As a business with an online presence you’ll likely be using social media as a way to direct your audience towards your website – that is, after all, how you make your money. But getting your audience to your website from Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can be about as easy as herding cats. In one moment you can feel as though you’re doing well and they’re all headed in the right direction, but then you look away for a moment and they’ve somehow managed to hide under a table or have got distracted by some fluff on the floor.
So what are some sure-fire ways of getting these potential customers across that HTTP finish line? Here are five of the best.
1. Offer up mobile-friendly content
With around 80% of the total time spent on social media coming from mobile devices, before you even think about driving traffic to your website you need to ensure that it is perfectly mobile friendly. A visitor should be able to quickly and easily browse your products and services and make a purchase all from the comfort of their smartphone.
Once your website is optimised, your focus should then turn to your social media content – the posts that will have your followers excitedly heading to your website to find out more. These need to be mobile friendly too. If you offer up an external link (whether it be to a blog, a product page or a YouTube video) be sure to check that it is mobile-friendly. And avoid posting text-only posts; always use rich content like images or video.
2. Post consistently and often
There is a fear of over-posting that many brands share. But the truth is that you should probably be posting far more often than you currently are. Put simply, the more you post, the more opportunities you’re giving your audience to engage with you. And with the algorithms of most social media platforms now only allowing your posts to hit the eyes of a small percentage of your followership (as low as 5% for Twitter), it’s vital that you offer up a good amount of content in order to hit a sufficient number of eyes.
Try these posting frequencies on for size:
- Facebook: 1-2 times a day
- Twitter: 3-5 times a day
- Instagram: Once a day
- LinkedIn: 2-5 times a week
3. Use the strengths of each platform
Not all social media platforms were created equal – each has its own set of strengths, and it’s vital that you know what these are in order to drive the maximum amount of traffic to your site.
- Facebook: The largest audience and the most targeted ads – if you’re looking to do a sponsored post, choose Facebook (their carousel ads are particularly effective).
- Instagram: The minimalism of Instagram makes it difficult to directly market your products effectively. Use it instead to build your brand, perhaps with the help of an Instagram influencer. Go heavy – but relevant – with the hashtags.
- Pinterest: The most e-commerce friendly platform, Pinterest’s ‘Buyable Pins’ allow you to make sales without the need to direct traffic your way.
- Twitter: Best used as a platform through which you converse with your customers. Take a more personal, customer-service oriented approach.
4. Get all the juice out of your content oranges
As we mentioned earlier, only a percentage of your followers – and often a rather small one – will ever see anyone post. This means that your brilliant content is being wasted! In order for it to get in front of as many eyes as possible, don’t be shy about reposting old content in order for it to reach a new audience. You should be able to post any piece two or three times over – just be sure to cast your eye over it and alter any outdated information before it’s repurposed.
5. Tell people what to do
Finally, sometimes people just need clear instructions. Including CTAs like “visit our website for more info” or “check out our website for the full range of exciting products” in your posts can be surprisingly helpful in getting people to do just that!
Sure, for many businesses directing traffic to your website can be like herding cats. But by being smart about your social strategy and taking these tips on board, those cats could start turning into well-trained Labradors.