After having advertsied the upcomning changes in the past week, facebook has now started implementing the new real-time streaming version of their homepage. Seems only a few people are seeing it (myself included) as no one else at the office is seeing the same as I do:
- The new facebook homepage updates in real-time
We’ve just done some tests here, but so far I can’t see the homepage being updated realtime. One noticable change, however, is that they changed the status update box to something they call “the publisher”; unstead of “what are you doing right now?” it asks, “what’s on your mind?”.
- The new “Publisher”.
This certainly seems like an attempt to become more twitter-y, having first removed the default “is” in the beginning of the status updates. I am very curious to see the reaction to this - any changes are usually met with initial fist-shakings before people get used to the new look. Like I said, though it says I’m seeing the new interface, I have yet to see anything get updated real time. I will keep updating as new reports of people seeing the new changes come in.
Very few people wake up in the morning and say, “What in the world am I going to do with all this extra traffic I’m getting on my blog?” A more common refrain involves wondering why you ever took the time to create a blog in the first place. Here are a few tips to help remedy the situation and build traffic to your blog from a variety of sources.
How to Increase Traffic to your Blog
1. Add images and video to your blog. Sites that contain imbedded images and multimedia are easier on the eyes and will be more compelling to your visitors. BE VISUAL and you’ll develop a larger, more loyal following.
2. When you’ve got linkbait, make the most of it. If one of your posts gets picked up by Digg, Reddit or another major player, you have got to take advantage of that spike in traffic. People are going to be checking you out for the next couple of days following the post so write some of your best content ever - and whatever you do, don’t miss a post during this time. If people look at your blog as one that isn’t updated regularly they are going to move on.
3. Stay focused. As much as you dream about it, your blog simply can’t be all things to all people. If you focus on a particular topic - and show off in your expertise in that area - you are much more likely to develop a hardcore following that translates into big time traffic.
4. Use offline tactics. It may seem a bit odd, but you would would be suprised how much traffic you can generate by including your blog’s URL in direct mail pieces, business cards, print ads and other offline matierals.
5. Engage your readers. Give your blog readership a chance to get involved and come back for more. Create polls, design quizzes and give away free stuff.
6. Get involved with social media networks. It should seem pretty obvious by this point, but you need to give readers a chance to share your magnificent content with their friends on Digg, Reddit and other high traffic sites. Use Feedburner to fire up the links and bring in the traffic!
7. Don’t forget your core site! This isn’t a traffic generation tip per se, but if your end-game is to get people over to your core business site, be sure and give them ample opportunities to do so with links throughout your blog and blog posts.
Your blog should be doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of delivering traffic to your core site. Pay attention to the tips above and you should be swimming in visitors in no time.
In 2008, you offered up plenty of excuses about why your business wasn’t connected with social media marketing. Common refrains heard from marketing departments around the country included: “I’m not convinced it works“, “Let’s just wait and see where this thing goes“, and the ever popular “Facebook? That’s where my teenage daughter hangs out when she’s supposed to be doing her homework!”
Well people, this is 2009 and it’s time for a fresh attitude when it comes to social media. Why? Let’s start with the most important reason: you’re probably already behind your competitors! An established presence on the top social media hubs is the likely reason why they’re ranking so well…and above you!
But we’re not here to wallow in the past. Instead, let’s take a look at some measures you can inject into your marketing plan that will help you catch up - and then lap the field.
- Choose the right channels. You’ve got to make sure that your products and services are a good match for the social networking sites you choose. If you want to reach out to tech-heads and liberals, then go with Digg. If you want to reach people interested in personal health and fitness, go with Mixx. The examples go on and on, but finding the best matches is a key component of success.
- Create ridiculously awesome content. We love Top 10 lists as much as the next guy, but if you want to take it to the next level, you’re going to need content that people haven’t seen before. Work with a marketing company that has some seriously creative content developers on board and turn them loose on issues relevant to your keywords and phrases.
- Run some tests. There’s a food chain in the world of social networking sites and everyone has their place in the pecking order. In 2009 it’s a good idea to try out new material and strategies on some of the smaller, less-trafficked sites to see how everything goes. Once you’ve mastered the distribution and linking of information, you’ll be ready to move on to the big boys!
- Build more trust. Transparency and honesty is priority ONE for companies that want to succeed in SMM. Don’t try and fool your potential customers and brand loyalists. You will be exposed! Instead be consistent and offer those who take the time to get to know you great products, great offers and a life-long relationship.
Make this your year in social media marketing. Find a great partner who understands the ins and outs of this ever-changing landscape and have at it! There are few online marketing methods that are more cost-effective and do as good a job at building your brand online.
