Do you build tools meant to be shared on Facebook?

[MarieHaynes]

I have some neat ideas for calculators and fun tools that I'll implement on one of my sites from time to time.  I'm not convinced that I am getting the most SEO value out of them however, and would love to discuss what others do.

Let's say I create a calculator that let's someone "cartoon themselves"  (fictitious example).  So, I'd create the tool and then I would put a button in a prominent place on the page to encourage people to share to FB.  I configure my page so that the title and meta description are enticing for others who would see the story in their friend's news feed, so something like:

I just cartooned myself on example.com!

Upload a photo and see what you look like as a cartoon!  You won't believe the results!

So, this gets me some traffic, but nothing has gone super viral yet.  I have a few pages like this that have garnered a few links, but not nearly as many as I would like.

I promote the page on digg and other sites as well but this brings very poor returns.

When you make a tool like this, do you do a lot of promotion?  Have any tips for me?

(btw...it's possible that my tools are just not as "shareable" as I think!)

[EGOL]

While the topic is hot in the news, that is the time to submit to reddit, slashdot, digg, etc...

Your idea of commenting on newspaper sites is a good one... pick the highest traffic ones.

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Do this with all of your content... watch the news carefully... swiftly draw the proper sword at the proper time.

Its your sword.

[MarieHaynes]

Awww...the poor deer. 

So, here's the question.  When something happens in the news that relates to a piece of your linkbait, how do you ATTACK?  Commenting on newspaper blogs?  Submitting to digg, etc.   ?

And here's another question...how exactly does the alligator yield a sword?

[EGOL]

Attack like an alligator.   He lays on the bank of the river with just his eyes and nostrils sticking out of the water (think about the shape of their head.. eyes and nostrils stand up in positive relief      When the wild deer approaches alligator waits patiently until the deer kneels to drink and then.... swiftly... the gator lunges.

For your tools... or for any linkbait.... publish it on your site and sit patiently... wait until something related to your topic happens in the news... then promote with great aggression... just like the alligator.

Do this with all of your content... watch the news carefully... swiftly draw the proper sword at the proper time.