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Many of you might have seen some of the great posts out there that provide lists of social media sites such as Michelle McPherson’s Social Media BluePrint . Social media sites are constantly popping up every day and it can make you dizzy trying to keep up with them all.

One of the mistakes that I first made starting out with social media just a few short years ago, is I tried to put myself on every single social media site out there!  You can’t be everywhere all at once!  At the same time, that’s what is so great about platforms like Ping, which I use quite a bit.

I soon realized that it wasn’t the right strategy to go willy-nilly and try to get on as many social sites as possible.  So, what I wanted to do today is give you my list of my favorite top 50 Social Media sites that I have had experience with and  that have proved the most valuable to myself as a small consulting business.

Some of these I am currently using and some I have stopped using for whatever reason – probably because I felt too spread out trying to maintain them.  You will soon find out that as your client base grows, you quickly realize that you don’t have time to keep up with everything!

 General

1. Twitter  (www.Twitter.com)

2. Facebook (www.Facebook.com)

3. LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com )

4. FriendFeed (www.FriendFeed.com )

5.  Aboutus.org (www.aboutus.org )

6. Bebo (www.bebo.com )

7. Dandelife (www.dandelife.com )

8. Lijiit (www.Lijiit.com )

9. Friendster (www.Friendster.com )

10. Gravee (www.Gravee.com )

11. Fast Pitch (www.fastpitchnetworking.com )

12. Hub Pages (www.Hubpages.com )

13. Jaiku (www.jaiku.com )

14. Squidoo (www.squidoo.com )

15. Xing (www.xing.com )

16. Ning (www.ning.com )

17. Orkut (www.orkut.com )

18. Plurk (www.plurk.com )

19. You are (www.youare.com )

 Social Bookmarking/News Sites

20. Delicious (www.delicious.com )

21. Mr-Wong (www.mister-wong.com )

22. Diigo (www.diigo.com )

23. Digg (www.digg.com )

24. Stumbleupon (www.Stumbleupon.com )

25. Review Me (www.reviewme.com )

26. Linkagogo (www.Linkagogo.com )

27. Mixx (www.mixx.com )

28. Propeller (www.propeller.com )

29. Reddit (www.reddit.com )

30. ShoutWire (www.shoutwire.com )

31. Simpy (www.simpy.com )

 Video Sites

32. Blip TV (www.bliptv.com )

33. DailyMotion (www.dailymotion.com )

34. MetaCafe (www.metacafe.com )

35. YouTube (www.youtube.com )

36. MotionBox (www.motionbox.com )

37. Panjea (www.panjea.com )

38. Viddler (www.viddler.com )

 Blogging Platforms

39. Wordpress.org (self-hosted)  (www.Wordpress.org )

40. Blogger (www.blogger.com )

41. MyBlogLog (www.MyBlogLog.com )

42. LiveJournal (www.LiveJournal.com )

43. Tumblr (www.tumblr.com )

44. Typepad ( www.typepad.com )

Photo Sharing

45. Flickr (www.flickr.com )

46. Photo Bucket (www.photobucket.com )

47. Picassa (www.picassa.com )

48. Smugmug (www.smugmug.com )

49. Fotolog (www.fotolog.com )

50. Fotki (www.fotki.com )

Now that you have a good list to start with, make sure you read my other blog post on Tips on Where and How To Start Your Social Media Campaign.  Hopefully that article will tie it all together for you.

Remember, I have a list of 200 more sites besides the ones I listed in this post, but remember, chase the head and not the tail!  ( well, if you’re a guy, you might like the latter! )  What I mean by that is, most of the users are on the Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Linked In.  So you will want to spend most of your time developing social media campaigns on those sites. 

At the same time, you can find some really nice niche traffic on the other sites that are out there.  Don’t forget about them.  Use them. Try them out. Experiment with them.  It’s the only way you will learn.

If you want to comment on your favorite social media sites that aren’t listed here, feel free to add to this list!

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My Favorite Top 50 Social Media Websites is a post from: SEO Organics

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1. Breaking it down – Tips on where and how to start your Social Media Marketing Campaign

I was working with a client in Fresno last week and I knew we had to start from the basics when it came to online marketing.  This client had just built a new website and was really excited to get started.  He asked me the basic question that most businesses should ask themselves, “what are a few of the most important things I need to do first after building my new website?”

With that said, here are what I think are the 10 most important things to do after building a new website:

1.  Immediately redo your business cards to include your new website.  

2.  Record a new message on your answering machine to include your website.  At the end of your message simply say “for more information please don’t be shy- visit our website at www.abcCompany.com. ”

3.  In your Yellowpage ad next year, make sure you put your website in there! You would be surprised at how many advertisers forget to do this.

4.  Put your website in the signature line of your email address.  In this way, every time you send an email out to a client, your website is at the bottom.

5.  Create a Twitter Account and connect with other people in your local area with similar interests.

6.  Create a Facebook Fan Page and  Linked In Profile. Get connected to people with similar interests.

7. Set up local business profiles on Google and Yahoo.

8.   Build a profile on Yelp.com.

9.  Build a profile on Merchant Circle.com.

10.  Submit your website to the following directories: ibegin, UniversalBusinessListings.org, BOTW.org , InfoUSA.com and Localeze.com.  The reason I mention these specificially is that these directories feed into a lot of other local directories so it is important to start by adding your listings here first.

This is just a small list, and I am sure there is much more, but these are some of the “biggies” to do right away after you get your new website built. 

If there’s other “biggies” that you can think of, let me know!

The 10 most important things to do after building a new website is a post from: SEO Organics

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I remember every now and then when working in corporate america, I would run into advertisers who were savvy enough to inquire about Social Media.  The few that I did run into, only spoke of the almighty Facebook and Twitter accounts that they were currently engaged in.

As I begun my dialogue with the advertiser, I quickly realized that they have no idea what to do with their Facebook and Twitter accounts once they set them up.  Or, the other common problem is they didn’t know what to write about, or they simply said they tend to “run out of things to say.”

I realized just how narrowly focused these advertisers were and really wanted to help them in expanding their knowledge about the true meaning of social media marketing and what tools/sites are out there to help small businesses.

So let’s start at defining the different avenues available to the small business owner. Please keep in mind that other people may classify this list differently than myself, but in the end, it’s all still in the mix…..:

1.  Social Networking Sites- These sites consist of communities of people who share the same or similar interests in certain things.  There are some general social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and then there are some sites that are niche social sites.

For example, there are social networks for people who like pets, dogs, coin collecting, business networking, cooking, sports fans, automotive, etc.  The list goes on and on.

If you are a cosmetic dentists, for example, you may want to find a list of social sites that deal with cosmetic surgery and dentistry and begin engaging in conversations and bringing your expertise and knowledge to the table.

How do you use them?

If you are a small business owner, your goal should be to find the social networking communities that make sense to  your product or service.  Remember, the question you should ask yourself BEFORE entering any social networking site is – “How can I benefit this community?”.   If you go into a community with the WIFM attitude, you will surely fail.

Your goal is to NEVER try and pitch or sell your products in these communities. This is a sure -fire way to get yourself kicked out and lashed out against by other members.  First observe the community and find out what they are talking about.  Then, when you see a conversation in which you can add value to, then start joining in!

I am just giving you the brief synopsis here, and this is not meant to be a detailed training post on how to engage in Social Media but, I will in the future be writing more posts on how to use each one of these different social media tools so stay tuned!

2.  Social Bookmarking Sites- Social book marketing sites like Delicious, Digg, Furl and Fark can be excellent ways to organize and share the interesting content that you come across on the web.  There’s a great post about a few of these social sites from Socialnomics.

For example, in the SEO community there is such a massive amount of information out there (articles, videos, slide shows, websites, blogs) that it can be overwhelming to try and remember it all. let alone try to organize it all!

So to make these extremely easy for myself, I have a Delicious account that I store all of my great content in.  Then, when I need to recall it, I can easily find it by the tags I have created for each URL.  It’s amazing!  The best part is that you can share your content with other people that also have a Delicious account- and this is where the marketing benefits come in………..

How do you use social bookmarking sites?

For example, let’s say that you have a YouTube channel and you want to promote that channel across the web.  Once you have created your own Delicious account, you can then bookmark your own stuff and tag it appropriately so that it gets found on the Delicious site.

In another example, if you have a blog for your company, every time you create a new post you can take that post URL and save it and tag it with your Delicious account.  This is another way for people to find your content.  It also helps with building some inbound links to your blog, although not much weight is put on this.

3.  Video Sharing Sites – Video sharing sites are continuing to get more and more attention as time goes on. Consumers are flocking to video sites such as YouTube, MetaCafe and Daily Motion.

Sharing videos on sites such as YouTube and MetaCafe is one of the best things you can do to create more buzz around your brand name and business.

How do I use video sharing sites?

Here’s some ideas on what you can use  video sharing sites like YouTube for:

1. Create “how to” videos -if you are a local plumber, make a video showing how to change a leaky faucet in the bathroom.

2.  Create a slide presentation using Slideshare and then post on YouTube as well.

3.  Create a “how to” powerpoint presentation using Camtasia and then post on YouTube.

4.  Record yourself performing certain tasks in your field.  Again, if you are a plumber, have someone in your office record you going out on a call.  Show some action shots!

5.  Create a “viral-video” – Humor works well here!

6.  Take your Yellowpage.com video (if you have one) and make sure to post on MetaCafe as well. (they are automatically included in AT&T’s Yellowpage Channel on YouTube already)

7. Video testimonials – this is one of the best recommendations I can have for small businesses.  You can use these video testimonials and post them on your website, social media profiles, broadcast out to your Twitter followers, put it on your Facebook Fan Page.  The sky is the limit here!

4.  Photo Sharing Sites – Photo sharing sites are a great way to make your content come alive.  Sites such as Flickr, Smug Mug and Photo Bucket can help in several ways including sharing pictures with friends, sharing pictures with your network and helping to create a certain image about you or your company.

How do you use photo sharing sites?

Join relevant communities. Other members of these sites can link to your profile if they find interesting pictures and links on your site.  Here are some ideas on what types of photos to post:

1.  Post your logo, then put a link back to your website.

2.  Post photos of all of your products.  If you can, make sure to link back to your website.

3.  Post pictures of office staff, the office pet, the office itself.  Your goal is to create an environment that customers can connect with.  You are making them feel more connected to you as a company here.  Photos speak a thousand words!

4.  If you go on vacation, post some of your pictures – after all, I’m sure most of your customers know you went on vacation, right?

How do you use photo sharing sites?

I personally use these sites to post pictures of events, speeches, fun activities, places I’ve been, etc.  Then, for each picture, I’ll put a detailed description with my targeted keywords in it.

5. Blogging Networks/Directories- Creating a blog for your company using Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, etc. could be one of the single best things you can do.  In today’s online environment, the static web page has taken a back seat to more dynamic, ever-changing websites.

Setting up a blog can create an entire new group of readership, if you do it correctly.  My favorite blogging platform is Worpress.  If you don’t know how to host a blog yourself, you can go to Wordpress.com and get it hosted there for free.

But what happens once you’ve created your blog?  How will people find it? Well, there’s a lot of things you can do to get your blog found.  One popular method is to submit your blog to blog directories.  There’s a great list of blog directories that was published by Top Rank awhile ago.  I’ve personally been through this entire list and picked out the best ones, but this is a great place to start!.

6.  Podcasting Networks- Podcasting is another way to get your content out on the web.  With podcasting networks like Pod Bean, Podomatic, and Blogtalkradio, you can syndicate audio content throughout the internet to your audience.

How do you use podcasting networks?

You can put practically any content you want on podcasting networks.  Use them to do “how to” broadcasts or an interview with an existing client.  Testimonials is another great podcasting idea.  Finding good ideas for podcasts is easy when you know where to look.  You can look at blogs, news feeds, emails, forums, other websites, etc.  Find something that you are passionate about and believe can benefit your audience and talk about it!

In the end, there are several unique avenues that small business owners can use to get their message out.  As we continue to evolve in the internet marketing space, social media marketing will become increasingly important for gaining new clients.  Your clients will expect you to have a Facebook Fan Page and a Twitter account so that they can keep track of your company and keep updating on your latest product and service offerings.

I hope this brief list helped in giving you a little bit better idea of what options are out there for social media and where to start.

Breaking it down – Tips on where and how to start your Social Media Marketing Campaign is a post from: SEO Organics

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1. My Favorite Top 50 Social Media Websites

When working in corporate america, I couldn’t believe how many small business owners had not done anything about increasing their internet presence.  Maybe it was that they were afraid of letting go of the almighty Yellowpages.  Maybe it was because they didn’t know exactly how to market online.  Maybe it was because they didn’t have the time. 

I always was astounded at just how many small businesses didn’t have even a website!  So, I was absolutely delighted when I came across this wonderful post by Greg Sterling from http://www.localsearchnews.net  about why small businesses haven’t engaged more on the internet.

Do any of these excuses sound like you?:

Breakdown:

Confusion – 25%

Lack of Budget – 24%

Internet Not Relevant to their business – 19%

Lack of Time – 15%

Have enough business already – 10%

Skeptical of Effectiveness – 7%

In this article Greg also made some good points about how Yellowpages have adopted the SEM model and tried to push it into the small business advertiser channel:

In late 2003 or early 2004 BellSouth (now part of AT&T) introduced a product that offered to put SMBs on search engines in addition to the publisher’s own yellow pages site. It was in essence a simplified SEM offering geared specifically to SMBs who wanted to “be on Google,” but didn’t know how. That became the template going forward.

Search engines, unable to acquire large numbers of SMB advertisers directly through self service, turned to established “sales channels” such as yellow pages publishers that could use their “feet on the street” sales reps to reach local businesses. Yellow pages publishers, seeking more traffic than their sites were generating and to prevent potential advertiser defections, all developed similar products: local SEM offerings.

Rather than explaining keywords and bidding strategies, the sale to the SMB was simplified by offering “guaranteed clicks” for a fixed price. That original model has evolved in most cases. But what it permitted was an easy “close” by the sales rep. The complexity of search marketing — setting up and managing a paid-search campaign – was totally outsourced and hidden from the local business. The search engine got ad dollars it might not have otherwise and the publisher kept the advertiser. The publisher-partner/vendor got the headache of fulfillment and managing the campaign itself.

To read the full article: http://www.localsearchnews.net/smbs-and-sem-churn/comment-page-1/#comment-2205

Now, most of you reading this article know how I feel about the above tactics.  I felt as if this strategy hasn’t paid off because the yellowpages industry doesn’t quite have a handle on how to run a Google Adwords campaign effectively enough and the products seem to be suffering in my eyes.

There is a ton of opporunity when it comes to small business advertising.  The world is in your hands! 

Why haven’t you marketed online yet? is a post from: SEO Organics

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I thought this would be too simple to put on this site, but once I thought about it I couldn’t resist!

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Some big changes have taken place in Google Maps.  Advertisers can now pay a flat fee each month to advertise their business in the Local Business Listings.  But the question that has yet to be seen is, how will this new shift affect online directory advertising, particularly the internet yellow pages?

Well, my guess is that the online directories will continue to lose market share to Google’s local business listings.  More and more traffic seems to be diverted away from directories such as www.yellowpages.com and moving directly to the search engines.

If it isn’t bad enough that yellowpage publishers are losing all their print customers to the internet, now they may be in for another heartache as Google steals even more of that through their local business listing ads.

Internet Yellow Page (IYP) type sites have lost a ton of market share to the search engines because of local search results being integrated into universal search.  The decrease in users visiting these sites in order to find local businesses and services will continue  but the real effects will be accelarated on the advertiser’s side.

Local Listing Ads are bound to be successful with small businesses.  The availability of free call tracking is just another way that Google is brining value to the table and allowing businesses to track their results. 

I am guessing that the change to the “7 pack” from the “10 pack” results has been made so that Google can make room for its new local listing ads.  For small businesses, that means that you might have lost your positioning that you once had.  If this is the case, you many want to focus once again on optimizing your website for local search. 

In the end, online directories will have to find a way to survive. And to demonstrate that fact, here’s a great quote I found from David Mihm, a very respected internet marketing specialists:

“If the Yellow Pages companies want to stay in business, they simply have to acknowledge that the real value that sales reps can provide is as web marketing advisors, rather than salespeople for a proprietary product.  The sooner they start helping SMB’s leverage ALL of the ad products out there, including this one, the faster they’ll recover revenue streams.”

How will Google’s Local Business Listing ads affect IYP advertising? is a post from: SEO Organics

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