4/06/2009

Social Networking Sites vs. Blog Directories



Last month for some reason I got a wild hair and started joining blog directory sites like they were going out of style, which in reality they pretty much are. It seems the blog directory is being replaced by social networking sites for finding information on-line. Directories are still a decent way to get links to your site to build up your page rank but it can be a tedious process to join them so you have to way the cost vs. the benefit to you and your site. The above necklace by CouchObjects lets the world know you love your social networking sites.

The DMOZ, the open directory project, is the gold standard in directories and appears worth the effort if you can get in. I have applied but it is reviewed by experts in the field so it takes some time to hear whether you are accepted. It is a true directory and is the most comprehensive attempt to organize the web there is.

The other true directories that I applied and was accepted to relatively quickly are BlogRankings and Blogged. I like blogged and have done some searches with it as they index just blogs by topics.

There are other directories that are a combination of directories and social networking sites. We all know the true social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These sites are all about building a community and networking with like minded people. You can share pictures, make friends, and promote yourself and your business. The directories that are also creating ways for bloggers to connect are the ones that are most useful for promoting your business. Not only will they give you a link to boost page rank but they will also give you and your business opportunities to be discovered by new eyes.

Blog Catalog is the most popular of these sites that I have discovered. There is a great community of bloggers here that can be searched, befriended, and can be a good promotional tool if fully utilized. I haven't fully tapped into what I want to use the Catalog for but I think there is more potential here than many other sites. Technorati appears to be a similar site and has potential as well for networking opportunities. Fuel My Blog and Blog Hub are two other similar sites I joined when I was in my directory joining frenzy but I haven't explored them much yet to see what they can do for me.

There are also several crafting directories that I have joined partly for exposure and to develop links. Crafty tips Arts & Crafts Dirctory is the one I'm most impressed with. It isn't huge yet but it is very well organized and the editor reviewed my blog quickly and actually sent me a personal e-mail with suggestions and her thoughts on my blog. I also submitted to the Recreation and Hobby Directory and the etsyBloggers ring as well as a few others that I haven't heard back from yet.

Bust Magazine, which is one of my absolute favorite reads, just started a directory called the Girl Wide Web which is very cool. I submitted and was accepted to it very quickly. I have been wanting to explore their directory more to find some new favorites. There is also BlogHer that is just for women bloggers to connect and network. I have not found this site to be very intuitive and I have struggled to find my way around but I'm sure if I give it a little time I'd be fine.

There are some other social networking communities that are a cool way to connect and can be used for promotional purposes as well. I don't suggest just treating them for promo though as you don't want to be seen as a spammer. I think there has to be a balance between you as a person and the business. Even though I join them under my business name I at least attempt to inject some of the real me into each site I join.

The most interesting of these for me has been Indiepublic. I heard about it a long time ago but had never taken the time to join. It really is a great community of indie designers and supporters of the handmade movement. It has brought me more chatter than any of the other sites I've joined by far. There is also We Love Etsy and I just discovered a new one called MyCraft that looks interesting.

I'll cover the social bookmarking sites in another post. If you want to explore this topic further the blogging maestro TimothyAdamDesigns has a tutorial for $8 called Handmade Blogging Essentials which covers these topics and many more. I just bought it today and will do a review of it once I've taken it all in. If you have some other directories you swear by please share.

12 comments:

Joyuna said...

Thank you for that interesting article! I'll submit my blog to directories if I happen to come across them, but haven't been actively looking for them. I submitted my blog to DMOZ ages ago and never heard back. Oh well.

BrigaBauble said...

Thanks for the tips. I have not yet submitted my blog link anywhere so it looks like this is yet one more thing I need to get busy doing!

http://BrigaBauble.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Thank you for always taking the time to share your knowledge on these topics with us! I know it's a lot of work to do all of that stuff and I appreciate your take on things. In terms of these particular sites, I have dabbled, registered, or at least looked into pretty much all of them. I'm afraid I haven't had much time to really play with them like I should. I got frustrated with indie public as it seemed most people just wanted to promote themselves rather than be genuine (I guess I'm spoiled by the etiquette in the blog world) so have just abandoned my page there. All I have to add to your list really is ring surf. Again...I've merely dabbled in it, so don't know how beneficial it can really be, but it's sort of a catalog + networking site too.

kellyssima said...

nice post! thanks for the tips!

Blog Traffic said...

To get the maximum benefit from directory listings the backlinks from blog directories should be combined with the backlinks from the articles submitted to article directories (on topics closely related to your blog's most important keywords).

A properly developed backlink program will deliver far more targeted traffic to your blog due to its impact on the search engines than due to the actual directory links themselves.

I maintain a list of The Top 101 Blog Directories & RSS Submission Sites on my blog at:

Blog Directories

Since I update this list weekly there are now 425 entries listed with NO DEAD LINKS.

Try to submit to 3-5 directories PER DAY. This discipline will pay big dividends over the long run.

If you find sufficient value in this list, please link to it in your blogroll.

Thanks.

Best of success,

Robert A. Kearse

Rachel said...

thanks for the blog directory tips. cute necklace too!

If you get a chance, stop by my blog.
http://www.chachingqueen.com
Cha Ching Queen
Helping you... Save: Money and time ~ Make: Extra cash ~ Learn: Random stuff
And follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/chachingqueen

Marie said...

Great tips Paige, thank you.

And I am glad to hear I am not the only one who finds BlogHer confusing! I would say with your background and with mine (I am a nurse and have an MA), it is a fair guess we are pretty bright individuals. But that site overwhelmed me!

I took me days and multiple tries to submit my blog for listing with them.

Ah well. There are still a lot of other sources.

Cheers! :)

Kristin said...

I admire you for all of the information that you gather and share. You are always so informative..thank you so so much for sharing all of this with us!

SleightGirl said...

Great blog! I'm going to follow you! :)

storybeader said...

thanks Paige for all the links! I use the Blog Catalog, quite frequently, to pick from, for a Almost Wordless Wednesday. I was thinking of a way to use the people...

Rhythms of Light said...

Thank you so much for posting this information! I am currently only using social networking sites like Twitter, etc. to get more exposure. I was completely unaware of the blog directories and will definitely check out the links you provided.

Katherine said...

Very well written! I'm doing a kind of "boost your blog" and "get the most out of the Internet" series on my blog, too. Reading what you wrote gave me some great new insights - a lot of things I hadn't considered. It's terrific to hear how you handle things - and what you think is important/interesting. I really appreciate it!

I hope you are well. :) xx

 

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