Sunday, August 3, 2008

Ways You Use Social Media to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog

Your social connections can translate to site popularity if you know how touse them. Think about it! All those connections mean real people that can translate into many things for a website or blog: members, readers, a paying market, a free means for promotions and marketing. If you own a website or blog, you can take advantage of your connections through social media to drive traffic to your site by doing one or all of the following:

Offer High Value Content

If you can produce good, quality content and it is actually read by members of the various social networking sites you belong to, you will have an excellent following. In addition, members will also spread the word about your website and blog.

High value content is needed in social media networks or article directories, etc. After all, conent is what makes the internet interesting. If you want to drive traffic to your website using social media, become popular with its users by offering them something they cannot refuse.

Make Content Usable

Aside from creating original and high value content, you also need to provide you target audience with a way to find it. Your content is more likely to be noticed and read if it is organized and can be located quickly. Make sure your are easy to use and are optimized so anyone looking for information relating to your article can find it easily.

Increase Your Presence

Were you a big hit with one of your articles? Did you create a strong interest in your topic indicated by a large increase in traffic to your website or blog? Don't stop? Keep writing!

Consistency and frequency in submissions to various social media networking sites is very important. You want to make sure that people remember you for not only one great article but for being a reliable source of excellent content.

Each time you create and submit an article, it can ride on the "buzz" created from the previous article written. This is how you become a recognizable name in social media. Your target market/audience will gladly follow your link back to website. Or, they will find you on their own.

Promote Your Content and Your Website/Blog

Don't be shy about promoting yourself! Keep your target market/audience informed about your website/blog through mailing lists, podcasts, emails, and other articles you write. Talk to them about any significant changes to your website/blog or when a new article is submitted/written.

Make sure you let people know who you are and what you have to offer. But, be sure you do not over do it! If you are too aggressive in promoting your articles or website/blog in social media networks, you can appear to be desperate. Members of these networks are likely to become suspicious of your intentions if you sell yourself too hard.

Encourage Interaction

Sure, people like the anonymity the internet provides but they cannot help but communicate with other people they find online. That's why you should provide them with a means to use your website or article to "air" their views. There are tools/resources that can be added to your website/blog to allow this interaction, ie., comments, polls, surveys, and feedback forms.

Using social media networks to drive traffic to a website/blog is not exactly an easy task. It takes time and patience. However, if it is done well, it can be a very effective and inexpensive method to increase awareness for a website or blog. Try to explore what you can contribute to social media and take advantage of this great source of traffic.

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