About 90% of marketers say that social media marketing increases website traffic.
It is the second most frequently cited benefit, just after enhancing brand awareness and lead generation.
9 tips for driving social media traffic to your website
1. Optimize Your Social Profiles
People go to your profile or bio section to learn more about your brand. These should briefly explain your brand's value proposition while defining your brand's style.
If your bio is unique and clear, you have a better chance of drawing in and interacting with your ideal audience.
A few lines will do for your bio; avoid the mistake of writing your entire business story. Then, connect the bio to your site with a call to action (CTA) for your home or landing page.
2. Use Social Proof
Leverage social proof to enhance your site’s value. Just like any review or testimonial, social proof incorporates the human voice into your brand experience. When someone is about to make a purchase or is shopping, they look for reviews, recommendations, referrals, and input from others who have used the product or service.
Add reviews, social comments, feedback, and similar content to your social media and website. The "About Us" page serves this purpose well. Be sure to use social proof that you have permission to repurpose. Remember to include third-party media coverage of your brand as well.
Tip: Be concise. Entice viewers to click the "Learn More" button.
3. Use Less Popular Platforms
If you want to fast-track your web traffic and social media focus, consider using two rising platforms based on your audience and topics: Pinterest and Reddit.
In the first quarter of 2021, Pinterest had 478 million monthly users, a 30% increase year-over-year. For content marketers, Pinterest proves its power in helping clients discover trends and community features. Plus, it is a good platform for brands targeting women, as they represent 60% of Pinterest users.
Reddit, with its 52 million daily active users, is another social opportunity. You can easily find forums in your field. Engage in conversations, ask questions, share your perspective, and comment to cultivate connections. If people find your tips helpful, they will want to explore more and may head to your site.
Tip: Do not use Reddit for direct promotion and marketing. Provide real value. No one wants to read an advertisement written with self-serving intent; this often leads to negative comments in the forum.
4. Choose the Optimal Time
You cannot drive traffic to your site if you post when no one engages. Choose the most suitable time for optimal views. Instead of relying solely on best practices for social media posting times, analyze your data to identify when your target audience is most active. Automated scheduling tools, such as Tailwind, can assist by recommending optimal posting times based on algorithms and analytics derived from your profile.
5. Make Share Buttons Obvious
If a reader enjoys your article and wants to share it but cannot easily locate the share button, they may leave without taking action.
To facilitate content sharing, place share buttons in clear, accessible locations near the content. Additionally, displaying the number of shares can serve as social proof, indicating that others have found the content valuable enough to share.
6. Promote Your Content
Many content marketers underutilize social media for promoting their blogs and other relevant site content. While constant promotion is unnecessary, sharing high-quality posts can significantly enhance their visibility.
Consider posting snippets or teaser ads on social media with direct links to the full content, enticing viewers to visit your website for more information.
Additionally, revisiting and promoting older yet relevant content can effectively engage new followers.
Tip: Repeatedly promote the same content until it reaches those who may have missed it initially.
7. Engage Your Audience
Ensure that your content resonates with your target audience by providing material that helps them achieve their goals.
Incorporate open-ended questions in your content to foster engagement. Ask questions that provoke feedback and those that require a yes or no answer, or use multiple-choice formats. Conduct polls, organize interactive quizzes, and offer prizes to winners.
8. Be Responsive
Try to reply to every comment on your social posts. This will make your audience feel appreciated, and sometimes, your response can include a link to your website that provides more information on the topic.
Your responsiveness can set your brand apart; even if competitors have larger marketing budgets or produce superior content, building genuine relationships through timely responses can enhance your brand's reputation.
Consider integrating customer service into your social media so your brand can respond to queries and complaints promptly, demonstrating how well your company values customer care.
9. Use Visual Elements
Social media users are more responsive to visual content than to text-based material. Incorporating images, infographics, videos, and presentations can effectively foster emotional connections and elicit strong reactions from your audience. Furthermore, visuals enhance engagement and facilitate comprehension.
Use images as standalone elements or alongside text, prioritizing original visuals over stock photos to strengthen your audience's connection to your brand and the individuals you serve.
Infographics add a unique touch to your content and are especially helpful for condensing intricate or complicated information. However, you won't get the desired increase in shares that infographics can offer if the data is difficult to understand at first glance.
Never underestimate the significance of video, whether live or recorded. You're lagging behind your rivals if you don't consistently create videos for every social media platform. Focus on creating content that aligns with the customer journey while enhancing visibility. Engagement and followers will eventually increase as more people connect with your brand.
Live videos offer better interaction. For example, hosting a weekly QA session can significantly engage your audience. Conduct a live session or ask the audience to submit their questions in advance to ensure you’re prepared to answer them. Additionally, consider organizing webinars or similar presentations to drive traffic to your website.
In Conclusion
Create a specific social media strategy and follow the 9 tips mentioned above, and you will drive more traffic to your site from social media.
