There are 1.8 billion websites online right now. And all of them have the same goal you do: to have as many people view it as possible.
In the film Field of Dreams, there is a famous quote, "Build it, and they will come." Unfortunately, that doesn't apply to websites, as you can build it, but there's no guarantee they will come.
So, how do you drive traffic to your website?
Fortunately, there are many strategic ways to get more eyeballs on your content or products. However, you'll need to understand that they do take time, and unless you get lucky enough to produce viral content, it's a long game you'll be playing.
In this article, we'll discuss some of the ways you can use social media to get your target audience to your website.
Read on for more information.
When building a website or a retail outlet, you should have an "average customer" or a customer profile in mind. This is a quick exercise that allows you to understand who it is you're looking for.
For example, if you're selling cute but modest clothing, your customer profile may be a woman who is 28, is a conservative Christian, and stays at home. By doing this exercise it helps you understand who it is you're looking for.
Once you understand who your "people are," you'll need to figure out where your people are.
You may say, "They're on social media." But that doesn't really narrow it down. Different social media channels have different user bases.
For example, 71% of Instagram users are under the age of 35. As such, Instagram isn't where you'll go to as your first port of call if you're a company who makes adaptive chairs for seniors.
After you figure out where your people are, you'll need to build a presence on that channel.
Next, you'll need to build your social media presence. After all, people aren't going to come to your site if your social media looks sloppy and unorganized.
Depending on what social media you're focusing on, you'll need to fill out a profile, figure out a user photo and a header photo, if the social media uses it. You'll want something that is appealing and eye-catching and isn't too cluttered.
You may want to look at some of your competition who have nailed their social media for inspiration but don't copy them. Just see what they have done, and how they've nailed their social media so well.
You may be wondering how you connect with your audience, especially because when you open up your social media account, you lack followers. You may worry that you'll need to build up your social media and your traffic, which means you'll have two mountains to climb. But don't worry, if you create a smooth and interactive social media where you share good content consistently, it will convert to traffic.
You'll need to find your audience, but this isn't too difficult once you have a customer profile and a good looking social media. You can experiment with ads to bring them to your site. If you're on a site like Instagram, you can browse through your competitor's followers and like a few of their photos, which brings attention to your account.
Once you have your audience starting to come in, connect with them. This means answer DMs, post good content often and reply to comments. Yes, this does take a lot of time, but the fruits are worth it in the end.
You'll want to develop a posting schedule that is best for your audience, and when most of them are online. This isn't something you'll nail down immediately, nor something you can find a magic answer to online, as it takes studying analytics to figure out.
But, you'll want to post consistently, at least a few times a week. Your content should be a mix of showing off your products or advertising your site and connecting with your audience. After all, unless you really love a brand, you're not likely going to follow a Facebook or Instagram account that shows things they're selling.
Instead, find meaningful ways to engage with them. If we're going with the example of a Christian woman as a target audience, you may wish to post quotes or Bible verses that could resonate with that audience.
Remember, when your audience engages with you, engage back! This is key and crucial.
Quality content depends on the medium you're using, though visual imagery is what people most engage with on social media. You may wish to hire a graphic designer or get yourself familiar with PicMonkey or Canva. Very few social media profiles with subpar photos are successful--and often they only are because they're owned by someone who is already very successful.
As we've stated above, when you're learning how to drive traffic to your website, it's a long game. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and it will take a lot of trial and error. But it is worth it in the end, and your business and website can really thrive from a fantastic social media strategy.
Is all of this a little too confusing? No worries! SEO Clerks exists to help you help yourself. Want someone else to manage your social media? Join our site to find someone with experience who can take your socials to the next level while you focus on other things within your website or business.
