Social media is a powerful business tool for two main reasons. First off, it allows businesses to enhance their brand image and equity. Secondly, it can be used as a tool for driving traffic to landing pages. The first gets discussed a lot, but it’s time to highlight the second issue.
3 Traffic-Driving Tips
Directing targeted traffic from platforms like Facebook and Twitter to onsite landing pages is the only way to fully maximize the value of social media. Unfortunately, very few marketers and brands have a complete understanding of what it looks like to effectively move these users from social media to branded pages.
Let’s highlight a few relevant tips to get you moving in the right direction.
1. Start with the Landing Page
The very first thing you need to do is start with the landing page. If the landing page isn’t adequately prepared for social traffic, then your investment in driving traffic will ultimately be a waste. Consider who exactly your target market is and tailor your landing pages to these audiences. Try to be as specific as possible.
For example, this landing page assumes the target user is an individual between the ages of 18-45 who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is either moving into a different residence, looking to downsize, or needs to temporarily store items. Everything about the page is designed with these factors in mind.
Here’s a second example. This landing page is designed under the assumption that the target user is a tech-savvy small business owner who is looking for a simple and streamlined solution to capture leads and grow sales without investing more time.
When you design a landing page, it should be clearly tailored to a specific target user. This is the only way to maximize the value of your traffic.
2. Create Strong Headlines
Next, you need to focus on creating strong headlines for your landing pages. Not only will the headline on the landing page dictate how long users stick around, but the headline you use when posting on social media will likely determine the rate at which people click.
According to digital marketing expert Eric Sloan, every successful landing page headline has three key elements: focus, relevance, and benefits. As a bonus, it may also include urgency. When brainstorming headlines, make sure they encapsulate these important elements.
3. Follow the 70-20-10 Rule
In order to encourage people to consistently click posts that take them to landing pages, you have to make a long-term investment in your audience. You can’t post a ton of promotional content and then expect them to follow through every single time. There needs to be some balance.
In order to establish this balance, try following the 70-20-10 rule. This rule states that 70 percent of the content you share should add value to your brand. These are posts that don’t explicitly deal with your brand, but are relevant to your target audience. Next, 20 percent of content should be shared posts from other users. Finally, only 10 percent of content should be promotional in nature – i.e. driving traffic to landing pages.
If you follow this rule, you’ll find that the 10 percent of promotional content you do post will deliver better results. Since you aren’t constantly self-promoting, these posts will be seen as more valuable.
Maximize Your Social Media Traffic
Social media is a powerful tool, but make sure you’re maximizing its potential. While it’s great for building a larger brand image, it’s also an effective resource for driving targeted traffic to important landing pages. Over time, you’ll begin to learn what your audience likes and what doesn’t work. Don’t be afraid to make changes according to the feedback you gain.
