1. Set the Right Twitter Name

Just the name, no frills.

One of the most powerful tips for ranking high for your personal or brand name is to carefully craft your Twitter profile name. Not the username, but the name associated with the profile that gets displayed as the page title.

Use the keyword, name or phrase you want to rank for. No other words, characters or icons.

Image via Flickr.

Over time your profile will gain backlinks from yourself and your own website and likely dozens more from Twitter profile directories and applications. An active profile almost always has a shot at ranking on page 1.

2. Fresh Content and Embedding Twitter Updates

One of the latest updates to Google’s search algorithm is rewarding fresh content. Google recently reported they’ve implemented this update which applies to queries posed in a way in which the newest content would be the most beneficial for the searcher.

The latest news and most-recent resources in your industry may be receiving a big traffic boost.

In other news from Google, it has been confirmed that indexing of dynamic content such as AJAX/JavaScript is now live. This includes elements like Twitter status updates widgets and advanced commenting platforms like Disqus and Facebook Comments.

Social media updates are often a source of fresh content, so these two Google updates go hand-in-hand.

3. Sharing for More Than Backlinks

Sharing your content is probably one of the most common, yet most under-utilized SEO techniques. Many website owners believe that there is not any direct SEO benefit to sharing links on Facebook or Twitter because the links are shortened, redirected, and tagged no-follow. What they’ve failed to realize is that SEO is no longer all about backlinks.

Search engines now monitor social media activity and may reward unique and valuable shares. It’s also been confirmed that no-follow links do provide some value.

Be sure to have the latest sharing button embed codes and make use of them to spread your content.

4. Engagement on Google+

The +1 button may not seem like much now, but overtime its value will prove great in terms of SEO. As more people adopt Google+ as their social network of choice, the addition of +1′s and share data will make your search results very attractive.

A page with a lot of recommendations may gain a significant boost within your network as well as friends of friends.

StudioPress has been shared on Google+.

This should encourage you to add new people of interest to your circles to grow your Google+ network. You should also advertise the Google+1 button prominently.

I’d be thrilled if you gave DotSauce Magazine the honor of a recommendation on Google+! The button is at the top right near the newsletter subscription.

5. Learning More About SEO

Likely the most valuable contribution social media provides to SEO is the latest news. Your lists, circles, groups or wall can be an excellent resource for broadening your knowledge on SEO.

Follow industry leading publications and known SEO experts to stay up-to-date on the latest in a constantly evolving industry.

I share SEO and social media marketing updates which inspire and inform me on Twitter @DotSauce and the DotSauce Facebook page. Follow and connect to keep informed.

Thank you for reviewing my tips on leveraging social media for SEO benefit. Please leave a comment below if you would like to contribute one of your own. Best of luck and happy networking.

5 Tips on Using Social for SEO DotSauce Magazine

In an effort to make the monthly link roundups easier to consume I’ve left out updates on marketing, social media, small business and entrepreneurship.

If you’re interested in getting all the updates please connect with DotSauce on one of these networks.

Stay In The Know: Connect With DotSauce

Twitter – (See top of sidebar to follow –>) Join 15,000 others who follow @DotSauce tweets on domains, SEO, marketing and web development.

Facebook – (See top of sidebar to like –>) Like DotSauce on Facebook where you’ll receive almost all the resources shared on Twitter, though more focused on domaining. Plus receive special announcements and exclusive offers for fans.

LinkedIn – If you are a web professional or work in a related industry, I would be glad to have you connect with me on LinkedIn. Twitter updates are broadcast to the LinkedIn stream.

Google+ – Add me to your circles. I’ll be sharing special updates and resources with Google Plus connections soon.

Web Development

It seems the theme for July is speed. Included are several great resources and some big news from Google on the webpage performance front.

Domaining

The domain industry continues to get exposure in the mainstream media. July was a busy month with several major industry moves and great editorials.

SEO

The web at large is catching on that social media and SEO go together. Google+ has been the tipping point, time to get on board.

Thank you for checking out these recommended news articles and resources. I hope you’ve found some beneficial information that can help your business or website.

As always, you’re welcome to share these links with your followers individually or by using one of the share buttons below. Any mentions are greatly appreciated.

Web Development, Domaining and SEO Link Roundup for July DotSauce Magazine

I have categorized and selected choice updates from the month of June in today’s link roundup.

To receive updates like those featured here, as well as more interesting resources and breaking industry news, please follow @DotSauce on Twitter.

Most of these links are also shared on the DotSauce Facebook page.

Branding & Domain Names

Each month it seems the domain name industry is featured in the mainstream media more and more. With ICANN’s approval of the new generic TLD space this month, I am confident this trend will continue. I found these headlines and resources particularly interesting.

Online Business

I’ve been pleased to read many informative and inspiring articles from respected entrepreneurs and industry leaders this month.

Web Development & SEO

Nearly a dozen great articles on SEO have been featured this month. The industry is evolving rapidly; optimizing for site performance, social engagement and producing quality content are becoming increasingly important to become an authority site.

Marketing & Social Media

These articles can help get you on the right path towards social media success. Get updated on the latest trends and social marketing techniques.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these resources and are able to use what you’ve learned to improve your online business. Join 15,000 others who follow @DotSauce on Twitter to stay in-the-know.

You’re welcome to retweet any of these links to your own following or share the entire link roundup. Have a great holiday weekend!

Domaining, Online Business and Web Development Link Roundup for June DotSauce Magazine

I take great pleasure in curating and sharing the most valuable articles, editorials and resources related to domaining, online business, marketing, web development and SEO. I hope you’ve had a chance to use and pass these resources on to your following.

It’s been some time since the last Twitter link roundup. I had considered discontinuing that post series, but the content shared in May is definitely worth a second look even if you did happen to catch the updates on the DotSauce Facebook page or the @DotSauce Twitter feed.

Domaining

Domain name industry news, articles and resources from DotSauce and around the web.

Small Business & Startups

Big collection of inspiration, editorials and resources for small business and entrepreneurs.

Marketing

Powerful techniques and tips for the constantly evolving world of online marketing.

Web Development & SEO

The latest in website development, design, management and optimization.

Like what you see? To stay up-to-date with our online business resources, follow @DotSauce or Like DotSauce on Facebook to receive ALL the updates. Thanks for connecting!

Domaining and Online Business Link Roundup from May 2011 DotSauce Magazine

If you are interested in networking, learning and sharing you experiences with fellow domainers, I would encourage you to browse through the list and follow the profiles that interest you.

[Image: Rosaura Ochoa, Twitter escultura de arena, September 20, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons]

I also maintain another large list of Domainers on Twitter that I personally follow who may not be included on the DNMarket list. This list is comprised of experienced domain investors and domain industry professionals that provide valuable and interesting resources and discussions on Twitter. If you would like to be included on this list let me know, but please no profiles which solely advertise domains for sale.

To become a verified seller on DNMarket you simply need to follow and request to be followed back. Verified sellers are able to send direct messages to DNMarket at any time with promotional messages featuring their domains for sale. The direct messages are then broadcast to all our followers.

The DNMarket profile has 1378 followers who’ve shown interest in viewing domain names for sale. It was also recently featured on DotSauce as one of 28 free places to list your domains for sale.

Thank you for visiting DNMarket and browsing the domains listed for sale there. Please use the sharing buttons below to help spread the word about this free social marketplace and expand the domain industry’s reach on Twitter and across the web.

Hundreds of Domainers on Twitter DotSauce Magazine

In this roundup, I’ve collected and sorted all the top links to articles and resources shared on Twitter thus far in 2011. I’m sure it’s possible for even my most dedicated followers to miss some updates, so I have hand picked the top links and organized them by category for your convenience.

You’re welcome to share these resources with your own following. Mentioning @DotSauce would be very much appreciated . Enjoy!

Domaining

Domain name resources, articles and news.

Web Development

Web development articles and free resources.

Business & Entrepreneurship

Articles and editorials encouraging online business success.

Please follow @DotSauce on Twitter where I frequently share links like these that are related to the domain name industry, website development, online business, social networking, internet marketing and more.

You can also Like DotSauce on Facebook to receive instant updates on the latest articles at DotSauce Magazine. Of course, if you’re feeling very motivated, you can leave a comment with your thoughts and share this roundup post with your friends and followers.

Twitter Link Roundup 2011 Edition: On Domaining, Web Development & Entrepreneurship DotSauce Magazine

It is wonderful to be able to work with updated designs that take advantage of the useful features of the WordPress 3.0 update. Menu editing, advanced widgets, plugins and the featured image manager make for a lot of time saving. Don’t worry though, I will still be found hacking away in my text editor for many customizations and featured areas of the site.

This update will also enable me to spend more time writing editorials, news and resources for domain investors and related industry professionals.

My goal for 2011 is to provide incomparable value to domainers. Value in terms of domain sales revenue, value for you time, value in education, resources and industry trends. The next major update to DotSauce will be a key part of realizing that goal and it will be going live soon.

TweetSocial For Sale

This weekend I will be gathering information for the sale of my Twitter forum community that was established in February of 2009. The site, TweetSocial.com recently reached over 3000 members and continues to grow daily with an average of 75 unique visitors per day that come organically from key terms on Google. Traffic can be doubled or tripled anytime Twitter updates are sent out to 6000+ followers, which I have been doing occasionally. The site additionally features a comprehensive directory of Twitter applications and resources that provides unique content and great way of drive traffic.

I have not had sufficient time to invest in marketing and monetizing the website, so I will be listing it for sale on Flippa soon. Please contact me if you would like to make an offer to purchase TweetSocial or have any questions.

Proceeds from the sale of TweetSocial will go towards improving DotSauce’s image and features in 2011. The income will be heavily invested in providing value to domainers with an exciting new project currently under development.

New Email Newsletter

In December, I launched a revamped email newsletter design and delivery. Each major article is mailed to subscribers in a very attractive graphic format that will soon feature additional resourceful content. You can view the newsletter archive and subscribe here.

You’ll want to stay in-the-know for the next big announcement and, as always, new articles and resources from DotSauce Magazine. Thank you for your support over the years! Please let me know what you think of the new look.

Fresh New Look for DotSauce Magazine, Twitter Forum for Sale and Other Exciting News DotSauce Magazine

In one response, Google writes that the number of times an article is shared on Twitter is used as a signal in both organic search rankings and Google News.

Both Bing and Google mention that they calculate some form of social authority for use in live search and limited situations within ordinary web search.

Rand Fishkin of SEOMoz has just published his reaction to the news, describing exactly how social media may impact search engine rankings and SEO strategy.

The SEO metrics of tomorrow may well include social data such as:

• Timing – Is this an automated Tweet or something of more value?
• Diversity – How many people shared this link and are they important?
• Engagement – How many clicks, likes and retweets?
• Social Authority – How many followers and friends?
• Relevance – Sharing randomness or sticking to a topic?

Rand excitedly predicts this may bring about the end of web spam as we know it. How so? Few people will follow or friend a profile that is not authentic or is being used for advertising purposes.

Social media has become an integral part of marketing and is now extending it’s reach into the powerhouses of the web.

For the best chances of success in gaining maximum exposure across Google and Bing, it will become increasingly important to be active on Twitter and Facebook.

Publishers and marketers should make it a goal to grow a large following, add social media buttons to your website and adopt other proven social media strategies.

Have you noticed social media providing a boost to your SEO efforts? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Google and Bing Confirm Social Media Impacts Search Rankings DotSauce Magazine

DNMarket launched on Twitter in March 2009 as a service to domainers who had just started to embrace the new social service. All the early adopters wanted in on DNMarket, a public marketplace that was easy to promote and browse domains for sale.

I currently have several projects demanding my time, so I have with some reluctance decided to sell two great social domain marketplaces together. Read through the descriptions below to gain an understanding of the real value DNMarket holds.

DNMarket on Twitter

The exclusive Twitter domain marketplace, @DNMarket recently reached the 1000 followers milestone and continues to grow.

DNMarket on Twitter is powered by GroupTweets which enables sellers to send a direct message to the account that will in turn be broadcast to the public stream. Each sellers’ Twitter pri name is attached to their promotional message automatically.

There is virtually no work involved except responding to legitimate requests to become a DNMarket verified seller.

DNMarket on Facebook

Around the same time as setting up DNMarket on Twitter, I created the premier Domain Name Marketplace on Facebook. This group has quickly grown to 682 members! Many domainers are engaging with the group frequently and recommending it to their friends.

As the group administrator I am able to send a Facebook message to all members when something important comes up. This is definitely the most valuable aspect of owning DNMarket.

Future of DNMarket

My vision for DNMarket was to develop an accompanying website that would feature all the listings and expand upon the Twitter and Facebook platform. Followers, sellers and Facebook members would visit and interact with the new website.

I’ve secured the DNMarket.co domain to make that vision become a reality.

Sweet Bonuses

I will get the new owner started by setting up a WordPress website featuring the beautiful new PliablePress Chameleon theme framework. A $70 value.

PliablePress creates innovative themes with advanced admin controls. No coding required.

Additionally, I will update DNMarket with a very professional twitter background for free! It will be done by the same person who designed mine.

Package Includes…

• DNMarket.co – Short, memorable domain name.
• Account access - @DNMarket (1000+ followers and 192 sellers)
• Group admin – DNMarket on Facebook (682 members)
• Premium WordPress theme and website setup ($70 value)
• Professional Twitter background update ($75 value)

This is truly a unique and valuable opportunity to profit in the domain industry. Get connected to hundreds of domainers with DNMarket.

Buy DNMarket

I am looking to get $1500 or your best offer.

Please contact me here with your offer to purchase DNMarket.

This deal will be advertised in several places and may not last very long.

Feel free to ask any questions through the contact form or by leaving a comment in the area below. Thank you for your interest.

DNMarket.co Twitter & Facebook Domain Marketplace For Sale DotSauce Magazine

Every day on Twitter (@DotSauce), I share links to articles, resources and apps of interest to web professionals. This month I have categorized links as domaining, small business, startups & entrepreneurship, social networking, web development, design, and WordPress.

These links were selected from June 12th to July 12th 2010.

Domain Names

Mahalo uses keyword domains to drive traffic http://bit.ly/aLs5L3

Worldwide domain registrations double over past 4 years http://bit.ly/b9BXVh

How To Automate End User Domain Sales Marketing http://bit.ly/aUqqv8

Domain Name Dispute and Arbitration Resources http://bit.ly/cSKSdo

Right Brain Domaining http://bit.ly/dlEb0Q

Job.com: 50% Of Visitors Come From Direct Navigation http://bit.ly/cximY3

How Domaining is Like Collecting Baseball Cards http://bit.ly/caKm1h

Premium TLDs: Not All Extensions Created Equal http://DotSauce.com/3753

Small Business

Self hosted options voted best to set up shop online http://bit.ly/d0B7W4

A look at the freemium business model http://bit.ly/aeONDQ

How The World Spends Time Online http://bit.ly/cGT6hH

10 Ways To Be Your Own Boss http://bit.ly/bT4Vnf

How to Bootstrap a Business http://bit.ly/a2dEca

9 Expert SEO Tips for Small Businesses http://bit.ly/cghbdY

Everything I learned in business came from 3 charts http://bit.ly/akZOYv

Startups & Entrepreneurship

76 Powerful Thoughts from Paul Graham http://bit.ly/9IX3dU

Everything You Need To Know About Startup Ecosystem http://bit.ly/aPzV9w

How to hire a programmer to make your ideas happen http://bit.ly/atnHXg

10 Tips for Startups on Naming Your Company http://bit.ly/bqFL62

Competition Is Overrated http://bit.ly/d6Ufv0

Why many successful entrepreneurs came out of PayPal http://bit.ly/dlW2Lz

BBC Special: Start-Up Stories http://bit.ly/bBho96

Social Networking

15 Awesome Social Media Infographics http://bit.ly/ap5KNk

Twitter T.CO Domain As Official Link Shortener http://bit.ly/d9wkdb

How Much Is a Facebook Fan Really Worth? http://bit.ly/ba6em0

Measure Social Media and Its Impact on Your Brand http://bit.ly/bel6H4

Is Social a Source for B2B Leads? http://bit.ly/bF9oXv

Jive Software Wants to Be Facebook for the Enterprise http://bit.ly/d55Yw4

Pick&Zip – Download All Your Photos from Facebook http://bit.ly/cPLyyH

MySpace will attempt a comeback later this year http://bit.ly/9nvyIy

2/3 of Web Users to Visit Social Networks by 2014 http://bit.ly/bkx8xT

6 Social Media Mistakes And How to Fix Them http://bit.ly/af12fc

Web Design

Get a head start: Designing Websites for Google TV http://bit.ly/9g44sd

Fancy Sliding Form with jQuery http://bit.ly/ctk3Ak

10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets http://bit.ly/9PdbSV

Will LESS Make CSS Obsolete? http://bit.ly/aqCX7V

50 Powerful Time-Savers For Web Designers http://bit.ly/cfugo9

Web Development

Information Architecture: Enhancing User Experience http://bit.ly/cjUSml

Spice Up Your Website With jQuery Goodness http://bit.ly/ds5Ik6

30 Pro jQuery Tips, Tricks and Strategies http://bit.ly/9iy88e

Firefox Reveals Websites’ Best Friend and Worst Enemy http://bit.ly/92yf6q

The Right Keyword Analysis For Your Website http://bit.ly/9qI2o4

The Right Keyword Analysis For Your Website (Part-2) http://bit.ly/93y0fw

The State of HTML5 Apps http://bit.ly/bxDaAt

29 Worst Practices: SEO Checklist http://selnd.com/c66S5S

Beginner’s Guide to SEO from SEOmoz http://bit.ly/cpLPaH

Collection of website user experience misconceptions http://bit.ly/aeAwre

The 10 HTML Tags Beginners Aren’t Using http://bit.ly/dwLbSi

HTML5 Rocks!: A resource for web developers by Google http://bit.ly/aKgViR

Link Building With The Experts http://bit.ly/cam58E

WordPress

WordPress Plugin – Ozh Drop Down Admin Menu http://bit.ly/bkLyhD

WP 3.0 Easy Post Types Plugin http://bit.ly/9MGtCd

WordPress Plugin – Compresses  files – WP Minify http://bit.ly/aS7TEB

The Ultimate WordPress Shopping/Ecommerce Toolbox http://bit.ly/cuL8yb

Essential Plugins for WordPress 3.0 http://bit.ly/bQGDNg

Build Your Own Website Network  With WordPress 3.0 http://bit.ly/cNPpVR

10 Useful WordPress Security Tweaks http://bit.ly/akY5PB

Email Commenters WordPress Plugin http://bit.ly/9uSHau

WP Facebook Plugin http://bit.ly/boKJJe

Top 15 Premium WordPress Plugins http://bit.ly/9IwgWz

Random & Useful

Best Chrome Addons for Power Blogging http://bit.ly/crj42ab

Google Chrome Gets Extension Sync http://bit.ly/a0iCMT

Encrypt the web – HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox http://bit.ly/9glXUe

Everything you need to know about the internet http://bit.ly/cm0zsV

Bounce – Fun, easy way to share ideas on a website http://bit.ly/aLVGZq

67 trendy innovations – Innovation Insanity: http://bit.ly/9felnf

How People Are Using the iPad http://bit.ly/df5aY5

I hope you found a lot of these resources useful.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for all the latest updates. You may also want to bookmark this post for quick access and feel free to share these resources with your social following.

Link Roundup 2 – Domaining, Startups, WordPress, Social & More DotSauce Magazine

CoInternet is proving to have the most interactive, intriguing and lucrative domain extension launch to date.

TheDomains broke the news, Twitter has been accepted into the CoInternet .CO Founders program. An initiative to get developers involved in launching websites and businesses on quality .CO domains.

Twitter’s Official Link Shortener Coming Soon

Twitter’s new domain, T.CO will be used as the official link shortener to protect users from malicious sites. T.CO links will appear within all tweets and direct messages.

T.CO links will be monitored for malware. If malware is reported or detected then a T.CO link is flagged and a warning is shown to a user before visiting.

Users can still use existing link shortening services such as bit.ly, but those shortened links will be “wrapped” within an official T.CO link.

Twitter has other big plans for T.CO. The official announcement on Twitter’s blog mentions they will be putting click-through data to work for their Promoted Tweets program and within future commercial applications.

…routing links through this service will eventually contribute to the metrics behind our Promoted Tweets platform and provide an important quality signal for our Resonance algorithm—the way we determine if a Tweet is relevant and interesting to users. We are also looking to provide services that make use of this data, an example would be analytics within our eventual commercial accounts service.

E.CO Charity Auction Underway

Another lively .CO event is underway today. Bidding for the E.CO domain auction has reached over $30,000 on Sedo. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the charity of the winners’ choosing.

The auction is now live and will conclude on Jun 10th at 4PM EST.

Bidders must be certified for this special auction. Follow the links on e.co or Sedo for details.

Claim Your Own .CO

The public launch for .CO domains is nearing.  July 20th is the official date for general availability.

Right now, you can pre-register .CO domains at GoDaddy for $29.99/yr.

If multiple people pre-register the same .CO domain it will go to auction, but your initial fee will be refunded if you don’t get the domain you want.

The adoption of .CO by Twitter and the brilliant management and promotion of the extension by CoInternet is definitely a strong sign that quality .CO domains will prove valuable. What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

CoInternet Lends Twitter T.CO Domain As Official Link Shortener DotSauce Magazine

Every day on Twitter (@DotSauce), I share links to articles, resources and apps of interest to web professionals. Topics include the domain name industry, small business, startups & entrepreneurship, marketing, web development, design, WordPress and social networking.

All of these links were selected from the beginning of this month, May 2010 to present. The next round up will hopefully be weekly. As you can see below, just two weeks time can represent a substantial amount of links!

Domain Names

Big Companies Find Value in Keyword Domains – http://bit.ly/d7TOBJ

Interview with GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons – http://bit.ly/acjJmT

12 Browser Bookmarklets for Domain & SEO Research – http://bit.ly/cQKiT8

Historic day as first non-latin web addresses go live – http://bit.ly/9v6UJC

Frank Schilling Responds to CircleID Editorial – http://bit.ly/bOnpzV

.TEL Domains May Newsletter – http://bit.ly/bFU8dg

Startups & Entrepreneurship

The Top 10 Cities for Startups – http://bit.ly/9u2Wrg

Build a Business, Not Just a Client List – http://bit.ly/dho6Ni

Entrepreneurs Find New Way to Grow – http://bit.ly/cLsrLy

When Entrepreneurs Should Ignore Advice –  http://bit.ly/9LhqBr

Lean Startup Methodology Lessons Learned –  http://bit.ly/c6vCFe

Small Business

Square Brings Credit Card Swiping to the Mobile Masses – http://bit.ly/cIZhy1

Twitter to Launch Twitter Business Center – http://bit.ly/bQZfHc

How to Use Social Networking Sites to Drive Business – http://bit.ly/bXsEur

Marketing

The Future of Email Marketing – http://bit.ly/bWt4br

Why is Business Writing So Awful? – http://bit.ly/9yHfuk

21 Tips for Using Twitter and Facebook for Business – http://bit.ly/asKrPk

“Authentic” Is Dead – http://bit.ly/9GZzbk

Social Networking

Evaluate your Facebook fan page with Vitrue – http://bit.ly/d64QvB

Twitter Is About News, Not Social Media – http://bit.ly/b6JQiQ

Who’s Using Twitter in the US? – http://bit.ly/dhx22Y

5 Ways Facebook Will Impact E-commerce – http://bit.ly/drOTFZ

What’s influence on Twitter? – http://bit.ly/awY2j0

Microsoft beta testing social aggregator – http://bit.ly/97QsRy

Web Development

The iPad Web Design & Development Toolbox – http://bit.ly/dCtZyU

Five Best Personal Landing Pages – http://bit.ly/bHJZts

HTML5 Unleashed: Tips, Tricks and Techniques – http://bit.ly/a5KErP

32 Google Chrome Extensions for Web Developers – http://bit.ly/brWqma

Rapid Wireframe Sketching in Google Docs – http://bit.ly/9gsIL6

jQuery Tools 1.2 – http://bit.ly/bhdX8W

18 Do’s and Don’ts Of Usability On The Web – http://bit.ly/b8cOXK

Web Design

Designers & developers join forces at Mojo Themes – http://bit.ly/bxTyUL

25 Photo Effects and Techniques with Photoshop – http://bit.ly/bjU2B9

Premium WordPress Themes from PliablePress – http://DotSauce.com/3434

Rapid Wireframe Sketching in Google Docs – http://bit.ly/9gsIL6

WordPress

Premium WordPress Themes from PliablePress – http://DotSauce.com/3434

WordPress Plugins for Google Junkies – http://bit.ly/a5GDL1

WordPress 3.0: Most Important New Features – http://bit.ly/bZJAFy

Top 45 WordPress Plugins for the Admin Area – http://bit.ly/9C52ON

WordPress Plugin: Custom Facebook “Like” Button – http://bit.ly/a0ejmE

Google News: Bringing Living Stories to WordPress – http://bit.ly/99Nqo6

Ultimate Guide to WordPress Hacks & Customizations – http://bit.ly/8XGd6Q

WordPress documentation enhanced with live search – http://bit.ly/bTpsoP

Random & Fun

8 Websites You Need to Stop Building – http://bit.ly/bCJibV

Worlds first artwork made by Twitter users – http://donttellashton.com

Apps

Evaluate your Facebook fan page with Vitrue – http://bit.ly/d64QvB

Introducing Scribd in HTML5 – http://bit.ly/93JXFl

Embedly converts links to rich media – http://bit.ly/anOura

Microsoft beta testing social aggregator – http://bit.ly/97QsRy

Other

Mind Mapping: Overview, Benefits, Tips and Tools – http://bit.ly/aTvHa1

Are Your Web Browser Plugins Safe? Scan them – http://bit.ly/bJWUSi

If you enjoyed these articles and resources, please let me know!

Twitter Link Roundup – Domains, Business, Web Dev, WordPress and More DotSauce Magazine

This week I would like to see if any significant number of domainers are taking advantage of social media to market their domain names for sale.

Please take a second to participate in the poll:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Domain Sales on Facebook

Last year, I setup the Domain Name Marketplace group on Facebook (shown below). It has since grown to over 650 members with sales being posted almost daily. Admittedly, I have not taken advantage of my own resource enough to say that I have sold any domains via Facebook.

I think there is potential in this space and will be picking up my efforts soon. I would be interested to hear from others who have had success with promotions on Facebook pages, groups or your own profile.

Domain Sales on LinkedIn

In my limited experience with LinkedIn I have made many connections to professionals in the domain and web development industries. I have also joined several groups focused on Domaining.

A handful of LinkedIn domain name groups are relatively active and have discussion forums where you can list domains for sale. The one time I did make a listing I had someone contact me a few weeks later interested in buying a name. So, as with Facebook, I think LinkedIn can be a good opportunity to market domains for sale.

Domain Sales on Twitter

I’ve had surprising results advertising domain names for sale on Twitter @DotSauce and @AQDN.  Occasionally I will tweet a single domain name, my asking price and link to more info/purchase. In several cases the domains have sold in just minutes!

You can advertise your domain names for sale freely on Twitter by becoming a verified seller on @DNMarket (shown above).

There are several factors that may determine success in marketing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; the most notable being your following, friends and connections. You also have to consider the frequency, timing, wording and performance of your sales promotions.

I’m looking forward to the results of this poll. Regardless if the number of responses is large or small, it will likely encourage me to write about some advanced social marketing techniques in upcoming articles.

Poll: Have You Sold Domain Names via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn? DotSauce Magazine

Online communities, interest groups, niche industries,… the entire world is more connected than ever. The enormous adoption of social networking and it’s ever increasing integration with the rest of the web enables professionals to constantly stay on top of whats going on in their field of expertise.

Thanks to Google Alerts and Twitter, businesses are actively monitoring for any mentions of their name. If you write it, they will read!

In this article I will detail some examples and thoughts on how writing about your favorite businesses and services can increase exposure to your own blog.

Lately I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of responses from companies that I write about here on DotSauce Magazine.

I would like to share three recent articles I’ve written that resulted in a positive action by the subject of the articles.

#1. Search Advertising Pioneer Launches TweetUp.com

Article resulted in: Prominent Tweet

I’m a big fan of Twitter, so when I heard that Bill Gross, the founder of GoTo.com (late 90′s search engine, Pay-Per-Click pioneer), is launching an advertising platform built around Twitter I was pretty enthused. TweetUp has an excellent model which will place tweets on popular websites.

The team at TweetUp likely saw their name being mentioned on Twitter and seemed to like the article. I’ve been getting several visits daily since they shared the link on their @TweetUp profile.

#2. World Domain Cup Top 100 Proposed gTLDs

Article resulted in: High profile backlink

In this article I shared the results of a contest being hosted by Japanese ISP Interlink to select a new top level domain to invest in.

Interlink picked up on the article and placed a link to it very prominently on the World Domain Cup homepage.

#3. Using Media and Data to Market Your Domains For Sale

Article resulted in: High profile backlink

In this article I mentioned  the Bido domain marketplace and highlighted an example Bido auction that used domain statistics effectively to show value in their name.

I’m friends with a few of the guys from Bido on Facebook, so I tagged their names when sharing the article.

A few days later, I was pleased to see Bido feature the article on their Marketing Tips page which is suggested to each and every user when listing a domain for sale.

The businesses or individuals you write about might be looking out for their name, but as this proves, it is worth it to let them know you wrote about them!

What’s Better Than Backlinks?

There have been similar results where the subjects of my articles will leave comments showing their gratitude, re-tweet out a link to the article or simply thank me privately.

These actions are just as important as getting a backlink or website traffic. It’s nice to know that the people you write about are actually taking the time to visit and read what you have to say.

Don’t be afraid to shine the spotlight on and link out to quality, relevant businesses and resources. Building connections with important figures in related industries can open new avenues for you personally, expand your blog’s reach and increase readership.

If You Write It, They Will Read: Blog Content Getting Recognized In Big Ways DotSauce Magazine

Bill Gross and team at Idealab have gone live with TweetUp.com, a service that aims to provide businesses and individuals wanting to grow their Twitter following a targeted marketing experience. Interested advertisers will be able to bid on keywords and have their profiles and tweets displayed prominently on popular websites.

Gross is the man behind GoTo.com, the late 90′s search engine that ignited the pay-per-click revolution of present day. GoTo was renamed Overture and later sold to Yahoo in 2003 for $1.6 billion.

The New York Times reports that TweetUp.com widgets (shown below) will be displayed on Answers.com, BusinessInsider.com and soon many other high profile websites.

Update: April 22nd - TweetUp’s wingspan just got a whole lot wider. TechCrunch and TweetDeck will be joining the network of publishers.

TweetDeck is the #1 Twitter client representing over 10% of all usage of Twitter and will soon feature an extra search column displaying targeted sponsored results and profiles.

The TweetUp Partner program allows website owners to earn a revenue share by displaying the widget. This is likely to take the blogosphere by storm.

The Times questions whether or not Twitter users will pay to have their Tweets displayed and if the widget will be accepted as real content.

I know the answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes!

The widget (which is not yet live, so I’m making an educated guess here) will feature Twitter profiles and actual tweets targeted to keywords within website content, similar to sponsored search results. This is prime advertising real estate.

So, I think there are some more important questions we will have to find out.

How much are people going to bid for keywords?

I think during the initial launch of TweetUp the service will be getting a lot of buzz and keyword prices may be inflated. Especially since the first 1000 members will be receiving a $100 credit to spend. The credits may get used up quickly as I think TweetUp is working on a pay-per-impression model, exact details are not readily available.

Once the initial rush slows down, bids may normalize, but will still be competitive for generic terms. A little long-tail keywords knowledge may provide a unique opportunity to promote your profile cost-effectively.

How much traffic/followers is TweetUp going to deliver to my website/profile?

I think there is a chance the TweetUp widget will prove to deliver great results in terms of both new followers and website visitors. I use the terms almost interchangeably because new followers often click-through on Twitter profile URLs.

The content of your Tweet may also link directly to your website, so you would essentially be getting a direct referral from related content.

Unfortunately, there would be no SEO benefit, but the targeted traffic could be as good as Google AdWords with the added benefit of being more enticing to click.

TweetUp will be using click analytics provided by Bit.ly to track all of the results.

I’ve signed up for TweetUp to see how it goes and will hopefully be able to report some good news soon.

What are your thoughts? Will you be trying out TweetUp.com as an advertiser or displaying the widget as a partner? Would you interact with the widget if you came across it on your favorite site? Please leave a comment below.

Hat tip to Fusible for reporting the sale of TweetUp domain last month.

Search Advertising Pioneer Launches TweetUp.com Sponsored Twitter Widget DotSauce Magazine

Tynt Insight technology is being used to track content sharing via copy & paste actions in a user’s browser. According to the company, an average of 6% of page views on the web result in some kind of user action that can be tracked by their technology.

In a recent rebuttal towards TechCrunch’s claim that 45% of all social sharing is done on Facebook, Tynt has shown clearly that this is not the case.

Email deserves the top spot for overall shares at 75%, Facebook accounts for 25%, blogs and forums (labeled “Other”) still account for a significant number of shares while Twitter is still growing with 1% of the social sharing action.

Tynt went on to provide a different and all-together more interesting break down of social sharing by showing how shares are performing in the chart above. Apparently Tynt Insight is tracking more than just copy/paste actions. This is valuable and definitely insightful click-through data!

Here are highlights I’ve observed containing some very interesting data revealed by Tynt:

• There are an estimated 1 trillion to 1.4 trillion page views on the web each month.
• Slightly over 2% of all page views result in sharing via copy & paste actions, totaling 20 billion shares per month.
• Sharing via built in share buttons (Digg this, Tweet this) account for only 400 million shares per month.
• Email is used for 70% of all social sharing and accounts for 48% of new site traffic.
• Blogs, forums and other mediums generate 36% of new site traffic despite accounting for only 4% of total shares.
• While 25% of all sharing is done on Facebook it only generates 10% of new site traffic.
• Digg generates 5% of new site traffic despite accounting for less than 1% of total shares.

What can we do to improve user experience and cater to the kind 2% of visitors who choose to share our content?

Website publications and blogs could definitely use more accessibility and unity with email sharing. We put an emphasis on social sharing and tend to leave email as a fall-back option when in fact it is being used the most.

Adding a prominent notice or automated form to share via email may do the trick and help tap into the prevalence of email sharing.

I’m sure improvements and new applications, website widgets, and browser addons for both email and social network sharing will be coming soon throughout 2010.

Tynt’s Insight software will automatically include a link back to the source page when text is copied from a website. I’m still a little dumbfounded that they are tracking copy and paste data, why didn’t someone think of this sooner?

I’m interested to see what content is being copied from my sites, how often, and how I can use that information to generate more site traffic. If this sounds good to you as well, check out Tynt Insight‘s free service and leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Surprising New Website Data Reveals Social Sharing and Traffic Trends DotSauce Magazine

A few days ago, I was in the middle of working on a presentation for an offline audience using the uber-cool Prezi web based software. I was very curious to test out the embed feature to see how it worked, so I placed the code within a post on my personal blog to take a peek.

Without my knowing (I had forgotten Twitter Tools was enabled), the link to my unfinished presentation was broadcast to Twitter. I found out about the mistake an hour or so later and was surprised to see the presentation had several retweets!

Thanks to those retweets I was inspired to clean up and expand the presentation for publication here on DotSauce!

Within the presentation below you will find a handful of key thoughts and observations I feel are pretty important for business success today. I hope you can follow these general guidelines to help propel your business into the growing social sphere.

You can select Fullscreen view if you prefer. Enjoy!

Did you find this presentation helpful? Consider passing it on to a friend!

Starting a Business in 2010 DotSauce Magazine

The red toolbar you’re seeing at the bottom of the screen now, that’s Wibiya in action. Now loading faster and featuring a handful of new “apps” that can be easily added through a slick user dashboard.

You may have noticed the subtle, yet effective notification messages when visiting DotSauce previously (shown right, currently disabled) which I think is one of the best features of Wibiya toolbar. It provides an unobtrusive way to notify visitors to take action.

Admin Dashboard Features

I could go on at length about the many neat features of Wibiya, but I will spare you the time and just list them here.

• Change color scheme
• Drag and drop interface to arrange each item on toolbar
• Dashboard statistics showing visitor usage
• Suite of add-on applications

On-site Buttons Interact with Toolbar

New “website badges” (which I haven’t tried yet, but look very promising) enable you to place code on your site which interacts with your Wibiya toolbar. So, for example, you could place a “Tweet This” badge which launches your Twitter dashboard.

Excellent Suite of Applications

Who doesn’t love apps? Hopefully more innovative and useful apps will be able to be created by third partys. Here is a quick list of the apps currently available for Wibiya.

• Site Search
• Google Translate
• Latest Posts
• Random Posts
• RSS Subscribe
• Post Sharing Tool
• Live Notifications
• Photo Gallery
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Navigation Links
• Live chat room
• Real time visitors display
• Scroll to Top
• Flash Games

All of those applications translate to alot of value for your website! Here is an older screenshot of my statistics (the stats display has since been enhanced), just to show you how Wibiya is working for me.

Wibiya Works

I believe Wibiya is doing a phenomenal job reducing bounce rates, increasing on-site and social interactivity between a blog / website owner and their audience.

Not only has Wibiya developed the right applications for the job, but they are executing the applications themselves very effectively, reaching out to other companies to bundle features, providing community support and continually innovating!

All that being said, I’m sure you can guess that I highly recommend it! Give Wibiya.com a try on your website as soon as you can.

Wibiya Blog Toolbar Upgraded and Opened to Public DotSauce Magazine

There are two things we can assume about people who re-tweet links to resources and articles. First, they are interested in the subject of that article or resource. Second, they are engaging actively with their followers and sharing. My kinda people!

I have always been a fan of Bit.ly, even before Twitter decided to use them as the default link shortening service. Their click tracking analytics and clean interface have always appealed to me. In this guide we will be using the Bit.ly sidebar tool to find and follow new interesting people.

Step 1. Register an account with Bit.ly.

Once logged in you will be able to drag the sidebar tool button (shown right) to your browser toolbar.

Step 2. Find an article of interest to you.

Popular articles will work best as we’re looking to see who might have shared this article. Consider your favorite blogs’ best posts or the latest news from your topic of interest.

You can use sites like TweetMeme, TweetMixx or Favstar to find articles that have been re-tweeted alot. Now navigate to the article page.

Step 3. Activate the Bit.ly sidebar tool.

Click the link you just placed in your browser toolbar. The Bit.ly sidebar allows you to quickly re-tweet this article, see how many visits the article has received and last but not least you can see the Twitter conversation.

Step 4. Follow the Re-Tweets!

The “Conversations” area shows everyone who has re-tweeted the article in a nice chronological list.

You can scroll all the way to the bottom and see who first shared an article and as you move up the list you see how the re-tweets progressed.

Click a few Twitter profile names at a time while holding the Ctrl key or click with your mouse scroll-wheel to open them in a new tab.

You will likely find hundreds of new and interesting people to check out and follow on Twitter using this method.

These people like to share stuff, so if you have quality tweets there’s a good chance they may be re-tweeting YOU soon!

Speaking of re-tweets, you can click here to Tweet this article.

Be sure to follow @DotSauce for live updates on future articles.

How To: Find Hundreds of Interesting People On Twitter DotSauce Magazine

Usability guru Jakob Nielsen has just published a report on his latest research into the world of business on social networks. There are some amazing perspectives and insights to be gained.

Any business engaging users on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Linkedin can put this information to use immediately and surely start seeing positive results in a short amount of time.

I would like to go over a few quotes from Mr. Nielsen that I feel are the highlight take-aways from his study.

Business messages appear in a context that’s permeated by personal messages. This context sets the stage for use.

Here we learn that messages should be personable and casual and not so corporate. However, Nielsen points out that users prefer RSS feeds to be more business like.

Users listed too-frequent postings as their top annoyance with following companies and organizations.

This is quite self explanatory. I would recommend limiting your broadcast messages to just a handful per day.

It is also noted in the report that Facebook and Twitter are often used multiple times daily whereas Linkedin and MySpace are used less so.

Plan your next correspondence, but wait to execute until the right time.

Users recognize that corporate postings are commercial — rather than friendship-driven — they do resist overly aggressive selling.

This is why I don’t recommend selling or directly marketing anything within your personal timeline (on a regular basis anyway).

Set up a unique profile for your business and provide a passive introduction to your product or service. Users run from anything that looks like an advertisement.

Messages that received the highest scores had three things in common: they contained something of substance, were timely, and provided the kind of information that users expected.

Stay consistent with your followers’ areas of interest and stay up to date!  Your followers will appreciate and find value in your messages and may be inclined to re-tweet or recommend you.

Check out the rest of Nielsen’s study for more findings on business to user interaction within social networks and RSS feeds.

Study Sheds Light on Business to User Interaction on Social Networks DotSauce Magazine

Twitter Friendly Links – Yup, Your Own Short URL

Download Twitter Friendly Links or Visit Plugin Website

This is quite simply an in-house URL shortening service that creates links using your short post ID’s.  For example you can visit http://DotSauce.com/1632 to access this very post!

Twitter Friendly Links plugin can help you preserve and increase your domain name brand exposure on Twitter and give your shared links more credibility.

The only caveat is that you are sacrificing click analytics, though I’m sure the developer of this plugin already has that in mind.

Analytics360 by MailChimp – Bringing Google Analytics to WordPress

Download Analytics360 or Visit Plugin Website

To use all of Analytics360 options you are asked to register a free account with MailChimp,  a web based email marketing and newsletter management system, but you don’t necessarily have to use their service.

Analytics360 adds a feature to you WordPress admin that connects with Google Analytics to display traffic stats, top referrers and most viewed articles.

A really cool feature of Analytics360 is the orange dot marker next to each of your blog posts over time so you can visually see how your posts are performing!

Disqus Comment System – Revolutionizing Blog Comments

Download Disqus or Visit Plugin Website

The default WordPress comment system is severely dated! I tried the WordPress threaded comment system for awhile and while it is slightly better it still fell short. Disqus simply has alot of appealing features…

• Track your comments across all blogs
• Verified emails and avatar uploads
• Instantly connect with Twitter and Facebook
• Moderate comments via email or assign moderators
• Top commentators and recent comments widgets

I am extremely happy since installing Disqus. It was surprisingly easy to install as any WordPress plugin usually is. Large sites like TechCrunch and Mashable have adopted Disqus and I foresee it soon becoming the standard for blog comments.

WP Smush.it! – Better User Experience by Reducing Image File Sizes

Download WP Smush.it or Visit Plugin Website

I was ecstatic when I found this plugin, a plugin that actually shrinks your image files on the fly!  Most people should know how to use the “Save For Web” feature when working with images to keep file sizes down.

I found that Smush-It actually works better than PhotoShop for getting down to the smallest file size, especially with GIF and PNG files! Amazingly, no image quality is sacrificed.

You can even go in to your gallery and smush previously uploaded files!

Sexy Bookmarks – Making Social Sharing Fun

See Live Example Below!

Download Sexy Bookmarks or Visit Plugin Website

This plugin is quite literally beautiful! There are lots of social bookmarking plugins available for WordPress already, but this is by far the most appealing and unique set of bookmarking icons. In just a short time since installing I have noticed a few readers making use of my Sexy Bookmarks!

So yea, maybe you want to have unique looking icons and that’s cool, but I think it will actually benefit blogs on the whole because readers will be able to instantly recognize Sexy Bookmarks buttons and share blog posts.

These plugins rock, huh? Please share this post using my Sexy Bookmarks buttons…

5 Fresh WordPress Plugins Ready to Enhance Your Blog DotSauce Magazine

I discovered this disturbing exciting trend while looking for fellow geeks to follow, have a look…

These ladies are actual @WordPress followers from twitter.com/wordpress/followers brought to you by @DotSauce and @ThemeHunter!

Actual hot chic status not confirmed.

Congratulations WordPress, You’re Doin’ It Right! DotSauce Magazine

I am currently working on several web development projects alongside DotSauce.  Twitter businesses like TweetSocial, FollowLists and ThemeHunter and other independent websites.

You can find occasional updates on my various projects at MarkFulton.com.

Each development project or startup provides a unique learning experience. While creating the TweetSocial Twitter Directory I was inspired to convert the old PHPLD directory to a more advanced and feature rich system built around our community.

Advanced Domaining Directory

This new Domaining Directory will feature comprehensive industry resources, tools and contacts.  It is currently in early stages of development but is already an industry first.  Still a few key updates like making it nice and SEO and social  friendly.  Be on the lookout for the official launch and possibly a contest for the new directory.

Here are some of the features the new Domaining directory will sport…

• Public ratings and reviews
• What’s hot? What’s new?
• Easy to use submission form
• Quickly sort, browse, categorize and tag
• Create a personal favorites list

If you are a DotSauce Forums member, please feel free to submit your favorite domaining related websites right now.  The directory is currently visible but closed to public submissions.

Hot New Benefits for Premium Members Only

You will also see some new and exciting things going down this summer for DotSauce Premium memberships.  I can’t say too much right now but it’s going to be an excellent opportunity to for anyone to easily profit from legitimately quality domain names.

I am currently running a special discount for full DotSauce premium access, you pay just $9.95 per month or $24.95 for 3 months.  Sign up now to lock in your membership at this low rate!

Current membership rates may go up at any time depending on number of new Premium Members coming in.  The goal of DotSauce Premium is to provide you real world domaining value above and beyond the low membership fee.

Visit the Premium Memberships page for additional details.

Stay tuned for further developments on both the directory and DotSauce Premium.  Hope everyone at TRAFFIC Amsterdam has a blast this week!

Carpe Nomen ~ Seize the Name!

Hot New Domainer Resources Coming This Summer to DotSauce DotSauce Magazine

Just a few weeks ago I wrote about my experience using the powerful Hummingbird Twitter automation software and how it allowed me to get over 5000 targeted followers on Twitter. Since writing that review I have almost doubled that number at 9,000+ followers.

Those numbers are just for one account!  I have several other online businesses with Twitter accounts which have many thousands of targeted followers each, all thanks to this powerful software.

Continue reading below for a great Hummingbird discount code and how you can easily achieve this success on Twitter.

What Does Hummingbird Do?

Hundreds of people are using Hummingbird to take Twitter to the next level.

This relatively simple PC software allows you to login to as many Twitter accounts as you like, search for people in your area of interest and then automatically follow people while you take a nap, walk your dog or work on something else!

Once you have followed all the people you can handle, wait awhile for those people to follow you back and then clean up your list by automatically unfollowing those people who didn’t seem interested.

This process would otherwise take hours of your valuable time each day!

Benefits of Massive Followers

• My website traffic has increased dramatically.
• I have built new relationships with individuals and businesses.
• I have introduced numerous people to my industry.
• Able to drive traffic to any resource, product or blog at any time.
• I get tons of Re-Tweets.
• Listed high in Twitter directories.
• I launched a website and gained hundreds of sign ups.

…and the list goes on!  There is no reason you shouldn’t pursue more followers on Twitter.

HummingBird Discount Code

Unfortunately, there are currently no Hummingbird discount codes. Bookmark this post and check back for updates!

However, the Hummingbird software can now be yours for just $4.97 per month by using this link to get the limited time offer.

The powerful and innovative new Hummingbird 2 Pro software is now available for $197!

Many people have told me (and I agree) that Hummingbird can pay for itself in just the first week. I highly recommend you give it a try and start leveraging the awesome power of the Twitter crowd!

Hummingbird Discount Coupon Code: Get 15% Off the Most Powerful Twitter Tool DotSauce Magazine

Along with a great new design (see screenshot below) are several other updates including new categories; Domainer Events, Domain Law and Domain Videos.  You can also keep tabs on all mentions of “domains” streaming live via Twitter.

On the DNHeadlines Domain Markets page the first thing you will see are @DNMarket listings from Twitter!  DNMarket is a free public domain sales service on Twitter that I launched a couple months ago.

Visitors will also notice a new area of the site called Domainer Exchange, where domain industry professionals can network and connect through Facebook (optional) and then be able to post their own domain related announcements, services and sales.

DNHeadlines New Look and Comprehensive Industry Coverage DotSauce Magazine

Double Available Domains Newsletter Coming Soon

The Available Domains Newsletter has not been sent out in a few weeks, so sometime this week I have decided to send out double the normal amount of premium available domains to subscribers.

I usually send this list out every couple of weeks because it takes many hours of research mining expiring domains, filtering and hand picking those that are of high quality with development and resale potential.

DotSauce Premium Members get first pick access to this list 24 hours in advance, along with some other sweet benefits.

Twitter Domain Marketplace Update

@DNMarket is a domain name marketplace on Twitter where anyone can follow to receive updates on domains for sale. Domain owners can be approved to post sales listings anytime through the @DNMarket account.

The service is going strong with over 250 followers interested in buying names and over 50 verified sellers. For more details please read the original announcement.

Also consider adding your name to the Top Domainers on Twitter list. If you’re interested in making the most of Twitter and getting thousands of followers, read my article on Hummingbird.

DotSauce Marketplace Open for Business

Another great marketplace for selling your domain names as well as websites and services is our newly improved DotSauce Marketplace.

The new marketplace is going strong, it’s completely free and can get your names lots of exposure.

You can create listings in auction, buy-it-now or classified style and it’s fully integrated with PayPal payments!

Read all about the many features of our new marketplace in the original announcement.

MarkFulton.com Back in Action

I have relaunched my personal blog with a slick new minimalist design and have already begun to write about some of my interests that are not directly related to domain names.

If you’re into web development, Twitter, cool web applications, SEO, web design, technology and, of course, domain names then consider dropping by and subscribing to MarkFulton.com.

Check out my latest two articles…

• How To: Use Feedity to Create RSS Feeds for Google Blog Search
• TweetDeck Pro Tips – Filtering

You will also be able to see my archived Tweets each day where I often share great resources and articles from around the net.

Premium Available Domains, Domain Marketplace, Personal Blog and Other Updates DotSauce Magazine

Update: You can now get 15% OFF! Check out this Hummingbird Discount Code.

I feel as if our industry is closed off from the public, like we are talking in a small circle when we should be spreading the good word of Domaining to a much wider audience. It may be like this for many industries.

I believe, through Twitter, that we can massively expand our industry and increase awareness of the true value and profitability of Domaining, all while making more money and driving traffic to our websites.

We can reach out and network with SEO and search marketers, web developers, freelancers, graphic designers, branding experts and many more people who should be involved with Domaining!

I currently have gained over 5000 targeted followers on Twitter, largely in part to using advanced automation software called Hummingbird.

If used properly (see Tips below), it is completely within the Twitter terms of service and it is an extremely effective way to market yourself to literally thousands of people interested in what you’re doing.

If we all can reach out to these new people and get them reading domain news, watching domain auctions, reading our tips, etc., then the industry as a whole will benefit greatly!

Just What Does Hummingbird Do?

Hummingbird is a powerful, yet simple desktop software program that automates the task of following large groups of targeted Twitter users.

You’ve probably found a list of people you like before and understand how long it takes and how boring it is to click “Follow” so many times.

This premium software is currently only $197 and is working brilliantly.

I have come across some information on official forums that a new version with enhanced features is coming soon and the price will increase significantly.  Current owners will get this update for free.

You can purchase and download Hummingbird here.  I recommend you buy it now before the price goes up with the new update, but even then it’s well worth it and you can earn your investment back fast.

Tips On Getting Started With Hummingbird

Many people are using Hummingbird to amass broad groups of tens of thousands followers. I don’t recommend this method, as it can get your profile suspended and you simply won’t connect with your followers.

What you want to do first is find authority profiles and follow their followers, it’s that simple!  This is the basis for success on Twitter and gaining thousands of followers in a relatively short time.

You can even start with my 5000+ followers (of course not all at once)! My followers are in some way interested in web development, domain names, SEO, marketing and/or web design. If you Tweet about those things, there is a good chance they will follow you back!

Simply navigate to http://twitter.com/DotSauce, click my followers number and Hummingbird can go to work for you.

If you’re in another industry, search for people in your niche and you will soon find plenty of targeted people to follow.

Wait a few days between each follow session to give people time to check you out, then you can have Hummingbird un-follow those who didn’t follow you back. The software even stores a list of every person you un-follow so that you don’t bother them again.

If you have any questions about the Hummingbird software please let me know, would be happy to help get you started.

Take Twitter to the Next Level with Hummingbird DotSauce Magazine

• Tweet Deck is an essential application used for keeping updated and keeping active on Twitter.  Download it and start creating “Groups.” as soon as you can.  These groups can be defined for anything such as “Domainers” or “Designers” and will display updates from only a select few of your followers.  This is just the tip of the iceberg for TweetDeck features.
• Split Tweet features the ability to manage your multiple Twitter accounts and monitor your company brand.  An excellent web interface allows you to view and send tweets from all of your twitter accounts.  I use it to manage @DotSauce @AQDN @DNMarket @TweetSocial all at the same time with no hassles.
• Group Tweet is not for everyone, but can be used for allowing multiple people to post updates to a common group Twitter account.  Simply create a new account for whatever group you might have and connect it with Group Tweet.  Example: @DNMarket
• Future Tweets as you can probably guess, allows you to store tweets to be posted automatically at a later date.  Great when you can’t manage to Tweet a certain day, you can have some stored.  Also good for repeating important tweets on a schedule.
• Twitter Search is the entire twitterverse at your fingertips. Especially important to use if you’re not using TweetDeck.  Use advanced searches to find the latest news and updates as they happen, find people with similar interests, follow hash tags and most importantly keep track of people who mention your name.

Friends and Followers can be tough to manage and sometimes overwhelming.  These great apps will help you manage new and old followers and keep your audience growing.

• Twitoria helps you find people you are following that have not updated in a long time.  Sometimes its beneficial to clean your following list of people who are inactive.
• Friend Or Follow is an excellent tool that quickly shows you who you are following but is not following back and vice versa people following you that you are not following.  This can be an alternative to getting massive amounts of email alerts for new followers.
• Twimailer is a new service that replaces the generic”New Follower” email Twitter automatically sends you with an enhanced email message featuring the new followers description, URL and their latest tweets.  Saves time and sanity.
• Nearby Tweets enhances Twitter with a local people search!  Simply type in your city and a keyword if you like to find people in your area.

Twitter Directories can be an excellent way to find new followers and in turn get followed by lots of people with the same interests as you.  These are the best of the best twitter directories:

• We Follow (Example: WeFollow.com/tag/domains) is a new but popular directory.  Simply send a tweet to @WeFollow with up to three hash tags like #seo #blogger #domains etc.
• Twellow is the self proclaimed Twitter Yellow Pages, featuring an index of over 2 million Twitter profiles.  Sign up to be able to edit your Twellow profile, connect it with other social networks and choose what categories your profile is featured in.

Blog or Website Enhancements let you connect your website with Twitter which encourage your website visitors and blog readers to connect and engage with you on Twitter.

• Twitter Tools is the most widely used WordPress plugin for including your Twitter stream into your WordPress powered website and more importantly this plugin sends a Twitter update anytime you write a new post.
• WP Greet Box is another essential plugin which can display a customized message to a visitor based on what website they came from.  So, if a person finds your website from Twitter you can display a short message thanking them and encouraging a ReTweet or a follow.
• TweetBacks, by WordPress guru Joost de Valk, brings more interactivity to your articles by feeding Twitter responses right to the comments area of each of your posts.

Twitter Forum Community would be good for discussing the latest news about our favorite service, Twitter.

• The Twitter Forum at TweetSocial is a new Twitter community project of mine.  Go beyond 140 character discussions with open topics about Twitter apps, Twitter tips, news, marketing, resources and more.

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15 Highly Recommended Twitter Apps for Web Professionals DotSauce Magazine