Many see Facebook simply as a place to post clever comments or funny photos, but it can be a valuable marketing tool. Utilize it and you could be well on your way to having "that fun social site" be the top traffic source for your website.

Tip #1: Share compelling content (most important)

Ask yourself "Where do I want fans to go?," then share different types of content to direct them there. The possibilities and tactics are endless. Look to other similar brands to your own or the biggies for inspiration. See what they do that works and mold it to your needs.

Example: The clever team at Target saw National Bike to Work week as an opportunity. They created a buying guide on their website and with a humorous post, directed customers to visit.

Tip #2: Entice the click

When offering a discount to fans, rather than including the discount code within a Facebook post, tease it along with a link to find it on your website.

Example: PFI Western Store uses sale prices to get their fans to click through to see the boots on the website.

Tip #3: Add social media and share links to your site

If customers like your product, blog post or YOU, let them tell their friends. Include social share icons throughout your site. With each click of a "Like" or share button a post shows in the news feed for everyone to see along with a direct link back to the site.

Example: National Jewelry Liquidation Center offers a new deal each week. To help spread the word, they have Twitter, Facebook, email and even Pinterest added on their site to let visitors share the deal with their friends.

Tip #4: Utilize Facebook tabs and applications

Since a Facebook tab is simply a mini-website, it's a great location to highlight certain products, services or even run a promotion for fans.

Examples:

• Take a cue from Express, they've done a great jop utilizing their tabs for an online store.
• We help drive to our clients' websites with these Facebook tabs.
• Promotions can be run entirely on Facebook, you can also use your social media reach to push entrants to your website to enter instead.

Tip #6: Build a strong network with partners and allies

Build relationships with other companies/blogs by sharing their content to your fans and tagging them. They usually will reciprocate the favor and help broaden your content's reach. Don't for get to always B polite and thank those who share.

Tip #7: Fill out you profile

You might be thinking “Duh!,” but I’m serious.The most important entry field in your profile is website. We also suggest listing your web address first in the "About" section. Every time someone looks at your profile image, they can see and click through to your website.

Continue reading: How to drive traffic to your website: Twitter
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

Boasting over 150 million users, LinkedIn has evolved into more than an online resume host or job seeking community. The social networking site has become a marketing tool for branding, networking, and driving web traffic. Below are six tips for using LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website.

1. Include Links in Your Profile

Utilize all three website link areas on your (employees’) profile(s). Add the company blog with keywords rather than your company name. For example, if you are a recruiter, instead of writing “Davis Group Blog,” write “Tips for recruiters and jobseekers.”

Add your company’s Facebook and Twitter profiles if applicable, or utilize that space to link back to your website with another relevant page and keyword-infused phrase.

Be sure to include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature to let professional contacts or friends know to connect with you, and be able to search your profile for information.

2. Share Content
Update your status or share your company blog daily to become an expert to your connections. Post events, job opportunities, news articles and ideas that LinkedIn users will find useful. You can customize the text posted with the links and make these updates public.

You can also participate in LinkedIn Answers (answering questions users have about random topics) to help position yourself as an expert in your industry.

3. Join Groups (and Participate in Them)
There are LinkedIn groups for just about anything! Don’t overcommit yourself; make your selections thoughtfully, with both your strengths and potential consumers in mind. Be careful also not to self-promote frequently. You will be banned for spam immediately if the group has a good moderator. Instead, position yourself as an expert, making helpful comments when you can, and if you have a blog post that is genuinely relevant, share it.

Connecting with people who have common interests and business goals will help improve your reputation online, and potentially your partnerships offline.

You can also form your own LinkedIn group. The advantage of this is that you gain access to all the members’ information and moderate content and discussion topics at your own discretion.

4. Utilize Applications
There are tons of apps that you can add to your profile, but just a few basic ones will really help boost your web traffic.

Wordpress (or a similar app) to showcase your blog on your profile for viewers.

Box.net to act as a repository for any white papers, case studies, or supplemental materials potential or current customers may find useful. If these are deemed useful by the user, you can guarantee they will visit your website for more.

Events to share events that your company will be attending (large and small) to spread your company’s presence in your market and industry area. The visibility will lead people to research your company.

And many more. Keep searching.

5. Conquer Your Company Page
If you market your product or service to businesses, make sure you have a company page, and that you’re using it to the fullest. Create keyword-rich company descriptions, include links to your website, and make sure employees link their profile to it.

You can create pages that highlight your products and services. Each one can include a photo, video, and link to your website. You can feature specific products and services, make a company status update, attach your Twitter feed or blog feed, and even access analytics for the page’s traffic.

6. Advertising
LinkedIn isn’t the most thoroughly tested advertising platform, but it does allow fairly specific targeting.These ads can direct users to your company page, events, or directly to your website. They are a bit more expensive, but have proven successful for most B2B companies thus far.

If you’re not utilizing your LinkedIn profile, company page, or advertising platform to drive traffic to your website, you could be missing out on more leads than you know. Simple changes can make a huge difference.

Continue reading: How Can Public Relations Help Increase Web Traffic
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

You wouldn't drive somewhere without directions. You wouldn't build a house without blueprints.

And you shouldn't launch a campaign to increase web traffic without a strategy. 

Without strategy, you'll keep shooting aimless messages out into the world, from which you'll get plenty of impressions and few results. But with strategy, you can integrate your marketing efforts to not only attract more web traffic – but also secure more business. 

Just ask yourself these three questions:

1. What is my goal?

What do you want your customer to do once they are on your website? It depends on your specific product or service. For instance:

• Retailer? Add to cart. 
• Manufacturer? Find a retailer. 
• Service? Call for a free estimate. 
• Nonprofit? Donate or sign up to volunteer. 

Determine your website's call to action (called the "conversion" in web talk), and ask your customers to do it. Make it a giant button on every page of the website. Make it the goal, directly or indirectly, of every marketing message you create. 

2. Who is my customer?

Marketing isn't about forcing people to buy things they don't want. It's about finding the people who need you and introducing yourself, in their language, at exactly the right time and place:

• A billboard for car air conditioning repair as they sit sweltering in rush hour traffic. 
• A plumbing business on page one of their Google search for how to fix a toilet.

Also consider the length of the buy process – how long it takes to "convert" them. If you sell clothing, the process can be as little as a few minutes, from grabbing the customer's attention with an image of a cute dress to getting them to click "Process Order." If you're a university trying to attract students, however, the process can stretch over months or even years as your customers weigh their options.

Throughout a longer buy process, find ways to stay in front of them. This might involve using softer calls to action to funnel them closer to your ultimate goal. For instance:

• Inviting them to tour the campus will guide them closer to the primary conversion of completing their application.

• Enticing them to subscribe to your blog for free advice lets you prove your knowledge and helpfulness while they decide whether or not to pay for more extensive services.

3. Who is my competition?

If you follow the tips listed above, chances are you'll already be a step ahead of your competitors. But you can go the extra mile by:

• Targeting their customers. For instance, when buying ads on search engines, add your competitor's name to your keyword list, so your business appears on the results page every time someone searches for your competitor.
• Differentiating yourself. Focus on benefits, not features – particularly the benefits you offer that your competitors don't.
• Being more attractive. Study their ads before writing your own and find ways to make yours more compelling – like by offering discounts and free trials.

Pinpointing your goal, understanding your customers and knowing your competition are the building blocks of strategy, and strategy is the backbone of any campaign. Don't leave home without it.

Continue reading: *Designing* for Website Speed
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

Traditional advertising is still very much in the picture. But if your goal is to get more web traffic, you have to do more than just add a URL to the end of your outdoor boards, print ads, direct mail, TV commercials or radio spots. You have to make it ultra clear why they want to visit your website. 

Here are a few ways to do that.

1. Make visiting the website your main call to action. On the billboard, TV spot or postcard, literally ask them to go to the website, versus calling a number or visiting a physical location.

2. Tell them how the site will benefit them in the call to action. Don't just say "visit our website" – tell them what they'll get out of it. For instance: 

• Learn more at website.com
• Get tickets at website.com
• Compare prices at website.com
• Get a free sample at website.com

3. Try using a memorable URL. A fun, unique URL is more likely to stick in your customer's mind and entice them to find out more – like:

• WeDoTheRobot.com for the robotic surgery program at USMD Arlington
• SeeTheScrolls.com for Southwestern Seminary's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition

4. Offer something exclusively online. Something cool they can only get on your website: 

• Promo code discount/downloadable coupon
• Contest or sweepstakes
• Free sample, trial or evaluation

5. Create urgency by limiting the time frame of the offer. ("Hurry – the sale ends Wednesday.")

6. Get them involved. Spark community interaction by asking people to share stories or suggestions. With the Can He Rope It challenge for Justin Boots, we asked people to send in funny roping challenges to trick-roper Anthony Lucia for a chance to win a pair of Justin Boots.

Try some of these out on your next campaign and let us know how it worked for you.

Continue reading: Strategy: Don't Launch a Campaign Without It
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

PR can drive web results, just like advertising, social media and other endeavors. It's all a part of the right marketing mix. In fact, it's actually one of the best ways that PR can make an immediate, and traceable, impact on your company or organization's communications efforts. Each PR tactic you undertake—from pitching a story to media to pursuing speaking opportunities—can lead people to find out accurate information. It also can lead to immediate decisions. 

How many of us have read a story in a newspaper or magazine—and then immediately Googled the product we saw? I know I have (tactic used: media relations). Think about the last time you listened to someone speak well about an issue you cared about. Did you not go look up their organization and consider a donation or membership (tactic used: speaker's bureau)?

So which PR tactics should you consider? Each of the following could be a part of your plan: 

• Targeted media relations. Before you pitch an idea to any reporter, you should know what they write about and why your company/organization is worth their time. But when you find the right outlet, a reporter who "gets" it, and a product, service or human-interest story worth telling, the result can be beautiful—both online and offline. 
• Researched blogger outreach. People who write blogs want to share information—but like reporters they prefer to talk about things that are relevant to their content area of coverage. If you come across a blog talking about a subject you have an answer to (such as a product or service solution), you should be able to pitch them on a future blog post mention. If they decide to write about your company/organization, chances are they will link directly to your site.
• Informative e-Newsletters. Although not strictly a PR function, e-Newsletters are ideal for communicating directly to interested parties (persons who have opted-in to receive them). A monthly or quarterly e-Newsletter sets you up to deliver relevant content right to consumers. If you use imbedded URLs, you can lead readers to additional information on your site. 
• Speaking opportunities. Qualified speakers are often welcome at organizational events around town. Prepare a great presentation on a topic of interest in your field, and be sure to inform people about the need that your product or service solves. Don't oversell them—but lead them to your website for information on why you and your company may be a good solution to their problem. Those who are really interested will look you up.

The above suggestions are only a few web-driving ideas that you can consider that are grounded in public relations. But whatever marketing ideas you choose to try, keeping public relations as a part of the mix can help your company or organization taste online success as well. 

Continue reading: How to Use Email to Increase Web Traffic
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

With over 3 billion views each day, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world (behind Google). You can't ignore its potential to drive web traffic.

Videos are extremely popular online. Men, in particular, spend more time on YouTube than they have on other social networking sites. Keep in mind that YouTube content is also indexed by Google, improving its odds of showing up in search engine results. Videos can also be embedded on websites and blogs, shared across social media channels, and around the world in moments.

To drive more traffic to your brand's website, all videos posted to your brand's YouTube channel should include:

• A call-to-action
  • Overlay a link at the bottom of your video telling viewers what to do.
  • Verbal direction for viewers explaining what to do with the information you've given them (subscribe, go to the website to shop for products, comment below, etc.)
    
• A keyword-rich description with a link to your website
  • Include proper tags
  • Make verbiage engaging, enticing viewers to follow the link to your website
    
• A strong video title: name it as close as possible to what a user would type into Google or YouTube when searching for a video like yours. This will improve its odds of showing up in more searches.
  

Another best practice is encouraging conversation on your YouTube videos and channel. The more activity your videos gets, typically the more views and visitors to your channel, and ultimately, your website.

YouTube isn't just about making funny, "viral" videos. Believe it or not, there are people out there searching for information related to your products and services, and YouTube is one way to make sure they find it. This video that informed viewers how a cowboy boot should fit received over 20,000 views.

Keeping your videos relevant, concise and attractive is the best way to ensure they're watched and shared. Including proper YouTube video optimization, a strong call to action, and awareness of website linking will guarantee an increase in your traffic.

Not entirely convinced that YouTube is for you? Comment below with questions and concerns for us to answer!

Continue reading: LinkedIn as a Web Traffic Source
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

While we know Twitter can be a useful tool for job hunting, crowd sourcing and keeping current with industry news, it may also serve as an opportunity to drive traffic to your website. How? Follow these five recommendations to find out:

• Choose a smart handle
  Your Twitter username has influence on search engine optimization (SEO), which translates to how close to the top of a search results list you appear in a search engine like Google or Yahoo!. If you're a business, consider using a keyword in your Twitter name, like @MarketingProsCA. If you're a professional, try using your full name or a portion of your name, such as @AliJLamb or @LaurenAshleyTX

• Add your URL to your Twitter bio
  By adding your web address to your bio, you're making it easy for followers or potential followers to visit your site and learn more about you or your business.
  
  

• Add your contact information to your Twitter background
  In addition to your URL, you can also add other pertinent information such as a phone number, specialties or a list of awards you or your business have earned.
  
  

• Compose tweets rich with keywords
  Before you begin tweeting, identify a short list of keywords that relate to your business and/or industry. When tweeting your own content, consciously use those keywords to help increase its searchability.

• Add social sharing buttons to your website
  For many sites, adding social sharing buttons is a simple and effective way to quickly boost pageviews and sharing stats. Not sure how to add these? Follow Mashable's easy "How To" guide.
  
  

With just a few simple steps, even a novice Twitter user can utilize the social microblogging service to drive more traffic to your website and help exceed your goals for 2012.

Continue reading: Increase Web Traffic With YouTube
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

Retargeting is one of the most innovative (and some would say creepy) ways of getting more traffic to your site. You’ve probably seen it before and didn’t know how it worked. Here’s how:

1. You visit a site, say a travel site. You search for flights to Chicago.
2. You don’t end up buying a flight to Chicago.
3. A couple of days later, you are on another website and see a banner ad that says, “All flights to Chicago, now on sale!”
4. You think to yourself, “That’s great! I’m looking for a cheaper flight to Chicago.”
5. You click the link and (hopefully, for the site) you buy a ticket to Chicago.

What you just experienced was retargeting. This is an advertising technique that allows websites to follow you around the web. It works pretty simply for the advertiser:

1. The advertiser places a small piece of code on their website that puts a cookie on your computer.
2. That cookie is linked to an advertising network.
3. When that advertising network sees the cookie on your computer, it triggers an ad to appear on the page.
4. When you end up making the purchase, there is a piece of code that shows up on the website that deletes that cookie and makes sure the advertiser doesn’t advertise to you again.

The first thing that people think is, “Wow! That’s creepy!” But let me assure you, the advertiser has no idea who you are. The advertiser anonymously installs that cookie and never knows who they are advertising to.

This is a great way to reach your customers. Most people that visit a website don’t make a purchase on their first visit. Having a constant reminder follow the user around the web is a great way for customers to come back to your website — not to mention it is a much more targeted technique than blanketing the internet with your ads.

Continue reading: Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Website with Facebook
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

With almost 900 million active monthly users (over half of them logging in daily), Facebook provides one of the best opportunities for advertising online. Most importantly, Facebook gives advertisers access to personal information: from users' ages, locations, faiths, favorite football teams and weekend hobbies. This advanced psycho and demographic targeting allows almost any brand to reach its target market on Facebook without wasting money advertising to a plethora of uninterested consumers.

Facebook allows many forms of advertising, including:

• Promoting a specific post
  
• Promoting an event created by a Facebook page
• Bringing new fans to the Facebook page by showing them their friends who like the page
  
• Bring new fans to the Facebook page with an offer or specific copy
  
• Driving traffic directly to an external website
  

Most individuals use Facebook for social sharing experiences with friends and communities they know well. Therefore, most rarely leave Facebook to see your products and services. Although Facebook advertising allows you to guide people fitting your target market directly to your website, it's not always the best marketing move.

One click gets that user to your website. From there a large portion will leave before your site even finishes loading, some will look around, and others may even buy something. The majority of the time, however, they will leave at some point and you will have paid for a small amount of brand visibility. They are more comfortable staying in the "Facebook bed," so to speak.

Now, say you direct those ads to your Facebook page where you offer a discount coupon to new fans, host daily discussions or polls to bring people back to your page, and reward loyal fans with quarterly contests. You've tied a rope from yourself to that fan, and made them a promising potential customer. Perhaps they've subscribed to your emails as a part of entering a promotion you ran on Facebook, or maybe they've become passionate about your services, sharing your content to their own wall weekly, giving your messages more credibility and visibility.

On average, 56% of consumers say they are more likely to recommend a brand after becoming a fan on Facebook.

In some cases, Facebook Business Pages serve as supplemental websites. They are highly customizable, and can include any information about your company. Remember – most people who log on to Facebook don't intend to make purchases; they want to socialize. Don't rely on Facebook ads alone to create sales. Think of Facebook advertising as a way to convert potential customers into fans and increase customer engagement and brand awareness. Once your fans get to know your brand, and they like it, you can count on them to visit your website. If you are set on using Facebook ads to enhance sales directly, you'd do best to promote special deals and promotions that appeal to your fans' interests.

You can run your Facebook ad campaign based on a pay-per-click model (suggested) or a cost per impression model. Costs are lower when you direct your ads somewhere within Facebook. Aside from being an efficient form of targeted advertising, Facebook ads are extremely effective because they are easy to implement and control. Results can be analyzed and ad copy, images, or targeting criteria can be updated immediately.

If you haven't considered how Facebook ads can increase your Facebook fan count, and ultimately drive traffic to your website, hopefully you will now. Feel free to comment below with questions and comments!

Continue reading: How to Drive Traffic to Your Website: Google & Bing Ads
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

People have been saying for years that mobile is the future. It is no longer the future, it is the present. In fact, more Americans own a Smartphone than a "dumb phone". On top of that, there are more cell phones than people in the U.S.

How can you reach all of these customers? Easy -- mobile advertising. Mobile advertising makes the most sense for companies that have specific locations, but it can also be valuable for overall branding.

Let's take the example of a store that sells shoes. There are a couple of ways that the store could choose to advertise: 

Mobile Search Advertising

Most cell phone users use a search engine (like Google or Bing) to make purchasing decisions on the fly. Within Google AdWords, you can target mobile devices and geographic locations -- allowing you to hit your target at the time (and place) they are searching for a place to buy shoes.

Mobile Display Advertising

Just as there are both search and display advertising on the desktop -- there are also both on mobile. Most free games and apps are supported by display ads. Depending upon the advertising network, you can target based upon contextual information (for example, showing restaurants in an app like Yelp) and location. This will reach customers that aren't necessarily searching for your product or service -- but still be targeted. 

App Sponsorship

Another possibility is to sponsor an application. That's exactly what The North Face has done with their Snow Report application. Obviously, the app is very connected to their brand -- but the key is that it provides something useful to their customers.

It's essential that the page that the ad leads to is mobile friendly. Some advertisers simply don't have the budget to create a mobile website -- but it's simple to create a one-page landing pages that will work on a mobile phone. This means that the site can not use flash and be formatted, so you don't have to zoom in on the site to read the content.

With mobile use growing at a very quick rate, maybe it's time you start advertising on mobile devices.

Continue reading: How to Drive Traffic to Your Website: Facebook Ads
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series