In the last 24 hours, not counting anything I can’t see because it has been buried into oblivion, 113 submissions have hit the front page of Digg. In that same 24 hour time period, not counting the even larger number of stories that have likely been buried, there have been 15,285 submissions to the popular social content website.

Ignoring the fact that a small percentage of the top Digg users are responsible for a significant percentage of the stories that hit the front page, the chances of a submission getting to the front page are .7%. Yet, there are submitters, and not even top submitters, that have much higher percentages of their submissions becoming popular. I believe that there are a few different Internet phenomena that are occurring here, and understanding them will help you retain your focus and successfully do business on the web. Let me explain.

The Digg Effect

The phrase “Digg Effect” is used to describe the instant destruction of an inadequate server when a story it’s hosting hits the front page of Digg. In this article I am going to use it to describe something different; something that happens to people.

For the content developer trying to build a successful website, Digg is the holy grail of Internet traffic. A front page story on Digg can generate thousands of hits almost instantly, countless back links, and a surge in advertising revenue. Consequently many web developers have seemingly lost their focus by trying to build their web traffic through Digg while ignoring other sources.

These people can be spotted all over the website, submitting tailored content and sales promotions that they “hope” Digg users will vote onto the front page. They spam your inbox with shouts and withhold “digging” your submissions until you “digg” theirs. Rarely if ever does their content get promoted to the front page.

The Key Word There Was Content

Digg is a social media and content sharing website. The computer algorithm that determines what does and does not make the front page is designed to favor users that are actually using the site to find interesting content. Digg knows when it is being used as some sort of massive spam bot. There is a reason that the number of shouts you can send at one time is limited. The idea is that if the content is good enough, you don’t need to shout over and over again because good content promotes itself.

So maybe you have been trying to create great content and you decided to imitate the format of the many “Top 7 Most Insane Instances of Random Whatever” stories that consistently make the front page.

Stop doing this now.

The way to build a successful website is by creating unique content that visitors can’t find anywhere else. Even if you do hit the front page in the short term, the traffic you get will be low quality traffic that leaves after a few days, leaving you with a temporary fix and a narrow focus that centers on reaching the front page again and again.

Work on creating unique and useful content. Don’t write specifically for Digg. There is a huge Internet out there, and building reliable traffic through blog carnivals, well optimized search, and social networking just to name a few, is much more rewarding than chasing it on Digg. Great content also submits and “diggs” itself.

You Still Should Keep Digging

While the Digg effect can mess up your ability to focus on actually developing your website, you shouldn’t avoid Digg. It is an excellent source of information about what’s going on around the web, what is popular, and what kind of content people might be looking for. Digg can help you develop better niche content, and if you submit it correctly, every so often you may be rewarded with that front page story.

The last two pieces of advice I can give you are about titling your submissions and writing effective shouts. If you can, go take a journalism course. You will learn how to write effective headlines that are able to get a digger’s attention so they may read and digg your story. I am no journalism teacher so all I can say on this is be clear, concise, and to the point.

When you are sending shouts, don’t demand diggs for your stories. Don’t shout a single story more than two, and at the absolute most three times. Wait at least 8 hours between shouts. Anything more than this is spam, and it turns people off to the point where they will bury your stories. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Digg algorithm punishes you when you spam people. Remember, people do not like being told what to do. I like to say things like, “digg and share this story if it is interesting to you.” You would be surprised at how much more effective your shouts become when you treat people with respect. Using the website like it was meant to be used is why the top submitters get their content promoted to the front page.

Remember, Digg and other social media websites can be powerful and incredible tools for your online business, so use them wisely when promoting your content.