Do you have first-hand knowledge of social networking sites?

[joeduffy.net]

I have tried most, Digg seems to do the best for me. I get decent traffic from them.

[Gamblogger]

As a publicist, I use lots of online media channels to get the word out about my clients. I joined MySpace when we started representing the Queen of MySpace, Tila Tequila and since then have made hundreds of poker-playing Friends. Through Bulletins, Comments and my Blog, they all receive news from my clients.

I also publish another blog which gets a fair amount of traffic and is indexed by Google etc. It also produces an RSS feed which I can use elsewhere.

The best use I've found for Facebook is keeping in touch with other GPWA and CAP members. Although I have hundreds of friends on Facebook I just learned that only the 20 or so that I've been in most recent contact with receive my updates in their newsfeed. So a Facebook profile isn't a great way to push information out to lots of people. I'm developing Facebook Pages for each of my clients though and that will enable me to push information to Fans. Friends will want some kind of incentive to become a Fan though so that's what I'm working on now.

Social Networking isn't going to replace any of our current media distribution channels but it is becoming an increasingly important way to reach colleagues and customers. I'd be very interested in discussing the most effective ways of using Facebook, MySpace etc. for publicity and marketing and will be happy to share anything I've learned myself so far.

[Frank Benjamin]

I use MySpace as a marketing tool. I got the idea from marketing strategy guide.

My traffic and subscription list increased since then, and I believe it is part of the reason for the increase conversion rate for my affiliate program. I would have never thought this indepth about using MySpace and other Social Networking site out there as part of your marketing campaign.

I Just wrote about it at the Webmaster Partner Program blog. Click here to read the article.

[pokertramp]

I am soooooo green at this stuff, I've had a facebook account for many months but almost never go on it, I have joined GPWA's group and others.
Can someone explain to me how in the world you actually market your sites here? Sorry for the stupid question....

[MichaelCorfman]

I am soooooo green at this stuff, I've had a facebook account for many months but almost never go on it, I have joined GPWA's group and others.
Can someone explain to me how in the world you actually market your sites here? Sorry for the stupid question....

It's not a stupid question at all. The approaches are different that what is done on the web, and so the answers are not at all obvious. Put simply, social networks let people share information with their friends. So, to use social networks for promotion purposes, you have to have a strategy that promotes whatever one in interested in promoting by allowing the information to be shared between friends. Doing this is not that easy without some sort of strategy that actually works.

In the case of the GPWA group on facebook, we have promoted in in the GPWA Times newsletter and GPWA Times magazine and in the forums. The result is that we have nearly 500 "members" on facebook. In the other direction, we link to the GPWA.org website from facebook, and publish our newsletters in the context of the GPWA group. In some cases that has resulted in new members from our activities on facebook. They are each different ways to get exposure.

When we has a GPWA party at the Casino Affiliate Convention in Amsterdam we publicized that on facebook also, and around 150 people indicated they were going to attend on the event page on facebook.

The group model on facebook can accomplish something similar for portal sites if there is new information to provide to a set of friends or group members on facebook. But the best strategy is one that uses faceboook applications to let friends share information with one another. Some of our plans in this area that will be available to GPWA webmasters are introduced in the thread www.gpwa.org/forum/gpwa-facebook-plan-overview-175165.html.

Michael

[joeduffy.net]

As I mentioned before, in the past I've made good money providing barter content on sports betting sites--hence targeted traffic was my main concern.

Only *very* recently have I finally started to use other tools such as improving keyword. Knock on wood, early returns are good for me. Example, I'd love to be No. 1 for "sports handicappers".

Over the last month or so, I've gone from not on the radar screen, to page eight, now page 3 of Google for that. I've had similar results for other terms.

How? I do think in part to using such social networking to get my URL on sites with high PR.

This page is my favorite cheat sheet as to where http://sociallist.net/submit.php?show_all=1

[ddm]

strange that youtube isn't on the list.

[mojo]

For those of you that already promote gambling on Facebook, I would really like your input on the ethics of it here:

https://www.gpwa.org/forum/ok-provid...ok-175365.html

[pgaming]

Exploring both sides of the coin can't hurt.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMWz3G_gPhU Prior to the beacon before 2008

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cEySyEnxvU 60min interviews founder of facebook Mike.


pgaming

[pgaming]

strange that youtube isn't on the list.

Nor are several others such as bebo consider the following:

Bebo now has 40 million members worldwide. Together with AIM and ICQ, AOL will have a social network of approximately 80 million unique users worldwide, putting it in a leading position in the fast-growing social media market. source:http://corp.aol.com/news/aol-acquire...a-network-bebo

Just maybe the next big thing? Another way for the Corporate guru's to milk it for all its' worth.

pgaming

[goforit]

I have a profile in practically any known social network Not included in the list: bebo, xing, smallworld, virtualtourist. I also operate a social network which has about 40K members.

[Vrindavan]

i have account on Facebook, Friendster, MySpace

but i only use facebook daily, because facebook is the market leader in my location, so i can meet/connect to local people on facebook

[apuestas12]

i love myspace i am using myspace frm 5 yrs.

[mediamanoz]

Social networking websites have overall worked out for us. We launched our Casino News Media Facebook before the launch of the actual dedicated website, and the fans and search engines have responded really well. I'm also a fan on LinkedIn.com and have an article add on via the Marketing Magazine website. LinkedIn.com and Facebook stand out from the pack for largely the right reasons.
Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Casino News Media
Media Man Australia
Australian Sports Entertainment

If you believe the pundits (and I do) then we've just seen the tip of the iceberg with respect to the role of social networking on the web.

Personally, I've been involved with LinkedIn for quite a while, and just signed up on facebook a few weeks ago. But I'm impressed with where I think this technology can go, and I think we are going to see a lot of creativity unleashed as a critical mass of users develops. If you don't know what I am talking about, then I encourage you to go to the facebook developers page
(developers.facebook.com) and watch the video of the f8 keynote address. Heck, even if you do know what I'm talking about, listen to the video to get Mark Zuckerberg's vision straight from the horses mouth.

So, this week's question is about your level of first-hand knowledge of some of the existing social networking sites. Which sites have you personally joined?

Michael

[lluc]

I'm on facebook everyday. I also love digg, social bookmarking really is the future for me. The web is so massive, so having other users recommending relevant content is great.

How you guys feel about twitter?

[megan isla]

i have facebook, friendster and multiply. I visit these sites everyday - i love facebook for its applications and fun features , i enjoy friendster because this is where all my friends are connected and i use multiply for blogging and online business.

social sites has been part of my virtual life, this is my portal where i get myself updated with my friends esp those outside the country!