I’ve talked about getting people addicted to your content. What does this mean, really? To get a grasp on the concept, consider the blogs, websites, emails, and social media account you check most frequently. Is there a marketer out there you follow everywhere they are online? Do you regularly check to see if a certain marketer or business posted a new video or podcast? Whose opinions do you turn to before you make a decision or buy something new?
Make a list of the reasons why you follow these marketers so closely. You may not have even been aware that you were doing it! There might be something about their personality or style that really draws you to them. There’s something about them, beyond the fact that they are in a niche you’re interested in, that puts them above everyone else in that niche, as far as you’re concerned.
Now consider the people in your niche. What can you do to get them to come back to you time and time again? How can you get them on a regular schedule of visiting your blog, podcasts, and videos? You don’t want to reach them in just one place– you want to reach them wherever they are!
When you start to make your traffic plan for the upcoming weeks, keep relationship building and the addiction factor in mind. In everything you do, take a unique angle so you can really stand out and attract people to coming back to you time and time again.
Give Them Something Eye Catching
Before people become addicted to your content, of course, you have to catch their eye. People are extremely busy these days– so busy that it can feel impossible to build that relationship in the first place. I assure you it’s not impossible. If you set yourself apart from others and consider what people in your niche need and want, you’ll be able to drive a lot more traffic and really get people addicted to your content.
For each of your web properties, think of ways you can make your content more eye-catching. On your blog, it might mean posting about something controversial or that you have a strong opinion on. It might mean taking a different angle on a topic that people are really interested in. Consistently be a trend-setter and a thought maker in your niche.
On social media, it might be the videos you share or the images you share. Create content that’s going to stir people’s emotions. What’s going to make them laugh, cry, or even be furious? What’s going to spark interest and enthusiasm?
Marketing and getting traffic, in many ways, is about being different. It’s about taking a chance and putting yourself out there in a way that’s going to get some attention and really serve the needs of those in your audience. How can you be different? How can you instantly capture the attention of your audience? Allow your creativity to go wild. If you’re different and really serve the needs of your niche, there’s no doubt you can get a lot more traffic.
Inspire Them to Take Action
One important thing that will set you apart from just about every other marketer out there is inspiring people to action. It’s one thing to get people to buy something from you or read something of yours. It’s another thing altogether to get people to actually make something of it.
If you’ve read books of mine in the past, you’ve no doubt noticed that I make an extra effort to make my books easy to follow and easily actionable. I don’t want you to just read this and have it sit on your shelf or hard drive. I want you to read this and have it change your life. I don’t want you to ever struggle with getting traffic again.
I know that’s a tall order. But, I’ve studied the human mind, mindset, and productivity for many years. It’s a fascination of mine— why do some people take action and some don’t? Why does it seem like some people can get traffic with a snap of their fingers and others can’t? I structure my books in a very specific way so you can easily understand them and apply the information.
That’s why I have people who immediately hit the “buy” button whenever I come out with something new. They know it’s not going to be a waste of their money. They know I’m not just trying to sell them something. They know that I care a great deal about their success and they know my material is going to really help them because it’s so actionable, well-researched, well-practiced, and well thought out.
You need to do the same in your niche. When you’re writing or releasing content, always think about how you can get people to take action. That’s what’s going to get them coming back time and time again. Part of this is remembering that the “action” may not be their end goal. You, for instance, don’t really care a lick about getting more traffic. What you do care about is earning more money and not having a care in the world in the financial department of life. Focus on that end-goal and your content will be much more focused and helpful.
Get Them to Make a Commitment
If you want to get people to come back to you time and time again, you have to get them to make a commitment to you. Just because they think your content is great doesn’t mean they’ll return. There are so many other marketers and so much more content out there vying for their attention.
That’s why they need to have a vested interest in coming back to you. What does this mean? You need more brand evangelists. You likely have people who come back to your blog and comment time and time again. You likely have the same 10 people liking and commenting on your social media posts. These people have committed to you. Study their habits and consider why they are such brand evangelists of yours.
Now, it’s time to encourage others to do the same. How can you do this? Maybe you have some blog commenters you want to encourage to post even more. There are plugins you can use to turn it into a game and they’ll get recognition for being one of the top commenters. Search for “top commenters” in the plugin directory for WordPress.
Getting people to commit can be as simple as helping them feel like they’re a part of your projects. I regularly ask for people’s opinions and insights when I’m launching a new book or thinking about new directions. Survey people and ask and use their opinions. This gives them ownership and helps them feel part of the process.
People want to feel part of something. They want to belong. In following this traffic course, you’re developing a web of properties people can belong to. They’ll see you on social media, on your blog, on video, through podcasts, and more. They’ll get used to seeing your content everywhere and will commit themselves to keeping up with everything you do.
Consider the companies you pay the most attention to. Why do you follow them everywhere on the web? Why do you buy everything they put out? Are there companies or brands in your niche space that everyone seems to follow and be really committed to? Study them and take notes on how you can improve your own presence and activities so people happily commit to you and what you put out on the web.
Reward Them
Another way you can build relationships is by rewarding people for sticking by you. Surprise them with freebies every once in a while. Give them special discounts for being on your list or following you on social media. Make them feel part of a special tribe that the general public doesn’t have access to.
People love to feel rewarded. They love to be surprised and receive special treatment for being part of something. Big stores like Target and Amazon have programs people can join to receive special treatment and be rewarded (Target has their free shipping/5% off credit card and debit card and Amazon has their Prime program). Grocery stores give people discounts for signing up for loyalty cards. What can you implement in your own business along these lines?
If you reward people consistently, they are a lot more likely to stick around and see what you’re doing next. You’re making them feel part of something bigger and giving them something they maybe didn’t expect and certainly can’t get anywhere else.
Get Them to Invest In It
If you can get people to invest in your brand, whether with money or time, they’ll be a lot more likely to stick around and become a brand ambassador. In the case of my business, people invest in my Earn 1K A Day forum. People who join my forum tend to become cheerleaders of my business because of the value they receive.
By spending money with me each month, or buying a lifetime subscription, they are investing in the Earn 1K A Day ecosystem. They are a lot more likely to read my emails, friend and follow me on social media, join my social media groups, and buy the additional products I come out with (although in most cases I include them inside the forum for free).
What can you do to encourage people to invest in your brand? Maybe you can start a membership site. Or, perhaps you can think of another idea that will have people investing either time or their money. This will cement your business in their mind as the one they are most committed to – whether they realize it yet or not.
Once people have invested in your brand, they are a lot more likely to naturally spread the word about your business. They are also likely to read and buy everything you put out. These brand evangelists will be your best customers and your best source of traffic. They’ll become your affiliates, write about you on their blogs, and tell their friends and family about you and your business. This is a huge part of getting steady traffic and growing your brand.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download