(Family Features) Consistent website traffic is an essential building block for a successful online business. While paid ads and search engine optimization are valuable strategies, there are some lesser known, but equally effective, ways to attract potential customers to your website or funnel

Successful entrepreneurs can be powerful resources for business owners who are eager to build their businesses online. For example, entrepreneur Russell Brunson started his first online company while he was in college. Today, he is the co-founder of ClickFunnels, a successful software company that helps entrepreneurs get their message out to the digital marketplace quickly and efficiently.

Brunson is also the author of a series of books, including “Traffic Secrets,” which is filled with tips for using classic and foundational direct marketing techniques to help future customers discover an entrepreneur’s product or service and drive demand.

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Give your business website a traffic boost with Brunson’s advice, adapted from “Traffic Secrets,” the third installment in his bestselling trilogy.

Identify Your Target Audience

In his book, Brunson provides an action plan for narrowing your focus on potential customers and the influencers they trust. Pinpointing a group he calls “Your Dream 100” illuminates where your ideal audiences like to gather information, whether it’s video channels, podcasts, blogs or other platforms. Once you have a list of these places, reach out to the people behind the scenes and pitch collaborative opportunities that allow you to put your products in front of your target audience.

Understand the Importance of Lists

Building a list of customers means you can contact them or promote a product to them at any time. Brunson equates an email list to an advertising platform that’s free to use and packed with ideal customers. Direct site visitors into compelling sales funnels where you can collect their information and add them to your lists so you can entice future visits.

Push a Steady Flow of New Ads

When people see the same image over and over, they tune it out. You don’t need the perfect ad; you just need different ads on a regular basis that connect with different people and keep your brand unique and interesting.

Master Social Media

Driving traffic through social media is challenging. To succeed, you need to understand the goal of the platform, develop a strategy that aligns with that goal and understand how the platform wants to promote content to its users.

“If you are selling anything online, or trying to generate leads online, no matter what industry you’re in, these 20 traffic secrets can help attract more eyeballs,” Brunson said. “I’d like to help you fill your website and funnels with your dream customers, so I’m going to give you my new book for free. 

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5 Ways to Drive Traffic on Social Media

These strategies from “Traffic Secrets” can help drive traffic using these major platforms:

Google: Search the keyword you’d like to rank for. Scan results, looking for sites that have ads, banners, affiliate links to products or subscription boxes. Contact the owners of those pages and ask about advertising options to buy your way in and build your list.

YouTube: Create a 15-second intro with a catchy hook followed by a short 4-second branded message then tell your viewer why he or she should listen. Create a connection with personal commentary and share valuable content for the next 7-12 minutes. Close with a call to action.

Facebook: Think of your cover photo as your billboard and the intro section as your business card where you can place links to funnels. When posting, share stories that can open conversations, and remember to engage readers in the comments.

Instagram: Decide whether you want to inspire, educate or entertain then create a caption. Three effective options: tell a story, ask a question or make a list.

Podcasting: In addition to working the podcast circuit and delivering a call to action at the end of each show, you can leverage influencers in other ways. Buy ads on their podcasts and arrange guest appearances that let you ask their listeners to check out your own podcast.

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