Comprehending Networking
Traffic Check
Those of us who write on line have broken ourselves into the 'share' habit, as if this 'Networking' assists us in getting hits.
We seem to believe that if we don't put our items on the various network sites our work won't be seen.
Until we have a chance to check from where most of our hits come from. The overwhelming majority of hits comes from Google.
If somehow one catches the 'eye' of Google highways of traffic will be delivered to our 'door'.
Of course, considering Google's hatred of Hubpages; not as likely as we'd believe.
And then there are the Trolls
As shocking as it is to find that all your Networking is a waste of time, this is increased by the awareness that the attention you receive is more than likely to be negative.
Attacks and down votes by Trolls on sites like Reddit makes it un-useful to Network.
You've probably heard the story already, but I'll post it here in case you haven't.
A well known Hard Copy Published Writer posted an item on a Publishing Site and Networked it. Within seconds his item was voted down on the various sites he'd used to network. This was followed by a slurry of attacks calling it Spam, Blogspam, and using all sorts of unpleasant terms to describe what a bad writer he was, etc.
He deleted the item from the publishing site, from the Networks. He sent it to his Editor. It was accepted, paid for, published in Hard Copy, and got quite good reviews.
This is just to emphasize how pointless Networking sites have become not only as a marketing tool but as any kind of peer review, or even honest response to your work.
Recognize that the Majority of persons who will respond to your work are Trolls who have nothing else to do except insult other people you begin to appreciate reality.
Some sites give you the authority to prevent attacks, to remove comments, others appear to exist for encouraging attacks.
SEO, Links, Tags, Ads
There's a difference between writing crap full of the trending words and writing good prose.
A difference between writing an advertisement which pretend to be an article.
You'll see it most often on Facebook. For example, you think this is an article about baby clothes. It isn't. It is an advertisement for some company selling baby clothes.
As you read it, you realize you aren't reading a Mommy's prose but that done by some junior clerk at the company which sells baby clothes.
This advertisement will gain Adsense revenue from honest advertisers who are paying to advertise their items.
You can see why Google became so annoyed it labeled Hubpages a content farm, and dropped whatever is published here to the bottom of the list.
So How To Market?
If you're writing an item which should be of interest to persons who (fill in the blank) then finding the right forum/message board/blog is knee jerk. You'll get traffic from those who are interested in (fill in blank).
You publish the item here, post links on that site with a bit of blurb and the users should take a look.
If you are writing for a mass audience, you better find a popular site or have a million friends on Facebook.
For example, if I want to know how to wash this silk blouse I might enter; "Wash Silk" in a search box, not Google.
Google is rather biased. Hence a perfect response to your query might be on this site, but it won't show up. For virtually nothing published here will be noted there.
Double Titling, for example has become almost the 'Rule'. The 'catchy' title is the heading of your first paragraph, your actual Title might be mundane.
Using the example above the title might be "How To Wash Silk" and the subtitle; "You really can wash silk yourself!"
Gone are the days when Stumbleupon is your main traffic source.
Come are the days of search engines.