How to Use Digg to Drive Blog Traffic and some tips also to use digg to drive maximum traffic and not get banned by digg and make maximum use of it.
What is Digg?
Diggis a social news site that can help drive traffic to your blog. However, Digg is the biggest social news site on the Internet controlled by a handful of top users. How can you get your blog posts noticed in the fast-paced world of Digg?
# Digg The Original Source
Digg users are very particular about how the site is used. 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.
# Digg several Articles At Time
When you ask your friends to Digg your blog post, make sure they Digg more than just your post while they're at it. Digg keeps tabs on people who just Digg a single item while they're on the Digg website in order to penalize spammers (particularly those who are paid to Digg specific stories). Ask your friends to Digg your post as well as a few other stories of interest or on the main page of Digg at the same time.
# Use Good Title And Description In Your Digg
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. Submit various posts (particularly breaking news items), add friends, comment, and add an avatar to your profile to make your Diggs stand out from other submissions in Digg's list format. The more active you are, the more people will notice you and become interested in investigating your submissions, which will ultimately lead to more Digg opportunities for your own blog posts. More Diggs for your own blog posts equal more traffic to your blog.
# Just Make New Friends
This is the key. You need to connect ot other users and thus have many friends on Digg. Why? Because, when you submit a story - you can invite your friends to Digg it. You can even legally setup a reciprocal digg exchange… “you digg my story, i digg your story”. You can do this by sending a private message, known as a “shout” to your friends. Just digg their story first and then tell them - I dugg you, please digg my story now … and include the link of your story that is on the digg site (not the offsite link that is on your website or blog).
Another way you can invite them to digg, instead of shouting (private messaging) them - is by directly clicking o nthe “share this news” with all my friends link that appears under the story post on digg. This is quick but not as effective as a personal shout. Use it once you have over, say 200 friends on digg….
Yes, you heard that right. 200 friends. That should be your target. Why? Simple - because you can invite them to digg your story. The more friends, the more diggs.
Little Clever Trick
There is a tool available, that can automatically keep adding random friends to your digg network. Its called Digg Friend Adding Automator. Its simple to use. All you need to configure is one file, with your username and password on Digg. Then run it the software (no install needed - jsut a simple double click). Then take your shoes off and sit back - while it adds friends to your profile at the rate of one every 5 seconds.
There is a precaution here. Do not add more than around 20 friends in one shot. This may alert the digg admins and you can get banned permanently. Add 20 friends… then shut down the software for about 15 minutes or so.. and then re-run it for another 20 friends and so on. Dont add more than around 50 per day, and stop at around 200 to 250 for about a week. Then rinse and repeat.
If you cant get hold of this great tool - you can still quickly randomly add friends on digg by simply clicking on the “add as friend” link besides their names, next to articles they have submitted.
Now, when you have soooo many friends, you can invite them to come vote on your story. Ofcourse the key here is to firstly make sure that your story is unique and will arise the interest of over around 70% of readers. That should be enough. Once you invite them and share your story with your friends, after a day - start contacting friends who have sent your shouts (private messages) to digg their story -and start digging their story and in return ask thme to digg yours.
It is extremely important that your story gets popular (large number of diggs) at a fast rate - and before a lot of time passes by (probably around 10 to 20 days) . Why? Because, by then it could become stale news! Also, dont submit irrelevant and boring news, or stuff thats already been submitted. It will only be “burried” out by the community.
# Commenting on Digg for traffic
Another easier way to get traffic (although in much lower numbers and probably a very very low fractional amount) is by posting comments on popular stories with high diggs. Just make sure what you write is relevant to the story and then leave a catchy phrase and link (signature) at the end of your comment.
# The Onsite “Digg This” Button
If you have a fairly large number of readers to your blog, you can submit your blog posts to Digg and then insert a “digg this” button in near your blog post … as an onsite “digg this” link. This way visitors or readers of your blog can vote your story up the Digg ranks. This works only on blogs that have a large number of readers and visitors - so its only powerfull then.
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