by Pam Johnston
Member since:
February 8, 2007

Get More Page Views - How Social Bookmarking Can Help

May 12, 2008 11:40 AM EDT (Updated: May 12, 2008 05:16 PM EDT)
views: 399 | rating: 9.7/10 (57 votes) | comments: 56

Want more eyeballs on your articles?

Consider social bookmarking.

Social bookmarking sites allow you to share and discover content from anywhere across the web. Social bookmarking is also a great way for you to promote the stuff you're most proud of, and point to content you think is particularly interesting.

Gather currently supports two social bookmarking sites - Digg and Del.icio.us - but soon there will be MANY more options. Now is a great time to familiarize yourself with some of the top social bookmarking sites out there. Here's a closer look of the biggies and what they offer:


Del.icio.us.com
You can use del.icio.us to see interesting links your friends recommend, and share with them links you like in return. Gather makes using del.icio.us easy. When you read something you like on Gather, just click the delicious link at the end of the article but before the comments. That's it! You're now sharing great Gather content with a whole new audience.

Digg.com
Digg works in much the same way as delicious. The trick is sharing lots of quality links… not just the stuff you write. Digg any link you consider to be worthwhile.

Furl.net
Furl is designed to archive and share anything you read online. You may have tens of bookmarks but thousands of Furl entries. If you read your local newspaper online every morning, bookmark it. If you read several fascinating news articles every week, Furl them. You can Furl items from work and home. You can search for them later from any browser and share them with friends.

Reddit.com
Reddit is a source for what's new and popular online. Vote on links you like or dislike and help decide what's popular.

Stumbleupon.com
Give an article a thumbs up or down, add keywords, and leave a comment. Stumbling your article properly can bring great traffic to your content… but only if used thoughtfully.

Technorati.com
Technorati searches, surfaces, and organizes blogs and other forms of independent, user-generated content (photos, videos, voting, etc.)

Facebook.com, MySpace.com, andTwitter.com
Each of these giant social networking sites can do wonders to draw viewers to your content. Simply add a link to your newest Gather offering on your Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter page as a way to tell friends about your latest, greatest offering.


Important Tips:
 Most sites listed above will help you index your content quickly, ultimately driving new traffic and page views to the content you care about most.

But, to become a respected and valuable member of any social bookmarking site, it's critical for you to spend some time on those sites making meaningful connections. Those connections will likely go on to support your content and may even decide to join you on Gather as a way to keep up with you.

Lastly (and I can't stress this enough) please bookmark responsibly! Spamming on these sites will not be tolerated. Simply linking to good content and making valuable contributions by sharing solid content and offering good feedback will do the trick.

We hope this helps bring lots of new eyes to your content, and the content you care about most.

Good luck and happy bookmarking!
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Comments: 56

Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. May 12, 2008, 12:14pm EDT
Interesting, I always wondered what those links were for~
flit . May 12, 2008, 2:50pm EDT
I have looked at a couple of those sites... it sure does get tiresome to keep having to sign up for stuff and keep track of usernames/passwords... I can't be bothered with most of them
Dawn S. May 12, 2008, 3:25pm EDT
I didn't know what they were either! It sounds like a good idea, but I'm with flit. I can't add another thing I need to sign into. My brain is mush.
CyberGwen ! May 12, 2008, 6:20pm EDT
I use them for my blog and articles on AC of Triond, but I like to keep Gather for Gather. I know it would probably be better for Gather to be more viral, but I like the sense of community here and want to keep it.
Jan S. May 12, 2008, 9:14pm EDT
I feel the same way about Facebook and other social sites. I spend too much time on Gather already. I don't really care about Facebook or MySpace. They seem to be more for kids.
Pam W. May 12, 2008, 10:19pm EDT
Interesting... I think I may tryone of the bookmarking sites. Good info!
Pat S. May 13, 2008, 10:39am EDT
Sorry, I'm with the rest. I like the environment at Gather, and could not care less about those other social networking sites. Ick. No thanks.
j - Frugal Mom - r. May 13, 2008, 11:28am EDT
This is interesting, I never realized how it all worked.
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount May 13, 2008, 11:34am EDT
Thanks Pam. I have been using Del.icio.us.com since gather added them a long time ago.
I figured that is why our work sometimes end up in google searches.
juley g. May 13, 2008, 11:34am EDT
That is cool. It sounds exhausting though. Maybe I am just lazy!
Jennifer F. May 13, 2008, 11:58am EDT
Maybe it will be neat, but I hope that it doesn't add to the clutter that the site has after the last upgrade. I think most Gatherers like Gather's community and the people they've become attached to rather than wanting to just get more random page views.
Tony P. May 13, 2008, 12:05pm EDT
Great article...

I am on Stumbleupon and also Del.icio-us - you can find me under "poddys" - let me know and I will be pleased to give your links a Thumbs Up or a Review.
Susan B. May 13, 2008, 12:26pm EDT
I'll try to remember to add my postings to Del.icio.us.com, facebook and twitter
necee t. May 13, 2008, 1:13pm EDT
good article... thanks Pam...
señoritafish (oxyjulis californica) May 13, 2008, 1:40pm EDT
I joined Del.icio.us shortly after it started as way to access my own bookmarks anywhere I was; it's useful for that. However, I don't have any "friends" there - there's not a real way to interact with people. I recently joined StumbleUpon as way to find new sites for things I'm interested in, but as yet haven't interacted with anyone there. But yeah, for anyone happening to look at my bookmark list, click away (I'm the same username at those places as here and everywhere else...)!
Linda G. May 13, 2008, 1:52pm EDT
Not interested, it is hard enough to negotitate Gather these days.
Ang, inspired by good, G. May 13, 2008, 1:53pm EDT
Thank for sharing, I had no idea that those were for either.
Pam Johnston May 13, 2008, 2:15pm EDT
Hi Everyone - There seems to be some confusion around this article. I am not at all advocating that Gather members leave Gather for another social network (that would be terrible!) I just wanted to share with you some fun and simple tools and websites that could help you drive more views to your content.

Not everyone on Gather is interested in having their content widely read... but for those of you who would like to attract a large and passionate audience... social bookmarking sites can be a real boon!
J W. May 13, 2008, 2:21pm EDT
good article
Shirley ♡ ☮ M. May 13, 2008, 2:22pm EDT
Thanks, Pam. I am interested in looking at Delicious. More views to my content the better.
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. May 13, 2008, 3:12pm EDT
Social bookmarking is not only helpful for bringing more eyeballs to your articles, but to your images and videos too. Some of these sites, like Digg, have expanded their options in this area.

You can also easily add your content to these sites today, and do not need to wait for Gather to provide additional buttons (although buttons will certainly be handy to have!). Most sites have a simple registration process, and adding content only takes a minute or two. :-)
Connie C. May 13, 2008, 3:13pm EDT
I stay away from "My Space" It is not a place that I am comfortable at.
I need to do some more research about the other sites you suggested. Page views are important to us as a member of the Gather Community - Why?
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. May 13, 2008, 3:21pm EDT
Connie,

The more page views you receive the more readers you are likely reaching. Readership is important to many members, and perhaps might even contribute towards Gather Point accrual. However, most of the readers that arrive to your content through these services will likely not take the time to register as a Gather member. Therefore, your comments may not see a significant increase even though your page views have.

Also, for members that write regularly on a 'niche' subject with wide popularity like you do (CVS & Rite-Aid savings, etc.), social bookmarking is a great way to go...second only to establishing a true 'blog' on this topic (which I think you should do, as you could make a lot of $$$$ with it). If you have any questions, or would like help setting something up, please let me know.
Thanks for all the great information!
Vicky Duggins May 13, 2008, 4:01pm EDT
Well, I have a stumbleupon.com tool bar and I stumble - sometimes for literally hours, and so does my husband. We've found great stuff there. But I don't understand how I can hook my own written things to it or any of these others. I'm not too savvy about this stuff. Maybe Kevin would do an in depth article for us not so slick folks? How about it Kevin?
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. May 13, 2008, 4:28pm EDT
Vicky... I did write about this several times, including an in-depth review of Digg and del.icio.us, and a listing of the top 15 social bookmarking sites a few days ago.

Coincidentally I was going to republish information on this subject and expand it to include some little known social bookmarking tricks. However, it may be better to wait until Gather implements these changes to ensure I don't miss any site they may be adding.

(as I doubt that they will clue me in beforehand)

There are also a lot of cautions to be taken when using these sites, and keeping it all straight can be problematic.

Let me 'think on it' though, and I'll get back to you. :-)
Pam Johnston May 13, 2008, 4:47pm EDT
The links to the sites you see above are the links Gather will support in the weeks to come. However, Gather is totally open to additional social bookmarking offerings... feel free to tell suggest a site you enjoy if it's not included here.

And Kevin, by all means, feel free to share your "little known bookmarking tricks" with the community at large. I know we would all learn a lot!
Laura Cushing May 13, 2008, 4:58pm EDT
Interesting - I've never used the social bookmarking features, but now I want to try them.

Thanks!
Marilyn M. May 13, 2008, 5:03pm EDT
Thanks for the info, Pam. I would also suggest that if one writes something that he/she would like to get noticed and read, that he/she can submit to free search engines. I know that always worked for me.
Kathryn E. May 13, 2008, 5:21pm EDT
Interesting. Could be some helpful stuff here.
Pam Johnston May 13, 2008, 5:38pm EDT
Great suggestion Marilyn! Thanks for the additional info!
Jo C. May 13, 2008, 6:06pm EDT
Anyone can Digg anyone's articles here. But Digg or use any social bookmarking tools responsibly. If not, the site can decide to stop accepting articles. My suggestion would be to Digg articles that are special, touching, unique or contain information that would be of interest to many people. If you read Digg comments, they can be a tough bunch - so consider yourself forewarned - and then be brave and do it anyway :) if you feel the article is worthy.
Sandy F. May 13, 2008, 6:47pm EDT
As a long time writer and serious critique grouper, I find too many people on line today just want to enjoy their day by leaving rude comments and mindless chatter on the work of someone else. Your comments are only as quality as the quality of the people who leave them. I'll stick to my 6-25 comments from Gatherites I respect and whose work I respect. Quantity doesn't always mean quality.
JoAnne D. May 13, 2008, 7:01pm EDT
I recently joined del.icio.us.com and don't know much about it as yet. I also have a MySpace page. These are some interesting sites, I may check out in the future.
M C. May 13, 2008, 8:35pm EDT
Thanks Pam these are definitely great bookmarking resources. I've been using Stumbleupon and Twitter a lot recently, both are addictive just like Gather!

Wanted to mention two great websites I use which contain over 40-80 of the bookmarking sites and make it easier to submit to them all, no matter what your content might be (Gather, blog, etc):

http://www.socialposter.com/

and

http://www.socialmarker.com

When you go to either site, you will see all the various bookmark sites listed there with checkboxes. You can then type in your content's title, URL, description and keyword tags, then hit "SUBMIT". Keep in mind you'll need to be a registered member of each site. The two sites mentioned above work quite well to speed things up and can help you get Gather articles or content noticed! :)
Peter C. Frank May 13, 2008, 10:53pm EDT
I'm on Digg, Technorati, and Twitter. But here's the thing: the last time I attempted to Digg an article on Gather, it told me that the gather.com domain was blocked. Has that been resolved?
Pam Johnston May 14, 2008, 10:08am EDT
Hi Peter - Thanks for that info about Gather being blocked... yes, that was the situation a while back, and yes the situation has been resolved. This leads back to the spamming issue. Any of the sites above can and will block Gather content if they feel Gather members are trying to spam their sites.
Jewels W. May 15, 2008, 11:25am EDT
thanks for sharing, very informative!
Sandy (back in Ohio...blah!) May 15, 2008, 4:59pm EDT
I recently signe dup for digg but not sur ehow it works yet.

I would love to see others do a review or article on the social networking sites and explaing ho wthey work.
Wanda H. May 15, 2008, 8:32pm EDT
I saw those connections and always wondered what they were for, well, wondered in passing. I think for now I will just keep doing what I am doing. Sometimes one more thing is just too much
Malcolm M. May 15, 2008, 9:03pm EDT
Interesting and good information, thanks for taking the time to share it
Phyllis R. May 15, 2008, 9:34pm EDT
Sounds very interesting!
Amy H. May 16, 2008, 1:07pm EDT
Some great info again. Thanks
Monica H. May 16, 2008, 1:14pm EDT
Learning new stuff all the time!
Vivian A. May 16, 2008, 1:20pm EDT
Informative. I have no clue about any of these things. Perhaps it is time to learn something new.
Marianne R. May 19, 2008, 6:30am EDT
I always wondered what those things were. Thanks for clearing that up.
Warren Keating May 19, 2008, 12:07pm EDT
This is a great, informative article. I'm bookmarking it!
Jo C. May 19, 2008, 10:55pm EDT
Pam - Could you tell me if or how members will have any connection to points for those people who view their pages from outside Gather? I assume that even if an article is dugg 254 times by people on Digg, that the person who WROTE the article gets no extra points, even though Gather is benefiting from the extra attention, hopefully? I try to Digg responsibly because Digg members do not take kindly to material that isn't relevant, exciting or interesting or useful.

However, anyone clicking on that Digg does not automatically get points to the person who wrote the article, right? Just wonderiing.
Jo C. May 19, 2008, 10:56pm EDT
I really don't care about the points, by the way, if the site grows. However, people may be less motivated to Digg their articles if they get more points for staying within Gather ad not Digging the articles. On the other hand, the MORE people who come to Gather, whether from Diggs or not, the better for Gather and all members here, possibly.
Bonnie N. May 20, 2008, 1:25pm EDT
I can see into the future....people will just not be able to resist the spamming and gather will once again be blocked.
Carrie C. May 20, 2008, 3:46pm EDT
You mean instead of setting up a MySpace account of my own, I can just have my children put a link to my Gather page on their MySpace pages? I hope that is what you mean. Please tell me how.
Selene N. May 27, 2008, 11:49pm EDT
Thanks for the info, but I think I already have more than a handful with Gather....
Angella *ThePilatesLounge.com* H. May 30, 2008, 2:06am EDT
Sometimes when I think I have it all figured out- I realized I'm realy just confused-
Donna S. Jun 16, 2008, 7:31pm EDT
thanks
JJ C. Jul 7, 2008, 4:16pm EDT
I would definitely agree!

Social bookmarking sites like Digg can be a big help in giving your site good traffic and definitely lots of page views.

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