One of the simplest ways to build your following is to make sure that each one of your emails that is sent contains a link to your profile. (You’re sending emails every day anyhow, so why not use this as an opportunity to build your list without any extra ongoing effort?)

Here’s one way to do it… Observe:

That’s an eye-catching email signature that you can setup for yourself. Only takes a few minutes, and can be added to your plain old freebie email accounts, or even Outlook. Here’s how you do it. If you use Gmail, Hotmail or some other web based email account, you can create a signature  using  WiseStamp. It’s free to use, and works like a charm!

Outlook requires a bit more legwork, but it’s still very simple:

1. First you’ll need to select the buttons or icons you’d like to use. You can find them everywhere, but here’s a few links for you to search:

Click here to use Google Image Search

Click here to use Flickr Image Search

Search for images, or icons of the social networking sites you’d like to create buttons for. Need a Twitter button in your email signature? Then search for “twitter icons” or “twitter buttons.” Find and save the images you like best, and repeat the process for any other social networking sites you’d like to have listed in your email signature.

- Next you’ll want to re-size the pictures you downloaded.  You can do this with any basic graphics program, including Paint (Should be on just about every PC!) I tend to setup my icons around 80 – 90 pixels wide, and 30 – 40 pixels tall.

-  Now you’ll head over to your Microsoft Outlook and open it

-  Across the top toolbar, you’ll find the “Tools” menu, click on the “Options” tab, and then “Mail Format.” Finally, click on “Signatures”

-  Click to setup “New”

-  Give your email signature a name – This is for your use  (This is in case you have multiple signatures), then click “Next.”

-  Type in your name, contact info, etc. This is your text that will appear in the final signature

- Press Enter, then right-click and select “Insert Image.”

- Click “Browse,” select an image, and click “Open.” Name the image (Such as: Join me on FaceBook!) in the Alternate Text box. This is done in case the email client blocks your image, the recipient will still know what was there. Then click “OK.”

-  Left-click on the image, press Ctrl-K, copy or type in the full URL for your social media corresponding to the button (This is the web address that leads to your social profile: http://twitter.com/remarketinglab), then click “OK.”

-  To add the next social media button (If you’re adding more than 1) press Enter to the right of the image, right click again, and repeat steps 8-10 above.

-  When you’re all done with this, click “Finish” then “OK.”

- Be sure to choose the new signature name as the “Signature for new messages.”

-  Click “OK.”

Now you’re all done! When your emails go out, they will now have the shiny new graphics and link to your social media profile. This one time task only takes a few minutes to complete, but can help you attract new followers throughout the year! Not a bad use of time huh?

The problem? There is an estimated 3,084,221 social bookmarking sites out there to choose from! (Random number made up for effect! The actual number exceeds 1,000 if you include scuttle sites) So how do you narrow down this ever growing list of websites to those that are actually worth your time?

How about a list of stats? I love lists chock full of interesting and ultimately useful statistics! Have a peek:

1. digg.com  – 383,598,000 Inbound Links - 33,433,760 Monthly Visitors

2. Yahoo! Buzz – 20,031,000 Inbound Links - 8,119,906 Monthly Visitors

3. StumbleUpon.com – 234,000,000 Inbound Links - 4,418,609  Monthly Visitors

4. reddit.com – 161,685,000 Inbound Links - 4,908,990 Monthly Visitors

5. Technorati.com – 175,287,000 Inbound Links - 3,309,174  Monthly Visitors

Wow! That’s a lot of ready made traffic for an enterprising real estate agent ready to jump in! There’s one more site I’d like to toss into the fray jsut for comparisons sake… The ever loved Twitter! Technically it’s not a bookmarking site, but it sure does have a large audience! Check this out:

Bonus stats: twitter – 486,750,806 Inbound Links - 19,728,619  Monthly Visitors

Nearly 20 million monthly visitors to Twitter aone! Toss in the other 5 social bookmarks, and you’re looking at a lot of extra exposure, and a whole lot of search engine love if you play your cards right. Make it a great one!

Chad Weber