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Love it or hate it, Digg.com is a massive force in driving web-traffic. The well-known “Digg Effect” has put websites permanently on the map by bringing thousands of new viewers to web-pages overnight. (The ‘effect’ has also crashed many a server with its often-overwhelming tsunami of visitors). Long gone are the days when a simple “Digg This” could land a story on the front page. Today’s masters of Digg employ social-networking strategies to leverage submissions and gain access to the ultimate prize: that short-lived spot on Digg’s front page.

Here are some proven strategies:

You gotta have friends

It’s all about connections. While most users think of Digg as a simple ‘page full of links’, it cannot be overstated
that Digg is a social medium. If you haven’t explored the social features of Digg, you’re only seeing the ‘front end’ so to speak. The heart of Digg lies in its features as a “social news” site.

You gotta have personality

In order to make rule #1 (’you gotta have friends’) happen, you need to be identifiable. When you first create your Digg account, you’re nobody. You’ve got no identity and you’ve got no contacts. Making contacts is as simple as “Adding a Friend” (This, in case you don’t know is a simple button on the Digg interface).

But crucial to “adding friends” is being remembered — and being remembered requires two things:

Visual identity: You may have noticed that dull, grey silhouette next to your name. This default image is about as memorable as a blank white square. If you want to be remembered, swap out this default image as soon as you can for something with a little more punch. It’s a good idea to surf Digg for awhile and pay attention to which user icons stick in your mind the most. Having a good ‘avatar’ is the most important part of visual recognition.

Name Recognition: Having a name that people remember is important. Also important is to keep in mind that many Digg users sort their Friendslists alphabetically. So you might want to pick a name that begins with the letter ‘a’, or a number — so you’ll appear at the top of their lists.

Digg where your friends Digg: Digg is lots of fun. It’s easy to Digg every other thing on the site because you’re casually surfing. But remember — you have a mission. You’re creating an identity, and you’re looking for friends who match closely with your identity. Keep in mind that its much easier to get supporting Diggs from friends if your friends are a ‘match’ with the same things you like. (And are digging in the same areas). Add friends from areas you plan on submitting links to. Soon, you’ll become identified as ‘key support’ in those topic areas.

Shout it Out:

You need backup when you submit a story. (That’s where your friends come in). Digg has a feature called “Shout Outs” which can let you advertise your new submissions to all those supporters you have on your friends list. How many friends respond to you will largely depend on how supportive you’ve been to them, and whether or not your submission is in a topic-area that they’re likely to look in.

Remember to use your Shout Outs sparingly. Someone who asks for submission support five times a day isn’t likely to receive it — and may get ‘un-friended’. Keep in mind that it takes a long time to ‘load your ammo’ (as in, build your friends list) — so don’t fire off submissions randomly. Getting on Digg’s front page can take a lot of time and preparation

Friends Come First:

Your success on Digg really depends on how ‘good a friend’ you are. So when you log on to Digg, one of your first stops should be the “Friend’s Activity” section.

Once inside the Friends Activity section, you’ll see dozens of Diggs that your friends have made. Take a few minutes to support their diggs. But more importantly, look for the “Submissions” link on the right hand side of the page. This link will take you to the articles, photos and videos that your friends have submitted. This is where they really need the most help. (Especially the ones that only have a few votes. ) Voting for your friends submissions can be time consuming, but this is where points are scored on Digg.

Your next stop should be to respond to any Shout Outs you have. These shout outs often contain requests for support. Make sure you respond, so that you become a trustworthy part of your friends’ friendslist.

Don’t Duplicate

Submitting ‘duplicate’ content is a good way to get fewer Diggs, and remember — when you do that you’re squashing someone else’s Digg potential which is not a great way to win friends.

As you can see, being a successful Digger takes time. Being active is probably the most important thing of all. Log in daily, hourly or more and your chances of success go up exponentially.

Good luck!

See you on Digg!

– 1aPowerDigger

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