One of the fastest ways to promote your WordPress websites?
Looking no further for the answer, because here I have two words with me that will clear your doubt: social media! In 60 seconds you spend reading these lines, out there on the Internet, 3,3 million Facebook posts are made, 448,800 Twitter tweets are updated, and 65,972 Instagram photos are uploaded (statistics from smartinsights.com). Seeing how powerful the social media network can make me realize one simple thing: Own the social media, and you will own the Internet! Now, tell me, do you want your beloved website to own the Internet?
Nodding your head? Then, may I welcome you to the comprehensive guide of “How to Increase Your Social Media Strategy with WordPress: Comprehensive Guide”! Before we keep going, I must tell you that what we are embarking on is a long journey! No one can make a WordPress website go viral in one night, right?
Although everything takes time and efforts, please rest assured that I will take you on the fastest and simplest route! Having said that, I do not at all imply that we will do what they usually do to get attention like spamming social bookmarking and networking sites and requesting people to go to their links! That, obviously, is annoying! No one in his right mind would do this since the website will get hated, not loved!
Instead, Here Is What We Do to Take Our WordPress Babies to the Next Level:
- Create Viral Content
- Solicit Content Rating and Feedback
- Allow Users to Chat with Each Other
- Occasionally Give Away Free Downloads
- Make Use of Responsive Image Maps
- Publish Tutorials and Pillar Articles
- Broaden Your Network
- Stay Active!
Prepared yet? Let’s go!
Create Viral Content
First of all, let’s make sure we all understand the term “viral content”! We use the term “viral content” for the type of content that can instantly become an online sensation due to its gripping characteristic. If your WordPress website, or any website, knows how to make the most out of viral content, it is sure that the site will get loads of traffic and make great revenue. Besides, with the help of social networking sites, viral content websites are closer to success than ever before. If this sounds appealing enough for you, let us get to the fun part:
What really is viral content? And How we create them?
To answer the first question: viral content can be anything! It could be an article, it could be a video, it could be your next post! But having some clues is way better, right? Well, for your information, according to a study by BuzzSumo and Moz, one of the most shared content nowadays are easy-to-take quizzes! As mankind is always curious and highly participating, quizzes and polls can really go viral via Facebook shares and Twitter tweets!
If you are not sure about your ability to create such content, WordPress plugins like SurveyFunnel or Riddle, are there to offer help!
Not really interested in such content? Well, then it is time for you to create your own type of viral content! There are presumably two ways of doing it:
- Figure out the type of content that is doing well online and work out similar stuff for your WordPress website;
- Think up a unique idea which has a high potential of going viral on the Internet in matters of hours.
After having your ideas, you will have to invest time in several WordPress resources for creating a viral content website because no one can build a viral website alone. Here I will give you some names for consideration. Since they are all highly recommended by renowned WordPress people, you may just relax: Bimber, TruePixel, SocialMe, Monarch Plugin, Aruna, and Pin.
Solicit Content Rating and Feedback
If your website offers something out of the norm, it is almost undoubted that visitors will come back and back again, while also recommending your site to other people. As a website owner, besides providing great content, your job is to give people the fun they want! But how? Well, if you have removed the old and boring comment section from your website, it is high time you replaced it with something cooler! By “cooler”, I obviously mean the content ratings and feedback!
What is more, having visitors use icons instead of comments will also make it easier for you to know what type of content gets the most and the least attention. Since many developers share the same ideas with me, there are tons of WordPress plugins that can make this possible. So, just grab the assistance you need from one of these plugins below and give your visitors an extraordinary way of showing their response to your posts!
These WordPress rating plugins, including MyEffecto, Voting – Feedbacks plugin by Vicomi or FL3R Feelbox, will surely know what you want!
Allow Users to Chat with Each Other
One effective way of getting people attached to your WordPress website is to build their network within your website!
Speaking from my experience, if I feel the bond with a place, I can never leave. That explains how this idea works! When you allow your users to chat on your website, they will visit your website more often to broaden their network, which will increase your site interactivity! What will it eventually lead to if not more fame and recognition for your website? So, what I recommend here is to add a chat function to your site. To ease your hardship, here are some names:
- Private Messages for UserPro enables users to send/ reply to private messages, view conversations and receive notifications.
- Chat by WPmudev arranges public chat sessions, one-on-one chats, as well as chats between the site owner and users.
Occasionally Give Away Free Downloads
Who doesn’t love free good stuff? The answer is, definitely, everyone!
Therefore, giving away free downloads is totally one of the best measures to gain fame for your WordPress website. Then, here is another question: What should we give? Well, it could be almost anything, ranging from a useful tool, a know-how e-book, a WordPress theme, to a free online tutorial course! Based on my time working with other websites, I can see that people always say yes to free things, especially when it is valuable! So, whatever you want to give away for free, make sure it is worth downloading! Or else it would all be such a waste of time for everyone! Once they finish downloading and realize the piece is of no use, they will never visit your site again.
Anyway, not all website owners can make stuff for free downloads, right? If you find yourself in such case, you can always invest some money to make it come true! Trust me, an investment into recognition will never be a waste.
Make Use of Responsive Image Maps
The idea is the same: Give people the fun they love, and they will love it!
If your WordPress website is about photography or art, then it is a superbly great idea to have responsive image maps. If not, I will still recommend it since this is actually a great way to attract viewers and encourage them to come back for more. First, what is it like? Simply explained, a responsive image will allow a lightbox with more information about it to open up when a visitor hovers their cursor over the image. Pretty cool huh? Second, how we make it happen? There is a perfect plugin for creating these user-friendly, interactive and responsive designs, and it is called The Image Hotspotter.
Publish Tutorials and Pillar Articles
Have you ever wondered what type of articles could bring the most traffic? Check back the sub-headings above, you will see my answer: tutorials and pillar articles. But why them? Well, think about it! If you write an article about what happened today or yesterday of some kind, for how long can it attract readers? My guess is a week to be at most since the content will get outdated very soon!
However, the table can be turned if you publish tutorials and pillar articles. As they are about know-how tips and tricks, they can stay there forever and rarely becomes old-fashioned. In addition, if they are good enough, people will share it on a social network, which generates time after time circulation! Normally, a post like that could stay famous on the Internet for 5 or 6 months!
Let me give you an example. Say you publish an article titled “How to set up a WordPress Website” for newcomers to WordPress, chances are that these newbies will read it. Now, think about how many newbies WordPress have every day, making your article read and shared again and again non-stop!
So, what does it all mean in the end? More fame for your website, duh!
Broaden Your Network
To increase your social media strategy, one thing that we cannot miss out is network!
Building a network is as important as building a trusted brand, if not more because a helpful network will lead to a trusted brand. What I advise you to do is to trade links with other bloggers in the same niche. There are a lot of ways to do so, you can email them, comment on their post, add them on your Facebook, etc. Just make sure you will not scare them away by spamming!
Stay Active!
And finally, to get the Internet on your hands, there is no doubt that you should seek help from the most famed social media platforms of all time! These include Facebook and Twitter among others.
- For Facebook, you may create a page and promote it. For example, by setting up your website’s RSS Feed on the page so that visitors can check out your posts anytime on Facebook! Just promise me you will not spam your followers, or they will run away!
- For Twitter, you may as well create an account to share things with followers. If you manage to deliver great value, a network of loyal followers may form. These people will retweet your tweets, drawing great traffic and attention to your website! Remember that retweets can do a lot of things, and you yourself should do it too.
Other social networks matter also, for example, you can create a Youtube channel, make videos and link them back to your website! Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn could also be a great source of help if you can use them wisely.
Wrapping Up
You see, increase your social media strategy with WordPress is not something so difficult if we have the right measures, the right tools, and do it at the right time! What is the right time? It should be just after you attain the right measures and the right tools!
In other words, let’s get to work right now!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission.