Welcome to Part 4 of my WordPress Traffic and Leads series. We’ve covered enormous ground and it’s important to visit Part 1, 2, and 3 before proceeding to this section. Why? Simple. I’ve outlined everything step-by-step in the right order so for you to build an optimal traffic and lead machine within WordPress, it’s important to follow through from the beginning. Just so you know, in the last chapter, we discussed the importance of installing the right plug-ins, which will automate tasks you shouldn’t be wasting time on. For example, because of WordPress and their awesome plug-ins, it’s very easy to focus on the things that matter, like content and design. Both are essential in creating a blog that generates traffic and leads. Let’s get started with Part 4 and explore social media platforms as a way to build traffic.
Why Social Media?
There are many reasons why social media is an ultimate source for traffic and it has to do with being able to find relevant people all under one roof. For example, if I type Twitter and use the right #hashtags, I’ll be able to find millions of people I can connect with and generate traffic through. However, just like every network, you have to find a strategic way to collectively market to these people. There are two ways you can do this…
First, post or share content on your existing social media profile, hoping those following you will re-share your content. Next, you can add the right buttons to your blog in the right places so visitors will share on their network. The second option I prefer over the first because some people sharing your content can have thousands of visitors, which will generate enormous traffic. However, even when you utilize the second option, it’s important to know what you’re doing and optimize through testing.
Social Media Plug-ins
When installing social media plugins, you have enormous options and it’s important you choose the right one. In my experience, there are two I’ve tested and trust: AddThis.com and ShareThis.com. Both will allow you to configure your buttons and both will provide you with the statistics you need to tweak along the way. Here’s something else, they are both FREE and have a handy WordPress plug-in that will streamline the entire process. Once you’ve installed the plug-in, all you have to do is configure it along the way for performance. For example, a plug-in is ONLY as good as the social platform options. The more popular the social media choices, the better the results, which you’ll learn in the next section and I’ll be speaking from experience.
Social Media Focus
Over the years, I’ve tested several different social media platforms and found it’s important to provide them a variety of choices. However, I’ve also learned too many choices might dilute the sharing process and the overall value. This is why, when I’m setting up my social media buttons, I like to focus on the 3 major players that have been increasing in popularity each year. From my experience, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ have enormous engagement and if you can tap into these platforms effectively, you can generate a lot of buzz quickly.
To set these up, it’s as easy as selecting these platforms in the backend and inputting your username. Next, just make sure you place them in the right place, like, for example, in the beginning and ending of the content. This will give people a chance to share content right before reading, which is useful if you have credibility with existing readers. Adding share buttons toward the end will ensure you give those who are new visitors and who find your content valuable a chance to share your content.
In the end, it important to do a lot of testing and tweaking along the way but from my experience, these “3” social media platforms work effectively.