You may have heard about Entrecard, or at least seen an Entrecard widget in the sidebar of hundreds (ok.. thousands) of blogs and wondered what the heck Entrecard actually is. It’s a rather new advertising system that is totally free, and works on a credit system.

Basically, you sign up for a free account and add an Entrecard widget on to your blog (preferably in a prominent position), and other passing members can “drop” their card on you. Every time someone drops a card on you, you earn one credit, and every time you drop your card on someone else, you also a credit. Your Entrecard dashboard will show you who has dropped their cards on you, so that you can also reciprocate.

The whole point of this system is the free advertising you can get out of it. A 125×125 card ad is displayed in the widget, and you buy an ad on someone else’s blog using the credits that you gather. Each time you buy an ad on someone else’s page, your ad is displayed in their widget for 24 hours. You may receive requests from irrelevant blogs looking to advertise, but you have full control over which advertisers you accept and reject.

Using Entrecard is a terrific way to obtain free advertising on blogs that you otherwise may not be able to afford, or haven’t even discovered yet. I’ve traded my credits in for advertising on relevant blogs that I’d never seen before, until browsing through the categories in Entrecard. There are literally thousands of opportunities just waiting for you. Choose from Categories such as: Business, Marketing, Blogging Resources, Parenting & Family, Womens Interests, Cooking & Dining, Make Money Online, Graphic Design and a whole lot more.

One thing I noticed is that every blog I visit now I’m on the lookout for Entrecard widgets. This however can be time consuming, so I’ve found some great tips to help improve my Entrecard time managment and get my drops in faster.

In a post on Sam’s Freedom about a great way to increase your Entrecard traffic:

1. Choose and visit 20 of the most recent Entrecard users;

1. Drop your card so they get to meet you nice and early;

2. Bookmark them in 2 folders or under 2 labels depending on how you bookmark

3. Have a SPECIAL folder or label for those whose widgets are right at the top.

4. Do the same for 20 Entrecard users in your category.

5. Do the same for 20 of the most popular Entrecard users.

6. Several days later, do the same in all three areas with new people until you are satisfied.

7. Then, each day, just open the folders of your choice and start dropping!

The unspoken benefits of this are…

1. The simplicity and just opening 1 folder and dropping 10 cards should be obvious;

2. Just like Coca-Cola, you get your ad in peoples awareness over and over, and early;

3. New people appreciate you giving them a consistent, early boost;

4. You will appear more consistently to select people in your category (rather than randomly via chain-dropping)

5. You will appear more consistently to the Most Popular and that can have further unseen benefits.

Be sure to read the full article to get all of the information about this technique, as it will definitely help you with our #1 Entrecard success tip below.

Drop cards, lots and lots of cards: The number one way to increase your Entrecard exposure (and thus increase traffic to your blog), is to drop your card often. Be sure to look at the profile of each user and drop your cards on active users. Start with your dashboard, if someone has dropped a card on you, you know that they are active. Have a look at the popular users through the Most Popular tab, or go to Campaign and drop on the top users in your selected categories. Also be sure to check out the Most Recent users as you’re not only helping new users get started, but you’re also letting them know that you’re an active Entrecard user. Be sure to check out the forums too as you’ll find tons of active users there.

Don’t store your credits - advertise often: If you follow the advise in step 1, you’ll quickly build up your stash of Entrecard credits which you can then trade in for advertising. I personally try to advertise with at least 5 blogs every day. The more popular a blog, the more drops it receives, and the more your advertisement will be seen and should then increase your own exposure and click-through traffic.

Design an attractive ad: Entercard offers some basic solutions if you don’t have a 125×125 advertisement that can get you started, but I strongly recommend having a custom ad designed. You’ll soon discover that the more attractive your ad is, the more attention it will receive. If you don’t have a 125×125, be sure to contact either Angie or myself and we can hook you up

Widget Position: There will always be controversy about where to place a widget - for example, some people stay away from placing their widget at the top of their blog as they figure that droppers will just drop and run without putting any time into checking out your content. This can be true in some cases, however I still prefer to see these widgets in a prominent position, where I don’t have to go searching. Another trick to this is be sure to put something eye catching right underneath your widget - something that will draw the droppers attention to some content on your blog, or incite them to participate in some way.

Utilize the forums: Visit the Entrecard forums and introduce yourself. Never blatantly advertise, instead particpate in a constructive way and let people know that you plan on being an active community member. Post a few times a day - get involved!

Entrecard Mail System: If someone advertises with you or approves your ad on their blog, thank them for it by sending them a message through the Entrecard Mail System. This is one of the best ways to get to know other Entrecard users.

Statistics: Your Entrecard dashboard provides you with a lot of statistics in addition to your web hosting statistics. Keep an eye on both to find out which blogs that your ad is being shown on send you the most traffic, and continue to advertise with them.

Entrecard Contests: One of the unique features of Entrecard is the ability to transfer credits. This allows users to hold contests and give away credits with is a great way to quickly rack up your credits for advertising. There are tons of contests available - be sure to check the forums under Promotion and Events and keep your eye out on other blogs too.

Be sure to stop by Wahm Cafe and drop your card there too!