Connection Café: How to develop a profile that is successful on social bookmarking sites

	How to develop a profile that is successful on social bookmarking sites
	Posted by James Young at Aug 05, 2008 06:22 PM CDT Categories: Social Media

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A while back, I saw a great presentation given by Danielle Brigida of the National Wildlife Federation concerning her success using Digg to promote the content from nwf.org, and drive more traffic to the site. One of he key tenets to Danielle’s success was “profile development,” the art of making profile on Digg an attractive profile to other Digg visitors. This is not a new concept, as there have been numerous posts on the topic (two great posts: Search Engine People and Cracked.com), all of which mention that you have to be “somebody” on Digg in order to get your content on that front page, but Danielle is a dedicated non-profit lady, and I trust her advice to work for you other non-profits. So, without further ado, Danielle’s tip and tricks:

Tips to a Successful Online Profile
By Danielle Brigida, Associate Operations Coordinator at National Wildlife Federation

When using social networking and bookmarking sites for online outreach, it’s important to do the following things:

1. Establish your brand
Your picture, username and personal information should reflect how you want to be perceived by the community. Sometimes it makes sense to give it all away up front. Tell people who you work for. They’ll respect you for it and may come to you later when looking for a resource.

2. Seek out like-minded friends
Learn from your friends and develop your own personality that can serve as your niche. Also don’t be shy to ask for advice and be sure to support those who have taken you under their wing.

3. RELAX and learn
Make sure you observe before you take the leap. If you come on too strong, too fast, it will be a turnoff to the community. By observing you can find exactly where you fit in, as well as make powerful connections that help you become successful in the community. Be realistic about the time frame that goes along with respect. Sometimes you must wait it out.

4. Update regularly
It is important to keep your profile fresh with consistent, solid updates. This helps you gain recognition and make your presence known.

5. Follow the Golden Rule
Don’t come off as selfish by only trying to push your agenda, instead serve as a resource for people and treat them how you would want to be treated. Also, ask lots of questions, don’t just assume people want to receive every bit of information you are ready to dish out.

6. Don’t be afraid to get personal
Online doesn’t have to mean impersonal. In fact, it’s important that you show as much of your true self as you are comfortable with. It’s good to remember that while our daily actions are getting less personal (*self checkout, pump your own gas, etc.) the online world is connecting more people than ever.

No matter what type of social site you are on, it’s good to remember that the people you are trying to reach are real, feeling individuals who are looking for a way to support messages like yours. The best way to reach them is to be open and honest, and most importantly, be yourself.

Thanks to Danielle for these great tips. If you have any other ideas, tips, or tricks to cracking the front pages of sites like Digg, Del.icio.us, Reddit, and Newsvine, please share.

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How to develop a profile that is successful on social bookmarking sites

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