How to Use Social Media to Increase Website Traffic

Image Licence: mysocialgameplan.com

For some small businesses, the social media world can be a little bit intimidating. With a plethora of social networking sites blossoming in the mold of Facebook, the number of options for social media campaigning can be somewhat overwhelming.

Still, social media has become an important tool for businesses and individuals everywhere looking to improve their website's traffic. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ can allow websites to expand their communities and increase visibility for their content, so it's worthwhile to work on social media efforts for improving website traffic.

Increase Your Site's Visibility

One of the biggest benefits to building a presence on social media sites is that those accounts allow you to boost your site's visibility. Participating in the many social media communities out there can be a great way to make more people aware of your site.

Develop and operate accounts on the social media sites that make the most sense for your website. Facebook is the king of the social media world, but do some research into the benefits that other sites can offer. Google+, for example, allows you to easily set up discussion forums and share a variety of content with specified groups of followers. Twitter is better for informal communication and link sharing. Instagram is ideal if you can offer strong visuals to your community of followers.

Above all, your social media accounts should be an extension of your brand, so operate your accounts accordingly.

Provide Quality Content

Social media isn't just about promoting your website. The social media community is a savvy one, meaning that your followers will recognize when you are simply trying to promote yourself without providing any benefit to them.

That's where quality content comes in. Make sure that the content you produce for your site is strong, but also mix in some other types of content for your feeds. Share a variety of content types, and also mix in content that is not directly related to your site. Linking to interesting or funny articles, photos, and videos that are produced by other websites can be a good way to attract followers to your feeds. When you do that, more people will pay attention when you provide links to your own content.

While you should limit your promotional material, you can include special offers and contests that give your followers some tangible benefits for following your social media feeds.

Update Your Feeds Frequently

A key to making the most of social media for improving traffic is to keep your social media accounts active. Keep in mind that social media efforts are not one-time or short-term campaigns. Social media efforts require continued activity, so make sure you prepare yourself to be able to update your accounts frequently.

A good way to do this is to consider choosing your template from the premium wordPress templates that promote social media activity. Some templates include built-in social media features, making it easy for you and your readers to share the content that you post on your blog.

In addition, set up a schedule for yourself so that you take your social media efforts seriously. Make sure you have content to post and share regularly, but don't limit your activity to only times when you are sharing your own content. Return to your feeds periodically so that you can participate in the conversation and converse with your followers.

The worst thing you can do is start strong and fade away after a short period of time. Building up a following takes time, so make sure you put in enough effort using social to improve traffic.

Author Bio:

Anny Solway is a dedicated writer at ThemeFuse – a leader in the Premium WordPress Themes area. She likes to discover new ideas about internet marketing, social media and blogging.