Social bookmarking is the process of tagging a website page with a browser-based tool so that you can easily visit it again later. Instead of saving social media posts to your browser bookmarks, you can use different platforms’ features to bookmark posts. Because the bookmarks are online, you’ll be able to access them anywhere, from any device with an internet connection.

Social bookmarking sites began as simple resources for social media and content marketers. Today, they’re diverse and dynamic online communities, where users discuss links and develop groups based on shared relevancy.

How does social bookmarking work?

In social bookmarking sites, discussion topics are organized into specific rooms or threads where users follow content that’s interesting to them. When following a piece of content, you’ll receive notifications to your personal feed when new information appears.

Links in social bookmarking sites are the starting point for discussion and knowledge-sharing. This makes social sites an excellent location for finding social media inspiration, earning backlinks and networking with potential influencers.

Some popular social networking tools include:

  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Digg

Why use social bookmarking?

With social bookmarking, companies and social media marketing managers can find and save valuable content to add to their publishing schedule. This is an excellent way to simplify content curation and speed up social media growth. Most social bookmarking sites will also allow companies and business leaders to see which topics are most popular, most recent or attached to a specific issue.

It’s also possible to search through bookmarks by searching for a specific word or phrase. This means that you find particular content, ideal for your brand and audience.
Social bookmarking sites allow social media managers to specifically target the information they want to see, curate and share. Instead of searching for a needle in a haystack on a search engine, you get a more refined and relevant source of inspiration.

How to benefit from social bookmarking

Social bookmarking sites make it easy to see what’s popular and trending in a specific industry. For instance, if your company is in the fashion space, you see what people are talking about in fashion and show your audience how up-to-date you are by publishing curated content.

Social bookmarking sites also make it easier to expand brand reach by earning backlinks through other relevant content and interacting with potential collaborators or influencers. Benefits include:

  • Ability to find relevant curated content that allows you to build authority on social pages and your blog.
  • Access to high domain authority backlinks for your website to boost your presence on the SERPs
  • Interactions with potential collaborators and influencers to grow your online success.

Remember, however, that social bookmarking sites frequently frown upon spam and direct advertising. To be part of a community, you’ll need to make a sincere effort to share information from relevant sources, not just your own website.