Most of us have heard about social bookmarking since it’s brought so much convenience to internet browsing and the ability to save our bookmarks on a website rather than our web browser. Social news is known as an offspring of social bookmarking.
Social news is very much like social bookmarking except it concentrates on and specializes in individual articles rather than saving complete websites. The articles saved on social news sites come from top news sources such as Associated Press, Reuters, or they may also come from blog posts. They’re the perfect solution for individuals that want to read late breaking news without having to sort through tons of other topics.
Some of the most popular social news sites include Digg, Newsvine, Reddit and Propeller, although there are many more. Social news websites are usually broken down into individual groups such as current events, politics, sports, entertainment, etc. You’ll also often find an area where readers can vote on the articles so the best ones are on top where they’re easier to find. This is slightly different from social bookmarking sites, which instead will tell you how many times a certain website has been bookmarked.
Users of social news site enjoy these sites because it’s like reading a newspaper and finding all the best articles on the front page as opposed to having to search through the entire newspaper. You go to the specific category you’re interested in reading about and the hottest stories will be right on top.
Social news sites, like social bookmarking sites, are so much more efficient and convenient than using search engines because you don’t have to browse through dozens or more links to find what you’re looking for. Bloggers find social news sites particularly helpful for generating traffic, especially if the most popular news subject happens to coincide with their subject matter.
Using a social news site is as easy as using a social bookmarking site. It’s a matter of choosing the site you want to use and looking through the categories that interest you. You’ll have to open an account if you want to submit new articles, although you won’t need one if you only wish to read the articles already submitted.
While most social news sites cater to a large audience, some will target a specific group. Social news sites are a fantastic way to keep up on the latest news on your favorite topic. If you have a special news article to share with a friend, a social news site is the perfect solution.
