In Part 1 we introduced you to the Soup.io microblog and provided reasons why we think it’s a valuable resource for reaching new subsets of people on the web.  A microblog is for sharing “bite-size” content, Soup.io is unique in that your reach isn’t limited to your own connections, or even your connection’s connections.  Soup.io posts updates on the site’s homepage, for all to see, so you’re only limited by the # of people watching the homepage at the time your update goes up.  And let’s be honest, that could mean a ton of exposure.

So how do you make the most of your presence on Soup.io?  How can you leverage it for your company?  Like all things, there are a few best practices to keep in mind in order to make the most of your effort:

1.  Introduce Yourself: Be sure to fill out your bio and let folks know what you and your soup are all about.  Nothing fancy, just keep it simple and genuine.

2.  Always be linking: include links to all your favorite hang-outs on the web and make it easy for folks to connect with you (e.g. your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, favorite sites, etc.)

3.  Become a resource: Text snippets are just the beginning — create a melting pot of links, notable quotes, images, video, product reviews and event information.

4.  Go Viral: If you want your soup to get passed around, go heavy on the quotes, images, and videos — these types of content seem to get the most mileage. Also, don’t be surprised if your feeds from popular bookmarking sites (e.g. Digg) get dugg by fellow Diggers in the Soup.

5.  Digg Your Soup – Make sure others can see and Digg, what you’re digging.  If you’re digging your own blog or site content (which you should be) then you’re tapping in to the power of the masses on Digg and Soup.

6.  Import your blog’s RSS feed – All it takes is the title and a link to get more folks reading your posts.  Distribute your content to a greater audience and put your brand on the growth fast-track.

7.  A picture says 1000 words – Eye-catching imagery will get folks to pause, funny images get passed around.  Relate these in some way to your product and create ties where there were none before.  The web is chock full of places for funny pictures, especially cartoons, in every industries.

8.  Everybody loves  a Good Video – First and foremost, make sure it’s interesting.  If you can barely sit through it, NO ONE else will either.  If you’re re-posting from YouTube, check out the video’s rating and the number of views to gauge it’s popularity.

9.  Quote the experts – Offer your own insights in relation to these quotes and start a conversation.  You’ll find that people in the same industry or who have an interest in the industry will likely re-post the quote.  At the same time, you’ll establish your own expertise.

10. Help Others - Use the text tip feature to provide valuable information to others in your industry.  It’s simple and speeds up the process when establishing yourself as an expert.

11. Sing like a Bird – Include all your thoughtful tweets in your soup.  Cross-promote yourself and grow your user base on all fronts.

11. State Your Opinion – Product and Service reviews help people.  Be honest and thorough in your assessment.  People like honesty, it creates trust.  Remember, people buy from people, not companies.

12. Promote your events – Use the event content type feature and get the word out about upcoming opportunities to connect online or in person.

13. Make New Friends – Watch the Soup.io front page for content that interests you and friend the user.  If you’re so inclined, re-post the content into your own soup – the user will be notified and most likely visit your soup to get to know you better.

14. Get Involved – Take advantage of Soup’s groups feature to join groups related to your industry/product/service.  You can also create a group of your own.

Soup.io is a relatively easy addition to your portfolio of brand sites.  By importing content you’re already creating elsewhere on the web, you grow your exposure and strengthen your online presence.

Part1. One of my favorite micro-blogging services is Soup.  It’s an easy-to-use app that lets you add text and media to your page with the simple push of a button.  Different from standard blogs, microblogs are for sharing text snippets and bite-size media only.

Your “soup” can be a mix of the content you add and imported feeds from other social media channels like Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us, Facebook… (You get the picture).  Add blog feeds to your “soup” – your own blog is a definite “must” – posts are displayed and a new audience is now within your reach.

Every time a user adds a new ingredient to their soup — it also shows up on Soup.io’s front page for all to see.  Don’t expect your content to stay on the homepage long though, because in truth, new stuff is continuously going up.  Soup is about sharing – so if somebody finds your content interesting, they may visit your soup, add you to their friends list, or even “re-post” your content on their own soup.  Like a retweet in Twitter, this is the real potential behind Soup.io.  It’s in your ability to potentially reach networks of people outside of your own by creating valuable content that gets spread.

During part 2 we’ll share 10 ideas for integrating Soup.io into your marketing mix. Are you currently using Soup.io? Let us know in the comments.

I’m particular about who I follow on Twitter.  I’d imagine most people, depending on their interests, are pretty particular as well.  I use Twitter as a resource for my work so I tend to follow people who tweet about marketing and social media.  Most days, my timeline is packed with useful information and fresh ideas.

It’s kinda flattering when you get a new follower, in a way – you’re being paid a compliment.  The polite thing to do when you’re paid a compliment is to say “thank you” and reciprocate.  Now there’s a time and a place for the “follow me and I’ll follow you” Twitter philosophy – but for most of us, that could mean junking up our streams.

To keep things fresh, regularly check out your new followers to see if you’d like to follow them.  You can quickly scan them by placing your cursor on their username to make their bio visible. For additional info, check out their full profile.

Here are a few red flags to keep in mind when you’re deciding whether or not to follow:

1.  Bio – If it’s blank (devoid of any useful information) how useful can their tweets be?

2. Spammy username – “GetRichQuick” anyone?  Sure we’d all love to, but it’s not likely.  If it doesn’t look legit, it probably isn’t.

3. Following a bajillion people with few following back – This is a dead giveaway for a Twitter spammer.

4. Profile is in a foreign language - If you have no ties to the culture or language of the user, then move on.

5. Tweets are primarily personal – Your personal stream-of-consciousness is just that, yours.  Unless you’re on Twitter for the sake of casual conversation, you won’t advance your business much by following these folks.

Happy Tweeting!

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