This is my first post on HBB. Though I was registered as a contributor since a long time I wasn’t able to contribute anything till now. I am happy that I am able to do it now.
In this post I have discussed 4 of the most smartest traffic generating methods that you can utilize to increase targeted visitors to your blog/website. I am sure these are quite conventional methods and most of the bloggers/IMers are aware of this, but I hope these might be useful for at least the absolute beginners or newbies.
The techniques that I have discussed here are,
- 1. Social Networking Sites
- 2. Social Bookmarking Sites
- 3. Guest Blogging
- 4. Pay Per Click Ads
1. Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites are a great traffic puller, if you know how to use them properly. Did you know that Facebook is visited by more than 250 million people on a daily basis which is next to Google? Now do you see the immense money-making potential from such massive traffic? You can surely get highly targeted traffic from social networking sites like Facebook if you do it right.
Twitter and LinkedIn are other excellent places to spread the word about your website. The rule of ‘No Spamming’ very much exists on these social networking sites too. Interact with your followers or fans on a regular basis and post links on valuable information as well as off-topic links that invoke interest in your fans. You can occasionally post links pointing to your site or some valuable products or services too. This way your posts would look natural and informative to your fans or followers.
Facebook Fan pages are a great way to promote your website. Facebook allows you to promote your fan page by installing the fan page widget code on your website. Here is a blog post tat I found on the internet that will teach you how to utilize Facebook Fan Pages effectively – The Facebook Fan Page Recipe.
2. Social bookmarking sites
Social bookmarking sites allow you to submit your website URLs to them. By submitting your sites to social bookmarking sites you can increase your traffic as well as get high quality back links. This activity is also known as Social Media Optimization or SMO. Some of the popular social bookmarking sites are Digg.com, Stumbleupon, Delicious, Mister-Wong, Reddit and Mixx. There are hundreds of them out there in the internet. If you are using a Wordpres.org blog you can try out SexyBookmarks plug-in which will add social bookmarking icons at the end or beginning of each post.
Tip: Onlywire is a great tool that allows you to post your webpage or blog post to dozens of social bookmarking sites with just a click of a button. It was free, but now I believe it’s going to be a paid service very soon.
3. Guest Blogging
As you know that, submitting your articles to others’ blogs is known as Guest Blogging. Some blogs openly advertise about guest blogging on their sites, but many won’t. So in that case you must first try to know more about the owner of the blog by frequently visiting his/her blog, reading the posts and leaving comments that add value. This way you will get noticed by the blog owner and over a period of time you will win his/her trust and confidence. Then you can try contacting him. Most blogs have a contact form through which you can contact the owner and ask whether he would allow you to post articles on his blog. If you are approved as a guest blogger you can start posting; but you must definitely make sure that your articles are original, of good quality and most importantly you adhere to the blog’s quality standards. This way you can build quality back links as well as drive highly targeted traffic to your blog.
To be a successful internet marketer you must develop a network of like minded bloggers in the same niche. You can do that by visiting their sites regularly and reading their posts, leaving a comment or even trying to catch up with them using Facebook or other social networking sites or forums or even in person. When you become a regular visitor to their blog and start leaving valuable comments with a link back to your site, you gradually start getting traffic and back links from those sites. Internet Marketing is all about developing a good relation and trust with your visitors and other bloggers.
4. Pay-Per-Click Ads (PPC)
Apart from free traffic generation methods, you can also resort to paid methods like PPC ads. One of the most popular PPC advertising programs is Google AdWords from Google. There are other equivalent PPC programs from Yahoo!, Bing and MSN and other search engines. PPC ads are contextual ads that will be displayed on the sides of search engine results as well as on publisher network which includes articles on article directories, blogs and websites. But how frequently your ads are displayed on these networks will depend on the budget that you have set. There are informative help documents on Google AdWords that will teach you how to advertise with them, so you must read them carefully before you get started with it. Please be aware that Google has a ZERO tolerance policy on their advertising standards, so If you don’t play by their rules your account might get suspended for good in no time, and they won’t even give you a second chance.
Google AdWords also runs a FREE certification program that you can pursue. Once you successfully complete this program, you will become a Google AdWords Certified Professional .
I hope these techniques will benefit you in your blogging and Internet Marketing ventures. Thanks very much for taking out your valuable time in reading my post.
This article is written by Deepak Eapen. He has been into Internet Marketing/blogging/SEO for the past 2 years and owns multiple blogs and websites in different niches.
Guest blogging and social bookmarking drives huge traffic and even provide backlinks to the site. so, i consider guest blogging and bookmarking to drive targeted traffic.
They are really effective ways. But for blogger I don't prefer the #4 options. Socializing is one of the best way to do internet marketing and that too free. As you said Facebook has millions of users sitting over it everyday. Facebook can be effective way to drive targeted traffic.
As you said, these traffic generating methods are quite basic.
However, it is individual's approach to using these methods that
determines its effectiveness, whether you are a beginner,
intermediate or advanced internet marketer.
Thank you.
Among 4 of the strategies, the most success i did was in PPC which bring me huge traffic and quality with Google Adwords but social bookmarking seem does not help much on traffic.
Maybe it no effective as last time while i do trying hard in digg and delicious.
Thank you friends for all your comments, i understand that these are very basic techniques for many of you experts out here, i realize my shortfalls, will try to come up with a better one next time. I should have posted on HBB long ago. Every IMer or blogger must utilize the potential of HBB. Good luck guys.
Hi Deepak,
Thanks for this post, I learned some valuable tips, especially the social bookmarking sites. Thanks!
I really appreciate to all 4 internet marketing techniques. I prefers social book marking mostly. Anyone can increase traffic on own website through these 4 hot techniques. Thanks for share it with us again!!
Hey Deepak,
I try to stay away from paid methods to get targeted traffic, but I use all three of the free traffic generating methods you've listed here. My favorite out of the three is definitely social networking sites because I like interacting and getting involved with my audience. I think making use of social networking sites is one of the funnest ways to get targeted traffic to your site.
If we compare then best free way to drive traffic is social networking strategy. As you mentioned facebook page is a great way to drive traffic to your money site. But you will have to know the strategy to promote your fan page to get more fans.
I thought Guset blogging and Social Networks help to improve marketing but unaware of social bookmarking AND payper click, till now. As a newbie its essenial for me to know this. Thanks for sharing:)
Hi,
I am already using these sides for get good response for attract more traffic on my site and i got good response in that as well.
Great advice. Will definitely try your suggestions. Wish me luck.
Thanks,
Rosaria
Known techniques.. expecting more more more 😛
Robin
Yes you are very much right my friend, that's what I have mentioned in the beginning of the post. They are very basic stuff for experienced guys like you, but might benefit an absolute beginner.
Agreed with you robin want something more.
Even these days Edu links and google+ networks needed so much
ya agreed.. EDU links has always played a bigger role..