I’ve seen lists of things your blog does not need, some of which include:

1. Background Music
2. Animated Gifs
3. Comment Verification
4. Badges and Awards
5. Flashy Backgrounds
6. Social Bookmarking Buttons
7. A Really LONG Blogroll

The only one on the list that I really don’t agree with so much is the social bookmarking buttons. The jury is still out on that one.

There seems to be a lot of people using them – especially the Tweet option – but for now I’m on the fence.

What are some things you think should be added to this list?

Any you don’t agree with?

In case you hadn’t noticed, most mainstream websites and blogs are making full use of social bookmark buttons on their sites (the image on the right comes from CNN). While social buttons are not a guarantee to hit the front page of Digg they do offer some help to chose wanting to share your articles.

This makes it possible to bookmark your articles directly from your site.

If you are not using social buttons on your site yet I suggest that you give it a try. There is a site called iFeedReader that automatically generates the buttons. All that is required is to select the bookmark services that you want to include, provide details about your blogging platform and the site will generate a code that you can copy and paste right to your blog.

You’ll want to avoid including all the available social bookmarks, because well, that would just seem spammy.

I’d recommend you select 2 or 3 of them and place them in such a way that won’t disturb readers that are not concerned with social bookmarking.

Another option would be to use TweetIt Wordpress Plugin. That’s what I use here and while the author of the plugin is no longer providing updates – the service seems to work well for now.

The IZEA network of bloggers spans the globe and includes everyone from moms to well known technology professionals.   Many of social media’s most recognized publishers are part of the IZEA network, giving advertisers access to highly relevant and influential audiences.

Through the SocialSpark platform, bloggers are compensated for writing blog posts about advertisers on their personal blogs. Payment is made on a pay per post basis.  If you enjoy discovering new products and services and sharing them with your readers, and would like to make extra money, you should check out the Izea network.

Twitter Advertising

SponsoredTweets.com is an online marketplace that allows you to connect directly with advertisers to engage in sponsored conversations through Twitter. Advertisers compensate you with cash in exchange for a sponsored tweet either on a Cost Per Tweet or Cost per Click basis. Think of it like AdWords for tweets.

You Check In. We Reward.

WeReward is a mobile incentive platform that rewards you for actions you take in the real world.  When you make a purchase, check in, or complete a task and take a picture of the experience, you earn points!  Each point is worth a penny, and with over 15,000,000 businesses partnering with the WeReward program, points can add up quickly!   When you accumulate 1,000 points ($10.00), you can cash out your points through PayPal!

Watch the video and share your thoughts. I was completely amazed by some of the statistics!

Lucky for me – “social media is more than a fad – it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.”