How to Level the Playing-field With Digg
If you haven’t noticed already, Digg is the most deeply gamed social media service on the planet.
‘Gaming’ social media is the act of using private networks and arrangements to propel your own content forward. Asking for votes is gaming, organizing submission by select individuals is gaming, and so on.
The argument against so-called ‘gaming’ is that it’s undemocratic, and it goes against the principle of a level playing field. At first glance, this objection sounds both fair and logical. The issue is made more complex by the truth: everybody does it. From top bloggers down to little minnows in the web ocean, people are trying to maximize their chances of success on Digg using both arranged submission and private networks.
For a second, though, let’s imagine if nobody did this. Small blogs and websites would be at a huge disadvantage, as they’d be unable to get more than a few Diggs from their modestly-sized regular readership. The chances of the Digg community picking up on a submission with 5 - 10 diggs in as many hours is miniscule at best, considering the huge number of submissions made every hour. At the opposite end of the spectrum, highly trafficked blogs and websites would utterly dominate the front page (more than they already do), because they could rely on their huge reserves of traffic to propel the stories forward.
The end result? You have a service that sends CNET, TechCrunch, NyTimes and the Huffington Post even more traffic, and entrenches the web media status quo.
Is it really a level playing field if content succeeds based on the size of its servers and advertising budget, rather than on the back of human creativity and endeavour alone?
A network of voters can give even a small website or blog the chance to hit the front page, by putting its content in a position to be judged by the Digg community, and then either propelling it success or burying it, depending on its merits. This networking stage is also one of the most social and enjoyable aspects of using Digg.
If you’re serious about playing the odds game on Digg, you need a network to push your best content forward. Here’s how you can build one, and benefit everyone involved.
Build a grassroots network
This is a network of contacts with Digg accounts who have reason to help you. They might be readers, friends or online acquaintances. Let me explain how to create such a network from the ground up.
- Start with the obvious. If you already have a network of friends on Digg, this is a logical starting-base for your network.
- Ask your readers. Write a quick post asking if your readers would be willing to offer occasional help with growing your blog through social media. Reassure them that you will never send more than one email in any seven day period. Tell readers who are willing to opt in to leave a comment on the post. You can extract their email from your comment and add it to your network.
- Ask other contacts. This could include other bloggers or other people you’ve had correspondence with, friends and online acquaintances, or people who might be interested in a mutual-help arrangement.
- Continue building your network and making it stronger. The effectiveness of your network will depend on several factors: its size, how much individual members care, what they get in return and how often you utilize it.
- Always look for new people to add to your network. You might make a post about it once every three months, for example, to add interested readers who’ve discovered your blog since the last time you asked. Being active on Digg will also allow you to naturally accrue friends. A larger network will help you succeed even if your conversion ratio is quite low (conversion ratio being the percentage of people you ask who actually vote).
- Build the quality of your network. Get to know its members better and help them to care more about you.
- Make it worthwhile. It’s easy to take, take and take, but your network will always be more effective if its members receive something in return. Make yourself available to reciprocate their social media votes with your own.
- Don’t utilize too much. I mentioned earlier that you shouldn’t ask for votes more than once in any seven day period. When a blogger does this to me, my conversion ratio plummets. Think of your network like a rechargeable battery. If you use it less often, you can extract the maximum amount of power from it each time. If you use it too much and too often, it will quickly become depleted and worn out. You don’t like to be interrupted, so make sure your requests don’t become an interruption for others.
- Communicate across multiple channels. If you ask less often, you can get away with being louder when you do so. I would suggest staggering vote requests across shouts, Email and Twitter, each about an hour apart.
- Capitalize on existing momentum. To use your network most efficiently, you only want to ask for its help with content that really does have a chance on Digg. I would suggest doing this by focusing on posts that have developed a little bit of traction on their own. The number of diggs your content initially receives will depend on whether it has at least one of the Idea or Execution elements, the size of your network, and your conversion ratio. With a network that is large enough and responsive enough, you can virtually guarantee up to 100 diggs on any given content item.
Make friends in high places
If you look at the profiles of top Digg power-users, you’ll see that the percentage of stories they submit that go popular are very high (as high as 66.8 percent). This is because they have a large network of followers and a keen understanding of what works and what doesn’t. If you’re lucky enough to have your content submitted by a Digg power-user, your chances of hitting the front page are drastically increased.
It’s no surprise that many bloggers try to form relationships with Digg power-users and co-ordinate the submission of articles with them. If you decide to travel this route, here are a few tips to help you:
- Pursue channels with the least competition. Everyone wants their articles to be submitted by Mr.BabyMan, msaleem or MakiMaki. This is exactly why your efforts are probably better spent elsewhere. Users in the top 10 - 20 are not far off in terms of percentage popular ratios, but they’re unlikely to receive anywhere near as much inbound communication. Having said that, Muhammad Saleem’s profile encourages you to call upon him for submissions.
- Understand their needs. Digg power-users are always looking to tap new sources of content that is well-optimized for Digg. If you can provide them with that, your relationship will be mutually beneficial. Understand, however, that a Digg power-user will never submit content unless they truly believe it has a good chance at going popular. Their reputation rides on it.
- Shape your publishing schedule around them. Don’t publish a post and then go looking for your power-user contact. They might not be around, and in the mean-time, someone with a weak profile might submit your post (with a crummy headline and summary text, to boot). Instead, let your contact know as soon as possible what day you are planning to publish your post. They can give you a time that works for them in return, and you can set your post to publish at the moment they specify. This ensures they will be waiting when your post goes live.
- Don’t take advantage of your contact. Only ask for a submission when you’re sure that your post is well-optimized for Digg. If they have to knock you back too often, it will add a negative tone to the relationship.
- Consider developing 2 - 3 contacts. If you’re relying on one power-user only, you have a single point of failure. They might not respond to your email, they might go on vacation, and so on. Once you have one relationship in place, think about developing another one. Just make sure option #2 is not an immediate threat to your first contact’s Digg ranking, or the partnership might out you in a difficult position.
An example strategy for reaching the Digg front page
- Read the previous post in the series on playing the odds game with Digg. There you’ll learn about the IEN formula.
- Draft a post concept with IEN, IN or EN qualities.
- Execute the post concept with care and attention to detail.
- Include images and clear formatting to add texture and interest.
- Take time to craft the best possible headline.
- Proofread thoroughly and check all links.
- Make sure your blog is Digg-proof (I use WP-Cache).
- Negotiate a publishing time with your power-user.
- When the time comes, check that your post has been submitted by the right person.
- Stagger contact with your network over shouts, Email and Twitter.
You may also wish to count the total amount of communications you’ve sent out and the total number of diggs from within your network, to tabulate your conversion ratio. Once you have a rough idea of what your conversion ratio is, you can work out how large your network needs to be to generate the desired number of initial diggs.
Bonus: extra tips from Digg power-user domfosnz (thank Dominic!)
“My extra tip would be to make your digg profile networkable. By this, I mean list all your network channels so that people can get in touch with you easily. e.g. Twitter, Gtalk, AIM, Plurk, Facebook, and all the other usual suspects.
Also (while on the topic of profiles) make sure to use and avatar. Friend requests from avatar-less users are a real turn off for a lot of diggers. Bonus points if you use the same avatar across multiple social sites so you stand out easily.”
##
Want help? One of my services is providing Digg-optimized post concepts and content for your blog.
Does Digg make you yawn? My next post won’t mention the D-word at all–promise!
Hi Skellie, I am really enjoying your Digg post - they are spot on.
My extra tip would be to make your digg profile networkable. By this, I mean list all your network channels so that people can get in touch with you easily. e.g. Twitter, Gtalk, AIM, Plurk, Facebook, and all the other usual suspects.
Also (while on the topic of profiles) make sure to use and avatar. Friend requests from avatar-less users are a real turn off for a lot of diggers. Bonus points if you use the same avatar across multiple social sites so you stand out easily.
Dominic.
Dominic–some fantastic extra tips there. In fact, I’m kicking myself for not including them in the post :). Do you mind if I add your tips to the bottom of the post? With a credit and link to your blog, of course.
How to Level the Playing-field With Digg…
If you haven’t noticed already, Digg is the most deeply gamed social media service on the planet.
‘Gaming’ social media is the act of using private networks and arrangements to propel your own content forward. Asking for votes is gaming, organiz…
Of course. Allthough the blog page is currently a joke for a plurk friend. Perhaps I will be motivated to get it set up instead of digging and plurking all the time :)
-Dominic.
@ Dominic: Well at least that proves the advice comes from an experienced expert :).
@ Dominic: Added your tips, with a link to your Digg profile :)
Thanks for the mention :)
I must add that I have yet to have had any of my own content to go popular though.
What exactly makes someone a Digg power user?
@ Hunter: According to Wikipedia a ‘power user’ is an advanced user whose knowledge extends beyond that of the average user. So a Digg power-user is an active and advanced Digg user. In other words, someone who votes for a lot of stuff that does well :).
Hello Skellie, this is a very informative article. I have to agree that “less is more”; that is not to ask for votes that often. However, I often find myself having to “shout” for others, with the result that my request for others to vote can be a few times per week. And since they have requested that I “shout” for them, I’ve also asked them to do the same for me.
Honestly, I’ve been lost with how I should proceed with Digg. I believe that I put up reasonably good content. But it seems that the small site such as mine, without the big gang behind, faces an uphill task. Well…I’d have to consider whether I want to follow what you’ve shared in this post.
Stumbled!
Thanks!
Evelyn
@ Evelyn: Well, I think it’s always worth trying something new :). Being willing to experiment is really key for stumbling upon your best strategy.
Too bad I can’t use the phrase ’stumbling upon’ without thinking about the social media service ;).
What is the going rate for a Top 5 “power diggers” to submit stories?
I must say that Digg is a waste of time. I got Banned by digg because some people decided that my content is spam. Read all about it here it has all the emails I had with digg. check it out:
http://www.dev102.com/misc/digg-the-worst-community-driven-site/
Wow Skellie! I really enjoyed this post! I instinctively do a lot of what you recommend, but this added some stuff that didn’t occur to me, like timing post. Of course, it’s great to have such a post that summarizes everything!
I will be def reading more from you :)
But it seems that the small site such as mine, without the big gang behind, faces an uphill task.
@ Evelyn: I understand where you are coming from. But just because we are small doesn’t mean that we should give up all together. The mountain is in front of us so that we can climb it.
If we stare at the top of the mountain and focus on how high it is, then we’ll never be motivated to move forward. Focus on the next step and then the next step after that. Look down at where we are right now, and focus solely on what we can do at this time in order to take the next step.
Before we know it, our baby steps will take us to the top of that mountain. Keep climbing!
Warmly,
Tina
This is useful info Skellie - I’ve never really got the hang of Digg. But I’m beginning to wonder how useful social networking traffic is - aside from making a blog seem more popular. My bounce rate soars when a post gets stumbled. Does the same thing happen when a post is Dugg?
@ Cath
The same thing happens on digg. I got some of my post to the Upcoming section (down on the right), the traffic is so bad. no clicks on adsense and, low time on page and high bounce rate. Social traffic is the worst.
Amit
[...] Skelliewag explains how to get some link love from Digg. [...]
[...] How to Level the Playing Field with Digg at Skelliewag. [...]
Nice article there. Never thought this can be done in such a organised way.
regards
Thinkjayant @ Smartblogtips
All of digg’s top users work as “internet marketing” consultants, meaning that they promote links for money - either their own links or client’s links.
A great example of this can be seen with the user Burento ( http://digg.com/users/Burento ), who throws stories from a spamblog called WeirdAsiaNews in with his mainstream digg submissions.
Skelli,
It is about time somebody started telling it like it is. In fact, I sell an eBook about this and you could have ripped the pages right out of it and still your article said it better. (almost)
If you are really going to level the playing field on Digg, you might want to consider the Digg top 100 and deleting the Digg mafia. The 100 are too powerful and the Digg mafia makes it a bad place to hang out.
My domain is currently banned after an article critical of Digg’s privacy policy. I do theorize that Digg will be bought by Google (or Microsoft but they would probably screw it up) and integrated into search results.
If either does buy Digg, the best result would be to clean up the mess that is now Digg and return it to a good place where we are all on the same footing.
You have earned a place in my RSS reader and I look forward to more great posts like this.
I agree with Chris above me: Digg really is a censored site. My IP address has been banned because - get this - my brother shares my computer, so he created an account on it (in addition to mine), and I got banned for having multiple accounts.
http://www.newsbreaktimes.com
Great post!
As you said, I can never get more than 5-8 Duggs (still a small techie blog) and therefore, never experience a massive traffic spike from Digg :)
My website has just been banned by Digg. Unfortunately I don’t know the reason why but it would appear that I got a lot of referring traffic from my blog in one night who then Dugg articles on my main site. Digg must have seen it as spam and banned my site.
My Digg account has also been banned because I’d Dugg one of my own articles previously so it was associated with the site.
So frustrating but what can you do?
People Digg their posts all the time, that did not get you banned.
You are probably screwed with Digg, but email the abuse desk and ask them why, when and how, they probably won’t even email you back, buy the address is under Diggs contact page.
So to clarify, is your Digg acount banned, or the site domain? Big difference.
It’s all about having a large friend network, but more importantly is diversity of voting. Digg seems to be able to track consistent voting blocks and devalue them, but having enough friends so that you can randomly shout X% of them and still get movement will pretty much defeat this.
I used to think I was looking for friends that would Digg every shout I sent them. Now I’m thinking I want people that will vote about 20% of the time. Get 1,000 people like that and you should be able to put anything on the front page.
I know this is way off topic but I know you will be interested in this.
Google has been testing Digg type features in Google results allowing us to vote on individual search listings in the last 24 hours.
Screen shots and all with Google Labs own page confirming this to be true.
You gotta see this and do you mind if I say I told you so?
http://www.keywebdata.com/?p=129
[...] How to Level the Playing-field With Digg [...]
[...] How to Level the Playing Field with Digg - Skelliewag [...]
“Don’t utilize too much. I mentioned earlier that you shouldn’t ask for votes more than once in any seven day period. When a blogger does this to me, my conversion ratio plummets. Think of your network like a rechargeable battery. If you use it less often, you can extract the maximum amount of power from it each time. If you use it too much and too often, it will quickly become depleted and worn out. You don’t like to be interrupted, so make sure your requests don’t become an interruption for others.”
Very nice difference between gaming and spamming! Nice.
Again another great post for me as i continue to research DIGG.
One question that comes to mind that i’d love to hear your advice on …
How would you or did you go about building the RIGHT network??
I have been on twitter a lot lately as well as going out and finding blogs that put out great content … then making it a point to comment - trying to add to the conversation and provide value where i can.
thanks!
__
http://twitter.com/franswaa
[...] How To Level The Playing Field With Digg (Skelliewag) [...]
@frank,
The right network is one that you enjoy using.
The right network is one that you can build relationships with your friends list that get your posts voted on positively and in big numbers.
The right network is one that fosters contacts outside of the network and returns value to your business and life.
I also prefer to use a social bookmarking site that returns SEO benefits.
Hence, for all of Diggs flaws, I recommend it as the starting point in social bookmarking.
Pick one network and put all your effort into just that one. You will get better results from one powerful profile rather than medicore results over 10 different sites.
Also, we all should be focusing on the coming Google social network and be building large friends lists thru the existing pieces of Google social.
Right now I am concentrating on Google social completely. We have the chance to get in on the leading edge of the next Internet marketing truning point and the future of Google, SEO and traffic generation.
Digg is still valued by Google as a positive indcator when you get 100+ Diggs and have the right keywords in place in the Digg post.
However, Digg is going thru a house cleaning after being left at the alter by Google. They are finally going to try to clean up the place or at least put a better face on it. What remains to be seen is if Google will totally devalue Digg as a indicator of quality in Google results and Blogsearch.
[...] to the masses …and live with the classes. Technology has leveled the playing field. Your next-door neighbor now has as much access and distribution potential as a well-respected [...]
I think I just might be the very last person on earth to have joined Digg.
Is there hope for me?
If you are looking for a little Digg networking help, let me know. Reach out to me @ hollak.info
I have not been successful with digg so far. I prefer twitter as i get 4-6 followers daily. Digg seems to be big players game. My blog is not popular yet to be dugg or my articles submitted to digg although the articles are written to my best of knowledge.
Visit my blog http://gangetic.blogspot and if you are interested in any article, please digg it or submit it to digg. It will be a boost to people like me who are trying to get more visitors to their blog.
My twitter profile
http://twitter.com/mtata23
[...] How to Level the Playing Field with Digg: While I personally don’t like Digg anymore and find that it’s useless for marketers, Skellie think it’s still valuable. (I’d argue “rarely” nowadays.) [...]
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[...] How to Level the Playing Field with Digg [...]
A large friend network is the key to success.