Increasing traffic and exposure to your blog can be a tricky undertaking to start. But, in the end, isn't that why you started the site in the first place? There is a lot of information and hype about how one can increase their site's SEO, which is a great way to drive traffic, but there are even simpler ways to drive traffic through social outlets. Luckily our social media accounts and platforms can act as extensions to our websites and blogs, making it the natural way to build your reputation. If traffic is your main goal, and you are confident with your content, then look to social engagement to build your site's reputation and exposure.

Social Sharing

The first, and simplest, step is using social media to promote your blog by sharing it on your Facebook account, Twitter, or any other relevant account you have. This opens up the material to be viewed by your connections, but also provides another benefit. The ease of sharing and re-tweeting stories and blog posts is so easy. If a connection of yours likes your material, they can recirculate with the click of the mouse, and your material is already launched to new audience. This can help your material and website gain ground very quickly.

Continue the Conversation

While most blogs do have places to comment, social accounts, especially Facebook, have made it easy to have a back and forth over your content. This doesn't mean that you are writing controversial material that is debatable. It just means that you and your contacts can openly speak and comment on your material. This can spark very good discussions, especially if your blog is one that is geared towards provoking thoughts and conversations. When all this back and forth takes place, other "passerbys" will be intrigued, and will visit the source: YOUR SITE.

Engagement

So this may seem that this is a lot like the previous section, and  two do the work hand in hand. When you decide to share your material on your social accounts, you are openly engaging your audience. You're not just saying "hey read what I wrote," but instead you are imploring your readers to tell you what they think. This not only shows your audience that you care about their thoughts (which will drive traffic by itself when readers know you care), but it also lets you know what changes you need to make, if any, to increase readership. This is the quickest and easiest way to get direct feedback for your site. As you tailor your site to your audience, you are almost guaranteed to increase your readership and base to your site.

So these simple steps are way using social outlets are so important to grow your readership. The more exposure and shares you can get on these outlets will also help you grow, but it all starts with you sharing or tweeting the links to your work in the first place. And as far as SEO is concerned, the more shares you can get, the better off you are, and those benefits will also increase. So remember, when your content is at its best and your next article is written, your job isn't done yet.