Are These 4 Social Network Sites A Waste Of Time?
October 27, 2008
Being active on social network sites is going to be essential to your business in the future – according to the experts. Trouble is, social networking is time consuming. So how are you supposed to know which social network sites are worth joining and which ones suck?
I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t yet fully immersed myself in social networks. But I’ve tested out 4 & here’s my take. Don’t expect glowing reviews. When I launched this blog, I didn’t promise to “write nice”.
I really wanted to like this social network site. But I wasn’t expecting too much, as a lot of folk who are members of other social network sites I use, aren’t using this one.
Pros of Entrecard: If you use a really good ad that stands out, this system will probably help you create brand awareness. Also, the people who run this social network site are really helpful. They accidentally banned me, but they had the problem sorted out in hours.
Cons of Entrecard: If your idea of fun is mindlessly clicking from site to site, to get the hundreds of points required to advertise on low traffic sites, you might like it. The traffic quality is terrible – most folk are just clicking from one site to the next. I didn’t get much traffic from it at all and the bounce rates were higher than I’d experienced with any social network.
Cath’s Opinion
I wanted to like it – but it sucked. If you’re prepared to spend all day clicking on ads and your blog is quite new, it might bring you a bit of traffic. And it might make your blog seem popular. But Internet traffic that doesn’t hang round isn’t worth having. I give this social network site 1 out of 5.
StumbleUpon was the first of these four social network sites I tried. And I found it complicated at first, but once I got the hang of it, it was great.
StumbleUpon Pros: I got to network with some really nice people, we shared lots of interesting articles and photo’s. And I found stuff I’d never have managed to find using Google Search.
Also, StumbleUpon drove a nice amount of traffic to this site. The bounce rates were the lowest out of these four networks and quite a few visitors returned.
StumbleUpon Cons: StumbleUpon ban folk for voicing their opinion. Please don’t email me to ask me why I was banned – I get dozens of emails on this topic. You can read about it here: Are You Sick Of These StumbleUpon Freaks? and here: Is StumbleUpon Going Down The Tubes?
Cath’s Opinion
Had I not been banned from this social network site, I would have given it a 4 out of 5. But I spent a long time making great contacts on there and bookmarking some amazing stuff. And when I was banned that disappeared. So I give StumbleUpon 3 out of 5 and I expect the quality of the site to decline further if they continue to allow blackhat spammers to moderate the site.
Hot StumbleUpon Tip: If you want to learn how to use StumbleUpon to your advantage and drive a heap of traffic to your website or blog, without getting banned, Caroline Middlebrook runs a great StumbleUpon Traffic course.
I’ve tried to get into Digg for some time and I’m still struggling. Ok, so I might be struggling because I really haven’t bothered devoting much time to it. But to be honest, if I have the choice between cleaning the bathroom and playing on Digg, the bathroom usually wins – even though I hate cleaning.
Pros: There’s some interesting articles on Digg – there’s also a lot of garbage. But if you’re heavily involved in this social network site, you might find your articles on the front page often and get a huge amount of traffic. Apparently, Leo of Zen Habits has had a lot of success with Digg.
Cons: Digg traffic seems to have a higher bounce rate than StumbleUpon. And I also found I was getting a lot of shouts from folk who wanted me to Digg their stuff all the time.
Cath’s Opinion
I probably added a lot of the wrong types of Digg user to begin with. Eventually, I did add friends who consistently Digg high quality stuff and I would recommend this approach, if you’re joining Digg yourself.
It’s no fun, when the same people are asking you to Digg every single bit of crap they wrote on a daily basis. Who is going to take your recommendations seriously when you’re just Digging dirt?
I’ve been a member of Twitter for quite a while. At first I just didn’t get it, so I didn’t use this social networking site much. But I’m beginning to get used to it now. I probably don’t spend enough time on there to really get involved though.
Pros: Quite good for networking. Instead of just telling folk about great things you’ve read, you actually get to talk to them about other stuff too.
Cons: It’s kind of difficult to have a meaningful conversation with the 140 characters that Twitter allows. Also, like the other social networking sites, some people abuse the system. And time differences can make it difficult to connect with some people.
Also, sometimes when I log on, everyone is talking about politics. While I can understand why the Americans are concerned about which idiot will be running their country next – surely there’s only so much that can be said about two politicians.
Cath’s Opinion
I’m going to carry on using Twitter and see how it goes. I can see the potential and I like the way it’s not all about article and photo passing. But I wouldn’t want to spend hours on end using it. I would recommend installing Twhirl, if you want to use Twitter – it makes it a whole lot easier.
Michael Martine seems to use Twitter a lot and he recommend Twhirl to me. I would recommend adding him as a friend, as he always has something interesting to say. You’re welcome to add me too – I like meeting new people to chat to.
So far, I would give Twitter a 4 out of 5. But that rating would go down if folk start spamming it too much – especially if they start charging others to promote their crap.
Which social network sites have you tried so far? Were your experiences similar to mine? Or do you think I’ve been way too harsh on some of these sites?
Related Reading
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Social Network Sites Of The Future
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I love this review.
I never tried Entrecard and don’t plan to.
SU and Twitter are my favorites right now although I probably don’t spend enough time on either.
Digg seems too time-consuming. If you don’t have thousands of subscribers that will push anything you publish to the front page, you need to spend hours each day on digg – I just can’t do it.
Vered – MomGrind’s last blog post..The Funniest Hairstyles Of The 20th Century
Thanks for the recommendation, Cath. Much appreciated. And yes, I get a lot of value out of Twitter, because I make it my mission to provide value to my followers on Twitter. I’ve even gotten clients from it. I’m sorry you had a difficult time with StumbleUpon, but I must say the traffic I get from SU is just crazy. Often, it’s higher than from Google.
Michael Martine – Remarkablogger’s last blog post..Blog Pages, Posts, Categories, and Tags? HELP!
Hi Vered – Thank you. Entrecard really did suck. Apparently they’re trying to sell it for $100,000, so they probably won’t appreciate my review.
I hear what you’re saying about Digg. I noticed that a lot of folk who have a huge Digg network and do exactly what you described don’t really get much traffic from anywhere else.
Hi Michael – You’re welcome. You seem to be really switched on when it comes to Twitter, so I thought you’d be a great person for readers to watch and learn.
SU is good for traffic. I still do get quite a bit from it – although probably not as much as I got before I was banned. Every month, I get heaps of traffic from a post I wrote way back in May, which is great.
Entrecard looked to me like a loser from the first time that I saw it — so I never tried.
I looked at both Digg and Twitter, but didn’t see anything advantages, so didn’t waste much time on them.
I’ve spent a lot of time using StumbleUpon. However, I don’t see it as a social network. I just use it to “stumble” and find new sites, not to network. I don’t spend as much time on it as I used to, but still use it every now and again.
Mike Goad’s last blog post..On a Yellowstone Beach
Hi Cath, great reviews. I escaped Entrecard thanks to the Men with Pens. After reading their review, I decided to pass and I’m glad I did as everything I’ve heard mirrors your experience. I use Twitter, Facebook and Linked In the most. I am a member of an insane number of Ning communities, Plurk, Rejaw and a few others but spend the most time on my Top 3. I like SU but haven’t really maximized. Out of all the social bookmarking sites, it is definitely my favorite. My experience with my Top 3 are all quite good and each serves a slightly different purpose.
Hi Cath
I use SU as a bookmarking service for myself, and to send traffic to things I read that I enjoy. It does send me a lot of (fleeting) traffic so it seems a fair trade. I’ve got to know a few readers through it, but other than that I wouldn’t call it social.
I do enjoy Twitter a lot, though it took me a while to work it out. I’m not sure I’d say it’s good for business – but it’s friendly, sociable and a good way to make connections if you’re working on your own (like me). I think people are over hyping it a bit, which is part of the reason I posted my non-rules today.
The other site I use that I find really sociable is Flickr. Maybe it’s because no-one is selling you anything, it’s just a way to share pictures and places, perspectives on different parts of the world.
Joanna
PS I still blogs are the best forms of social media.
Joanna Young’s last blog post..21 Irresistibly Irresponsible Ways to Tweet with Greater Confidence
Cath, Your reviews are interesting. There’s sure no problem figuring out where you stand! I’ve never solved the riddle of StumbleUpon, but I continue Stumbling. With Twitter, I think the value depends on your Follow strategy. I’m thinking of paring down. Too many conversations are too hard to follow, whether on politics or otherwise. (And thankfully we only have a week until these elections are over.)
Brad Shorr’s last blog post..Thank You, Word Sell Commenters
I totally suck at social networking because I just don’t have the time…I did do entrecard but quit because as you said, the mind numbing clicking.
chris’s last blog post..The Economy, The Environment, My Children
Hi there Cath. Thank you for this review. I too escaped Entrecard and now don’t expect that I will spend any time on it. I haven’t done much with the other sites.
I use Digg to submit my articles when I first post them — is that bad? I know this is a no-no on StumbleUpon. I’ve stumbled a handful of other people’s articles but haven’t actually spent any more time than that on their site. I saw a major traffic spike with my last article. Now that my traffic is back to normal it looks piddly compared to that mountain from last Friday.
such is the blogging life I suppose.
I’ve signed up for that StumbleUpon Traffic course. I hope it will show me how to find out who stumbles me cause a lot of that went on last week. I wanna say thanks!
Davina’s last blog post..Awakening To A Balanced Life
I love the reviews. You know me, lately I’ve been really trying to get people to think about what kinds of traffic they are attracting to their sites and blogs.
Social media types, bloggers, customers in need, etc.?
Which do you think I choose as a business owner from the list above?
While those sites all give you traffic, I think the conversion rate is quite low.
@ Michael Martine – Agreed those sites can bring you tons of traffic and potential customers, but overall do you think it’s very targeted? For the amount of time I bet you spend twittering and stumbling, could you use that time in a way that would focus efforts on marketing to specific customers in need?
Just a question because to be honest, I’m not sure. I’m not hugely active on social sites and just curious on your opinion.
Entrecard is definitely better for beginners. It’s actually a pretty good way to get some initial traffic and build readership. I hadn’t heard about the StumbleUpon bans — I haven’t used it in a couple of months since switching computers. One of these days I’ll have to reinstall it.
I never use Digg. I guess I should since everyone raves about it, but every time I visit, I just don’t connect with it. I get really tired of receiving emails from website owners asking me to Digg their pages.
Twitter rocks but it can be a big distraction
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Rhetoric 101
Hi Cath – I’ve actually been enjoying Entrecard – I’m thinking of writing a page about it on Squidoo. I feel it has driven useful traffic to my site. I’d say it is essential to have your card above the fold on your site, to get any benefit from it. (I actually visited right now to leave a card – but I would have visited a little later anyway!)
Thanks for the info on StumbleUpon – I’ve had some weird experiences with that lately – two of my recent posts got several reviews, but hardly any traffic from them.
Robin’s last blog post..How A Lot Of Wind Changed My Plans
Hey Cath,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with these social networking sites. I haven’t dealt with Entrecard, but I can’t say I’ve heard a single good thing so far. Stumbleupon for me is more just for bookmarking; I haven’t gotten to know anyone new through the site. Just isn’t how I use it, and I haven’t gotten very into it. Digg seems like a waste of time to me, since I’m not blogging the news. Twitter I like. I spend too much time there just chatting, but that’s my own problem — no fault of twitter. I recommend TweetDeck over Twhirl, as half of my tweet replies were getting lost on Twhirl (but Twhirl was better than just using the web based option). Facebook is one I just can’t get into. I log in when new people add me and that’s about it. I recently joined LinkedIn, and I can’t say I really know what to do with it. But a few folks have contacted me for work through finding my profile, so that’s cool by me. I think I’m still too new at any of it to really voice a solid opinion or give a full review, but that’s where I stand for now.
Amy Derby’s last blog post..I’m Dangerous in the Dark
Hi Mike – that’s interesting – I didn’t realise SU was the only network you used. You’ve stumbled a whole heap of good stuff. Before I even joined StumbleUpon, you stumbled my 107 Resources To Unleash The Entrepreneur Within You and I got tons of traffic from it. I didn’t have a clue what had happened initially.
Hi Karen – I missed the Men With Pens review, or I’d have skipped it too. I’m glad you mentioned LinkedIn – I did join but I haven’t actually used it yet. But I haven’t even heard of Ning communities. I obviously still have a lot to learn.
Hi Joanna – I agree on blogs being the best form of social media. I do think you get to know folk in your community far better than you would anywhere else.
I liked your Twitter rules though – they make it seem a whole lot less daunting. As for flickr community – I haven’t really got involved like that but I do like browsing for creative commons pics to borrow.
Hi Brad – thank God the elections will be over soon. I know what you mean about it being hard to follow the conversations. You never seem to be on there when I am but maybe you’re messages are being drowned out by the masses. Or it could be that we just logon at different times.
Hi Chris – I’m not surprised you don’t have time. I don’t know how you fit in blogging with your long commute to work each day.
Hi Davina – I don’t think it’s bad that you submit your own articles – it’s quite a polava to do, so doing it yourself will encourage folk to vote. But don’t take my word for it – for all I know it could get you banned.
Now I feel really bad – I know you emailed me about how to find out who Stumbled you. I’ve had a whole heap of emails and I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. Will do shortly – sorry.
Hi John – that’s the thing isn’t it – qualified traffic is important. I think social media helps a little in making your blog look popular, and hopefully, that will attract more paying customers. But unless some of your customers are bloggers, conversion rates aren’t going to be good.
Don’t forget – Michael’s customers are bloggers, or potential bloggers, so I’m betting social networking helps him a lot.
Hi Melissa – it sounds like you definitely prefer Twitter over the others then. I don’t think the SU banning happens a lot – I’m just good at pissing off groups of people. Re: Digg – I just delete those emails – they’re so annoying.
Hi Robin. That’s interesting that you’re getting traffic that hangs round. Mind you, you do blog about some unusual things that we don’t find anywhere else, so maybe that helps?
That’s unusual that you’re not getting traffic from posts that are getting lots of SU reviews. I wonder if the people who are reviewing you maybe don’t have many fans? That really makes a difference to the number of visitors you get.
@ Cath – that’s true. I bet his (Michael’s) business is tailored around these sort of things (social sites). After all, you have to go where your customers hang out.
Hi Amy – you’re welcome. I notice you’d added me on linkedin and I will make the effort to try using it eventually.
You’re on Twitter quite a lot. Sometimes I don’t talk, I just read some of the messages while I’m working and some of your conversations are hilarious.
Thanks for the heads up on TweetDeck – I’ll check it out.
I have no experience with Entrecard so I can’t comment on that.
I don’t like Digg – it’s too time consuming to get anywhere with it and the non-stop shouts from certain users are annoying. I get some shouts once and awhile from others and will digg it if it is worthwhile. I love what you said about digging dirt
I also don’t like the site – if you ever look at the comments on the top articles, it’s disturbing. It’s overrun by misogynistic young men.
I like stumbleupon but it has taken me a long time to really get the hang of it. I don’t really think of it as very social but it’s a great way to discover new sites. And I’m trying to stumble more articles that I enjoy and find worthwhile because I really enjoy the traffic it brings to me. Sorry about the ban.
I love twitter! I’ve met some great people through it and have found almost all of my freelance jobs through those connections. Someone who randomly contacted me on twitter wondering if I freelanced and who wanted me to work on her site is what finally gave me the push I needed to start freelancing. It is important to follow the right people for your needs and that can be difficult to determine at first. Using their search is a great way to find people and work. Sometimes I search on WordPress and follow the trail, contact someone who says they need help, and get the job. I would have no contact with these people otherwise. While I am not always using twitter, it is always running while I am at my computer. I recommend using Tweetdeck. It is similar to Twhirl but you can make groups – this is really useful when the number of people you follow increases and it gets harder to keep up with it all. For example, I have a group called Soccer because there are some people I watch games online with and another group called “Friends” who are people I have made connections with and have more conversations with.
I also use Facebook but that is more for fun. Most of the people I’m friends with on it I actually know and we enjoying sharing photos, links and writing funny things on each other’s walls.
Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..WordPress Helper: A Useful Firefox Extension
Cath,
This was really helpful to me, I have had one article posted on Digg and have gotten on to twitter and Stumble upon but I am not having much luck chatting or getting referrals from the networks. I get frustrated that I am so slow at figuring the system out but I am not giving up….I will keep at it.
I do find that there are getting to be more and more folks on facebook and now with their new pages I am not able to post my posts on it and get all the incoming traffic when the post was more public…I can’t even find my posts sometimes and my college friends are complaining about how hard it is for them to figure out. My family in Australia is having no problem finding me and that is truly fun!
I just keep trying to learn more and more – I’m in it for the learning and the long run!
Patricia’s last blog post..Halloween: A Celebration of Spooky
I have heard about Entrecard but never got round to checking it out. Thanks for giving a summary of the pros and cons and how you would rate it and the rest of the social media. Your post is useful to me as I find myself having insufficient time to really explore the effectiveness of each media.
Evelyn Lim’s last blog post..I Dreamed I Was A Butterfly
Hi Patricia – It sounds like it might be worth you signing up to the first half of the StumbleUpon course I mentioned. The first half of the course is free, so you’ve got nothing to lose.
By the way – did you see this post I wrote the other day:
http://cathlawson.com/blog/2008/10/24/does-anyone-really-make-money-on-the-internet/
I wrote it with you in mind, cos I know you’ve been using the Amazon affiliate program and I think it’s a bad deal.
Hi Evelyn – I’m glad it helped. So much time is wasted just trying these social network sites out, so I thought it would be worth pointing out the ones that are a big waste of time. And Entrecard is just plain bad.
LOL Kim, I’ve read some bad comments but I had no idea there was a bunch of misogynists on Digg too.
It sounds like Twitter has been great for you. I love to hear these stories of folk getting work through social networking. And I like the way you organise groups. I’ll definitely be checking out that software as you’re the second person who recommended it today. Thanks.
Hi Catherine – I’m so glad you did this post as it and the comments have answered a lot of my questions.
I’ve tried Digg – don’t really care for it, Entrecard? I read about it, but clicking from site to site turned me off, Stumble is the only one I use, and not very often excect to give a post a thumbs up and/or review (and to check on my incoming mail). Twitter appears to get decent reviews, but like any other social media tool, takes time (which I don’t have a lot of).
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..A.S.K. Darren Rowse of Problogger – When Do We Know Our Blog Is A “Winner”
@John Hoff – My situation is interesting because I have peers to hobnob with but my clients are often more beginners. I’m finding that since I switched from ‘technician” to strategist/advisor, I can help more technically capable folks.
I keep getting visitors, subscribers, and clients from Twitter. And I’m having fun.
Michael Martine – Remarkablogger’s last blog post..Blog Pages, Posts, Categories, and Tags? HELP!
“Who is going to take your recommendations seriously when you’re just Digging dirt?” I just love that quote.
My take, Digg – Well, you just can’t get to the front page on anything, so it’s hard to get the traffic from it, but if you do you can be like Matt Cutts from Google and have your server crash after 4000 diggs.
SU – Holy shit do they send a lot of traffic, but I notice that they bounce a lot. Still, if I get bored I love to hit the Stumble button.
Twitter i am just now getting into, i have the same problem as you, it is hard to follow. I am installing twhirl now.
never heard of the other, so no opinion.
I can say that Mixx is coming on strong and I think in the next year or two will compete strongly with Digg. Plus, I like to have conversations after reading a post and Mixx is great for that.
Added you to my twitter. Oh yeah, you have been stumbled and dugg (good luck getting to the FP)
Jim Gaudet’s last blog post..Blog Action Day – Poverty, what can we do?
BTW – your link to twhirl should be
http://www.twhirl.org/
not
http://www.twhirl.com/
Cath
This is a really useful article for people who are new to social networking. I am a big fan of SU. I use it as a bookmarking service, and it has driven thousands of hits to my site and given me some subscribers as well. But mostly I love it because I’m a prolific reader and it has helped me meet some great friends who have similar interests to mine, and who I would not have found without SU.
Love Twitter – it helps me chat to friends and it’s given me some traffic as well. Never tried Entrecard because I just don’t have time and am happy with what I use for networking currently. As for Digg I have never found it useful for my site or fun to use. Leo from Zen Habits once told me that it’s only good if you have thousands of followers.
Sorry I’ve been a bit absent. Had computer problems which kept me offline for most of last week. And now my site has a server issue so I can’t post anything. Funny thing is I’m so over technology right now, I don’t care! Can’t summon even a speck of interest to solve the problem. Hoping my attitude changes by the end of the week.
Kelly
Kelly@SHE-POWER’s last blog post..SHE-POWER Men: Chris Austria Talks Marriage, Dreams and What He’d Say to the President
Hi Barbara – it’s all time consuming isn’t it? And that’s a struggle any business will have with social networking. It takes up too much time for the person working on their own. And if you want to employ someone to do it, you’d have to have the same person doing a lot of it all the time, or it would be less personal.
Hi Michael – I think changing your focus was a smart move. And a lot of people forget that networking with folk who can refer you to potential clients is a lot more productive than networking with folk who might become a customer.
Hi Jim – Thanks. My blog crashed because of SU before but never Digg. I might try Mixx out. I’m glad you mentioned it again because I forgot which one you said. Thanks for letting me know about twhirl, I’ll change the link.
Hi Kelly – I’m glad you’re ok, I was wondering how you were getting on. I wouldn’t have found you without SU.
I figured Leo must have thousands of followers or know somebody who does. It’ is so boring to use though isn’t it?
At least you’re having a break from technology – it will probably do you good.
Heads up, Cath! You’re in cross-traffic with this post from Do You Breath Google? Let us know the spike! No one deserves it more after all your hard work recently!
Betsy Wuebker’s last blog post..RUNES
@Cath – exactly.
Michael Martine – Remarkablogger’s last blog post..Do You Have a Cornerstone Product?
I have yet to really understand the need for a social networking site (other than my blog). I know that makes me hopelessly Web 1.0, but my impression of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter is that they’re designed for people who prefer to have a lot of superficial relationships, rather than a few profound ones. I could be wrong, though. Maybe I just never learned how to properly use them.
Of the four you mentioned, I have only tried Stumble, and found it confusing. I attempted to find compatible people, but none of the keywords they offered were what I needed. Now that I read your posts about some of their “dirty tricks” users, I’m less inclined to go back, but it someone offers only a Stumble icon and I want to give them some credit, I’ll use it.
Perhaps you were banned from Stumble simply because you wrote about some of their negative users.
Natural uses EntreCard and has blogged about it.
Dot’s last blog post..Non-Haiku Monday
Hi Betsy – Thanks. I’ll let you know tomorrow. I don’t check my stats realtime anymore, I was using the paid version of webceo and got sick of forking out the monthly costs as well as having to put up with the spyware.
I usually know when I’ve had a traffic surge though because this site crashes.
Hi Michael – I wish more business owners were as smart as u – think I’ll write a post about it.
Hi Dot – that’s pretty much why I was banned. All social networks seem to take a bit of getting used to. I guess with Twitter, folk also wind up speaking to each other elsewhere too, because of the word limits.
Twitter and SU are my favorites too. I find Stumble best for finding interesting sites, and Twitter is better for finding interesting people… who sometimes tweet interesting sites.
Days that I find myself getting too distracted by Twitter I turn Twhirl off. Same for if I don’t want to catch spoilers from people on the east coast posting about popular shows I watch. On the other hand, it’s really interesting to watch the tweets on breaking news.
Stephanie’s last blog post..Should You Be Generating Content for Other Sites?
Hi Stephanie – that’s true – and I guess using them both together is even better.
The breaking news is interesting. I heard that the news of Heath Ledger’s death actually broke on Twitter before anywhere else.
Sounds like StumbleUpon is the one I need to check out from this post.
I stopped Twitting basically before I even started. Just as well, leaves more time for gazing at beautiful trees, hugging my dog and cleaning MY bathroom.
Jannie’s last blog post..a blip
Hi Cath,
To be blunt….Entrecard Sucks! Complete and total waste of time. Very high bounce rate and mostly nothing but a bunch of spammy “comments”.
SU is one I do enjoy. When I have the time to stumble/review, I enjoy giving a thumbs up to posts I’ve read that I felt others would enjoy. SU brings in gigantic waves of social traffic, which is always nice to see even though it’s fleeting.
Twitter ROCKS! Unfortunately I’ve been swamped the last couple of weeks and haven’t been able to devote the same amount of time to Twitter as I usually do. That should ease up real soon, thankfully. Chatting with others on Twitter on a more personal basis, rather than blog post related, is a lot of fun and it helps build online relationships with other bloggers in and out of my own niche. Overall, both Twitter and SU are fabulous, while Entrecard can take a flying leap off a short pier.
Lin’s last blog post..How to Quit Smoking Cigarettes & Stop Smoking For Good
A nice review of all of these Cath. Really, it’s a good look at the pluses and minuses of each. Nothings perfect…
I use stumbleupon and twitter quite a bit (well, just getting into twitter). I have an account with digg, but use it very little. And, it seems like I continuously get digg requests from the same people – which tends to be a bit frustrating. So, I’lll stick with stumbleupon and twitter – they are working well. Stumbleupon really has brought me a lot of traffic – but I don’t know how much of that traffic is a one-time hit, and how much actually becomes repeat visitors – which would be the ideal.
Lance’s last blog post..At One Hundred, Life Is?
Hi Jannie SU is worth looking at. You should check out the course I mentioned, as the first half is free and it will really help you get the hang of it.
Hi Lin – It’s really bad isn’t it? I feel sorry for the owners as that obviously wasn’t their intention.
SU traffic is fleeting as you say but a small percentage will come back and that can be a huge amount because, as you said, it sends gigantic waves.
I thought I’d not seen you on Twitter recently – hopefully you’ll have more time soon,
Your signature has just reminded me that I need to decided a day to quit smoking. I’m going to get some pretend cigarettes from an adsense ad I found on your blog, to make it a bit easier.
Hi Lance – It sounds like you had the same Digg problem I did.
Be patient with SU traffic – some will come back. Try to suss which type of posts work best for you on there and write one every couple of months. You’ll get traffic from those type of posts a long time in the future. And many of those visitors not only come vback but tell others about you too.
Every other month, I’ve seen myself spend 30 hours plus on one post that SU users will like and it’s worth it. I’m not always right though – sometime a post won’t do so well and one I’m not expecting will do great. I think my Writers Resource post has probably had close to 200,000 page views since May.
@ Michael – So you’re saying networking on Twitter has a big advantage for you because you can schmooze with other entrepreneurs who aren’t necessarily going to be your customer (although they might be), but people who will get to know you and recommend you.
Brilliant!
That’s actually the one advantage I’ve noticed that Twitter seems to have.
@ Cath
Also Brilliant.
Hi Cath again – thanks for the info about the fans thing (I’m feeling guilty now that I might have done the wrong thing for people whose posts I’ve stumbled) – and I’ve started that course you mentioned – so thanks for that, too.
If I have some tips for EntreCard, they are:
1. don’t worry very much about advertising your blog (which is not how you’d think of approaching it) – the traffic comes in anyway. Do advertising later, when it suits.
2. slowly build up bookmarked “drop lists” – open them in tabs so you can click through them quickly (make a cup of tea while they are opening). I’ve found I get a sense of getting to know blogs from doing this, and I do stop and read some posts – in a way I prefer it to stumbling, where I always feel the sites have been artificially boosted by behind the scenes networking.
3. Your Entrecard must be above the fold, or people won’t put you on their drop lists. I am quite ruthless about this in mine (except for a few friends).
Robin’s last blog post..How A Lot Of Wind Changed My Plans
Hi Cath: I use three social media sites: squidoo–which I love–, twitter–which I also like (and I have a grade of 92 so apparently I have some idea of what I’m doing on there)–and stumbleupon–which brings me a good amount of traffic but I haven’t figured out exactly how it works yet. Digg is pretty annoying and I’ve never used entrecard but it doesn’t sound like something I’d be interested in. Thank you for these reviews
Marelisa’s last blog post..Four Ways to Achieve a Productive State of Mind
Hi John – Definitely – networking to me is often more about meeting folk who are likely to recommend others to me. Folk almost always take the recommendations of others they know and like.
It’s like what you wrote about networking with bank managers – people listen to the recommendations of bank managers (unless they have a slimy bastard like an ex bank manager I used to have).
I hope you don’t think I was criticizing you because I wasn’t and I’m sorry if I worded it wrongly. Michael networks with a lot of bloggers – his business provides a service to new bloggers, so he knows he will get lots of referrals.
What I meant was – that is a smart way to network in general. I stopped going to networking events because I was sick of total strangers giving me the hard sell, instead of trying to get to know me. I would certainly have referred more customers had they done that. But instead of trying to build a relationship, they try to make a quick sale.
I’m sorry if you felt the way I wrote it implied that you didn’t do that. I know I offend a lot of people but I wouldn’t deliberately offend you because you bring a lot of valuable discussion to this blog and you also write some pretty amazing stuff on your own blog.
Hi Robin – It seems like a good course – it’s worth it SU takes a bit of getting used to. I wouldn’t feel guilty about stumbling things before you have heaps of fans. We all started of with 0 fans or friends on SU. What I mean is that if someone stumbles your post and they have say 5 fans, you won’t get as good a result as if they had 200.
I found it best to check out the profile of stumblers I liked – review their profile and a couple of their posts. Send them a message, then maybe add them as a friend. Some stumblers will wait to see if folk are going to carry on being a regular user before adding you.
Your Entrecard tips seem good and that’s great if it’s working for you. Using a bookmarked drop list seems like a good idea. And I guess who you add will make a difference.
And I understand what you mean about actually reading some posts. I personally wouldn’t stumble something I hadn’t read. But as you say, I’m betting some networking groups do.
That’s one thing I didn’t mind about being banned. It meant my friends weren’t just stumbling everything I’d written – and some people do. It means I only get stumbled when I’ve written something worthwhile. I can’t stumble people’s posts back, so I use twitter occasionally when one of my friends has written something great.
I do think Entrecard is an ok choice for fairly new bloggers. But I know i guy who sold his blog for quite a huge amount considering the quality and he said he got all his traffic from Entrecard.
I won’t name the blog – but he got quite a bit of traffic and I used to wonder how he had such high rankings, as he wrote the biggest load of garbage. And he’d never have got SU traffic as he only used to stumble his own posts. I feel sorry for the person who paid a few thousand to buy his blog.
You write well Robin – and you have some really interesting stuff that is worth stopping to read. So does Valerie. And it’s great if you’re doing well from it. But I still think the vast majority of Entrecard users are deluding themselves.
@ Cath – John scratches his head and squints one eye
LOL Cath, I had to scroll through the comment section to see where you might have said something that would have offended me? Honestly I never had that notion one bit. I think maybe you worry about it more than you need to being that it’s happened before. Your reply to my original comment actually had me thinking all of the day today.
I’ve always said you have to network with the right people and presumably sell your product to a select few, however I’ve been finding that difficult on social networks. You made a great connection how Michael’s service is tailored around social networks. That was what I was looking for.
Now stop upsetting me: I’m tired, my back hurts, and I have a poopy diaper I need to change – no, not mine
(hehehehe) You and Barbara are my girls! You’ll never offend me!
Hi John – that is good. I do deliberately offend some people but not you. I thought you knew where I was coming from cos you’ve mentioned this kind of stuff before. Now we just have to come up with something we can tailor round social networks – but I’d probably get banned from them all.
Hi Mare – you seem to do really well with squidoo. I guess there must be a knack to picking the right topics. I will have to get some tips from you.
And I didn’t even know you could get a twitter rating. Where do you get those from?
Now that made me laugh out loud for reals!!!
The irony is, even though you’re banned, your stuff still keeps getting stumbled and they keep sending traffic your way.
That’s how it works John – it pretty good really – they banned me and now I do less but still get a heap of traffic from them. And I can still check to see who stumbled me. Then I just pop onto twitter when when of my stumbleupon friends writes good stuff and tell folk about it. It’s brilliant.
I had two SU profiles because I set the first one up and forgot the login details. So I use that one to check who stumbled me -and I know you stumbled this post -thank you. I could easily use that profile now – but I know those idiots I blogged about would notice and get me banned again.
@John – yes the schmoozing is a big part of it. Since I’m dealing with people who don’t need a technician, I can help them in other ways. I find myself explaining social media strategies instead of explaining how a blog post can go off the front page and somehow still exist.
Michael Martine – Remarkablogger’s last blog post..Do You Have a Cornerstone Product?
[...] Are These 4 Social Network Sites A Waste Of Time? by Cath Lawson [...]
Hi Cath,
I really like how you tell it as it is, without any sugercoating.
I would be interested to hear your opinion about one matter relating to social networking.
In terms of driving traffic to your blog, do you think it is better to (a) concentrate more upon the more general sites, such as the ones you mention above, or (b) focus upon discussion forrums which may be smaller but more specific to one’s particular topic or niche?
Andrew’s last blog post..Wal-Mart and the lessons from Nike
Hi Andrew – I guess it would depend on what you’re promoting. It will be nice to see more niche social networking groups. But I still think forums are valuable to networking too.
I would focus on one or two and establish your reputation as a helpful expert. Also, make sure to use a forum which will allow you to use your signature with link to your blog in your posts.
If you’re going to keep using Twitter you might want to try tweetdeck. It allows you to filter and sort the incoming information, so it’s not quite so overwhelming.
Can’t help you with the “meaningful conversation” bit though. It’s really not meant for that.
Amy’s last blog post..You know, I really ought to update this more than once a week…
Thanks for the quick summary on your experiences with these social networking sites. Honestly, some of the sites like Twitter and Plurk don’t come intuitively to people. Sometimes I need a “this is how you use it” tutorial. I have begun to use them as a way to get updates from people I find interesting instead as a ‘chat’ room. Twitter is just my ‘check in once a day’ site. Plurk I just joined, but one post on ‘i dont get this plurk business’ and I had 43 people add me as a friend/fan.
Other sites I use:
Myspace and Facebook are really only to keep in touch with people I actually know (friends and family). I have to say, I hate the new changes to both sites.
StumbleUpon I only use to browse the web when I’m bored. I click the handy dandy button and when I find something interesting I bookmark it on Ma.gnolia (or for cool images I bookmark it with vi.sualize.us). Those two bookmarking sites by the way are also a way to network but I havent used them for that purpose really.
Anywho, thanks again for the reviews.
I SIGNED UP FOR ENTRECARD BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE!!! (I guess I should have ASKED rather than following you blindly!)
I have yet to buy an ad so I can’t say how effective it is but I have noticed that other Entrecard blogs are complaining about high bounce rates.
I keep trying to Stumble but just haven’t gotten into it. As for Twitter – my life just isn’t interesting enough I guess to get into that either.
I blog – I comment . I ought to do more, but hey – my bathroom’s a pit too! (When the dog refuses to drink out of the toilet, it’s time to clean the bathroom!)
Kathy @ virtual Impax’s last blog post..80% Discount To Celebrate Successful-Blog’s 3rd Birthday
I have a bajillion saved entrecard points because I can’t decide whether to quit or not. I’m thinking about putting entrecard on BlogCrafted for a little while and buying a huge campaign (especially on larger sites who aren’t paying attention anymore but still have it up). After all, much of the audience will probably be bloggers, so it may get customers.
As for SU, I’m less and less interested in it. I dunno.
I’m in love with Twitter. Since I’m working from home about half the time, it helps me feel connected. And it’s a fun challenge coming up with 140 characters.
Mrs. Micah’s last blog post..More Than a Cereal: What You Should Know About ChexSystems
Hi Amy – thanks. I’m going to try that. I guess Twitter is a good way to connect with people who you might have meaningful conversations with outside of Twitter.
Hi Panchita – you’re welcome. I think many of us would benefit for how to guides. But needing to ask folk on Plurk how to use it worked out well for you.
Those two bookmarking sites you mention sound interesting. I’ll be taking a look at them. Thanks.
Hi Kathy – I’m sorry. I guess because I was using it you thought it must be ok. But I wasn’t a member for too long. As you say – the time factor really gets in the way of being involved in too many sites.
I can’t believe your life isn’t interesting enough for Twitter though – I don’t use it heaps. That’s the great thing though. Nobody seems to mind if you disappear for a while.
Hi Mrs M – I guess you may as well use your points up somehow. I noticed you’re on Twitter a lot. Mind you – that’s probably one of my problems – I read on there more than I talk. I guess I forget that people can’t “see me” if I don’t speak.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..Are These 4 Social Network Sites A Waste Of Time?
hey Cath, I think it’s all a waste of time if you’re not earning money from it, but I do it anyway?
EntreCard? You kind of have to know how to work it to your advantage. You only get out of it, what you put into it.
Stumble and Digg – I don’t do anymore. I might stumble or digg a post for my own benefit, but I never saw how this helped me personally. Maybe I didn’t get them.
Twitter – well I just tweet for fun. Once in a while I will tweet my posts, but that won’t be a habit. I just like to chit chat and send shout outs.
Natural’s last blog post..Answering Comments: Obligation, Optional or Off?
Hi Cath – me again!
Firstly – thanks for your reply above!
And secondly – I paid for that StumbleRush course and it is FANTASTIC! Thankyou so much! Even though with the lousy Australian dollar it cost me $75!
Watch out world – here I come! (I use far too many exclamation marks)
(BTW, with that issue you have, could you simply open a new account? – see lesson 10)
Robin’s last blog post..How A Lot Of Wind Changed My Plans
Hi Valerie – I did notice that you seemed to manage to get an awful lot of points for your ads. SU definitely benefits you if you stumble other people’s posts. It’s quite complicated to explain. You should check out Caroline’s course – it’s excellent and the first half is free.
Thanks Robin – I’m glad you like it – it really helps you get the best out of SU doesn’t it?
I have thought about a new a/c. I would need to use a different avatar tho. If those people saw it they’d complain.
I think you really get out what you put in with a lot of these sites. That being said, StumbleUpon was really good but then I got banned too! That was very dissapointing.
Entrecard can be good if you use it properly but it is limited, once your blog gets to a certain point, the results aren’t going to be worth the time you need to put in to get them.
Dot Com Dud’s last blog post..How I Promoted My First Blog Contest
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