When you consider a website redesign make sure that you do a thorough social media evaluation. A key to inbound marketing, and a critical part of your website, is promotion and getting found. After you create interesting content and optimize the content so that it can be found you need to promote the content. Social media is one of the tools you can use to promote your website and its content but simply putting a “like” button above your blog is not enough. There are three questions you must ask about your plan when doing a social media evaluation:
- What channels am I using to promote my website?
- Is the traffic from social media sites relevant to my page?
- Can people connect with me through social media?
- Can visitors easily share my content through social media?
What Channels am I using to promote my website?
The big social media players, at least in North America, are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and now increasingly Google+, but there are many other channels that may be more relevant to you and your page depending upon your location and your demographics. Check out the annual Social Network Analysis Report from Ignite Social Media for very revealing demographic information about social networks around the world. You may find that the people you wish to attract are in a different social network then the one you have been targeting.
Is the traffic from social media sites relevant to my page?
Just as you should be testing your landing pages you should be testing and measuring whether the social media traffic to your site leads to qualified leads. For example you may get a lot of traffic from one social media channel but the visitors may never download your content or become a customer. On the other hand you may get far fewer visitors from another social media channel but more of them become customers. Measures your results and pay more attention to the channels that pay off.
Can people connect with me through social media?
Do you make it easy for visitors to connect with you through social media? Are your “Follow Me” social media buttons easy to find? Do visitors need to search your web page just to follow you on Twitter or visit your Facebook page? Can visitors find your YouTube channel or your Business Google+ page? Don’t hide your social media accounts. Make the “Follow Me” buttons clear and dominate. The best place is in the upper right hand corner of every page. Include the “Follow Me” buttons in your e-mail signature and even on your business cards. Let people know how to connect with you.
Can visitors easily share your content through social media?
We have all seen the “Share This” buttons on websites. Mine is at the top of this blog. Can each of your blogs be easily shared? Do you have “Share This” buttons on other important content on your website? A visitor may want to tell someone else about it, make it easy for them. When someone downloads some premium content such as an eBook or white paper from your website, can they tell others about it? You can easily put a “share this” button in the “thank you” e-mail or even on the eBook itself. Do the “Share This” buttons represent the social media channels where your customers are? Don’t emphasize sharing on Facebook if your potential clients are on LinkedIn.
The social media buttons are often overlooked when doing a website redesign but are an important part of any social media evaluation of your website. What do you think are the important components of your website’s social media strategy? What are you doing to make it easy for others to connect with you on social media and to share your content with others?
If you are considering a website redesign take advantage of Image Media Partner's offer of a free social media marketing evaluation.
