Brands test marketing viability of new Digg
Published September 01, 2010
Digg recently underwent a major redesign, and nowmany brands are beginning to experiment with new advertising options offered by the social bookmarking site.
Red Bull, General Electric and Electronic Arts are among the first major companies to incorporate the redesigned Digg into their digital marketing campaigns. The platform allows brands to import feeds of their own content from other sources for Digg account holders to see. For example, GE posts content pertaining to its "GE Reports" while Electronic Arts has its account synced to its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
Additionally, many companies are using Digg's display ads to accrue new followers. The site offers both traditional display units and placement ads that look like organic stories, which Digg claims have 15 times greater click-through rates than standard IAB advertisements.
As ClickZ notes, the focus of Digg has significantly shifted. Rather than promoting specific pieces of content, the site emphasizes sharing content with fans and gaining new followers.
While brands are optimistic about the new Digg, the revamp has had a polarizing effect on many frequent visitors. While most consumers still enjoy the site, others are less enthused and have switched to competitng social bookmarking sites, such as Reddit.