Social Bookmarking for Business:

Part 2 Using Social Bookmarking in Marketing and PR Campaigns



From an individual consumption perspective for Internet readers, social bookmarking can make great sense to filter your news and information all into one place. But it also makes great sense for businesses to utilize these tools. There are a few different ways that businesses can do that to increase site traffic and grow brand recognition. The best ways are by curating information, sharing of testimonials, tracking for individual projects, and as an add-on for your public relations campaigns. 



Many consider content curators the gatekeepers to information for businesses and individuals. As a company, curating, or aggregating the best content from around the web, can make you an industry leader through your marketing campaigns. And for companies you already work with, showing that you are on top of the news in your industry gives a certain level of credibility.

"I'd agree that curating content is a good way to utilize these sites as a business," Levy says. "I think serving as a resource to your community and keeping that trust is a very simple way to show customers and clients that you care about not only them, but their time."



Similarly, if you think of it from the perspective of businesses who you don't already do business with, you're going to be seen as a resource for information. Making it more likely for that client or company to be attracted to working with you. In both cases, this relevancy can show real concern for customer service and retention.



Another way to utilize these tools is by pulling together all of your best testimonials from customers. Every business has heard the question from potential business partners and clients that asks, "What have others said about your work?" Rather than directing them to a Yelp page or sending an email, how much easier would it be to direct that potential partner to a site that has all of the testimonials for your company organized in one place, in a simple format?



Lastly, for individual projects and campaigns, the creation of folders and tags within social bookmarking sites can make it very easy to track success. If you've recently launched a campaign and want to see what stories, blog posts, Twitter notes and more have been written about it, you can very easily refer to your social bookmarks, where again all of the information is gathered in one place. 


If you're just starting out, there are a few steps you can take as a business to get the most out of these sites:

1. Start by creating accounts on the sites you want to be on, and by filling out a complete profile about you that includes a company profile and a link back to your webpage.

2. Download the different tools and buttons and add them to your website and/or blog so users can utilize them within your community.

3. Create lists and categories to arrange specific information, whether that is for different types of clients or different types of content altogether.

4. Submit URL links to the site and write reviews, rate other stories, etc. The more active you are in the communities, the better your reputation will get and the more trusted you will become.

5. Start networking with other people in the community who share similar interests. You'd be surprised how easy it is to find some of the other users who are recommending many of the same stories you may be.