Open up any business website these days, and you will inevitably see social media tabs and links. Another feature commonly found on sites is a link to blogs. Both the above increase the visibility and credibility of your business. Being as visible as possible, anywhere possible is crucial. Of course, specific social media platforms are more suited to particular companies; nevertheless, even banks have an Instagram or Facebook page alongside more focused ones such as LinkedIn. They are a great way to create engagement and win over customers. If someone is reading a well-structured and relevant blog, there is more chance that they will make contact. Blogs can be shared across all and any social media platform, with links redirected back to your website. The sharing potential of these blogs can reach into the thousands if done right.
For instance, a digital marketing firm can increase its reach by sharing in the various LinkedIn groups associated with marketing. Some of these groups have members numbering more than 500,000, so one blog post shared in that one group has the potential to reach thousands of qualified leads.
This kind of engagement has the realistic potential of driving traffic directly to your website, translating in increased sales. Furthermore, if your blogs are engaging enough, people will share them as well, further growing their reach. Share buttons on sites are likewise a valuable asset that leads to engagement. If handled correctly, involvement can quickly turn into a sale. The social media share buttons are generally located at the bottom of the landing page in the footer. Alternatively, some sites place them right at the top of the landing page. The buttons must consist of the exact logo of the social media platform otherwise they can cause confusion. Many of the official social media buttons are handed out freely and are preferable to custom made ones. These social media share buttons can and should be placed on each blog, so that it can be shared individually.
You can even track the activity generated and direct future strategy, and monitor where and when most of your website traffic comes from. If 80% of your traffic is entering from Facebook, and 10% from Twitter leaving all the others combined with just 10%, then you know you have to focus more attention on those two. Analytics will help you monitor closely how all your blogs and social media platforms are doing and how many views they are receiving.
That brilliant and expertly written blog can easily be shared at the press of a button, making it easy, straightforward and comfortable for the user to show off to all his or her contacts. And that’s the way to get free publicity by virtual word of mouth, still considered the best form of marketing in the digital world. Nothing beats a personal recommendation. The golden rule is still – KISS, keep it short and simple. You will generate much more traffic to and from your website by using social media buttons and blogs to promote your products or services discreetly.
Which social media buttons should you include on your business website?
The final question that arises is which social media buttons should you include on your business website, and which are the most relevant and essential for your business. After setting up all your social media accounts and included the official linking buttons on your website, it’s time to test. A preliminary audit of the new platforms should be performed so you can track traffic and find out which are the most productive. The most important platforms in Malta are Facebook, LinkedIn and to a lesser extent Twitter.
Others to consider are Instagram, Pinterest, Google Plus, VKontakte, and YouTube. Since it doesn’t cost anything to set up any of the above, you should try to include as many as you can. You never know where an enquire is going to come from. Furthermore, you can set up company pages for many social media platforms giving your online presence a more sophisticated and professional appearance. Weaved into the website design, they could boost your business reputation and ultimately increase sales.