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How To Drive Massive Amounts Of Free Traffic From Quora, Reddit And Forums

It IS possible to generate massive amounts of traffic for FREE.

But it does take time.

Anyone who wants to generate traffic for free can do so through engaging the online community. They can do it by sitting down and actually spending time online. They can do it by interacting with people via a variety of online platforms.

The key is to invest time and effort. When this is done, the free traffic that is generated can be a game-changer.

Plus, when done right, free traffic is more sustainable and long-lasting than paid traffic. Why? Because time and effort has been spent cultivating relationships in a casual online setting. Friendships and trust have developed with no strings and no pressure.

And that is more likely to turn followers into customers in the long-run.

The Secret To Lasting Free Traffic

Like I said above, generating free traffic is all about fostering a relationship with people.

It’s a way to develop rapport and a reputation. This reputation is one of being an expert in the niche, of being personable, and of being honest and trustworthy. It’s about building a name for yourself.

But there is more to it than just rapport and reputation. When generating free traffic, it’s about giving real value to people.

Most often, people think of social media when they think of generating free traffic.

But Community Engagement Platforms are a powerful vehicle to accomplish this goal. Otherwise known as forums, there are so many variations that it is easy to find the right ones to get involved in.

And really, forums have always been a fundamental part of the internet.

Forums & The Rise Of Community Engagement

Human beings are social creatures.

We NEED to engage in community with others. So, when the internet became a mainstay in our society, people began gathering there—in droves. Where did they gather?

The original online gathering places were forums!

For two decades, forums have been incredibly popular platforms for people to meet and talk about common interests online. Users develop relationships and even friendships with each other. Sometimes, these friendships span years.

From the earliest days, these online discussion sites have covered every topic imaginable—think music, fitness, internet marketing, Pokemon, etc. No matter the niche, it is easy to find forums of interest and post messages, ask questions, and participate in discussions.

In fact, forums were once the most active places on the internet.

Not only that, but it was through being active on forums that I first learned about internet marketing. Seriously, the engagement on forums makes it easy to engage people, help people, create a name for yourself and put an offer in front of the ideal customer.

Of course, forums today are not quite like they were. They have evolved…

And I call the new wave of forums Community Engagement Platforms.

The Best Community Engagement Platforms

Community Engagement Platforms come in all shapes and sizes. The traditional forum is still there, but there are other platforms that are very similar and just as effective.

Let’s take a look at each of these…

Forums

The traditional forum is still out there and going strong.

There are forums for every niche and sub-niche known to humanity. And as I mentioned, forums have been a huge part of the internet since its earliest days.

Forums have a very simple structure. In every forum, there are “threads.” These are posts that one user starts and everyone can comment on. These threads exist on every sub-topic in a niche. Members of the forum can start a new thread in order to ask a question, pass on information, or get a stimulating discussion going.

Forums are places where people are passionate and hungry for knowledge on certain topics. Even though many people primarily use social media like Facebook, some forums are still as popular as ever.

To get involved in forums in your niche, do a search. It is easy to find forums to join. For example, if the natural health niche is the target, search for “Natural Health forum.” There are always popular forums to get involved in. Here are some examples:

• com is an active forum in the fitness niche.
• Warrior Forum is a HUGE forum for internet marketing.
• net is one of the top forums in the prepper and survivalist niche.

Just find an active forum and get involved. Do NOT try to sell people. Do NOT come on hard to gain their trust and get their attention. Just enjoy participating, starting discussions and build some credibility. The rest will fall into place.

Quora

Quora is a very unique platform. It is an amazing blend of social media and a forum that really brings people together and provides tremendous value.

Quora is a fantastic place to find answers to any question imaginable.

Essentially, people ask questions on Quora and it is open to be answered by anyone. This is IDEAL for anyone trying to drive traffic.

Any topic can be discussed in detail. This allows user to really drill down and have an in-depth discussion. And getting involved in those discussions can really boost visibility and credibility. A regular user can easily become established as an expert and gain people’s trust.

Plus, using Quora is so easy. Just get on it and search for relevant questions. It’s also wise to follow active people in your niche.

And finding and answering questions related to one of your blog posts or free eBooks or reports is simple and effective. Just answer the question with great information and link to your blog post of free report at the end.

Quora allows you to provide excellent responses while linking to your own relevant content.

Yahoo! Answers

Yes, Quora has improved on the Yahoo! Answers model. But Yahoo! Answers is still incredibly useful. In fact, it is the original question and answer forum. And Yahoo! itself has been around a long time.

Yahoo! Answers has a points system for answers. The better the answer, the more points awarded. Plus, people who give the best answers can be featured in the Yahoo! blog. Talk about great exposure and credibility building!

Again, as with Quora, the idea is to search for questions related to your blog of free offers. Then answer the questions and link to your content. And the best part is, any answers provided on Quora can be copied and pasted right into Yahoo! Answers, saving valuable time.

Reddit

Reddit is very popular. People spend a LOT of time on Reddit.

And Reddit is set up in a unique way. It is a massive forum that is made up of subtopics known as Subreddits. Each Subreddit is connected to a certain niche. And a single niche can have multiple Subreddits.

There are Subreddits on everything imaginable!

Anyone and everyone can find something of interest on Reddit. And this makes it a very valuable forum for internet marketers. Simply find Subreddits in your niche and get active. Create Subreddits.

Just be sure to get a feel for Reddit and any Subreddit you engage in. Each Subreddit has a unique feel. Some can be very sarcastic, witty, and use niche-specific slang. Others can be more proper and structured in their participation.

But beware. Reddit users are smart. They will spot a sales pitch before it is made and they can be especially harsh with spammers. So, tread lightly and simply engage as a fellow user. Only link to relevant content that people in that Subreddit would like.

As long as you share the same mindset and interests as the majority of Reddit users, you can build massive credibility and drive a lot of traffic.

It takes time to build a reputation on Reddit. But it pays off so well when you immerse yourself in the community.

Facebook Groups

Yes, Facebook has forums—in the form of Facebook groups.

That is essentially what Facebook groups are—forums. They offer people with similar interests a platform to get together and talk with each other.

And since people spend so much time on Facebook, this is truly a goldmine. Seriously, Facebook is HUGE. Zephoria reports that there are more the 2 billion Facebook users and that the average user spends 20 minutes a day on Facebook.

When a Facebook user belongs to a group, they get notifications every time a post is made. This means there is greater visibility for anyone posting in a Facebook group. The key is to join niche-related Facebook Groups and get active.

And best of all, anyone can start a Facebook group in any niche they want. This is a great way to build credibility and establish yourself as an expert.

And now, having talked about these great Community Engagement Platforms, it’s important to know this is just the beginning. It’s not enough just to join these communities. There are certain steps that must be taken to ensure tons of traffic is driven through these forums.

Follow these five steps and the traffic WILL begin to flow…

5 Steps To Drive Tons Of Traffic Through Community Forums

Just joining a forum is NOT enough.

It’s only the first step in a journey that has the potential to drive significant traffic. The key to driving traffic through community forums is to genuinely become part of the community. And this can be done by following these steps…

1. Get Active

To drive substantial amounts of traffic from community forums, the key is to be fully active.

And being active on a forum is what it’s all about!

The first step in becoming active is to build a complete profile. This profile needs to be genuine. Include a photo. Write a thoughtful bio that includes relevant skills and experience. Be honest about who you are and what you have to offer the community.

It’s also critical to get a feel for the community.

Learn how other members of the forum interact with each other. Learn the tone of the conversations. Is it more professional or casual? Do people use a lot of humor? Do they chum around with each other or provide very detailed information about topics being discussed?

Once the profile is set up and the feel of the community has been established, it’s time to engage. Read the threads. Comment when there is something relevant and useful to say. Start threads when there is a need.

Over time, the people on the forum will get to know you. This will go a long way to building trust and credibility.

But keep in mind that every post must deliver…

2. Value First

Provide value first and foremost!

Nothing else matters! No one is going to click on any links posted if they don’t feel the information that is posted is valuable. That means that every response and comment, every bit of information shared MUST be of value. It must be relevant. It must be thoughtful. The more value provided, the better.

And above all else—BE YOURSELF!

Be authentic in everything you contribute. Have a unique voice and message that makes it possible to stand out from the crowd. Otherwise, yours will be just another voice lost in a sea of voices.

The more engagement and the more value provided, the more credibility grows.

So, join the community with the aim of being part of it—NOT with the goal of driving traffic. In the end, the traffic WILL come.

3. Be Consistent

I cannot begin to express the importance of consistency when engaging in forums.

Consistency is key!

Post regularly and build on those posts over time. Being active every single day is critical for success. It might seem like a lot of commitment to post every day, but it doesn’t have to take up much time. Spend 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Post comments and provide advice. Answer questions and start a thread.

But that commitment is NEEDED for success!

When this is done consistently, after a few months—definitely a year or two—there will be a following of loyal customers. I know this might seem like a long time. But considering these customers were gained at no cost and are incredibly loyal, it’s worth the time and effort.

4. Utilize Links

Links are your best friend on community forums.

Yes, the posts might just contain information. No direct selling is happening. But including a link in your post is a subtle way of pointing people in the right direction.

Use links wherever you can!

Link to your website in your bio, signature (most forums have signatures), and in any relevant posts. Just be sure to know the rules for links with each platform. Some platforms don’t allow affiliate links. Some don’t allow links to Amazon products.

For example, Quora doesn’t allow an answer to be written only to sell something or just for the purpose of linking somewhere. The answer provided must be coherent in order to be approved. This ensures Quora maintains its reputation as a great place to get answers. So, if great information is provided, then it is acceptable to include a relevant link at the end.

Another option for links is to link to a relevant piece of content. Say there is a question that your blog has answered in the past. Provide a short answer, then link to that blog post if the reader wants to find out more.

The whole idea is to use links to get people into your funnel. Never try to sell people on forums. The attempt will come across as sleazy and ruin credibility.

The forum is for engaging and subtly directing—NOT for selling.

5. Guide People Into Your Funnel

I can promise that if someone comes across as spammy on forums, people WILL see right through it.

If this happens, all credibility goes out the window. Period.

Before this journey into the realm of forums even begins, a clear funnel should be established. It is important to know where the funnel begins and where it will end. Then people can be gently guided into that funnel.

Understand that when first joining the forum, the traffic generated will be cold traffic.

This is just like traffic from paid advertising. They don’t know the brand or the person behind it at all. But the more time spent on forums, the more they get to know you. The traffic shifts to warm and then to hot.

And HOT traffic buys.

To get people into the funnel, link to relevant content that provides value. These links will take people out of the forum and into your territory. The best links will go to a blog post or to a free offer—where the person’s email address will be collected.

For instance, there might be a question on Quora about nutrition. Answer the question (providing value) and include a link to a blog post about nutrition. Alternatively, link to a free offer, such as a report on nutrition.

Once people sign up for the email list, it is possible to take them to the next level of the funnel. And at this point, it is possible to sell them. Offer them a book, course, or coaching service. Start small and work them along the funnel over time.

That really is all there is to it. Just remember to always provide value and avoid selling in the forum and a following of loyal customers will grow.

Yes, it takes time and effort to drive traffic through Community Engagement Platforms. It can take many months of daily contributions to multiple forums.

But this time and effort are truly worth it. The following garnered from it will be very loyal as long as value is provided time and time again. The best Community Engagement Platforms include:

• Forums
• Quora
• Yahoo! Answers
• Reddit
• Facebook groups

The traffic that comes from these community forums is already warm or even hot because a relationship has had time to develop. They have come to trust. Credibility has been built. But only if these five steps are followed when posting in these forums:

1. Get Active—Create a profile and get to know the vibe of the forum. Then start posting!
2. Value First—Always provide value in every word posted. NEVER sell.
3. Be Consistent—Post daily to get the best results.
4. Utilize Links—Whenever and wherever links are allowed, use them.
5. Guide People Into The Funnel—The ultimate goal is to get people into the sales funnel. By using relevant links, as discussed above, people can be brought from the forum onto your turf. This eases them into the lowest level of the funnel.

Really, getting onto community forums and chatting with people is easy and natural. The more it is done, the more a part of the community you’ll become. And the more people’s trust and friendship is earned.

The key is to just be yourself and engage as much as possible.

Driving free traffic CAN be done. There are many ways to do it. To learn more about driving traffic from Community Engagement Platforms and other ways to drive free traffic…

Join us at our Free Traffic Bootcamp!

This is the best place to learn more great tips. And all attendees will gain access to tools that make it easier than ever to drive tons of traffic.

This Free Traffic Bootcamp will be run by experts who have years of experience. They want to help as many people as possible succeed.

Anyone who is serious about their online business CANNOT miss this bootcamp!

So, sign up now.

See you soon!

 

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How to Drive Massive Amounts of Free Traffic From Facebook And Twitter

EVERY business needs traffic to survive.

Online businesses have two ways to do this… Paid traffic AND free traffic. And both are necessary for lasting success.

Paid traffic is the traffic brought through things like advertising and purchasing email leads. This type of traffic takes very little time to generate, but it costs money.

On the other hand, free traffic costs—well—NOTHING.

It does take a lot more time and effort to make it happen. But that time and effort is well worth it.

With free traffic, awesome credibility is built over time. Followers get to know the brand and the person behind that brand. This makes the traffic warm and more open to entering the sales funnel.

Obviously, the more FREE traffic that can be generated, the better. And getting free traffic is not only possible—it’s really simple to do!

Plus, the best part is there are so many forms of free traffic to take advantage of. Social media is one great source of free traffic. And two of the very best social media platforms are Facebook and Twitter.

Why Social Media?

Social media—it’s where everyone is!

Anyone who operates any kind of business—online or offline—CANNOT ignore social media. Why? Take a look:

• There are 46 billion social media users—that’s 1/3 of the Earth’s population! (Statista)
• 92% of companies use social media for hiring new employees. (The Muse)
• 34% of social media users use social media to find content. (Global Web Index)
• 27% of social media users use social media to research and find products.
• People are on social media for an average of 135 minutes per day. (Statista)

People LOVE social media. And it makes sense to meet them where they are already spending their time.

This is especially true of Facebook—which is the #1 social media platform.

Facebook

This is the 600-pound gorilla in the room. People spend SO much time on Facebook!

Facebook truly IS the king of social media.

Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly users. That is a HUGE audience base that cannot be ignored! Zephoria.com reports several reasons why:

• 510,000 comments and 293,000 status updates are posted on Facebook every minute.
• Every day, 75 billion pieces of content are shared.
• 50% of people ages 18-24 go on Facebook as soon as they wake up in the morning.
• One out of every five page-views in the U.S. is on Facebook.
• Every second, five new Facebook profiles are created.
• 42% of marketers says Facebook is important to their business.

Facebook is a place where people connect with who they know. It’s where they catch up and share with their friends and family. And people can post and enjoy all kinds of media on Facebook. This includes:

• Text
• Videos
• Pictures
• Links

People can Like and Follow people and pages, create events, comment, and share. Because of this, content can easily go viral.

And the more content goes viral, the more people will find and interact with a brand.

Twitter

So many people dismiss Twitter as useless for anything business-related.

After all, there are only 140 characters available at a time.

But here’s a little secret: Twitter’s 140 character limit is actually advantageous in some ways:

• It takes very little time to write a tweet.
• It takes very little time for someone to read a tweet—think busy people who don’t have time to read long posts.
• 140 characters is all that is needed to post a link, image, or short video.
• It makes it easier for people to click links, because the meat of the content will be on another website.

Twitter is a phenomenal way to make an initial connection with people and generate cold traffic. It makes the perfect first step in a funnel.

And tweets have massive potential to reach millions of people and go viral! Just take a look at these Twitter stats offered by Expanded Ramblings:

• Over 1 billion registered users
• Over 100 million daily active users
• Over 120 million unique visitors per month
• The average number of followers per Twitter user is 208
• Over 550 million accounts have sent at least one tweet
• 9,100 tweets are sent every second
• 34% of active users log on more than once per day
• 83% of world leaders use Twitter
• The US alone has over 67 million Twitter users

There is no way anyone serious about generating free traffic can ignore Twitter OR Facebook. The key is to know how to use these platforms effectively.

How to Drive Massive Amounts of Free Traffic From Facebook And Twitter

There is strategy involved in driving traffic from Facebook and Twitter. Just getting on and making random posts won’t do the job.

After all, millions of other people are doing the same thing.

The key is to leverage Facebook and Twitter to build a following and drive massive amounts of traffic. And there are four factors that are crucial to driving free traffic from social media.

Let’s take a look…

1. Unique Voice

Any brand or business owner MUST have a unique voice to stand out.

The same old, same old won’t draw people’s attention. There are going to be plenty of other people posting in the same niche. The key is to create a unique brand voice, one that speaks to who the person behind the brand truly is.

Seriously, people love authenticity. They love to see someone tackle problems from a unique perspective. This obviously applies to Facebook. But uniqueness is just as important on Twitter.

Twitter makes it possible to use humor, wittiness, quotes, short pieces of wisdom, and concise social commentary—all within that 140-character limit. Using this in a unique way will create a BIG organic buzz.

2. Consistency

Be CONSISTENT!

Post every day on Facebook. One daily post will reach followers and keep them engaged.

Post multiple times a day on Twitter. Twitter is a much faster-moving platform. Tweets are fed into the system so quickly that it’s easy for people to miss them. By posting at least three or four times a day, it is possible to reach and connect with more people.

Consistency is how a brand is built. Consistency helps build relationships and reputation.

And for the best results, consistency needs to be paired with great content.

3. Create Awesome Content

We’ve talked about the importance of consistency in terms of timing—but the type and quality of the content also needs to be consistent.

Know what works best and use that to draw people in.

Videos and images work best on Facebook. Tubular Insights reports that 500 million people watch Facebook videos every single day! This translates into 100 million hours of video watched each day.

When it comes to Twitter, plain text works better than on any other social media platform. People expect short bursts of text in a tweet. Having said that, images and videos also work well on Twitter.

It is critical to use keywords on both Facebook and Twitter.

Include keywords in descriptions, status updates, and tweets. Keywords in social media work just as they do with Google—they make the content more searchable.

On Twitter, keywords can also come in the form of hashtags. Using hashtags will ensure a tweet shows up for anyone searching that hashtag.

Just remember not to overuse keywords or hashtags. You can have too much of a good thing. After all, search engines and followers like there to be substance to what is posted.

And the content created should also be sharable.

This means creating content that gets people excited. They want to comment on it. They want others to see it. And there are so many ways to create shareable content, such as:

• Asking a question
• Asking people to share their experience
• Creating content people will definitely want to share

Comments, shares, and any other type of post interaction helps boost the post in the search algorithms.

But remember—NEVER try to sell on social media.

Have a funnel—but use social media to engage people and bring them into that funnel gently. In fact, social media is the first step in that funnel. It’s the entry point. Here’s an example:

When there is a tweet or Facebook post, it can link to a blog post. Then it goes like this:

Blog post > Email newsletter > Email sequence > Selling an offer.

And finally…

4. Get Engaged

Generating traffic through social media doesn’t only meaning engaging followers.

It’s also about BEING engaged.

Engagement is key for brand growth and building relationships. And being engaged is so easy! Here are some ways to do it:

• Follow people within the niche
• Respond to every question or comment on all profiles (especially when first starting out)
• Be generous with tagging people—Tag similar pages in Facebook posts and tweet at similar profiles in your niche. This gets the brand and the person behind it on people’s radars. And it gets them liking the brand and wanting to reciprocate.
• Share relevant content—Share relevant Facebook posts. Retweet relevant tweets. This enhances your visibility and credibility.
• Comment—Comment on Facebook posts in your niche. Comment in Facebook groups. On Twitter, respond to people’s tweets in your niche.

By engaging in these ways, people will see that it is about more than just your posts and the brand. It’s about getting out there and truly becoming part of the community.

At this point, we have talked about creating great content. And now it’s time to see the types of resources there are to help make that happen.

Resources For Creating Great Content

The written word is absolutely one of the most powerful things on this planet.

But there are two additional resources that can take that social media presence to the next level. These are:

• Images
• Video

These visual elements work well because people tend to be very visually oriented. This means images and video truly appeal to followers.

And because of the visual appeal, images and videos have massive viral potential.

Images

Images work well on any social media platform. Just think about it. Whenever there is an image, the eyes are automatically drawn to it. We just can’t help looking!

Plus, images are extremely shareable, whether on Facebook or Twitter.

It’s easy to find free images to use. In fact, there are resources for stock photos that are royalty-free and are part of creative commons. This means, use of these images doesn’t require permission or the need to cite the source of the photo.

Here are some places to get these free stock photos:

• Pixabay
• Pexels
• Unsplash
• io

As for stock photos that are paid for, Shutterstock is the best source (but it’s expensive).

However, the best images to use are ones you’ve photographed or created yourself. Creating images is simple with the right software. Canva offers an easy DIY option, using your own photos or their stock photos.

It is also possible to have someone else create images. There are plenty of freelancers out there who are highly talented and ready to help for a reasonable fee. Find the best on Upwork, Fiverr, and Guru.

Videos

People LOVE watching videos on social media!

Videos grab the attention in a way not even images can. And like images, videos are sharable and have viral potential on both Facebook and Twitter.

And making a video is so easy. Face-to-camera videos work great for Facebook and Twitter. Just get in front of the camera and talk. You can:

• Introduce yourself
• Introduce an employee
• Do a product review
• Do a demonstration
• Conduct an interview
• Do anything else related to the niche

All that is required for a face-to-camera video is a good webcam, which is inexpensive these days. Or simply get a selfie stick and use a smartphone.

And for those who don’t like being in front of the camera, there are screen capture videos. Just use some great screen-capture software, such as Screencast-O-Matic or Camtasia and record a voiceover.

For even more resources for making videos, see our blog post on driving traffic from YouTube.

And remember, once the images or videos are made, they can be shared across ALL social networks! Make it once and share it as many times as possible.

Social media is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to driving free traffic.

And Facebook and Twitter are the best social media platforms to use!

Reach millions—even billions—of users through Facebook and Twitter. Simply apply these four factors to Facebook and Twitter posts to build followers and bring them into the first stage of the sales funnel.

1. Unique Voice
2. Consistency
3. Create Awesome Content
4. Get Engaged

It is critical to engage with the niche community and to engage followers.

Using images and videos makes it possible to raise this level of engagement.

There is so much to know about driving free traffic. This is just the beginning.

To learn more advanced strategies, join us for our Free Traffic Bootcamp.

People attending this bootcamp will learn more great tips on driving free traffic. They will also gain access to tools that make driving free traffic easier than ever.

So, sign up for the Free Traffic Bootcamp now and learn from the experience of experts who have done it successfully.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

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How To Drive Massive Amounts of Free Traffic From Blogging

Content IS king.

Try running any successful online business online without content. It’s just not going to work.

And one of the most effective ways to deliver that content is through blogging. Here are some stats that prove it:

• 77% of people who use the internet read blogs (Impact).
• 346 million people around the globe read blogs (the future buzz).
• American internet users spend three times more time reading blogs than they spend reading emails (HubSpot).
• 79% of people who shop online spend half their time researching products online (HubSpot).
• As of 2016, 36% of Fortune 500 companies had a public blog (Statista).
• 89% of companies believe blogging will grow more important over the next five years (Impact).
• Marketers who focus on blogging as a priority are 13 times more likely to see a positive ROI (HubSpot).
• Leads from SEO have a close rate of 14.3%, compared to a close rate of 1.7% for email or print advertising (Search Engine Journal).

Clearly, blogging is not only important —it’s a game changer.

And blogs are THE BEST way to rank organically in search engines. They are the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy, hands down. Google, Bing and every other search engine LOVES blogs.

And the best part about all this is that blogging is so easy.

It isn’t necessary to be incredibly tech savvy. It isn’t necessary to be an amazing writer. All that’s needed is the ability to provide people with quality content they value. The rest will fall into place.

Having said that, let’s start at the beginning…

What Is a Blog?

In the late 1990s, people started writing web logs, which soon became known as blogs.

These days, regular people, celebrities, companies, and politicians all use blogging as a way to communicate and talk about their experiences. A blog is simply…

A website that is constantly updated with new articles.

Each article is a blog post. People can write about anything. They can write about:

• Their travel experiences
• Products they like
• Business reviews
• Their hobby
• Their job
• The books they have read
• Literally ANYTHING else!

Blogs can be personal or professional. They can contain opinion or fact (or both).

And guess what? You’re reading a blog right now.

Businesses big and small are beginning to see the advantages to blogging.

But here is another perspective on blogging…

It’s the new form of magazine or newspaper that anyone can run. Blogging offers a unique way for a person to get information out to their target audience. And anyone can subscribe to a blog for FREE.

Plus, blogs seriously drive traffic. And that is a MAJOR benefit.

Why Blogging Drives So Much Traffic

Blogs are content—content that is rich in keywords.

And those keywords help blogs rank high in the search engines.

The keyword usage in blogs means that it’s easy to use search engine optimization to ensure they rank high. All that’s needed is a little bit of effort on a consistent basis and a blog can really take off.

Now, the value of SEO cannot be overstated. Many people think SEO is dead. It’s not. Far from it. SEO has simply evolved—thanks to the many changes Google has made to its search engine algorithms over the years. All you need for effective SEO is to:

• Write good posts consistently
• Use effective target keywords
• Get social buzz

SEO = Free traffic over the long term.

And that’s powerful!

It’s like having free traffic that comes with just a little effort and patience and builds over time. And blogging provides some amazing opportunities to build a business.

Opportunities With Blogging

No matter what type of business it may be—blogging can take it to the next level.

Blogging can be used with ANY type of online or offline business. It can be used for ecommerce, coaching/consulting, digital publishing or any other business model.

A blog can be combined with the business website to bring more traffic, provide great information and engage the customer.

Now, there are two major advantages to having a blog associated with a business. The first is that the blog provides the ability to build both the brand and credibility.

By posting articles that are valuable and informative, a brand – and the person behind that brand – can build a reputation for being an expert in that industry. Through connecting with other experts, guest blogging, and providing up-to-date information, credibility grows.

The second major thing a blog does is help a business owner reach more people. Like I mentioned above, people love blogs. A whopping 77% of people who use the internet read blogs.

And when people read a blog, the business that runs the blog can connect with their readers and develop a relationship with them. Readers can use the comments section to engage in conversation, ask questions, and tell about their own experiences.

Building this relationship with readers helps build trust.

And people buy from businesses and brands they trust.

Any business that wants to succeed CANNOT pass up the opportunities blogging offers.

And starting a blog can be so quick and easy.

How To Quickly Get a Blog Up And Running

It is possible to have a blog up and running in just minutes.

All you need is to:

• Get a domain name
• Buy hosting
• Sign up with WordPress
• Start putting out blog posts

GoDaddy is the easiest place to get a domain name. Once the domain name is claimed, hosting can also be done with GoDaddy. But I highly recommend using Bluehost or HostGator for hosting.

When the host service is set up, it is easy to install WordPress through them with one simple click of the mouse button. They all have WordPress integrated into their dashboards.

And once WordPress is set up, the only thing left to do is to start blogging.

How to Create Great Content

Setting up the blog is simple, and posting content is too. If you follow a few simple guidelines…

One of the most intimidating aspects of blogging is often figuring out what to write about. But this is actually really easy. Here are some options:

• Create “foundational content” for your niche – For example, if it’s the personal development niche, write a “Meditation 101” This article will lay out the basics. Then write additional blogs that will dive into more detail with each of these basics.
• Find what’s already popular – Visit other blogs, forums, and social media to find out what people are talking about. Find out what questions the niche audience is asking. And write about these topics!

Writing blog posts on your own is easy, even without experience.

To write a blog post, first outline the post to determine exactly what to write about. Then do the following:

• Come up with an attention-grabbing title—This is what draws the reader in.
• Hook the reader with first sentence—Make it something so captivating, outrageous or intriguing they feel they MUST keep reading.
• Break the blog up into small paragraphs—This makes the post more visually appealing and easier to read. It harnesses the power of visual flow.
• Add some high-quality pictures—Blog posts that include images are rewarded with 94% more views!

For people who aren’t comfortable with sitting down and writing a blog post, there are a couple of options.

The first is to simply talk. Make a voice recording of what the blog should say. Then use a transcription service to turn that recording into a written post that can be edited and published. Two of the best transcription services are rev.com and Temi.

The second option for those who don’t want to or have the time to write their own blog is to outsource it. Yes, a professional writer can be hired to write the blog for a reasonable fee. Writers can be found on sites such as Upwork, iWriter, or Constant Content.

Just remember, regardless of how the blog posts are created, there are certain strategies to follow to make them more effective.

And these strategies can mean the difference between success and failure.

Blogging Strategy 101

HOW a blog is written makes a difference.

To be truly effective, certain blogging strategies MUST be followed to the letter. They aren’t numerous or complicated, but they’re critical to success. Here they are:

Post Regularly

This is so important. Posts need to be regular and CONSISTENT. Once people start following the blog, they will expect regular posts. So, decide how many times a week and what days to post. Then stick with that schedule.

Consistency is key!

Regular posts also help websites rank higher in search engine results.

And take the time to plan blog posts at least two weeks to a month in advance. A blogger who does this will never be left wondering what to write about next.

Keywords and Links

Decide what the post will be about and choose the most effective keywords for that post.

Then use those keywords throughout the post! It is these keywords that people will be looking for in the search engines. It’s these keywords that the blog post will rank for.

And sprinkle relevant links throughout the post, as well. Links are the currency of the internet.

Link to other posts made on that blog, posts by other people in the niche or industry, and products and other forms of content that are appropriate. The more a blog links to others, the more likely they will be to link back to that blog and the more Google will think the content is relevant.

Visual Flow

This is all about how appealing the post is to the eyes.

People do NOT want to read something that looks intimidating. So, break up the flow of the post. Use paragraphs of varying length, but keep them no longer than four or five lines. And vary the length of sentences.

It is also important to make use of bold, italics, underline, and color. These will make the text stand out in a way that’s highly appealing to the eye. It will also get important points across.

Foundational Content

Begin at the beginning.

Teach people the basics and build on that. This will get people in the door from the beginning and keep them around. They will see the value build and learn more each time they visit. These will be long-term blog followers (and most likely repeat customers).

Share on Social Media

Get that blog out there! Share every post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and any other social media platform that’s relevant.

When posts are shared, they will reach more and more people and have a better chance of going viral. It will definitely increase readership. And it’s easy to do. Just link the blog to the relevant social media accounts and new posts will automatically show up on the social media feeds.

Call-To-Action

There must be calls-to-action (CTA’s) in every single post.

The goal isn’t just to provide readers with valuable content, but to get them to take action. Include a CTA that will let readers sign up for an email list or make a purchase or take some other form of action that will move the reader into the sales funnel.

Have a Funnel

This is one that so many people miss…

And leave money on the table as a result.

There MUST be a sales funnel.

Every blogger should build an email list. Because, as I’ve said multiple times, email marketing is crucial to success.

Once a blog reader subscribes to the email list, they become a potential customer. Then it’s possible to promote products or services to them over and over again.

Following these strategies will create awesome success for any blog. Just remember that it’s all about connection.

Establish connection with the reader and everything else will fall into place.

Blogging is one of the most effective ways to drive A LOT of free traffic.

Plus, people simply LOVE reading blogs. And blogging is easy and its accessible to everyone. Anyone can start a blog about anything at all!

And businesses benefit from blogs because blogs drive so much traffic.

A blog is simply a website that is devoted to posting articles that provide valuable information. Blogs can be about anything under the sun. Any niche can have a blog. Any business can have a blog.

A blog can help a business build its brand and its credibility. A blog can also help a business extend its reach to more people.

A blog can be created quickly, simply by:

1. Purchasing a domain name
2. Signing up with a web host
3. Connecting to WordPress

Once these three simple steps have been done, blogging can begin!

But it is so important to master the blogging strategies outlined above. Again, these strategies are:

• Post Regularly
• Keywords and Links
• Visual Flow
• Foundational Content
• Share on Social Media
• Call-to-Action
• Have a Funnel

Still feeling overwhelmed? We want to help.

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I am looking forward to seeing you there!

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