9 Tips On Becoming A Top Digg Power User!

We all know how powerful social bookmarks sites have become, and how they can get your blog/site a very good amount of traffic that can boost your ranking.

When mentioning social bookmarking sites, the first site that pops to mind is Digg.com. A lot of webmasters struggle to get their stories featured on Digg’s front page. They use all sorts of methods, tools, tricks to achieve that. Few succeed, but most fail. But why is that, and how come some people get a whole lot of diggs on their stories, seconds after submitting it, while others keep struggling forever.

Well, there isn’t any secret but one has to have a clear understanding of how the site works. Here are 9 Digg Tips & Tricks to set you on your way to become a Top Digg Power User :

1- Your Avatar

After creating your digg account, one thing you should never overlook is choosing a good clear vivid avatar. This is KEY to get attention to your posts, so please never underestimate it.

I’m not asking to choose something very unique/rare/attention craving, but you SHOULD have an avatar. Don’t mingle there as a ghost without one. It is also important that your avatar is a clear photo. Ever wondered why all top digg members have clear photos?

2- Networking & Making Friends

Start by browsing stories, digging them and commenting on them. Add members as friends. In the beginning, make at least 20 friends on Digg so you get fast exposure to your stories. Top diggers like DigitalGolpher automatically get 30 free diggs.

3- Know Your Audience

Before submitting your stories, you have to know your audience. Digg’s majority audience seem to prefer certain topics over others. This is a fact. So don’t waste your time feeding them what they don’t like.

A simple example is iPhone stories which fill digg and many times make it to the front page. On the other hand, anything positive about Bush will never make it to the front page!

Generally speaking, it is noted that digg users prefer stories related to technology or world news (except of Bush supporters ;)), so if your niche is one of these then you have an advantage.

Digg’s Users:

4- Importance Of A Title & Description

Use good titles, the likes of linkbait posts…(how to, 8 reasons why, top 10….etc.). When coming up with your title, you might as well keep in mind SEO. It is your title’s keywords that are going to rank you high in the serps and bring you search engine traffic.

As for the description, don’t give away everything. Don’t just copy the first paragraph of your post/story and paste it there. Doesn’t always work. Instead, it is better if you take your time and come up with something that will make them CURIOUS about what is written in your post. Ofcourse, I don’t need to stress the importance of submitting ONLY quality content. No trash or spam. Careful! Digg is notorious for banning sites/blogs in lightening speed!

5- AVOID The General Category!

Just don’t post there. It never stays for long.

6- Obtain Feeds Content

Find feeds related to your niche to post from. Select around 50 feeds, and be the first to post the news. Don’t stick to the habit of posting only your stories! You won’t last there for long if you do so. Being the first to post certain news/stories related to your niche, will give you a great advantage, that many times will translate in your stories being featured on digg’s frontpage.

Usually you need 50 Diggs to get to the Frontpage. If you have a high digg rate, you can achieve that with only 25 Diggs.

7- Befriend Top Diggers!

You must look for diggers who post a lot. Digg them fast, and post good content fast. Also add them as your friends. You must also look for diggers who get their stories featured on digg’s front page. Digg their stories, comment on them AND (no need to mention again), add them as your friends. It is an understandable reciprocal act. They will help you alot and do the same to you.

8- Sneaky Trick! Digg Admins

A trick that still seems to work, is that you choose one of diggs admins and post a story or something related to him/her. You can also use their username, not necessarily their real names They will push your story to the frontpage.

9- The 24 Hour Time Frame

Digg incorporates a few systems to decide whether or not something makes it to the front page in an allotted 24-hour period after its submission. Keep this in mind. That is why I suggest you focus on building your network of friends now, and worry about the frontpage later. When you have a good group of friends, top diggers…etc. who help each other, it is a matter of submit and forget… then enjoy watching the traffic and hopefully, your story featured on digg’s frontpage!