One of the main challenges of running a website, any kind of website, is how to bring a fresh stream of existing and new customers to visit the site. This is true whether you’re running a blog and need more readers, or a sophisticated e-commerce site that you’re optimizing for conversions.
One of the best ways to get a steady stream of readers to your site is closer integration with social media. Here are 5 strategies on how to do this:
1. Announce new content on social media
Social media is perfect for short, catchy announcements meant to get people back to your site. Try to condense your new post to its shortest, most pithy version, and put that up on the social networks to catch people’s attention. To save time, you should actually try to write these social updates concurrently with the original post, so they are available for you to use at your discretion.
2. Encourage users to share their interactions with your brand
You’ve probably seen language on other websites encouraging you to share a product purchase on social media. While not every visitor will be a willing advertiser for you, there are plenty of people these days who are always on the lookout for new content to post to their social channels. So, when they buy something or read something good, it comes naturally to them to share this to their followers. All you have to do is put the right tools in place so that the social sharing buttons are there on the page, visible enough, and integrated with their respective platforms.
3. Add an Instagram feed to your homepage
Homepages are often static in nature, which means that they can get old, fast. Add some dynamic content to your homepage by inserting a social media feed into it. That way, your visitors will be able to get the latest scoop on your brand right then and there. We recommend doing this with Instagram if you have one, because a feed of colorful images is more visually appealing than a Twitter or Facebook feed.
4. Use social sign-ins
If your site has a member area or allows customers to create an account, consider adding integration that allows them to sign up and sign in with their social media credentials. The benefits of these are twofold. First, you’re removing the barrier to account creation, because the visitor doesn’t have to go through the hassle of creating a new account—they can simply sign in with credentials they already have. Secondly, because they’re signed in with social media, the visitors can seamlessly comment on your site or share your content on their social feeds.
5. Use social media for free product research
Your followers are likely willing to share a surprising amount of valuable information with you, and all you have to do is ask. You can ask them what they like about a particular product, or what improvements they would suggest. One key thing to remember is to gauge your audience—you want this to be a helpful conversation, and don’t want your followers to pile on with negative feedback, which could quickly turn into a negative marketing fiasco.
We hope these tips help you think more carefully about the many benefits of integrating your website with your social media channels!
