Social Media: The final next frontier. Perhaps you are already so accustomed to seeing sharing and liking options online that they have long since faded into the background of your favorite websites. When you step outside of simply clicking a button on a page, however, you’ll find that sharing and connecting with your favorite businesses through social media has many benefits. If your Facebook news feed has morphed into a chaotic influx of fan page advertisements and status updates, fear not. We have no intention of spamming you. Instead, we’d like to provide you with a few reasons why the BOTW page should be one of your top Facebook Likes, and why it’s worth sharing.

Share Your Listing
You now have the ability to “like” any given category in the Web Directory. For instance, the Bob Dylan category is liked by a handful of users. What does this mean for your listing or sponsorship? Aside from being able to express appreciation for your niche, liking a category will automatically post a link to it on your Facebook Wall. Therefore by clicking the Like button at the top of the category where your listing or sponsorship is located, it is instantly shared with your entire Facebook network.

You can also mark your approval of a category through Google’s +1 button. This will store the category, in a sense bookmarking it, in your Google account and share it as a recommendation when your contacts search related items through the mainstream search engine. The combination of having reliable directory listings with social media sharing capabilities creates the opportunity to potentially reach thousands of viewers.

Promo, please!
We get countless emails every day asking where to find announcements about upcoming or currently active promotions. Aside from right here, the answer is Facebook. By liking our Facebook page, it will not only appear in your news feed the moment a new promotion is announced, but you’ll also be made privy to opportunities to win coupons and other prizes every week.

Once you like BOTW on Facebook, stay tuned for updates and the opportunity to participate in the Trivia Challenges. You can win a Trivia Challenge, and the monetary prize that comes with it, by being the first BOTW fan to post the correct answer to the day’s challenge. Prizes range from coupons on BOTW directory submissions, Amazon gift cards, and prizes from other select partners. Any fan can win a coupon one time per week, and is eligible to win a gift card once every month.

Vacation with BOTW & Win
If you’re a true fan of Best of the Web, you probably have a t-shirt or a mug from one of the many conferences and gatherings over the years. Now that gear can win you money through the “Guess Where BOTW’s Been” contest. Simply take a photo with your BOTW gear set in an *exotic location and email it to contest@bestoftheweb.com. Anyone who participates by sending a picture will automatically win a $25 Amazon gift card. If your photo is later posted on the page under the “Guess Where BOTW’s Been” contest, you’ll win an additional $100 Amazon gift card.

These are just a few ways to get the most out of the social media being implemented through the Web Directory. So, go ahead, click “Like” on our sidebar widget. Whether you’re looking for additional attention for your newly added listing or sponsorship, or are looking for an available coupon to help cut the cost of your next submission, getting involved through Facebook can only help your cause.

*Exotic locations do not have to be tropical; however, locations must be identifiable through a landmark or other prominent feature. Those who submit via email must include their full name, contact information, and the name of the location pictured. Emailed photo submissions will be accepted through August 2011.

Thanks to the Beers Design Team

I suppose now that we’re officially on the new URL and have the new interface in place it’s time to thank the folks that made it happen. A hearty thanks to the guys at Beers Design for setting up this WordPress theme.

The old one was getting a little threadbare, didn’t allow pictures of the size I’d have liked, and just looked its age. This is a vast improvement. I’d also like to thank our own Rob Schmidt for working with them to get it done. You guys did a great job, and that makes mine easier. Gracias gents.

And Another Writer to Enter the Fray

Also, rumor here at BOTW-land is that one of the talented folks from corporate is going to join me in the blog, so you can look forward to upcoming posts from Danielle. It’ll be nice to have another hand at the oar and a different perspective. You can find her bio info on the BOTW Corporate website. Actually if you’re reading this, that’s where you are now. Just hit the button up there that says “About Us.“

If you’re reading this blog
You probably take part in one or more webmaster forums as well. Do a quick search on whichever ones you frequent, and you’ll find a few threads named “What is the best directory submission software”.

To save time… here’s a quick Google search on the phrase: “Best Directory Submission Software?”

Answer: Depends on the directories to which you submit

If you’re sending submissions to auto-accept directories…
…that’ll take anything that comes into the queue, whatever software gets it there does the job. A bot does the submission, a bot does the acceptance, why quibble over the small differences.

In other words, neither of them does a good job.

Now WHY you’d bother submitting to those is a whole ‘nuther topic, but mass sends by bots at least take less time than doing it manually, and as it’s a waste of time to start with, might as well waste less of it.

If you’re submitting to directories with a human on the acceptance end…
Why bother sending mass bot submissions? They’re generally garbage, so if the directory is worth getting into, they’ll probably get deleted the same way they arrived… by a few quick database routines.

Needless to say our commercial queues are pretty free of spam. For some reason people don’t send a thousand near identical submissions when their Mastercard/Visa is attached to each, but our free queues are occasionally the targets of the guys that charge their clients a fee for shipping stuff even they know will get deleted.

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast….” ~ Alexander Pope

“Heh. Heh heh! He said ‘breast’.” ~ Beavis and Butthead

Every forum that has a Buy/Sell/Trade section…
…has a stack of guys offering directory submission services. Even some that assure you they’re doing it manually often have package pricing that allows you to get a zillion submissions for $50. If you utilize a service that offers to break the bounds of not only economics but space and time… you’re just setting yourself up for a fall.

Conclusion: Forget automated submission. Increase your chances, use the money on lottery tickets.

Here’s the best directory submission software…

Here’s the best hardware to attach to it…

Hey, just trying to look out for you
To those that are out there offering a zillion directory adds for a few bucks, don’t worry, anybody that buys the idea you’re doing it “manually” probably can’t read either.

Hope everyone’s having a great week. ~ Rob

You Just Can’t Make Up Stuff this Fun

An article published today in The Tech Journal had this solemn headline…
“Facebook is the new cause of divorce”.

The story leads off as follows:

The number of divorces occurring because of Facebook and other social networking sites has been on the rise since these sites have become increasingly popular, research claims. ~ Published in The Tech Journal – 5/13/2011

They may have a point
After all, I keep seeing a box on the other side of my FB page that shows a very attractive girl (about the age of my own kid) with a skimpy outfit and a caption that says “Guess who’s looking for you!”.

I suppose it *could* be true, but most likely it’d either mean  (*a) daddy issues are really getting outta hand at colleges or (*b) collection agencies have started using people we might really let find us.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
Seriously folks. Did the number of deaths by plane crash climb when people started using air travel? Did football injuries mysteriously rise when schools added the game to their athletic program? Heck, I’ll bet gunshot accidents rose significantly after the invention of firearms.

If they look REALLY close they’ll also find an increase in the number of people that got married as a result of Facebook since people started using it, not to mention a shocking (!) increase in the number of people who got unfriended on Facebook, and yes… a dramatic jump in meaningless statistics about people who do things as a result of using Facebook. Somebody needs to check into these things too, there’s a good chance we’re onto something.

On the bright side, the number killed in buggies powered by horses continues to decline in a figure inversely related to automobile sales.

There had to be government grant money involved in this powerful research project. Surely nobody came up with such an amazing statistical correlation without a considerable endowment with which to ponder such deep thoughts.

Obligatory Mention of Daily Trivia Challenge on Facebook
As you might guess, the only correlation that is totally escaping me is how to tie this all to internet directories, but it was just too classic to pass up. Guess I could say I put it here to plug the daily contests we’re doing on BOTW’s Facebook page. Yeah, that’s it. Go win some easy money on our Trivia Challenge… you may need it to pay the lawyer later.

Gotta love the internet. You guys have a great weekend, and for those that are married, behave yourselves on Facebook or I’m telling.

In April we launched the BOTW Online Degree Directory. Our new product offers one-stop shopping for those trying to find where they can pursue a specific degree program, whether it be undergraduate studies, Masters or Doctorate programs, or other related educational certifications.

The directory also offers career information on a wide range of degree programs for those that are not yet on an educational  career path and need a spot to compare opportunities offered in various fields.

Our initial launch includes online learning opportunities. The next phase will be cataloging the multitude of brick and mortar learning institutions with or without an online program… for those seeking the full university experience including the trip to the dean to explain the llama in a raincoat on the 3rd floor of the Science building.

The directory includes links to authoritative resources for additional information on each career field, such as Bureau of Labor and Statistic projections that detail projections for income and employment opportunities in each, plus a blog offering in depth examination of a variety of career fields and related issues.

Whether you’re entering the post high school world and need information on potential careers, thinking of a career change, or just want to beef up your skills and credentials in today’s ultra competitive job market, the Best of the Web Education Directory has information that will help you accomplish the goal.