Digg: Innovating Digital Media, and Information Sharing

In several of our e-marketing campaigns, we have found it very cumbersome to ‘get the word out’ on the web. Sure we list information in general directories; however, we thought to ourselves – ‘there has to be something better’! And VIOLA! Digg! Digg has helped us to update information about marketing solutions we have found helpful, customer updates, and relevant information related to our business, and the business ventures of friends and family! If you are looking for information about current events, news articles or commentary about a specific event or topic – DIGG IT!

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Digg is a solely devoted to sharing information on the web, as submitted by the user community. Digg users are able to upload interesting information from some of the most widely popular sites in the world, to a simple blog of interest.
Digg is an online portal for people to share information, take part in online discussion, and rank submitted content in terms of importance and interest. Digg allows its user community to vote, or ‘digg’ submitted articles, podcasts and video clips. This process allows for the users to act as the ‘editors’ of the site, and in a sense, have entire control over information sharing. All articles and submitted information to Digg can be shared between users, commented on, and ‘dugg’ by the users.
The ‘digg’ process involves just a few easy steps. First, find content that you think is interesting. This can be a video clip, a podcast you just heard, a news article or press release – anything you want! Once you submit it to Digg, it become available for all to see, and ‘digg’ if they like it! Once a submission gains popularity, it can possibly be brought to the Digg homepage! This is all dependent upon the user community and who ‘diggs’ your submission.
A major part of the Digg community is allowing Digg users to selectively choose, and ‘digg’ what they like. Since Digg is based on users collaboratively editing submissions, this adds to the Digg community by not only aiding in ranking popularity, but also bringing to light the most frequently viewed articles.
Digg also allows for building an online network; the more people you invite to join your Digg network, the more information you can share online! Friends and family can see what articles and submissions you ‘digg’ making it possible to share information and news with each other! Additionally, all Digg submissions can be commented on – so share your opinion with the world, and contribute to this digital media phenomenon!

Digg takes the concept of information and search to the next level since it interjects humans into the creation, sharing, and overall rating of information.

Founded in early 2004, Facebook is a free social utility goaled at providing a more effective environment for people to communicate on the web. Once you have joined the network you can create a personal profile, upload a personal picture, add your educational background and work information, and describe yourself, your interests and favorite things and create online photo albums. Facebook allows for simplified networking with individuals in your regional community, your educational structure, and a various assortment of political, social and religious groups. Facebook users also have the added advantage of creating privacy settings – controlling who can see their profile pages and posted information. Additionally, Facebook users can search for people they know, from around the world, adding friends, and posting on their profile ‘wall’ and sending private messaging!

With upwards of 70 million active users, Facebook is a social utility available for anyone with a valid email address. Facebook is a form of communication making it possible to co-workers and classmates, and to network with people around you!

Advertising is also available within the Facebook structure. Application sidebars usually provide information about local offered services, employment opportunities and events in the area. As Facebook was initially launched as an application for people still in school, it has grown into a worldwide network. With this said, Facebook commonly features advertisments from local companies as a way of promoting brand awareness within a region.

As of April 2008, Facebook Chat was launched. Facebook chat allows for Facebook users that are online to chat with one another through the application.

Please see further posts about Facebook, as the application is continually upgraded.

Ever wondered how to keep people up-to-date with what you are doing, without having do dial them up on your cell phone? Well, there is an alternative – Twitter! Twitter allows for minimal text updates submitted to your online Twitter account, and can be changed as many times a day as you want! Even every minute if you so desire! Twitter allows us to communicate in a non-verbal way over the Internet, providing loved ones, acquaintances and people within our Twitter network with what we are up to!

From a business perspective, Twitter can be utilized to update and inform the public of local happenings, events and more! Think about it in perspective of a dance club owner. They can update constantly about happenings in the club, community events, special club promotions, directions to the party and much more!

The goal of Twitter is to keep people up to date with your life, your thoughts, and your location! Twitter is a free online service for people to communicate and stay connected with each other! Twitter asks its users ‘what are you doing?’ to which they answer, and constantly update friends, family, and individuals within their network about their daily activities! If you are Twitter user, you know that you can include your daily thoughts and contemplations about life, your day, or work related ideas on Twitter.

While your ‘updates’ are instantly updated, Twitter understands the importance of keeping your personal information private, and not accessible to the viewing public. All personal information is kept confidential, even your phone number! This way, you can update your daily, hourly, or even momentary status while all the time, knowing that your personal information is kept confidential.

What is Microblogging?

Microblogging is a form of blogging, used to create brief text based updates. Most specifically, microblogging, allows for brief text updates submitted via the web, instant messaging, e-mail, text messaging and MP3.

Launched in 2006, Twitter is the most popular example of microblogging on the web today. However, there are recently new services with the same micro-blogging features available. Digg developer Kevin Rose has also integrated micro-blogging features in Pownce, which he created with three other developers.

Micro-blogging has also been incorporated with online social networking sites, as seen in the ‘status update’ features seen in MySpace and Facebook.

How Can Microblogging Promote My Business?

With any marketing or sales campaign, the ultimate goal is to stay ‘top of mind’ with your client base. As is obvious within any competitive market – this does not always prove an easy task. Whether your push is to sell your goods, or promote a service – being not good, not better, but BEST is the key to success.

A convenient and simple way to stay ‘top of mind’ is through adapting microblogging features. Much like social media networks like Myspace and Facebook – microblogging acts much like a ‘status update’, informing the viewing public what you or your company are up to. The value add of continually updating your status, not only promotes your activities (or in this case, corporate happenings, events or promotions) but also updates your current and prospective client.

Let’s look at a couple examples. Let’s suppose that you are sponsoring a booth at a major industry event. Your attendees at the event can use a Microblog account setup for the event to give the “play by play” covering everything from keynote speech take aways to what’s happening on the vendor display floor. In doing so, you can not only communicate with customers and potential customers at the event but you can include potential customers that could not attend the event. This can then be circulated and shared across the Internet.