Social Media Traffic Tips


Social Media, namely Social Media Platforms have become part of the fabric of “life”.

Millions and millions of people access their social media accounts daily, if not multiple times a day.

The concept is simple….social media platforms are a place for people to socialise.

However, where people gather, business will always follow and as such the social platforms have become huge marketing opportunities for both big business and online entrepreneurs.

The likes of Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin can be used to help generate more website views and traffic, promoting product offers and services.

Each of these platforms now have integrated business tools to help businesses advertise….at a price of course!

With Facebook’s advertising tool for example, you will be able reach out to a specific niche and specific demographic only. For example, you can focus your advertisement to people of particular age bracket, interest, occupation, location, and such.

Also, some social media sites such as YouTube allows its users to track which demographic and groups they are getting more views from. This way, businesses can know where they should focus their marketing campaign. It is a very powerful marketing tool.

However, simply setting up a social media site for your business will not cut it. And basic know-how will also not be enough. In order to effectively use social media sites to your business’ advantage, you must know the tricks and backdoors.

Of course, it is not necessary that you become an expert. You just need to know the most important tricks to use.

Below are several social media marketing techniques that businesses can use to improve their online marketing strategy. And these are no complicated stuff. If you know how to use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, you should do just fine.

 


YOUTUBE TIPS
 

  • Include main keyword in title

Let’s say for example that you are running an online shop that sells cosmetic products specifically targeted to Asian women.

What do you think is the main keyword for your business?

Here are some good guesses: cosmetics for Asian women, Asian cosmetics, and cosmetics in Asia. Whatever is your main keyword, it is important that you include it in your main title.

So how do you figure out which main keyword you should use?

You can use the online tool Google Ads Keyword Planner to help you find the best keyword for your business. If you do this correctly, your YouTube video will rank high in Google search results.

  •  Choose a catchy title

Even if your video manages to appear on the top ten search results of Google, it is up to the user if he will click the link to your video or not.

So how can you make sure that users will click your video once it appears in their Google search results?

One way is to give your video a really catchy title. It should not be very fancy.

The title simply have to project the impression “Hey, I have the information you are looking for so click me”.

  • Use all possible related tags

Many people fail to maximize the use of this YouTube feature. In fact, many people do not use this feature at all!

So what are tags?

Tags are one-word keywords that YouTube allows you to attach to each video that you upload. Make sure that you include all related tags to make your video more visible.

  • Thumbnail should be eye catching

When your video appears in the search results of YouTube and Google, it will be shown as a video thumbnail.

The thumbnail is usually the video’s first frame. Make sure that your video’s thumbnail is appealing to users by placing a good first frame to your video.

When it comes to cosmetic products for example, a thumbnail showing a beautiful woman’s face with a smooth and blemish-free skin would be good.

  • Provide links in the description box

YouTube allows you to write a description for every video that you will upload. And the good part is that YouTube’s description box can hold a live link.

Take advantage of this feature and provide links to your main webpage or specific page in your website that shows the specific product that you are featuring in the video.

Add some description like this: for more information about this product/to place an order, visit this link.

  • Add related channels as friends

YouTube allows you to add other YouTube account holders as friends.

Now here is what you need to do: think of which organizations or which popular YouTube channels are closely related to your field and then add them as friends.

If you are selling women’s makeup for example, you might want to add channels that post video tutorials on doing makeup.
This is because most of your target customers are likely to be visiting these channels. You want to expose your channel to them.

  • Create dummy accounts

Using the dummy accounts that you made, visit other channels where your potential customers are likely to be.

If you are selling laptops for example, you might want to visit channels that discuss about laptops.

Use the dummy accounts to post comments that invite viewers to view and visit your YouTube channel. Make sure that you sound natural. It should not be obvious that you are representing your company.

You should sound like a regular YouTube user that is only giving a good advice to fellow YouTube users.

  • Create a strategic playlist

Now this is a bit tricky but very effective. Using a dummy account, create a playlist that will direct YouTube users to your videos.

How do you do this?

In your playlist, the first video should be something that people in your target niche are likely to visit.

When selling women’s makeup for example, try using a popular makeup tutorial video as first video in your playlist (video uploaded by another user).

After this, the second or third video should be one of your own videos. So after YouTube users are done watching the makeup tutorial video, they will automatically be directed to one of your videos. Try making several playlists using different YouTube accounts.

 


FACEBOOK TIPS

  • Create a ‘fan page’ account, not a ‘personal’ account

What’s the difference?

A personal account is for people and has the capacity to ‘add friends’.

A fan page on the other hand is for groups, companies, organizations, and also people who are popular and well-known (politicians, celebrities, etc.).

A fan page cannot ‘add friends’. Instead, a fan page can get subscribers.

A fan page is best for doing business because of the tools available to it (survey tool, questionnaire tool, advertisement tool, etc.).

  • Make your profile appealing

It does not matter what you post if people will not view your Facebook page.

To get views, you must make your page look appealing. One way to do this is to make your Facebook page look authentic (that the Facebook account really belongs to the company that you represent).

This can easily be done by making use of your company logo.

Also, you should add complete information such as office number and office address (do not give your personal contact details). Below are some other tips on how you can make you page look appealing.

  • Use image presentation once in a while

Most people in Facebook express their thoughts by posting a message in text form.

Try something a little different and express your announcements and messages in image format instead.

Images are much more captivating so people are more likely to click and read.

And do not forget to include a link to your main website.

  • Use video presentation once in a while

Other than images, you can also use video messages once in a while.

Of course, you should also provide a link to your main webpage.

But because Facebook only allows you a limited disk space for videos, you can upload your videos to YouTube instead and link that YouTube video to your Facebook page.

Add links to your posts whenever appropriate

Every time you make a post, be that in text form, video form, or image form, make sure that you always provide a link to your main website (if appropriate).

For example, if you made a post about a new product of yours, you need to make sure that also provide a link to your main website that shows the new product (e.g. learn more about this product by clicking here).

  • Provide only a ‘peek’ to the whole story

Your posts should be enticing but they should never completely satisfy the curiosity of the readers.

You want them to ‘beg for more’. And then, you should provide a link to where they can go to satisfy their curiosity.

For example, you should post only the opening of an article from your main website. Then provide a link to where they can read the whole story.

  • Post ‘fun stuff’ once in a while

Because the Facebook page is for your business, it is only proper that all your posts will be about your company’s activities, products, services, and such.

But your posts should not only consist of these. You should spice things up by posting interesting articles and materials once in a while (e.g. a story by Yahoo on cosmetics).

This way, your subscribers will keep going back to your page. If it always just about business, things will start to get boring.

  • Keep page active

Maybe a day or two or three of not making any posts or doing any online activity is okay. But do not let a week or two pass by without making any new post. If you do, your subscribers will think that you have gone inactive and might stop visiting you page. But being active does not mean being repetitive. Always think of fresh new ideas so each of your posts is interesting and unique. Of course, this is not easy to do. You can always hire an administrator and blog writer for your account.

  • Establish a network of ‘useful’ affiliates/associates

Like pages that are related to your field.

If you are selling computer games or computer game hardware for example, you should like pages that discuss games in general. This way, you are making yourself visible to the subscribers of those pages. T

hey will learn about your page, visit your page, and maybe click some of the links on your page.

  • Use Facebook’s advertising tools

This is one of the advantages of having a fan page account over a personal account – you get to use Facebook’s advertising tools. And you get to choose who you want to reach.

For example, if your target customers are women in Asia aged 16 to 30, you can tell Facebook to send your advertisement only to these people.

  • Put up a product catalogue with links

This is another bonus when using Facebook – you get to upload photos and organize them into folders.

Take advantage of this and make a photo catalogue showing your products (with features and description if possible).

Then include a link below each photo where they can order the product. The links will also increase your main website’s number of backlinks.

  • Reply to queries, give only partial answers, and then provide a link

If you get a question about your products/services, do reply.

But only give a general answer. Do not give all the details.

Then provide a link to your main website where the rest of the answer can be found (e.g. This phone has Bluetooth, WIFI, and runs on android Gingerbread, for a complete list of this phone’s features, please click here.)

 


TWITTER TIPS

  • Actively make tweets

Twitter does not use multimedia content as richly as Facebook does. In Twitter, posts in the form of text are what keep things going. If you do not Tweet regularly, you will be left out of the game.

Always Tweet so your followers will keep visiting your page. If they do not visit your page, they will not see the links that you provide.

  • Always reply with links

The same with Facebook, you should always include a link every time you make a reply (e.g. for more information, please visit). This should give your main website a lot of traffic.

And do not keep using the same link over and over again. If you are always using the URL of your website’s homepage, try posting the URL of your website’s subpages once in a while.

You can also post a link that will lead your followers to your other social media pages like YouTube and Facebook. This is just to avoid excessive and annoying repetition.

  • Follow Twitter of related companies/organizations

You should know the big giants in the industry you are in (e.g. Microsoft and Apple in computers, Loreal and Maybelline in cosmetics, and Samsung and Apple in mobile phones). You should follow them on Twitter.

This way, their millions of subscribers might just see your account. This is because your account’s name will appear on their list of followers.

But it would be better if you manage to get them to follow you as well. It will have a big impact on your company’s image.

  • Make dummy accounts

You want to get people on Twitter to be talking about your product. But someone must give it momentum.

Create dummy accounts and use them to talk about you.

When making a comment using the dummy accounts, make sure that you sound natural and convincing.

IF possible, each dummy account must use a different style of speech.

  • Get your initial wave of followers

You must get a lot of followers in order to expose  your page to a lot of Twitter users. To get started, invite your friends and family to follow you on Twitter.

You can also use dummy accounts. Also, you need to make sure that those dummy accounts are not ‘obviously’ dummy accounts. The dummy accounts should also start following other users to avoid suspicion. You might also want to hire someone to manage all those accounts.

 


OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA AND EXTRA TIPS

  • Going professional with LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a really comprehensive and well-built social media site.

However, it is probably too corporate and executive in nature. It is more of a job- seeking site likeable to Jobstreet.com. If your target niche includes people in the business and corporate world, it might be a good idea to set up a LinkedIn account.

Otherwise, it may not be necessary.

Master the art of member management

There will always be detractors – users who will post negative things on your social media page. You must know how to deal with them properly.

But do not be hasty on banning them from your page. If you do, other users will think that you are in fact guilty of the accusations. Instead, you should simply make a convincing reply to all negative remarks.

Be polite and informative. But there are cases in which ‘banning’ might be the only option. If a user is repetitively making negative comments or if the comment is too gross, banning can become an option for you.

  • Know how to play with words

It is not about what you will say. It is in how you will say it.

And it does not matter how ridiculous your quest is. It is in how effective you are in persuading.

So if you want your subscribers to click where you want them to click (e.g. backlinks), make sure that you say it in the most persuasive way.

How do you do this?

You need to learn how to play with words. You need to know how to throw a line and how to deliver  a good punch line that will sell.

CONCLUSION

By now, you are already equipped to use social media sites as powerful marketing tools. But keep in mind that social media sites come and go.

This means that you should keep your eyes open to possible changes. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube might be on top right now. But nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.

Stay updated on new social media sites that might become popular because you might end up using them as well for your online marketing campaigns.

Until Next Time

Dominus Owen Markham

>CHECK OUT OUR SERVICES<<

 

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