Link Karma 2: Link Harder

Time for more quality links in the name of achieving good Link Karma, and a fun new game you can play from the comfort of your own home (details at the end of the post).

Here we go:

AwesomeMillion.com
Jim Kukral and Dave Potokar have launched the newest “million” viral project, this one selling certificates claiming one of only a million Internet opportunities to be “really awesome” for a buck. It’s all done in a very fun, tongue and cheek manner that might just help it catch on, and the smart kids know to grab an upgraded page that allows for an outgoing link of your choice. Expect Andy Hagans to corner this market by next week.

Thinking Like a Blogger
Eric Mattson and Professor Nora Barnes of the University of Massachusetts (Author of Behind the Scenes in the Blogosphere) have recently started an academic research project to explore what makes blogging so unique. They’ve drafted a survey called “Thinking like a Blogger” to explore the dimensions of blogging that draw people to it, so feel free to add your two cents.

Product Blogging Series at Problogger
For the rare individual who does not read Darren Rowse’s Problogger, you might have missed the series of posts I did on product blogging while Darren took some time off.

• The Secret of Product Blogs That Sell
• Why This Blog Sells Tons of Ebooks (And How it Can Sell Even More)
• How to Sell Niche Products With Your Blog
• You Don’t Need a Product of Your Own to Have a Successful Product Blog

Danae Shell’s Knickers Blog
Another great product blog is produced by Copyblogger reader Danae Shell, and for those of you on the US side of the pond, “knickers” is referring to lingerie.

Go ahead, you know you want to click. And don’t worry, it’s not that risqué, but you can make your own call if you’re at work.

Sumo Urban Lounge Gear
Another Copyblogger reader sells these cool updated versions of the bean bag chair.

But where’s the blog, Andrew? 🙂

How to Use Craigslist to Increase Your Local Search Advertising
“Even though Craigslist doesn’t have the household brand name of eBay, it is a serious traffic source to consider. I myself have seen my ads placed in one city of Craigslist garner a traffic increase to my site of over 900%.”

If you have a product or service you’re selling, you’ll want to check out these Craigslist strategies.

10 Tips to Keep Visitors From a Digg, del.icio.us, Slashdot Traffic Boost
I’ve always said that traffic is not worth all that much unless it is meaningfully converted into subscribers or sales. This post from Jason Unger gives great suggestions on retaining visitors during traffic surges.

Jason, free headline tip: While it’s normally better to use simple words, in this case, “retain” would likely have worked better than “keep”. When quickly scanning the headline, what might the words “keep visitors from” register in the brain? Exclusion, which is the exact opposite connotation that you would want this headline to convey.
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OK, here’s the fun part. First person in the comments to name the movie sequel that my post title makes reference to wins. The prize? The words “great job” appearing somewhere below that winning comment.

What… you were expecting a free iPod or something? Let’s be real. 🙂