Whether you already own a blog or are thinking of starting a blog, social bookmarking should be considered as one of your blog marketing strategies. With a blog, social bookmark users can save your blog as a "favorite" within the bookmarking site and recommend it to close friends, associates or anyone they come in contact with. This gives your blog exposure to new people without costing a fortune. Most social bookmarking sites are free to use and offer free submission for new blogs or sites. The sites usually make their money by selling additional advertising, so you and the social bookmark users can enjoy numerous benefits.

How does Social Bookmarking Work?

A social bookmarking site compiles lists of users' favorite sites and enables users to save those sites in a social bookmarking list. Where it concerns a blog, social bookmarking users will save a link to their favorite blog site. Some bookmark links are public while others are private or only available within certain groups. A few of the top social bookmarking sites are DIGG, Delicious, Twitter, Yahoo! Buzz, Reddit, Technorati, Stumble Upon, News Vine, Propeller and Blinklist. Each site has its own type of user atmosphere, so it's wise to check each out and observe what the users like and don't like when bookmarking blogs.

Benefits of Social Bookmarking for Blogs

You want your blog to be noticed by as many people as possible. Social bookmarking a blog can expose your site to hundreds or thousands of people. There are thousands of users at any given top social bookmarking site and some of these will be interested in what you have to offer. These users are seeking ways to save and share their favorite sites and blogs. They want to let others know about their interests. Just like any "social" site, social bookmarking sites are communities where the users are actively involved on a daily basis. It's similar to a forum except much better organized and specific to the needs of users.

First, you must understand that your blog has to be submitted to the bookmarking sites without spamming or seeming too pushy. Social bookmarking submission can be done manually or automatically to multiple sites. There are social bookmarking tools and services online to help you complete this task. Be sure you understand how the process works before moving forward. Avoid headlines and content with a sales overtone. Focus on updates, free tips, news, etc. that is useful to others. The goal is to get people to visit your blog, not to try and sell them at the door.

Your blog can benefit by simply having a social bookmarking link. For some reason, search engines love these types of backlinks. So having a few of the top social bookmarking sites linking to yours isn't a bad idea!

Blog Marketing Services

If you're pressed for time and don't feel you have the time or energy to start a blog (much less promote it), then you might consider using a blog marketing firm. Some blogging services can create your blog for you, keep it updated with fresh content and updates, submit it to multiple social bookmarking sites, and even promote your blog with RSS feeds and search engine submission. Look for a company that has been in the marketing game a while...one you can trust with your blog social bookmarking and other areas of promotion. Consider the Google PageRank of the marketing firm's own site or blog. Is the site highly ranked in Google with a ranking of 5 or better? If so, then you should definitely read the company's presentation because it has obviously found favor with Google...and can help your blog promotions too!

Promoting your blog through reliable sources such as popular social bookmarking venues can quickly increase blog traffic and help boost your sales. Consider this as one of your primary sources to find targeted sales leads!