The Open Source Marketer

Are you social. Sure you are! Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, there is a lot going on in the social media space these days. And, whether you think it is all fluff or not, you have to admit that there is evidence of some real website traffic mixed in with all those widgets and toolbar buttons.

Yet, everyone I talk to about using social media sites to get visitor traffic has been very interested and very confused all at the same time. So, to help cut through some of the confusion I have decided to host a TalkShoe conference call this coming Friday, September 14th at 7:00pm CST. and you are invited to participate. The call will cover social blog catalog sites and how they can be used to get move website traffic. If you want more website traffic that doesn’t cost you on a pay per click, then get in on this call.

Time magazine voted You as person of the year in their 2007 edition, but that doesn’t mean everyone understands the culture of the technology. Don’t worry, your not behind. These things are new and there are lot of them. That’s why you and I will discuss their benefits and their draw backs together. You will get all the information you need to successfully leverage these sites and build value for you and your site visitors.

Here are some of the things we will cover on the call:

1. 30 Second Caller Introductions (10 min)
2. Introduction to blog catalog sites (3 min)
3. Why a blog is better than a website (5 min)
4. How to create a compelling profile (5 min)
5. How to get people to add you as a friend (3 min)
6. How to pick the right neighborhoods (3 min)
7. How to use shout outs effectively (3 min)
8. How to leave useful comments that draw attention (5 min)
9. How to save time using any social media site (5 min)
10. What NOT to do on social media sites (5 min)
11. Open Discussion (15 min)

EVENT DETAILS:

Scheduled Time:
Date: Fri, September 14, 2007
Time: 7:00 CST / 8:00 PM EDT

How to participate:

Call in:

1. Dial: (724) 444-7444
2. Enter: 51402 # (Talkcast ID)
3. Enter: 1 # or your PIN

A pin is NOT required to call into this TalkCast. However, you will need a PIN and the TalkShoe client to chat and participate in the interactive online discussion.

Visit the TalkCast event page for more details:
http://opensourcemarketer.com/blogcatalogtalk

VIDEO TUTORIAL:
If you still have questions about how the conference all works, the
watch this short 3 minute video to learn how call into TalkCasts:
http://opensourcemarketer.com/howtotalkshoe

The information you will hear is extremely valuable so make plans to be on the call this Friday at 7:00 pm CST. I guarantee it will be the most important part of your week.

Seeking clarity,

Charles McKeever
OpenSourceMarketer.com

The term social media can mean different things depending on who you listen to. Some say it involves user generated content (UGC). Some say it’s all about social bookmarking. Some view social media as a maturing of the internet. Some say it is a waste of time. In the next few articles we will look at some of the top social media sites like Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Twitter, FaceBook, BlogCatalog, and MyBlogLog to understand how they work and how you can use them to get visitor traffic to your website.

You see it doesn’t matter what anyone “says” social media is. What matters is how people are using it and what you can do with it as a marketer. Even if you don’t use every social media site out there, you need to at least know what they are about and how other people are using them. Social media sites are where people are coming together online to interact and that means you have an opportunity to get your website content in front of a bunch of people with little to no cost.

To get us started, here are seven things that social media sites offer people online

1. The ability to categorize and bookmark sites
2. The ability to share content and resources with others
3. The ability to communicate with others directly
4. The ability to create personal profiles
5. The ability to add user defined tags to content
6. The ability to group together by topics of interest
7. The ability to rate or rank the quality of content

In our upcoming articles we will examine each of these points as they relate to our chosen social media sites and we will discuss how we can use each of these capabilities to market using social media.

Until then I encourage you to visit Del.icio.us and learn what the site is about. Sign up for a free account and learn how to use the tool on a basic level. By using the tool and seeing how others are using the tool you will be better equipped to understand how it can be used to help you accomplish your marketing goals.

Meet you back here in a few days,

Charles McKeever
OpenSourceMarketer.com

There are a number of recently popularized social media methods of getting website traffic, but many of these methods involve activities that are very technology focused and don’t leave much room for real social connections or direct personal feedback. If you’re looking for a more personally connected way of generating website traffic, then consider starting a group meeting on Meetup.com. In this article you will learn what it takes to setup a Meetup group and start generating website traffic almost overnight. Read the rest of this entry »