There is lots of information all over the internet which will tell you how to get the best from Digg, but I found that most of it was so complicated and intricate that it left me with a headache. Absorbing that much information and processing it enough to put it into action is a mind blowing task for many of us.
So, I set out to do some research and come up with a simple guide to making the Digg social networking site work for you. The whole object of the exercise is to get your favourite stories, articles, photos and videos noticed and viewed.
First set up your account and remember to use a name that is easily remembered and a logo that stands out. If you don't want to use your picture, choose something bright and as unique as possible without being too fussy. This is the first thing that attracts readers to your account and your list of stories. It's a bit like window shopping, you look around and something catches your eye. Think carefully about a logo before you decide which to use.
Before you start adding your own stories go to the "upcoming section" (click the tab on the home page.) Read the stories that catch your eye and leave a comment. Add lots of friends and give them the thumbs up. Just one caution here, Digg restricts the speed at which you can add friends and if you add too many (five seems to be the limit) in quick succession you may find that the system doesn't accept any more. Wait 10 minutes if this happens and start again.
Digg new stories added by your friends on a regular basis and most of them will return the favour.
Keep an eye on the 'see who befriended you' section and "friend" them back. This builds your list of friends and as you Digg their stories and articles, they will do the same for you. If someone Diggs an article of yours, return the favour to keep them coming back.
Then add a couple of articles of your own just to see how many Diggs you get. If you get less than ten you need to keep building your list of friends from the "up and coming" section as described above. Take care not to add too many of your own articles or you may get accused of spamming and find yourself banned from the site.
Getting well established Digg members with more clout to befriend you and Digg your stuff is very helpful because one Digg from them might be worth ten or more of anyone else's. Members who Digg successful stories have more influence. There is a hierarchy here and established members have more say. A couple of these could make all the difference between having just a couple of Diggs and reaching the front page where you have the potential of hundreds of thousands of readers. (My Coke and Aspirin Articles both hit Digg's front page and did exceptionally well. It was worth all the effort to get them there. So I know it can be done.)
As you look around on Digg try to comment on stories that you think will hit the front page as this gets your name right out there and increases the chance of getting new friends with clout (as explained earlier.)
It isn't rocket science, although some would have us believe that there is some kind of special knowledge needed to do well here. You just need time and patience. Do a bit of building at a time and you will succeed.
No doubt there are various tricks and tips that will help improve the popularity of your articles on Digg. If you know any of these please share them with the rest of us in the comments box below.
