The overwhelming majority of brands operating on Facebook don’t actually use Facebook to sell their products and/or services.
They use the site primarily to build up an interested audience, to drive brand awareness and reach, and to get hordes of people into their sales funnel.
Facebook is basically a complex advertisement in this sense, and the actual selling takes place offsite. Because of this, many social media marketers are constantly looking for ways to use Facebook to drive traffic back to their main website.
Some are building tremendous Facebook followings, with tons of fans and plenty of engagement, but they’re still having trouble getting people to follow the brand outside of the network.
Here are a few tips to help you drive Facebook traffic directly to your website.
Tips for Using Facebook to Drive Your Website Traffic
1: You Have to Present It!
Believe it or not, some people marketing on Facebook don’t think to include a link to their site in the material they release. Sure, they’ll link to their site in their page’s “About” section, or they’ll mention it in a roundabout way in some other location on the site. But when it comes to actually backlinking the site inside of some update, they neglect to do so. So the first step in getting Facebook traffic to your site is to provide your audience with the destination. This isn’t going to solve the issue by itself, but it’s important that you present people with the destination you want them to reach.
2: Post About Your Site
Maybe you’ve been posting backlinks to your website yet still can’t get traffic there. That’s always a big issue on Facebook, mostly because people need to know a little bit about the destination before they click. At this point in the Internet’s tenure, too many Trojans have been downloaded by too many users for everyone to simply click a link they don’t recognize. So earn some trust and build some interest by actually posting about your site. Have you updated the pages over there? Leave a post about it on Facebook. Perhaps you’ve decided to launch new products, to post new reviews, etc. Write about it in social media and inform people about your site.
3: Make Linked Content More Engaging
Another great way to get people to actually click-through when they see that site link is to create content that’s much more engaging. Content that people Like, comment on and share is also content that people are going to click-through in higher rates. This is where you need to get interesting. Don’t focus on just a little bit of print, like “Click this link.” Be creative. Post video clips, infographics, share other people’s content, ask questions, link inside of polls and quizzes, and get people interested in what they’re reading.
4: Throw Out Some Teasers
The teaser is always a fantastic way to generate traffic. Many people have a deep-seated need to find out what’s on the other side of that classic “knock-knock” line or to shout out “two bits!” after hearing “shave and a haircut.” The teasers really get people going. A question as simple as “Was this a good use of my time?” or “Is it worth the money?” can get people scratching their heads and ready to find out what those teaser questions are about. Or you could go another route and give half of a story, with the line “Here’s how you find out more,” or something along those lines. Tease, and they will come.
5: Be Generous With Your Promotions
Facebook is unique in that you can host a wide range of contests and promotions directly from the site, not needing anything else but perhaps a mass mailer to deal with all the responders. However, Facebook is also used best as an advertising tool. In other words, you can use the social network to inform people about a contest, but you can host it from your main website. This is going to draw a lot of people over. Just make sure that you’re giving them something worth visiting on the other end. Make sure you’re offering the goods and are providing fresh, relevant content to your audience. You want repeat traffic, not just one-time clickers.
As long as you can cater to an audience and strike up some interest on Facebook, you can drive this traffic directly to your website. It just takes a little effort. Make sure you’re including your links, information about your site, and that you’re providing people with a reason to actually visit. If you can do those simple things, Facebook can become one of the main sources of your site traffic.
About the author:
Simon Campbell, a writer from a Facebook ad campaign tool – Qwaya. He loves to write different topics about social media and participates in some communities and forums. You can connect with Simon on Twitter.
