business. You match what they are looking for. Does it work? Well in theory, yes. But in the real world, you may find varying results.
What doesn’t work so well for many people is those eyeballs don’t always convert very successfully to leads. Then, on top of that, the few leads you do get don’t always convert well into buying customers.
If this is your experience, first realize you are not alone. Second, understand that does not mean that “working” social bookmarking sites are a waste of time. You have the power and control to leverage your time using social bookmarking sites.
How to MAKE It Work
It may sound simple, but it’s not easy. If you want a responsive audience, then give ‘em what they like. Doing this will virtually guarantee you that they will promote you and spread your content. Be more entertaining. Offer more education. Connect and cater to them with more of what’s going to make a difference in their lives, and they will become a follower, and maybe even a friend. When they emotionally link to you, they will virtually link to you, which is an incredibly valuable experience. It’s so important that Google determines your rankings by how many and what type of websites link to your site. So, if you can develop yourself on the social bookmarking sites as an expert — one who gives great value and resources, then you will realize a lot of one-way, incoming links. That one simple, interactive strategy can make you very visible and popular. Google likes people who are visible and popular and rewards them with better search listings.
Research what the needs are of your audience. You’ll quickly see how those can become the keywords from which searchers will find you, first in social bookmarking sites, then Google. When a Google searcher types in a keyword phrase, they are looking for something specific. You want your name, brand and website address to be found in that path. We want them to “stumble over your info.” Give them the reasons they need to click on through to your site. Google brings them to your door…now it’s your turn to really show them why they should “come in.”
So it’s not really any social bookmarking site that is to blame for your lack of results. Instead look at what the prospect sees. Is this information worth looking at? It’s similar to the old adage GIGO – garbage in, garbage out.
