{"id":4766,"date":"2013-03-30T17:16:25","date_gmt":"2013-03-31T00:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/?p=4766"},"modified":"2013-06-11T11:01:09","modified_gmt":"2013-06-11T18:01:09","slug":"twitter-four-ways-to-fuel-traffic-to-your-yola-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/twitter-four-ways-to-fuel-traffic-to-your-yola-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Twitter: Four Ways to Fuel Traffic to Your Yola Site"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among social media, Twitter is one of the most addictive and it\u2019s the best suited to ever-increasing mobile use\u2014with 200 million active Twitter users sharing more than 100,000 Tweets per minute. It has also become the medium of choice for countless celebrities, brands and experts to gain and engage a following.<\/p>\n

You had a quick introduction to using Twitter to promote your Yola website in our post, \u201cDrive Traffic to Your Yola Site: Get Social!\u201d<\/a>. Now, in this post, you get more guidance and tips on how to use Twitter to grow traffic. For further instruction, go to the Twitter Help Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New to Twitter? Need a Refresher?<\/h2>\n

Twitter may be less intuitive than other popular social media, but it\u2019s simple to master. If you aren\u2019t already familiar, take the Twitter Tour<\/a> and skip to the end of this post for a cheat sheet<\/a> of basic terms and concepts.<\/p>\n

There are five main ways to increase your website traffic using Twitter:<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Create a distinctive Twitter presence that ties into your website.<\/h2>\n

– Connect Your ID with Your Website<\/h3>\n

Provide your Yola site URL in the Website field<\/a> in the Profile section under Settings. It will show prominently on your company Twitter page, like Yola customer Panacea Records\u2019 URL does:<\/p>\n

\"PanaceaTwitterURL\"<\/a>\"TreeHuggerTwitter\"<\/a><\/p>\n

TIP \u2013 Like Treehugger, you can give your website address as your profile name so shows on all listings and activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Achieve Your Brand Look<\/h3>\n

You have three opportunities to align your appearance on Twitter with the look of your Yola website: your profile photo, header photo, and page design (background).<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Your profile photo<\/a> <\/strong>is what everyone sees with your name and Tweets. Companies often go with their logo. However, you may want to use an image that represents your company spirit. If space allows, you can overlay your website address or logo, like Greenpeace does:<\/p>\n

\"GreepeaceLogo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Your header photo<\/a><\/strong> fills the box behind your profile photo on your Twitter page. Default is textured black, which goes well with many page designs.<\/p>\n

\"PunyPixel\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Puny Pixel, a Yola customer, is using a super-cute kid pic for a header.<\/em><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 A customized background design<\/a> <\/strong>replaces the default cloud imagery on your Twitter pages\u2014most importantly on your profile page. It\u2019s easy to change, but be sure that you don\u2019t go overboard and distract visitors from your content.<\/p>\n

\"KidTocLogo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yola user Kid Toc has introduced its logo and tagline into this custom page design.<\/em><\/p>\n

TIP \u2013 Go to COLOURlovers<\/a> and the Themeleon tool<\/a> to create a custom Twitter background and color palette or select from millions of existing combos, free.<\/strong><\/p>\n

–\u00a0 Point your Yola website back to Twitter.<\/strong>
\nIn addition to sending people from Twitter to your Yola site, intensify customer engagement by integrating Twitter into your website:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Add the Tweet This widget<\/a>, which allows visitors to your site to easily post your site content to their Twitter feed.<\/li>\n
  2. Add the Follow button to your website<\/a> so visitors can click to follow you on Twitter directly from your website.<\/li>\n
  3. Embed fully functional Tweets on your Yola site<\/a> so visitors can engage you on Twitter without going to Twitter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    TIP: Got Facebook? Tweet it up!<\/strong>
    \nFurther deepen the audience relationship by clicking during your Twitter profile setup to     connect your Facebook account:<\/a><\/p>\n

    \"ConnectFacebookandTwitter\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    2 \u2013 Reach Out and Build a Targeted Audience<\/h2>\n

    A quality group of followers is worth doing a little legwork. Search Twitter to see who is engaged in topics related to your business and who is following your competitors, then start following them. Even if they don\u2019t follow you back right away, you will be able to see their Tweets in your timeline and learn from them. Show support by adding a comment here and there or retweeting (sharing) strong posts. Eventually, without even counting, you can build a sizeable targeted following interested in what you have to offer.<\/p>\n

    TIP \u2013 Stay on Top of Your Twitter Accounts with New Tools<\/strong>
    \nTwitter announced in March 2013 that it will     retire the popular TweetDeck console<\/a>. If you were a fan, don\u2019t despair. Twitter is building two replacements: a web application and a Chrome app. They plan to follow those with Mac and PC apps. You may also consider third-party apps like ManageFlitter<\/a> or, for integrated social media management, HootSuite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    3 \u2013 Do More with Less, More Often<\/h2>\n

    As you probably already know, Tweets must keep to a maximum of 140 characters. Links count towards the total plus you should leave room for followers to comment if they retweet. This leaves you closer to 110 characters to play with. Here are four ways to get more out of little:<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Save space by shortening URLs.<\/strong>
    \nKeep your character count down with any of a number of free URL-shortening services, like     Ow.ly<\/a>, TinyURL<\/a> or Bit.ly<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    TIP: Make a Short URL Even Shorter<\/strong>
    \nOnce you\u2019ve shortened a URL, cut it down even further by deleting http:\/\/. With     Bit.ly<\/a>, you can pare another two spaces by replacing \u201cbit.ly\u201d with \u201cj.mp\u201d.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Post regular, timely Tweets.<\/strong>
    \nEasy to dash off on the fly, Tweets lend themselves to ongoing updates, news flashes and as-it-happens communication. Followers will be more likely to tune into your Tweets if you keep them fresh, with the latest on your company, offerings and related topics.<\/p>\n

    For instance, whenever you publish a new Yola site or make changes to your existing one, announce it on Twitter. Just click the \u201cTweet this\u201d button<\/a> on the Yola Publish My Site confirmation page:<\/p>\n

    \"YolaTweetThisSocialPush\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Make Tweets catchy.<\/strong>
    \nRemember that you don\u2019t have to \u201csay it all\u201d in a Tweet. It\u2019s more important to entice your audience to engage, for instance, by joining you in conversation, retweeting or clicking a link to your site for more information. A teaser, humorous comment or provocative question are good attention-getters.     You can also add a photo or video<\/a> to lend visual interest. In fact, Tweets with photos garner twice the response.<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Keep Tweets relevant.<\/strong>
    \nA teen said in a recent Microsoft Research study, “Facebook is like shouting into a crowd. Twitter is like speaking into a room.” People tend to engage on Twitter around a specific topic, interest, person or company. These focused discussions provide an excellent opportunity to establish your expertise among interested audiences.<\/p>\n

    Keep your Tweets centered on topics related to your business. Search Twitter for associated discussions and chime in with advice and, when appropriate, a helpful link to your site.<\/p>\n

    TIP: Lead or Attend a Tweet Chat<\/strong>
    \nA Twitter Tweet chat is a prearranged virtual discussion starting at an appointed time. All participating Tweets are bound together in one Tweet chat by including a designated, hashtagged term (e.g., #claptrap). Manage Tweet chat participation more easily using tools such as:     Tweetchat.com<\/a>, Twitterfall.com<\/a>, TweetGrid.com<\/a>, Twubs.com<\/a> and Hootsuite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    4 \u2013 Give People Perks to Follow You<\/h2>\n

    Twitter users are more likely to become followers if there are direct benefits.<\/p>\n

    – Regularly offer goodies.<\/strong>
    \nFive great ways to win followers and send users to your Yola website is to include links for:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Discounts and promos<\/li>\n
    2. Freebies<\/li>\n
    3. Announcements about upcoming sales<\/li>\n
    4. Access to exclusive content<\/li>\n
    5. Preview info about new products or services<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      – Provide help.<\/strong>
      \nImmediately address queries directed at you on Twitter. You\u2019ll not only gratify them, but may answer questions for your other followers too. Stay on the lookout for mentions of you or your company, so you can jump in to provide support or clarification. Include links to your website for more info when helpful.<\/p>\n

      \"YolaHelpTweets\"<\/a><\/p>\n

      Yola provides customers with direct answers and support links on Twitter.<\/em><\/p>\n

      TIP: Answer Complaint Tweets without Delay<\/strong>
      \nA 2012 Edison Research study showed that 50% of social media users in the U.S. expect companies to reply to a complaint within an hour, 24 hours a day.<\/p>\n

      5 \u2013 Advertise on Twitter<\/a><\/h2>\n

      Studies have shown that shoppers exposed to a brand\u2019s Tweets were about one third more likely to visit the company\u2019s website and, when they get there, nearly two-thirds more likely to \u201cadd to cart.\u201d With consumers spending more than $272,000 per minute online, you can see the value of Twitter for promoting your Yola Online Store or website!<\/p>\n

      Twitter offers three paid means of promoting your business and ultimately sending more traffic to your Yola site:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Promoted Accounts<\/strong> \u2013 Highlight your account under \u201cWho to follow\u201d for users who share account traits with your current followers. Pay only when they follow you.<\/li>\n
      2. Promoted Tweets<\/strong> \u2013 Call out a promotional Tweet in the Twitter timeline of users targeted by criteria such as geography, interests, sex or device type. Pay only when people click on, favorite, reply or retweet it.<\/li>\n
      3. Promoted Trends<\/strong> \u2013 Draw attention to your offering, event, announcement or company at the top of the Trends list. Users click to pull up your promoted Tweet with more info.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"5PromeExsCircle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

        A promoted account, Tweet and trend all show in this user\u2019s timeline view.<\/em><\/p>\n

        The 2013 Twitter audience is\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. 16% teens, 29% 18-29, 14% 30-49, 9% 50-64<\/li>\n
        2. 15% of online women and 14% of online men<\/li>\n
        3. 57% of all companies on social media<\/li>\n
        4. 27.4% American, with the next seven in descending order: Brazilian, Japanese, from the UK, Indonesian, Indian, Mexican and Canadian<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Social media like Twitter can be a powerful part of your website promotion strategy. Check back for our upcoming post about also leveraging Pinterest to drive traffic to your Yola site. In the meantime, if you haven\u2019t already, check out this post about using Facebook for website traffic<\/a>.<\/p>\n