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.

Who Am I?

So I've been signing up for Blog Directories like it is going out of style the past week. This process is deserving of a post of its own so I won't go into that. But each of them asks you to put your blog into a category or niche. I have to think about it every single time. I actually think I'm having a bit of a blog identity crisis. Very few of them have a handmade category which is what I consider the best fit. I recently switched my category in Entrecard from Hobby to Fashion, since that is where I saw the most other blogs similar to mine. In most of the directories I go with crafting-Knitting, but I really don't consider the blog a knitting blog. True knitting blogs are geared towards a knitting readership and talk about their projects and knitting tips. I think of most of my readers as crafters but not necessarily knitters.

I sometimes put a sub-category of small business, which I think is fairly accurate. I like talking about marketing and selling ideas but those posts take a lot out of me so they are rarer. Some directories have a shopping category which I think is pretty accurate too but I don't know if it is the best place to be to get the most views.

So all of this has got me thinking about what type of content I should be focusing on. I know when we get into the summer I won't be able to post as much at work since that is when I am busiest so I want to be able to get the most out of what I do post. I am going to start a new poll today to get your opinion about what you would like to see more of. If you have any feelings on what type of blog you think I am I would love to hear it too. I just threw a few gratuitous shots of new listings in for visual stimuli.