Increase Site Traffic With Social Networking

Do you remember when “friend” was a noun? Today, it’s a verb – an action in which otherwise sane individuals reach out and “friend” a thumbnail portrait that shows up on their computer screen.

If all this seems a little confusing – or if you think meeting the boys down at the bar sounds like a much better way to engage with “friends” – well, you’re not alone. But like it or not, social networking is here to stay. And that’s good news for website owners, because – when managed correctly – social networking technology can give your site traffic a significant boost.

Getting All Your Ducks in a Row

If you’re the publisher of a website, social networking makes it easy to grow your business, and to grab an ever-larger chunk of the online market. That’s because this technology allows you to “hire” – without pay – an endless number of virtual marketing agents who do your PR work for you.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you run a travel agency, and you’re hoping to corner the market on the “Spring Break” college market. With a minimum investment, you could create a presentation extolling the attractions of Florida (the ratio of bikini vs. nature shots is up to you). Finish up with your website address, and the announcement a drawing for free airline tickets, available only to people who click over to your site and register. You can even “sweeten” the deal – for you, that is – by making registration for the drawing contingent on sending this same video to three friends.

Getting Them Where They Live

Another way you can “work” social networking to increase site traffic is to join pre-existing online groups. For example, if you’re site deals with financial investments, you can join the conversation in a number of business forums, listen carefully to the needs expressed there, and post truly helpful information (signing each post with a link to your website and an explanatory tagline, of course). By establishing your professional bona fides, and making personal connections, you can build up your distribution list for promotions, and expect some forum members to stop by your site without even being asked.

Conduit – Building Your Own Dynamic Community

With Conduit, you can offer a free downloadable toolbar full of attractive features including newsfeeds, weather alerts, radio, video and games. But along with the fun comes social networking function – because Conduit makes it easy for toolbar subscribers to share individual toolbar features, each one of which serves as a one-click portal to your site. Knowing that these features are guaranteed free of spyware and malware, your subscribers will be eager to share the fun – and this turns their friends into your potential customers, for free.

You know your customers. By designing a toolbar that “speaks” directly to their needs – for entertainment, information or utility – you’ll create a dynamic bridge to other people just like them, and drive more traffic to your site.