4 Overlooked Social Media Tips for Improved Website Traffic

Social media is everywhere! You can barely go one week without seeing a new update to a social media platform in the news. It’s time to harness the power of social media and drive traffic to your small business website. There are numerous platforms to choose from, and knowing which social media sites are best suited for your target audience is the first step in embracing social media marketing. There’s no need to have a presence on every platform. Remember, quality far outweighs quantity and this goes for social media accounts alike.

Once your social media profiles are live, there are four overlooked methods that take your efforts to the next level and boost your website traffic

Optimize for Each Platform

Whether you’re using Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, double check that what your posting fits the platform requirements. Twitter is known for its character limits, while using hashtags on Facebook is less effective than on other social media sites. Understanding the nuances across the platforms means you can post the best content in the most engaging and effective way.

Followers blow past images that are off-center or are too grainy, and will stop reading a post if the text is cut off. Below are general guidelines for maximizing your marketing efforts on specific social media sites:

• Facebook – A friendly tone goes a long way. Users see Facebook as a place to connect with family and friends. Meet their expectations by using a tone that matches their other interactions on the platform. Unsure how friendly to be? Write like you’re speaking to a friend, while including links to your website, blog or article, and a high quality image.

• Twitter – Use succinct language in your text and be sure to add 2-3 hashtags for extra reach. Shorten URL links with bitly to preserve your precious character count and drive website traffic. Images go a long way for engagement, so incorporate relevant visuals when appropriate.

• Instagram – More than Facebook and Twitter, Instagram is all about the visual component. Stylized images are what Instagram is built upon. Choose specific filters for your business, and stick to them so you create a consistent look across your profile. From there, the best captions are conversational and intriguing, and the most successful posts have between 10-12 hashtags. There’s an excellent trick for hiding hashtags so your posts don’t seem cluttered, but still add your content to the selected hashtags. Get the full tutorial here.

By using images and text that fits each platform’s requirements, click through rates and engagement goes up. These small adjustments can yield serious impact on your website’s traffic.

Use the Right Hashtags

Hashtags are more than just clever quips on social media; they serve a real purpose in cataloging relevant content. They act as a free way for small businesses to build brand awareness, authority, and swim in the same pond as larger companies.

Do some research to find which hashtags are being used most frequently in your industry and across hashtag influencers. Incorporate consistent hashtags into your social media posts, so your content is continually added to these repositories. This way, when someone searches a hashtag, your content, both old and new, show up. When your content includes URL links to your small business website or blog, people can choose to learn more and explore your online presence.

Tag Followers

As you monitor your social profiles, search for great user generated content. Ask your followers if you can repost to your page and tag them in your posts. This creates goodwill with your fans by showcasing their picture or post, and reminds them that there is a human behind a brand.

Beyond cultivating an excellent customer experience, by tagging a follower in your post, it automatically increases the organic reach of your post. All of the tagged person’s followers can see your post. It expands your social presence without spending a cent. As we’ve mentioned before, having a URL in the post gives new prospects the opportunity to follow your social accounts, visit your website, and learn about your business.

Be a Conversationalist

When it comes down to it, people engage with businesses when they feel there is a person behind the scenes. Cultivate a social community of dialogue by posing questions to your social accounts, actively responding to comments, and having fun!

While posting product updates and service news is useful, sprinkle in some light-hearted and charming content into your social media marketing. Ask users to caption your photo or for their favorite holiday tradition. This encourages ongoing conversation and draws followers in. By establishing a trustworthy and relatable brand, people will begin to visit your website more frequently to find out more about this awesome business.

Website traffic can come from so many sources. Control as much as possible by infusing your social media marketing with these four tips. Give these tricks a try today!

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