This post is Part II of a III part series on How to Improve Your Digg Profile. The first post in the series focused on ‘How to Make Yourself More Attractive’ from a Digg perspective, to improve your chances of being accepted as a trusted friend on Digg. So, now that you’ve absorbed all that advice, and incorporated the necessary changes, you’re ready to go ‘friending’.

This post will focus specifically on ‘friending’; meaning finding and approaching the ‘Right’ Friends on Digg since its about quality not quantity. Much as you want the right tools for a job, you also want the right people for a job.

In the world of search and social media, Digg has become the 900 pound gorilla. Digg can drive tremendous volumes of traffic to a web site if you’re so fortunate to have a piece go “hot” and hit the front page. Contrary to popular belief though, hitting the front page almost never occurs due to content alone … it takes friends! In fact a study by SEOmoz (from 1 1/2 years ago) revealed that the top 100 Diggers control in excess of 56% of Digg’s homepage content. Once again, the 20/80 rule at its best.

This is a very rare rant … I almost never do so, but have been so inspired by the actions of a few narrow minded and misguided individuals who propose to speak for the masses when questions about Stumbleupon are asked.

For those of you who know me, I’ve become an avid stumbler. I absolutely love Stumbleupon. Where I used to sit on the couch and watch History and Discovery Channels late at night, I have now at least partially replaced that time with time spent Stumbling and Digging. I want to be clear too … I’m not stumbling just anything and everything. I’m a quality kinda guy, rather than quantity. I’ve been fortunate to have some great submissions over time, and I’m getting better weekly at knowing where to find more. There is absolutely NOTHING questionable about my SU profile … it is spotless!

Today is not only the final day of 2007; it marks the end of my 6th month in SEM. While that’s not a major milestone by any means, today’s symbolic end of the year has made me pause and reflect upon my beginning, the challenges I faced and the people who helped me overcome them.

It quickly became evident that a thank you must go out to each of you. You’ve become mentors, encourager’s and virtual colleagues. You see, after the comfort of 10+ years in traditional media, the lead up to my first day on the job had me nervous. There was the usual first day jitters and uncertainty that a career change brings, but I also knew that I had a massive learning curve ahead.

Not sure whether I’ve said this before or not … but I love Stumbleupon. Obviously I love it as an internet marketer (and to all of you Stumbleupon Vigilantes … I merely submit good content. I don’t try to game the system. Just look at my submissions profile before you become judge, jury, and executioner!), but I’m talking here about loving it as an individual. Rather than sit and watch television in the evenings now after the kids goto bed, I find myself at the computer often, stumbling to beat the band. I’ve heard and seen others with this affliction too; Shana at Social Desire, Dave from Huomah, and our very own Tom Tsinas to name but a few.

Greed is good but a little common sense is even better.

While cyber Monday and online holiday shopping have every marketing manager wringing hands in anticipation, too often, I find one of the biggest mistakes a marketing department or company can make happens at this time of year.

Changing campaigns or web sites.

December is absolutely, positively the worst time of year to do this and for so many different reasons.

Why risk your business?

In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman.

~ David M. Ogilvy

Account Managers (AM) today have varied backgrounds, possess different characteristics, and have their own philosophies regarding how to manage a base of business. Account Managers are critical to future success for any company, particularly SEO’s, because the industry is further ahead of the client’s ability to truly understand what we do and how we do it. Quality SEO AM are accountable, enthusiastic and possess a fine balance of technical knowledge, marketing savvy, passion for the client, and a positive hard working attitude.

Finally, after all your countless hours toiling over your keyboard and coffee induced all-nighters friending and supporting others at their beckon call, surviving on 2 hours sleep per night, and spending no significant time with your wife for months … a breakthrough. You’ve hit the proverbial front page of Digg … go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

You’re so wrapped up in excitement that you can’t sleep now, but you deserve it. So you watch the stats for a while, bask in the glow of the cudos you know will be coming your way, then quietly sneak off for a nap in a dark closet.

I’ve been running Search Engine People for 7 years now, and am just finally getting the company to the point that I know it could run perfectly without me in the picture at all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning on leaving or going anywhere. Its just that now, I can focus on working to my strengths, and taking the company to the next level of its evolution. We’re currently a 15 person organization, and if everything goes according to plan should have slightly more than 30 people at the same time next year.

Codicil: Anyone who knows me know I’m the second last person in the world to suck up to the boss… (I’d say last but that’s too much like aspiring to a recognizable title, which I don’t as a rule do.)

I would like to think I’m a good employee, showing up on time, putting in an honest day’s work, playing nice with all the other kids, telling all the other kids where I got my toys (cause let’s face it, no one really likes to share).