NOTE: This is NOT a “How-to use Ping.fm” post. You can google “how to use Ping.fm” if you want that.

First, I use Ping.fm for the bulk of my internet marketing promos. I “ping” twitter, Facebook, and MySpace whenever I add or update a page on any of my sites. There is a WordPress plugin (actually, a few) that posts to Ping.fm whenever you make a post, but I have yet to get them to work reliably (and you know I’m a fan of automation!); for now, I just use the ping.fm toolbar.

Second, and this one is key: I “ping” those blogs on which I make a comment! I make regular use of comments on blogs; if I happen to come across a blog post that I really like, and to which I can add a valuable comment, I make my comment. Then, using for aforementioned toolbar, I ping that post.

Not only am I helping out the publisher that wrote the piece that I thought was brilliant, but I am also indirectly promoting my own site through the automatic link that (most) blogs make when a reader makes a comment! If you are crafty, you make your “name” your website name, or a keyword-rich title of a post you want the reader to view, then input your email address and the link you want your “name” to link to.

You may get diredct traffic from the comment. You also will get a valuable backlink to your site (or post on your site) IF the blog is a “do follow” blog. There is evidence that “no follow” links get followed by the search engines, even though they aren’t supposed to, including google, which is the SE that instituted the whole “no follow” baloney in the first place!