Hi guys,
Having to configure different modules for showing social buttons on the nodes/teasers like: diggthis, tweetmeme, etc. and then trying configure the way how they are displayed discourage many "normal users" from having nice features that promotes social buzz.
Motivation:
Look at the way Mashable makes use of the social buttons at: http://www.mashable.com
The idea:
- You can enable/disable the buttons you want to show, from one single place (digg, rebuzzthis, tweetmeme, facebook share, etc.).
- You can choose which node types you will display the buttons.
- You can choose either standard or compact form for the buttons.
- You can select independently which buttons to show on the teaser and which ones to show on the full node view.
- Buttons are rendered nicely, similar to the way Mashable does it.
- Ability to integrate as many social buttons as needed. So far I integrated the ones mentioned above, but Im planning to integrate stumble upon, reddit, etc.
Module:
Actually I already developed this module that integrates all those different social services into a single module, with all the features highlighted above. You can check it working here: http://www.maximoposicionamientoweb.com. Check the teaser view and the node view for understanding how it works.
Issues I have so far:
- Compact buttons do not render as nicely as standard ones on the full node view. Im trying to think on a nice way to display those compact buttons.
Thinking loudly:
The module is already developed. Probably I will need to go on fixing stuff here and there, specially the issues already identified, but it is already fully working. Dont see any big problems. Check it out for yourself.
I don't plan to release it if you guys think it is a duplication of efforts from the already existent ones. feedback and comments are very valuable at this point.
So this is it. waiting for feedback.
Comments
<curmudgeon mode> Social
<curmudgeon mode>
Social bookmarking/sharing/etc buttons are an egotistical waste of space and bandwidth. How many of these services do you think a normal person (a normal person, not a self-proclaimed SEO expert) uses? One? Two? So why are you begging for them to bookmark/share/etc the site on twelve different sites they probably don't use? It looks so desperate, and really detracts from a site's content and credibility.
I personally bookmark/share stuff on Delicious and Facebook, so buttons for Digg, Reddit, Google Buzz, etc are wasted on me. Actually, buttons for Delicious and Facebook are wasted too, because for both of those I have bookmarklets and know how to use them - and I suspect almost all serious users of these sorts of services use bookmarklets as well.
But anyway…
</curmudgeon mode>
Your module idea already exists in the form of the Service links module.
<curmudgeon>Dammit.</curmudgeon>
The Boise Drupal Guy!
See my dear friend, I
See my dear friend, I completely agree that having many buttons on a site does not help at all and that is not the idea of the module. If you think that way, then obviously you don't get it. In fact I wouldnt recommend more than two, and three is already pushing it, but during a testing period you should be willing to push it hard.
And it is good to test which buttons work for your site until you find the ones that matches your audience. That is called page optimization. If you ever conducted a test on a page to see what people are willing to click, you will find that your readers are willing to click on your social buttons or share it using the toolbar or some other means, but nearly none of them will ever click on the bookmarlets. I tested that many times and every time I find the same results: The CTR on social buttons are modest but a lot higher than your service links bookmarlets, which is close to zero, nada, nothing, null. I challenge you to do the same test and tell us your results.
And your credibility has nothing to do with putting social buttons on your page or not. That just depends on the quality of your content and the way you talk to people (ie. by your previous comment I can already tell that you think the standard is low quality content, but that does not have to be this way). Good quality content will empower users to share it, and a social button will put that on steroids. Of course, thats after you have optimized your page and have found the social buttons that work for your audience and type of content.
Why do social buttons work when they work? Probably because they hit a powerful psychological trigger called "social proof". Even if people do not click on the social buttons, they already served good for that purpose. Bookmarlets are not nearly half as powerful.
Will you waste some space and bandwidth by using one or two? Well... who cares? If doing what works means spending more space and bandwidth so be it. Why do you think Google released Google Buzz? to have more space and bandwidth problems?
Now, Is it possible for a "normal user" to conduct a test like that with the modules currently available in Drupal? No, it is not. You can use Diggthis, Tweetmeme or Buzzthis modules, but thats of course after you know which one matches your content and audience. Do you know that from start? No, so you have to test.
Thats where the module I'm proposing comes in, so you can test, find what works, and forget about the non-working social buttons.
But you don't have to agree with that. Do a test to find out on your own.
In any case, I respect your opinion and I believe you represent certain type of users. So I took notes and now I would like to listen to other people's opinions. By democracy so far, I will not release it, so anybody else wants to share something?
Oh, man. Typical SEO prattle.
Oh, man. Typical SEO prattle. Someone hand me a basin.
Those who shout the loudest often have the least to say. I'll leave it at that.
(I bet you think this module is absolutely brilliant as well.)
The Boise Drupal Guy!
(I bet you think this module
(I bet you think this module is absolutely brilliant as well.)
I saw it before and I wouldn't use it. And I don't think the module I'm proposing is brilliant either. It is something that for a codeholic like you can take less than two hours of programming. It took me six, but I'm honest enough to admit my shortcomings.
Others
Make sure you look through this list as well:
http://groups.drupal.org/node/28680
Michelle
Thanks Michelle. I will check
Thanks Michelle. I will check those out.