Let me ask two questions:
- Guess which social media site drives the highest traffic to websites? (If you guessed Facebook, you would be right.)
- Do you have any idea which social sites come second, third, or fourth?
There is a reason I am asking these questions. Some social sites are underutilized or undervalued.
Now just because Facebook has the potential to drive the most traffic, it does not mean everyone can get a slice of that awesome social media pie. If you don’t have a great fan following or if you don’t have a track record of producing great social content, you are going to find it hard, especially if you are a startup with fewer resources and a small budget.
Statistics courtesy of Shareaholic
Content Overload in Social Media
Most people know Twitter and Facebook are the most popular social networks, but what they might not realize is they are very competitive. You have to compete for people’s attention, and even if you get the attention, you might not get the clicks you are after due to the thousands of updates and tweets per minute. Facebook updates and tweet effects don’t last long, they last a few hours and a day or two if you are lucky.
So what can a startup do? Include underutilized social networks such as Pinterest and StumbleUpon as part of a social media marketing strategy. (We are not saying to abandon Facebook and Twitter--we are merely making a case to include Pinterest and StumbleUpon.)
According to social media traffic numbers, Pinterest comes in at number 2 and StumbleUpon at number 4, so the potential for viral traffic is there. You just need to know how to harness it.
Rule number one for using Pinterest--and also true for StumbleUpon--is to include visual content. Some quick tips include:
- Create visually compelling content.
- Include clever headings.
- Insert an image above the fold.
- Break content into small chunks with subheads, bullets, and images.
Remember, stumbles and pins can bring in traffic all year long unlike their big rivals Facebook and Twitter.
Why Use Pinterest?
- Forty-seven percent of U.S. online consumers have made a buying decision based on Pinterest.
- Pinterest generates 27 percent more revenue than Facebook and 4 times more revenue per click than Twitter.
Statistics courtesy of Quicksprout.com
Why Use StumbleUpon?
- Fourth highest social media traffic driver.
- Has great potential to bring in viral traffic; comparatively easier to get 5,000 visitors to your site.
- Better than Reddit, Google+, and LinkedIn, in terms of traffic driving potential
Statistics courtesy of YourEscapeFrom9to5.com
Your Social Media Marketing Plan: Final Thoughts
Each social site has its own pros and cons, and depending on just one or two sites is like buying a lottery ticket and hoping you win the jackpot. There is so much more that goes into choosing a social media site like buyer personas and which platforms are used by your target group.
If you are looking for traffic, Pinterest and StumbleUpon can definitely help. Employing visual and multimedia content can certainly tilt the social media scale in your favor. Also, always remember to use an image with any social update, whether in Twitter or Facebook, so your updates don’t look the millions of others that are without images.
