The internet is a weird place. You can find pictures of cake fails and dogs with fake human hands right next to ASMR and mukbang videos. You can find a community of people dedicated to photoshopping arms onto birds and best of all, Star Wars/Frozen crossover fan-fiction. The internet is a weird place because people decide what’s on the internet and people are weird. Amazing, but weird.
One of the weirdest parts about the internet is how much it mimics real life. For example. Did you know that the answer to “How do I drive traffic to my website” is eerily similar to “How do I get people to come to my sleepover.” Let me show you.
For example…
Your site is kind of like your internet house. Your web address is like your….. Address. And when we say ‘how do we drive traffic to our site’, we are kind of saying… how do I convince people to come to my house. Weird stuff, right? But it gets weirder. The advice for “how to get people to visit my site” and the advice for “how to get people to come to my sleepover” are eerily similar.
Let me show you…
Be Social.
IRL: Figure out who you want to invite. Where do they hang out and when are they normally there? This is your new hang out spot too. Do a little research, how do these potential friends dress and what do they talk about? If they are a sporty bunch, get yourself some activewear and show up with at least one hot take on an athlete that you think is overrated. If they are punks, wear some doc martins and be prepared to have a thought out opinion on whether you prefer The Ramones or Sex Pistols.
INTERNET: Once you know who your target audience is, you’ll need to do a little research into what platforms they use the most and what times they are most active on. This is now your preferred platform and you try to post when they are posting. Make sure your visual content is consistent with the culture you are trying to connect with. Make sure the content is engaging so that you can possibly inspire a conversation.
Get Their Info.
IRL: Once your friends have warmed up to you, get their contact information. That way you don’t always have to hunt them down in public or at school. Now you have a direct line to them that will help you communicate with them quickly and directly.
INTERNET: Get their emails. Do not underestimate how important a mailing list is. If someone has signed up for your list it means that they are interested in what you have to say. It’s the perfect way to communicate with your audience without having to pay for ads and navigate through the ever-changing algorithms. A good email is an ideal way to tell your audience about a new blog or a sale.
Better Copy and Headlines.
IRL: Every good party needs a good invitation. You’ll need to make one that clearly gives all the right information while also enticing people to show up. This is an art because you have to be both clear and fun. If you do well, every time they see the invite they will be reminded of how much they want to attend. If you do poorly, every time they see it they will only be reminded of how lame they think it will be.
INTERNET. Good headlines are everything. It doesn’t matter how good the rest of your content is, if the headlines are bad then they won’t see anything else. Here are a few quick tips for writing great headlines.
People are more interested when you are talking about them. Use “you” as often as possible.
Being clear is better than being clever.
If your headline is longer than six words, remember people only pay attention to the first three and last three words of a headline.
Make sure you are speaking their language.
Keep Them Engaged.
IRL. Once you’ve gotten them to the party, you need to make sure it’s good. You want them coming back next weekend. Maybe have scary movies and popcorn. Maybe put rootbeer in your water guns and try to shoot it into each other’s mouths. I don’t know. Whatever your weirdo friends are into. Also, if you’ve got some inside jokes, leaning into those.
INTERNET: Make sure that your content is engaging and relevant to your audience. Whenever possible, link your content to other relevant posts on your site. You want them to stay on your site as long as possible. This helps them identify with your voice and it keeps them coming back to you when they need more input.
PRO TIP: Get an Email list.
Don’t underestimate how valuable an email list can be. This is how you keep in touch with your audience directly without having to battle any kind of algorithm. This is how you let people know you have new blogs/deals/etc.