Why Social Bookmarking Matters

With more than 644 million active websites in 2012, remembering your favorite ones can be a herculean task. Luckily, most Internet browsers have a “Bookmarks” feature to help you keep track. But it’s 2013—the year of the social Web! Who wants to keep their favorite websites to themselves?

New social bookmarking tools have sprung up allowing users to bookmark content, share it across their networks, and get recommendations about new content they might like. But it’s not only users that benefit. There are ways your business can leverage social bookmarking for sales and building a strong community of brand ambassadors.

How? Let’s take a look at three benefits of social bookmarking for businesses today:

(Scroll down for a list of the Top 10 Social Bookmarking sites.)

1. Social Bookmarking Sites Drive Targeted Traffic
Social bookmarking sites allow you to categorize the content you save with custom keywords (or tags). Unlike in SEO, these keywords aren’t ranked by percentage of relevance. This allows you to make your bookmarks more searchable and easier to find by a broader base. With the right tags, you’ll build a group of followers who are interested and engaged in the niche of your brand and are likely to bookmark your content themselves.

You’ll also see an increase in repeat traffic that’s vital for continued engagement. Not every first-time visitor to your site converts to a sale. But if you offer bookmarking options on your landing page, they’ll be more likely to remember you down the line when they’re looking to make a purchase.

2. The Benefits of Going Viral
Social bookmarking can play a huge role in helping your content go viral. Because the sites make it easy for users to vote, rate, and share content, your brand will benefit from increased exposure and social proof. In addition, the most popular content might get republished on external websites and blogs, giving you valuable backlinks and industry exposure.

3. Social Bookmarking Helps Build Your Brand
Most social bookmarking sites allow you to create a public profile to display your content. Not only are these profiles indexed by search engines (hello, SEO!), but they also make your brand more visible to users. By posting valuable information and fresh content regularly, you’ll build a name for your brand, grow your network of fans, and generate huge spikes of traffic back to your landing page.

Understanding social bookmarking can give a huge boost to the community surrounding your brand. By making it easier for visitors to bookmark your content, you’ll see not only more traffic, but more sharing as well. And as we all know, the more your brand is shared between friends, the more sales you’ll make down the line.

Check Out the Top 10 Social Bookmarking Sites:

BizSugar
Blog Engage
BuddyMarks
Delicious
Diigo
DZone
Folkd
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Technorati