How Social Bookmarking Works [Plus 7 Tools to Help You Do It]

Many, many years ago, people used to get their information by flipping through printed paper, also known as books. They would mark their spot with a “bookmark “…”.

Yes, but seriously, in this age of the internet it can be difficult to keep track all your social media posts and tabs, as well as remember where you saved that article for later. Your site visitors are likely to have the same problem. This is where social bookmarking comes into play.

What is social bookmarking?

Social bookmarking allows users to search, manage and organize web pages, as well as share them. Apps and social bookmarking sites make it easy for you to share valuable content and discover new trends.

Social bookmarks are not limited to a single place, unlike your browser bookmarks. Social bookmarking sites can be accessed from any device because they are web-based tools.

How does social bookmarking work

Although your browser may have a built-in bookmarking function, it is only available to you. Social bookmarking’s uniqueness lies in the word “social.” You can keep your bookmarks private, but it’s also possible to create bookmarks for the public or specific groups.

Social bookmarking websites function almost like highly curated, enclosed search engines. They also have voting and comment sections, which allow users to work together to ensure that content is accurate, relevant, and of the highest quality.

Most people already use social bookmarking sites such as Pinterest to search for information.

Social bookmarking has many benefits

Social bookmarking allows internet users to save and share valuable information. Every social media manager should know how to use these sites.

Here are some of the many benefits of social bookmarking.

Identify the most popular topics

Although traditional search engines and trend reports can be useful in the long-term, they don’t always identify trends when they are happening.

Social bookmarking allows you to identify the most popular topics as they develop based on the choices and behaviors of the people you follow. If you have enough followers, you might be able influence the trends.

Top topics on Digg.

Your content can be ranked

Although social bookmarking sites can detect spam from a mile away (if you use them organically), you can still take part in best backlinking practices that will help your content rank higher in search engines.

Backlinks (the number and quality of links that point to a specific website address) are the most important factor in determining your rank on search engines. Google considers every link to your article a vote of trust, so the more you have, the better.

You can earn more organic backlinks if you share your content links when you need them. Be careful! You’ll be treated as a spammer if you behave like one. Link-building can be a great tool for your SEO strategy, provided you are calm about it.

Team cohesion is key

Social bookmarking allows you to bookmark links and share them with others. This makes it possible to create robust packages for your team using social bookmarking.

You can curate the content and share it with your team, whether it’s a set of social media guidelines or a collection of examples for copywriting projects. Hootsuite Amplify is a great tool for this purpose as it allows you distribute valuable content directly to your top advocates — your employees.

Network with like-minded people

It’s more than just about SEO. Social bookmarking allows you to connect with other people around the globe who share your interest in the same niche.

This is because the platform has networking built in — without being rude, you can comment, talk, or even debate with other users in your niche. One example is using a subreddit for biking to promote your shop. All you have to do is show up, offer valuable insights, and include the name of your shop as part of your profile. You’ll be able expand your community quickly if you use the tool correctly.

The top 7 social bookmarking websites

There are hundreds of social bookmarking websites to choose from. Some of them might already be used by you.

Here are a few of our favourite social bookmarking sites.

1. Digg

Digg was launched in its current form in 2012 and many believe it was the inspiration behind Reddit. It is primarily used to share articles on science, technology, and current events.

Digg allows users to publish articles on the platform, in addition to curating the top-trending stories.

2. Mix

No cost to use

Mix, formerly known as StumbleUpon and now owned by eBay, is a powerful social bookmarking app that allows users to save content based upon their interests. This allows them to curate highly-tailored content experiences.

It’s not only personal. Friends and collaborators can follow your Mix profile to see the articles you’ve curated. This is a great way for your organization to showcase relevant links and build influence.

3. Hootsuite Streams

Available with a Hootsuite Plan

If we didn’t tell you about our easy-to-use aggregation software, we’d be failing you. Hootsuite Streams lets you follow up to 10 sources simultaneously. It’s an easy platform to keep track and curate information, as well as share it with your team.

Hootsuite is free to try You can cancel at any time.

4. Scoop.it

Free to Use, Paid Upgrade Available

Scoop.it has been around since 2007 and is a veteran in the social bookmarking industry. Users can create “journals” that allow them to bookmark articles on various topics. These are then aggregated across blogs.

Private sharing is available for bookmarks and the ability to share them via social media. Professionals who upgrade to paid accounts can have up to two topics.

5. Pinterest

No cost to use

Pinterest should be a part of your social media marketing strategy. Its power as a social bookmarking website is a major reason.

The app encourages social bookmarking through the ability to pin items onto boards. This is actually the app’s main feature.

You can also sell directly through pins if you are a retailer. This makes it even easier to sell online.

6. Slashdot

No cost to use

Slashdot is one of the most popular sites on the list. It was launched in 1997 as a place to find news for geeks.

Articles can be tagged and shared across the website. They have been a major player within the social bookmarking industry for decades.

7. Reddit

Free to Use

It would be impossible to write about social bookmarking and not mention the big players in the aggregation world. Reddit is, well… a little bit of everything. It’s also one the most visited websites on Earth.

Reddit is a great tool for social marketing, but be careful. Self-promotion is not allowed on Reddit, and you may be subject to a shadowban.

Reddit should be used as a Redditor. Only comment on topics and posts you are knowledgeable about.

Hootsuite makes it easy to manage your social media presence. Hootsuite allows you to publish and schedule posts, find conversions, engage your audience and measure results — all from one dashboard. Get it today for free.

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The post How Social Bookmarking Works [plus 7 Tools To Help you Do It] was originally published on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.