Using Social Networking
Sites to Drive Traffic to Your Site
Social networking sites seem to be the biggest thing
on the Internet right now, and there are no signs that this will change anytime
in the near - or far - future. The fact is that social networking sites,
such as MySpace, FaceBook, and others, have given people the opportunity
to express themselves, meet new people, and communicate effectively, and
nobody is going to give that up.
Social networking on the Internet may seem like a new concept to most people
- but it really isn't. The first social network appeared on the Internet
as far back as 1995, with Classmates. Classmates offers people the opportunity
to reconnect with old classmates from High School and College, and is still
in operation today - and doing quite well.
From there, social networking advanced with the onslaught of Internet dating
sites. However, these days, it has advanced to the point where social networking
sites often do not have a specific 'theme.' MySpace, which is by far the
most popular social networking site in existence, is an example of this.
No matter what your interests are, there is room for you on MySpace.
Social Networking Features
Social networking sites often have common elements. Some
have more features than others. In all cases, you are able to create your
profile. Sites, such as MySpace, actually allow you to fully customize your
profile page, so that it is very unique, using layouts that are available
all over the Internet. You can also create your own layout.
Other features include messengers, email systems, blogging features, friend's
lists, and comments sections. Some social networking sites will allow you
to send individual emails to other site members, or to send broadcast emails
out to all of the people on your network or friend's list.
Most social networking sites will allow anyone to join, and are typically
free to join. However, there are some that require a fee for membership,
such as Ryze, and some that require an invitation from another member, such
as Pownce.
Connect with Other Like-Minded People
Many people view social networking sites as 'something
to do.' However, they are much more than that. Social networking sites allow
members to express and develop identities, to build relationships, to garner
trust among their peers, and much more. The social networking sites simply
provide the means - it is the members who create the content of the site,
making these social networking sites user content driven.
Internet Marketers, large corporations, and even television shows make use
of social networking sites. For example, many popular reality television
shows have profiles on the more popular social networking sites.
This encourages public participation. They use the concept that 'everyone
wants to feel like they are a part of something' and it is successful - because
social networking sites allow everyone to be a part of something, regardless
of who they are, where they are located, their sex, religion, beliefs, careers,
backgrounds, or any other consideration that exists. Everyone who has access
to a computer with an Internet connection has a 'voice' and they can use
it with ease thanks to social networking sites.
Some of the best known social networking sites include: MySpace, Facebook,
hi5, Xanga, linkedin, reunion, friendster, bebo, tagged, and classmates.
Signing up is usually very easy, and only requires you to submit your name,
your location, a screen name, a password, and of course a valid email address.
Today, it is estimated that there are more than 200 social networking sites
in existence. You can get a more complete list of social networking sites,
as well as the 'theme' or group of people that each site caters to and the
number of members through Wikipedia. Vist the Wikipedia site and search for
social networking websites.
Marketing Via Social Networking Sites
The popularity of social networking sites stems from
the Search Engines. The Search Engines love these sites, as they always contain
fresh content. What's more, if you look at the Alexa rankings for some of
these sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, etc., you will find that they are
amoung the most popular sites on the Internet.
Although you can't advertise on these sites, you can create a profile and
include a link to your web site. This will provide a great way to not only
increase your ranking in the Search Engines, but also drive traffic to your
web site.
Social Networking Sites also provide you with a great way to spread your
content all over the Internet. For example, you can share your articles,
news, and post comments.
The key to using these sites successfully is to create a complete profile
that contains a link to your site and an RSS feed. Add fresh content on a
regular basis to drive a continuous stream of traffic to your web site.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the owner and developer of
http://www.web-source.net - Your
Guide to Professional Web Site Design and Development. Learn how to design
and develop a web site with 100's of articles, tutorials, tools, & codes,
including HTML, CSS, JavaScript and more.
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in
your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines
are included.
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