Some brands have great success on social media apps, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and interacting with them on a daily basis. Other companies may have a limited budget and resources, but this does not stop them from posting on social media often. The point is that social media is a core component of modern marketing and audience-building.
What some companies fail to recognise is the importance of their websites; they put all their time and energy into building social media followings and they forget about driving sales or leads through to their websites. Think of social media as a net and your website as a hook – you can cast a wide net but many fish may escape, whereas a hook may bring in fewer fish but it is more effective at getting the job done.
Modern companies need to utilise both methods to increase their sales and reach new customers. Social media is a powerful tool for audience-building and brand awareness, but your followers need to be pushed through to your website to entice them into taking real action.
Not only does this create a more consistent stream of traffic to your website, but it can also improve brand understanding and interaction with new and existing customers. The content that you share on your social media feeds should always link back to your website with a strong call-to-action (CTA).
Steps for getting social followers to your website
Each social media channel has its own strengths and weaknesses, which is why successful brands often use multiple platforms to reach their audiences. The following steps will help you channel your social media followers through to your website, where they can fill out contact forms and even purchase products from your online store.
1) Be consistent with your content uploads – By posting relatable, shareable and valuable content on your social media profiles regularly, you can keep your feed fresh and keep your followers engaged. This content should include a mix of photos or designs, videos, articles and news snippets. As mentioned before, all content should link through to your website.
This content should also be uploaded you your website, perhaps to a blog page. This keeps your site fresh – a stagnant site that never changes will not encourage visitors to return. You also do not want to post links to the same pages of your website over and over again, as your social media followers will start to ignore these posts.
2) Boost your posts – The fastest and easiest way to maximise your post reach is to spend some money on boosting them to a targeted audience. This does not have to be an expensive exercise, but the more budget you put behind your boosted posts, the better the results will be.
At the moment, Facebook is the cheapest and most effective platform for increasing your reach and clicks to your website. Since Facebook is linked to Instagram through Meta, you can also show Facebook ads on Instagram. If you’re working with a tight budget, then this is the first platform to choose. If you have more money, consider boosting your posts on X and LinkedIn too.
3)Use strong visuals – The best-performing content on social media is undoubtedly visual. Photos, carousels and videos attract more engagement and shares than written posts. Use strong, eye-catching visuals as much as you can – even articles should have great images. Reading takes more effort than watching a short clip or looking at an infographic, so visuals make engagement easier.
If your followers see an image of your products or a video about your company, they are more likely to click on the link than if the post was just a block of text with written descriptions. Instagram is obviously geared towards strong visuals, but users on all other platforms prefer to see visual content rather than written words.
4) Make it easy to share your website content – Having amazing articles and visual content on your website is a great start, but you also need to make it easy for visitors to share this content to their own social profiles. Add share buttons to your articles and videos. Having small Facebook, X and LinkedIn logos at the bottom of your articles will allow readers to instantly share the link to their own channels, encouraging their friends and family to visit your site.
5) Each platform has unique capabilities – When posting website links to your social media feeds, each platform will have constraints and capabilities in the way these links are displayed. Facebook and LinkedIn are similar; when you paste a website link into a new social post, they will automatically pull in the main image and headline from the webpage. You can then delete the link and add your own copy and hashtags.
X (Twitter) works differently; pasting a link won’t automatically pull in an image or headline. You need to add an image manually and also keep the website link in the text. Luckily, you can use a URL shortener to paste a short version of the link so that the post doesn’t look cluttered.
Lastly, Instagram does not allow you to post links yet, so it’s best to include your homepage URL in the bio of your Instagram account. Play around with optimising posts and see what works (and looks) best for your brand. However, adding links is essential for driving social followers through to your website.
6) Don’t neglect your social bios – To drive more traffic through to your website, you need to include your website URL in all of your social media bios. On Facebook, this can be done on your ‘About’ page. Other platforms have a bio section where you can add one website link. Consider adding these URLs to your own personal profiles too, as this will encourage your own friends and family to check out your website.
7) Engage with your audience – The last tip is one of the most important; engage with your followers by answering their questions, addressing their concerns and thanking them for any feedback given on your posts. This community management takes a bit of time but is absolutely vital for maintaining good relationships with your customers and followers.
It’s an important part of establishing your brand voice and helps to solidify trust in your company. If your followers feel ignored, they will quickly unfollow your page and possibly leave scathing remarks for others to see. Be authentic, be genuine and never lose your cool when replying to social media users.
Partner with a digital marketing agency
If social media marketing and the world of websites intimidate you, then consider hiring a reliable digital marketing agency. Professional partners will run your social media channels, create amazing content, handle community management and ensure that you have a steady stream of people visiting your website on a monthly basis.
Getting eyes on your website is critical in the modern era, but always ensure that you have something to offer online visitors. Your website content should be valuable, informative and useful to the audience. Remember, it’s not always about overtly advertising your products and services – sometimes offering genuine advice or helpful tips can solidify public trust in your business.
Mobimeme offers free consultations and can put together well-rounded marketing strategies that put your customers first. Please contact us today for an assessment or to get started with your digital marketing journey.
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Mobimeme offers various digital services, including content marketing, SEO, analytics, social media management and expert direction in the digital sphere. Building and growing online audiences for your business is what we do best. For more insights, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.