The second key to driving traffic is social media. Although again, this is not new, stop and think for a moment about what a gift social media is for driving traffic. If we didn’t have Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc., then ads and search engines would be just about the only way to bring in visitors. But now we have a huge array of sites, with people who self select based on their interests. If you can target your social posts properly, this can be huge.
Don’t Just Share Once
Share your content multiple times across all your social media profiles. Why should you share your content multiple times? Because not every one of your followers will see every one of your posts. Sharing multiple times maximizes the chances of your followers seeing your social media posts.
This is such a powerful tip. I have to admit – I didn’t come up with it, others have been doing this for a while. But it is so true. Think of those great posts you made when you were just starting up your social accounts. You put so much effort into them, but you had no followers. Bring them back! They might be some of your best work, and now you have the traction to get them out to a larger group.
By the way – make sure to direct your viewers to your website. I have started including a copy of my link in my Instagram posts. It isn’t clickable, but it is there. And if someone chooses to repost my image, I don’t really mind, as long as they leave the link in the image. Free publicity!
Tailor Your Post to the Platform
When you share your content on social media, think about what format works best for each platform. For example, Pinterest is very image heavy. When you share a blog post to Pinterest, consider creating a specific accompanying image that fits the Pinterest platform.
Also, consider sharing different types of formats on social media. For example, Facebook likes to keep people on their site as long as possible and video content helps them do that (since people will give more of their attention to videos). Facebook tends to push video content higher up in the social media feeds, giving it more exposure. This means you should consider using video to promote the content you create on your website.
Think of the specific content too. Twitter has a different user base than Instagram. Posts on LinkedIn should be more “businesslike” than is necessary on Facebook. You can promote almost any product on any platform, just be aware. There is a group “Hair Loss Treatments” on LinkedIn, with over 5,000 members; don’t think that the platform is only about sales, job seeking, and leadership. (Although if your site does help with those areas, then really go all in on LinkedIn!)
Post Regularly
This is something that so many struggle with – myself included. In order to grow a social media audience you need to regularly post quality content. That doesn’t necessarily mean 3 posts per platform per day. But what if you set aside an hour or so, twice a week to develop some posts, and then put them out there over the week. Or maybe you enlist a service to help you keep regular. You want to develop a listener base, and keep them engaged. These are the people who will get curious enough to check out your website.
There are more advanced points- these will be discussed in the premium blog. But the basics are powerful, and not complicated. Feel free to reuse your posts. Not so often that it becomes boring and lazy, but don’t be shy about bringing that under-appreciated post back for a reunion tour. Give serious thought to your audience and the platform you are posting to. And post regularly – the platforms reward frequent quality posters with more exposure. And more exposure, used properly, can mean more traffic.
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