1. Remember that your mission is to be yourself. So only stumble sites that you are genuinely interested in.

2. If your website or blog is all about photography, make your photos big enough to stun people with their detail, contrast and fascinating subject matter. Don’t worry about bandwidth.

3. If your website or blog is all about photography or art, keep the background colors neutral – let the images speak loudly for themselves.

4. If your website or blog is about information, make sure the visuals don’t distract. Focus on your headlines and first paragraphs instead.

5. Use the Related Posts plug-in to provide readers with more valuable content – from you.

6. Make sure you submit your own site pages, or new ones from others you’ve discovered, with accurate tags.

7. Send your own pages, via StumbleUpon, to your friends.

8. Submit your best work (i.e., specific pages, perhaps not highlighted on your site but buried deep within) to StumbleUpon

9. Don’t submit your own stuff daily – that’s a sure-fire way to send up a red flag and possibly get your site banned.

10. Be selective about who you add: Quantity is not better than quality.

11. Don’t befriend someone and then ignore them. Remember, all relationships need to be nurtured!

12. Thank people who compliment you or stumble your sites. Everyone appreciates courtesy.

13. Don’t neglect your other social marketing – but why not do it via StumbleUpon (it’s one-click easy!)

14. When checking out another Stumbler’s profile, pay attention to your Similarity Meter (located in the right-hand sidebar)

15. Use your "info" toolbar button to see site reviews – and leave your own

16. Subscribe to people who you are really compatible with via content – click the green "Subscribe" button in the upper right corner or send them a message

17. Create a StumbleUpon group and stumble each other’s best links.

18. Stumble people who stumble you – if you find their content valuable, give it a thumbs up (but don’t be indiscriminate!)

19. Review StumbleUpon profiles of those whose sites you’re interested in

20. Stumblers love dynamic photos. Occasionally include one (relevant to your blog subject, of course) – even if normally you focus only on text information.

21. Don’t forget to add a StumbleUpon button to your blog or website!

Finally remember that most of all, StumbleUpon is all about entertainment. Keep your heavy-duty business report for your LinkedIn contacts… and let StumbleUpon help you develop your "lighter" side.  It’s a bit of an art form to learn to mix business with personal in a way that feels natural to both you and your reader – but letting that spark of personality shine through is ultimately your biggest social networking advantage.
 

Don’t forget that there are many other social media outlets to get exposure for your websites.

Bruno

As twitter grows and adapts their rules to accomodate the new user and people adding to their network the demand get more. I have noticed in the last few days that twitter times out quite frequently when you are trying to edit something on the website.  I guess with all the demand on the server it is hard to keep up.

I also noticed that there seems to be a new twitter application or ebook on twitter that is released every other week. I have tested a few of the applications and found they work ok but I went back to what I normally use. As for the ebook’s that come out, free or paid ones, I feel that it is a lot of recycled information.  I personally don’t know about the all the paid ones but free ones all read similar to me in my opinion.

There is one thing I can say about twitter. Since the launch of The $5 Twitter Trick I have noticed a lot of new subscribers to my twitter account. I seem to be getting like 30 new request per day but who is counting. I know if I applied using the trick myself, I’d probably get 10 times more follower to my twitter account.  I did buy the book because it was only $5 and wanted to see if it was anything I haven’t learned already from previous books.

I’m not going to put down twitter, but is it such a great tool as everyone says it is for marketing? Do people make the sales they really say by using twitter? I think its just a fad that will last a year maybe or less in my opinion. I also think that lots of people spam on there. I know you can control who’s tweets you want to see if you use applications like Tweetdeck.

I guess the irony is that I use twitter too. Although I don’t have 13000 follower because my other account got flagged for so called spam like so many others. What is a reasonable amount of tweets you should shoot out there a day? Do you use it too keep the important people on you fav list so you catch their tweets?

Please tell me what you think of Twitter

Add me to twitter http://twitter.com/BrAuger

More than their emergence, the growing popularity of social network sites has greatly contributed to the revolution of commerce, trade, and marketing.  With almost everyone in all parts of the globe accessing the internet and consequently all being potential customers, companies have targeted social sites as sites for advertisements through links.  This is not to mention that there are stores on the web selling and delivering items.

Social network sites become avenues for business minded individuals for the realization of their undertakings.  There are some small time entrepreneurs (such as retailers of dry goods) who use their user profiles in social networks to display their items for sale with the necessary details and descriptions of each product.

In a less direct involvement, advertisers post in social network sites links that will lead to the advertisers’ company.  If you notice, whatever the content of a webpage you are viewing, it is usually surrounded by boxes with related short texts and hyperlinks.  Once you click on these links, that means the ad is effective and these ads shall earn from your clicking of the link.

Another surprising advancement is the posting of blogs.  From its original purpose of being an avenue of expression and mainly used as an online journal, a diary or narrative of personal happenings, blogs have now become avenues for testimonials for effectivity of products.  Sometimes, blogs will become feature articles of companies and what goods or services they offer.  In the same way with sidebar advertisements, some texts in the blog will serve as links to the companies or to the goods.

These phenomena in social networking have made trade easier for companies and patrons. Along with the advantages of this development however, are also the risks.

Having to deal with virtual people, connections made through the web may be very prone to shams and fraud.  Your active participation in whatever activity you do gives more assurance of the quality of results that you get.  Your expectation as a purchaser of certain goods may not be met.  Shopping for example, is still best done personally because photos of items posted in online shops may not be as good as it looks.  When you are not satisfied with the purchase, you’d still have to process your complaints and encounter operators and the likes before your concern is addressed.  You might even get trapped in a culture of bureaucracy since you would not immediately know who will attend to your concern.

Advertising through other websites may not be under your control as these websites and their contents are independent from you. While business in social networking is working in the status quo, nothing still beats going through business transactions yourself so you can monitor their developments and this goes both to being the marketer and the customer.
 

Bruno Auger

Tags: advertising, social networks, social networking, blogging, blogs 

Make use of your website accounts to land to your dream work or be part of social group where your talents fit.  The secrets there are actually no secret.  Here are a few tips for you to effectively market yourself:

First of all, choose the site well and basically, you start with answering the question why are you doing all the fuss of making a profile in a certain site.  To use the previous example, if you want this to be the way of getting that job you ever dreamed of, go to a website where you can possibly interact with prospect employers.  Better yet, post a résumé on a job hunting/seeking site.  If you think you are interested with graphic designs and what to interact with fellow artists, go to sites that are for artists and surely, you would have a sensibly good time exchanging ideas, tips, updates, and trends regarding your craft.  Before you know it, you are like enrolling in a crash course in creating vectors.

Be honest but not too honest unless you know exactly what and whom you are dealing with and especially when you are asked about questions that are meant to be private. Besides, unless you are an expert at it, it is extremely difficult to maintain a lie.  Being honest here does not mean you have to divulge all information about you. It is like saying do not tell the truth but do not tell a lie at the same time.  Really, nothing is sure in social networking even when you see these people through web cameras.  However, if you are in a certain site for employment, you do have to present necessary information.  Just be sure that you did everything to know that you are transacting with a credible company.

Customize your profile the way it will describe your personality.  If you know you’ve got a talent at writing, few of your outstanding articles for fellow writers to read and critique.  If you are excellent at photography, don’t hesitate to create an online photo exhibit.  If you are the business-minded type, then sell your products and show who your clients are to attract more customers and maybe business partners.  Now, don’t be too proud and post all your best works.  Samples of them will do so to prevent your labor of love go in the wrong hands and get the benefits that are supposed to be yours.

And of course, don’t be in the silent mode.  If you want to get noticed, keep interacting with fellow members in the site.  Try to leave a comment to others’ profiles and works once in a while (not all the time else, you’ll be annoying).  Take the initiative to do the first move and introduce your self.  Always keep your profile updated so that you will not be forgotten.  Yes, insist your presence.  By these simple steps, you’d be surprised to receive a call from your dream company or an invitation from a group you’ve always wanted to be part of.  Social networking, remember?
 

Bruno Auger

Tags: promotion, social networking, website, advertising

Social networking refers to establishing connections, particularly to strangers, primarily because of a common interest for a skill, fascination to same celebrity, passion for new gizmos and gadgets, or interest to make business.

Now that the internet is becoming like a basic need to every person, the opportunity of meeting people from around the globe has also become popular among net users.  This is through social network websites. 

These network sites usually feature profiles, photos, blogs, and forums where members get to interact. Social network sites were originally used as communication tool for those who are already friends.  Some sites are avenues for dating stirring excitement among their patrons with the idea of getting along with distant strangers.

However today, there are thousands more sites that are “communities” of environment advocates, academics, writers, collectors, or musicians who actually have not met personally.  The only thing that connects them is their shared interest at something so they could still relate to one another.  This interest will be the common language that they speak.  As a matter of fact, they exchange works and resources to help each other out to get better with their craft.  True, these communities are becoming a place for learning as well.

On the other hand, while making friends has gained popularity among people, marketing and trade have as well made their way to the social networking arena.  Budding retailers who could not afford creating their own websites sign up in social network sites instead to make profiles that will serve as an online store.  Some job hunters also use their network profiles for self promotion.

Blogs in the sites are the new tools for marketing new products or technologies. This new trend in commerce is helpful to both bloggers who now make use of their writing in the more productive way and to business establishments who benefit from talented bloggers.  With quite a big audience in the internet – students are required to take computer courses in school, business organizations could not live without getting connected, publications are now not just on print! – online marketing is a sure hit.  Almost everyone in the world participates in the internet activities.

The power of social networking must be clear to you now. From the mere intention of making friends, the want to communicate with others, the sharing of common advocacies and passion, and finally reaching to a point of being an entrepreneur, you don’t want to be left behind when everyone’s getting busy with click and type.  Sign up for a membership and be part of the network.
 

Bruno Auger

Tags: blogging, networking, communication, community, social networking

But how much trust can you give, how far can you go, and how more sure can you get that these are real people you are contacting?  Nope, this is definitely not talking about some extraterrestrials or paranormal creatures.  Have you been careful enough in communicating with strangers?  Sure you have heard of phonies from the internet but if you expect the dangers of getting involved with people you don’t know cannot hit you, think twice, thrice, and a thousand times more.  Surely too, you yourself have not been very honest with your social network profiles.  Worse if you are one of those abusive internet users who only mean harm to others.

That is why, you better have a criminal.  C’mon, the internet may not be the right place to be righteous.  Oops, before you violently react, this does not mean you have to run around the website and kill people (like how are you supposed to do that?).  Simply think in advance.  You see, being paranoid that something bad can happen can help you out if not protect you.  In this way, you would be very careful with your actions and will be very keen with every “person” you chat with.

Leave something for your self, your real name could be sacred.  It is discouraged that you disclose your address and other information about you that will lead strangers to trace you.  Not that you are some celebrity and stalkers would hunt you down.  Yet who knows though?  As limitless as the opportunities you will find online are also the limitless possibilities of things going wrong.

Be an undercover.  You don’t have to deprive yourself the fun of interacting with people totally different from you.  While being skeptical and observant, don’t look always suspicious or it might backfire to you.  The person on the other line would think you are a freak.  So keep it nice and subtle.

So here is the cliché part – not too much of everything, alright? Yeah yeah, you do have to be skeptical but don’t treat every person you meet as guilty of something.  Aside that it is judgmental of you, it could be too stressful to keep worrying about what crime could a person do to you.  You might miss the good parts of people and of social networking because you are too focused on the bad parts.  Let loose every now and then and enjoy the conversations with that young man or woman on your screen waving to you through his/her web cam.
 

Bruno Auger

Tags: communication, networking, social networking