Catchy Titles, Social Media Stampedes and Content that Converts

Is Your Content Sticky Enough?

For those of us who are new to social media, creating a server-taxing social media traffic stampede could be triggered merely by a catchy title alone.

Attention is the new commodity online and if you expect visitors to just fork it over, without being entertainment or fulfilled in exchange, think again. Social medialite’s a.k.a power users are savvy enough to spot a flimsy post from a mile away and can either make you a traffic superstar (by starting the traffic barrage) or pull your card like a bad episode of the gong show from the 70’s.

The essential ingredient aside from a well written post, is “a catchy title” to start the chain reaction. Your title should summarize your article and mesmerize them to stick around for a while.

Miss the mark, then you may as well forget about conversion, subscriptions or unique visitors frequenting your pages again. It’s not about how your going out, it’s how you get in, with “the in crowd” that is the key to traffic.

Finding communities with strong mutual interests

This is the key, you want to know the secret to hitting the traffic zone and creating a stampede for your pages? Network with others who have like interests and be genuine in reciprocation and mutual promotion for the category through voting on each others posts. If SEO’s would only get this, there may be an SEO related post that hit’s the first page of Digg instead of the low 20’s.

Don’t just be a fly on the wall

Take the time to look at others sites, read their content, make intelligent comments and reach out if you are expecting the same from others. In addition to this being common sense, the providence in core values like “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the fabric of becoming an online socialite.

So, don’t be stingy the next time you see a post with value in the same niche (even if it is a competitor), networking is a great thing if you can get past your own ego, as it provides mutual win / win opportunities for all involved. There is no shame in promoting your own content, just don’t go overboard (as it is a transparent strategy that most can see right through). Reach out, make an effort and be tactful with the trails you leave behind.

There is value in traffic that clicks and runs, even if you can’t see it in the short term

You hear so many people complaining about how social media traffic does not convert, how there are high bounce rates, spikes in traffic and subscriptions that only taper off over time. All I can say to you is, stop whining about what your expectations are and see it for what it is.

Having the opportunity to cast your vote, is what makes the entire genre unique, nobody said that you would have curb appeal to all who come in contact with your content, nor is everyone online interested in e-commerce, what you have to sell or seeing things your way.

What does a catchy title and content that converts mean to you?

Conversion is a funny thing, it usually only appeals to those selling something, but it can represent something far more grand than any product or service (the ability to influence the masses).

It is important to note that each type of traffic online has it’s advantages and distinctions. Traffic from search engines for example, has the tendency to produce more relevant pre-qualified visitors who are already seeking the types of products, services or information you provide. This relevance in turn may have a higher conversion or click through rate than traffic that happened to find on of your landing pages as a result of a compelling or catchy title from a post in an RSS feed, a related site, or surfing blind.

The benefits of social media

What social traffic does have, is the ability to create a buzz, generate back links from others linking to your posts, create popularity that search engines will reward you for ultimately as you website becomes a thriving virtual hub of activity from such a diverse range of I.P. addresses breezing through.

This in turn can create authority and that very authority can push your website into the high fliers category as you become the first pick as the spiders (who are familiar with your pages by now as a result of the traffic) give your site a bump in the SERPs (search engine result pages) where the real conversion occurs.

So don’t try to put lipstick on a pig and dress it up if the flavor or context of your content is not the perfect match for the medium, and more importantly don’t take it personal if every post doesn’t hit the first page of Digg, get stumbled, manages to remain in the spotlight because someone blinked to fast, etc.

Just ride the wave, enjoy the exposure and if you have patience, a power user or someone with an impulse to share may in fact email one of your posts, or provide it to a contact of theirs that can (a) convert into a sale (if that’s your thing) (b) increase your readership or (c) take your exposure into the red zone through finding the right audience that is most suited for your message.