How To Split An Atom

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Today I am writing to blog authors the world over who face the sticky little problem of attracting traffic to their sites. Now, I am not talking about fresh blogs without content that just want to trick people into coming. Instead, I am talking about all those authors out there that write spectacular content yet still can’t get people in the front door. This guide will show you how to use social networks to, at the very least, get more exposure for your articles.

Unfortunately, using Digg, Reddit, Stumble Upon, Shoutwire, Slashdot, Truemors or any other social news source to get yourself heard is not easy. First, you have to understand that each of these sites is different. Second, like anyone who has ever written for a traditional publisher will tell you, the most important thing is to write (or in this case submit) for your audience.

Digg

This is the 10 ton Gorilla of social news sites. If you manage to make your way onto the front page, you will get a months worth of traffic in 48 hours. Here are the pros and cons of Kevin Rose’s social news site de jour.

Pros

• Your article will get a lot of traffic. For those who need a soapbox to preach from, this is the biggest one on the block
• “Everyone” reads Digg. It is very likely that your appearance on the front page will translate into link love from other sources.
• Despite being snarky, generally angry users at least you’ll get honest opinions about what real people think about your work.

Cons

• You need thick skin. Articles on the front page will almost certainly be flamed, be prepared.
• Just because you have “good” content doesn’t mean you will hit the front page. Impatient authors need not apply.
• The traffic you receive from Digg is not particularly deep. They are here to read the story, not explore your site.
• Traffic usually dies off within two days. You’ll get a trickle of additional traffic for a long time to come, but don’t expect the part to last forever.
• Digg users don’t click on Ads. If that’s the point of your submission, please apply elsewhere.

If you are going to write for Digg, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Digg users hate Bush, love Linux and Apple, drool over pictures and Top X lists and will string you up for blog spam. Make certain that you are submitting original, interesting content. Make sure you only submit your best content, and don’t forget to use the service for something other than shameless self promotion.

Another point worth noting is that unless you have some friends in the system, a really hilarious story, or a lot of luck you are likely to be lost in the crowd. Also, be aware that submissions to Digg have a 24 hour time frame in which to get voted up.

Reddit

Reddit generally has more “news worthy” stories than Digg. The traffic party is not quite as good as you’ll find in Digg, but it is substantial and the readers tend to be less petulant. on to the Pros and Cons.

Pros

• Reddit traffic is deeper, it is very likely Reddit users will look at a few pages while they visit.
• Good content is rewarded more heavily. The Karma system really increases the quality of Reddit submissions
• Commentators are less likely to flame for the sake of flaming.

Cons

• Karma is complicated. You can really mess up your account by throwing off your karma. Submitters beware.
• As a blogger, its harder to break in here. Reddit users like news, unless you are a freelance journalist self-submitting stories, it will be hard to get a foothold.
• Reddit is seen as the “loser” in the social news war, which means that there are slightly fewer people tracking it for possible links

Reddit users like good titles, dislike Bush, aren’t fans of Digg, pontificate on politics and are also highly opposed to blog spam. Since you can’t submit articles en masse (after a submission you generally have to wait a while to do another one), make sure that everything that you put on the site is gold.

Stumble Upon

This is by far my favorite social news site. As a traffic generator, it has the advantage of producing continuous traffic and not being time based. The actual number of users you get at one time is much less than Reddit or Digg, but the quality of the traffic is vastly superior. Pros and Cons.

Pros

• Stumble users come to see your site, if they like it they will stick around.
• Stumble Upon isn’t time based. Once your page is submitted it can be made popular months after the submission date.
• Stumble Upon is fun to use as a reader. It’s a great way for you to find things to write about.
• Stumble Upon is review based, those who vote on your piece actually incentives users to go there

Cons

• Less absolute traffic than any of the other networks
• Fewer people have the Stumble Upon toolbar, making it harder to get votes

Stumblers like videos, cute pictures, and interesting content that can be presented at a glance. Remember, all of the people seeing your site are just stumbling by, unless they see something that catches their attention in 5 seconds they will be gone. The most important thing to remember is to choose your category wisely. Since you are only one of possibly hundreds of sites a user will see in a day, you want to make sure that only users that are most interested in your content will see you.

That grape vine tells me that the categories humor and bizarre do well, if you have the content for it.

Shoutwire

Shoutwire is best known for its unique approach to social news, including both a public blog and a editorial section for admins. Pros and Cons.

Pros

• Very few stories are promoted a day, if you make it you’ll be there a while
• The absolute number of votes you need for promotion is small
• Spammers are excised almost immediately from the system
• Tight knit community, once you’re in you’re in

Cons

• Unless your an admin, or write about one of their favorite subjects you won’t get promoted.
• Rampant self promotion is strictly frowned upon
• Some of the rants can be grating

The Shoutwire crowd is the most political vocal and strongly spoken of all the social news sites. They tend to like sites that involve T&A, social issues, partisan politics, and “non-tech”. Unlike almost all of the social news services I have described, Shoutwire is the least likely to reward you for your iPhone post.

The Shoutwire development team is hard at work increasing the speed of the site, pardon their dust and be patient.

Slashdot

Slashdot is the great granddaddy of social news sites. Lots of traffic, a crowd that includes industry insiders, and a generally insightful community. The big problem with Slashdot for your average blogger is that it’s almost exclusively a “news” portal and the stories are chosen not strictly by users but instead by a combination of users and editors.

Pros

• Since only a few stories are chosen a day, you will get a lot of exposure
• Slashdot is the oldest and arguably the most well respected of the communities mentioned here
• The new “Firehose” feature has added some social voting features to Slashdot
• Slashdot users are the most likely to have insightful comments

Cons

• You really can’t get away with submitting a ton of content.
• While not as strict as in the past, there is still strong editorial control over the site’s content.
• Slashdot’s community is one giant inside joke, it can be difficult to ingratiate yourself there as a new comer.

News, news, news. It is very rate that you will see a Top X list or a How To article gracing the pages of Slashdot. Be sure that if you are submitting to Slashdot you have Geek worthy news. Slashdot is also most likely to reward you for Technology related articles, and one of the few sites that will reward you for hard Science. Slashdot users also love articles on Security and online rights.

Truemors

Yes, I know. Most of you only remember the ton of bad press that Truemors received. I have some news for you, it really is a fun community to get involved in. Not only does the smaller number of submissions mean it’s more likely that your story will be promoted, but it is also one of the few social news sources that doesn’t appear to have a strict set of topics that you need to post in order to be promoted. Everything from interesting facts to iPhone news have a chance.

It’s still too early to really present a list of Pros and Cons, but if you are new to social news I suggest giving this site a look.

Web 2.0 Roundup

If there is one thing you should learn from this is that you should choose the site that you post your content too carefully. If you are shilling SEO tips on Shoutwire, for example, you are just cruising for a ban. Before taking the plunge into any of these communities, take some time to explore them. Also remember, you are not just there to mindlessly promote your content, no matter how good you believe it is. You are there to enrich the community. The faster you realize that fact, the more likely it is that you will be successful in the social news space.

Good luck.

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