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Most blogging services have automatic pinging integrated in to their platforms. However, they are not fully configured "out of the box." Typepad, the service we use at DexterityMedia, comes pre-configured to ping a few of the most popular services and directories as soon as a new blog is set up. And you can add a many more pinging services as you like.

That's all fine and good...but WHAT is a ping?

In social media (podcasting, blogging and RSS supported sites) getting publicity means notifying other sites, search engines and directories when you have new content posted to the site. The most efficient way to accomplish this is to have a mechanism on the site that automatically notifies others of the new content. We call this mechanism a ping. It's that simple.

There are other times when getting the word out requires some individual effort. While using the automatic method is preferable simply because it's ...well... automatic the manual methods are well worth the effort. Listing your site and each post is critical to building your audience and keeping the reader engaged. We'll cover those situations in a later post.

Now...back to the ping. The ping works like a signal sent via telegraph with the listing site, search engine or directory as the receiver on the other end of the telephone line receiving your telegraph message. The ping itself carries a minimal amount of information. It's basically a tap on the shoulder and a wave of the finger signaling to "look at me."

When you send out a ping, you are telling the recipient that there's something new at your site. You are asking the receiver to come have a look so the search engine or directory can update its info about your site. Sometimes the ping will have the information the receiving site needs to update its info about your site. Other times, the site receiving the ping will send out an agent or spider (a web program) to visit your site and grab the new info itself.

Now, while a ping itself will do noting to get you new users, they are critical in the buzz marketing ecosystem when it comes to letting potential readers know you exist and current readers know you have new content for them to enjoy.