Social Media Magazine

Let's face it, we like to think our odds of writing a great or even somewhat interesting blog post are pretty good.  I know that the real writer pros out there can only laugh at my blog.  But for even the best blogs and news websites there's only a dozen of top news stories everyday on each social media site. 

Digg 'takes the cake' for the most popular relevant social news promotion website. But there are many other top social media sites that allow users to promote content.

So what are your chances of writing a news story that actually gets a top position on a social media website?

The methodology - and this is fair warning that this story provides a totally unscientific approach but interesting nonetheless.

First, let take a look at Google return for news stories in a single day. Now lets take the top social media stories for one day from each social media website. We built our list using Popurls.com yesterday -August 27, 2008.

There were 2011 Stories.  Wow, you say to yourself.  I just need to be one of the top 2000 articles daily right?  When you consider a snapshot of the current active news cycle for just the top 8 articles today (granted the number 1 story about Obama's convention speech was expected to produce a news surge) you find that there are quite a few news stories hitting the Internet each day from thousands of sources.  Some of the sources are even news worthy blogs.

There are currently 17,492 popular news stories according to Google's news page and that does not include the 9,339 related to The Democratic National Convention.

News Cycle Clip - Google News Homepage

CTV.ca   
Obama expected to address change in speech
CNN - 5 hours ago
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- The Democratic National Convention wraps up Thursday with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the party's presidential nominee, addressing about 75000 people at Invesco Field at Mile High.
In Denver, Md. delegates relish historic moment Baltimore Sun
Twitterers want Bill Clinton for president (and boyfriend) Los Angeles Times
Boston Globe - Winston-Salem Journal - Edmond Sun - Washington Post
all 9,339 news articles »

ABC News   
Casey Anthony will be returned to jail Saturday, he says
CNN - 1 hour ago
(CNN) -- A bounty hunter said Thursday that he will revoke the bond of a Florida woman suspected in the disappearance of her toddler daughter and that the woman would be returned to jail Saturday.
Caylee Anthony's Mom May Return to Jail ABC News
Bounty hunter to revoke bond Youngstown Vindicator
FOXNews - WFLA - News4Jax.com
all 1,030 news articles »

AFP   
Death toll climbs as Gustav barrels through Caribbean
AFP - 1 hour ago
KINGSTON (AFP) - Tropical Storm Gustav battered Jamaica as the death toll climbed to 59 in nearby Hispaniola, the island shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti that Gustav slammed at hurricane strength two days ago.
Video: New Orleans Watching Gustav's Path AssociatedPress
UPDATE 3-Gustav threatens Jamaica, new storm in Atlantic Reuters
United Press International - CARIBWORLDNEWS.COM - WJTV - MyFox Gulf Coast
all 5,312 news articles »

Siliconrepublic.com   
IE 8 Beta 2 not without its faults
CNET News - 5 hours ago
One day after Microsoft released the second public beta for Internet Explorer 8, readers have contacted CNET News with warnings about its installation and sites and services that are incompatible.
Internet Explorer - now with 35% less FAIL Register
IE8 Beta 2 Ratchets Up Security, Firefox Comparisons CRN
Computerworld - Red Herring - The Mac Observer - BetaNews
all 795 news articles »

Telegraph.co.uk   
Occupation With No End in Sight
Washington Post - 1 hour ago
By Jonathan Finer DZEVERA, Georgia, Aug. 28 -- When Kako Kechkhvashvili and his wife packed their things and fled this farming village on Aug. 12, they planned to return when the Russian soldiers and their tanks withdrew.
Video: Russia Facing Increased Isolation After Georgia AssociatedPress
Abkhazian leader: No plans to join Russia United Press International
University at Buffalo The Spectrum - Hindu - TIME - Xinhua
all 5,935 news articles »

National Post   
McCain to Reveal His Vice Presidential Pick Friday
Voice of America - 43 minutes ago
By VOA News Republican presidential candidate John McCain will celebrate his 72nd birthday Friday by introducing his vice presidential running mate at a rally in Dayton, Ohio.
McCain settles on VP choice; Pawlenty buzz grows ahead of today's ... Memphis Commercial Appeal
Has McCain picked Pawlenty? Or ... Minneapolis Star Tribune
ABC News - Winston-Salem Journal - Bloomberg - KELOLAND TV
all 763 news articles »

BBC News   
Oil-Rig Insurers Brace for Test as Tropical Storm Bears Down
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
By Erik Holm Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Gustav, projected to reach the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday, may reveal whether insurers took adequate steps to limit risk related to coverage for offshore oil rigs in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and ...
Gustav kills 59 in Caribbean, aims at US Reuters
Oil Prices Fall as Storm Heads Toward Gulf New York Times
CNBC - Forbes - Meridian Star - Wall Street Journal
all 3,156 news articles »  OTC:IENI

E! Online   
Lindsay Fights Homophobic Dad Back!
E! Online - 4 hours ago
Another day, another drama with the Lohan fam. Can't they be like every other dysfunctional American family and argue about all their personal probs on one fabulous D-list reality show together?
Lindsay Lohan lashes out at father on blog The Associated Press
Michael Lohan's Samantha sacrifice China Daily
San Francisco Chronicle - MSNBC - OK! Magazine - TheCelebrityCafe.com
all 501 news articles »