Insider Information | Social Media May Soon Drive More Traffic Than SEO!

Are you still skeptical about the power of social media marketing to increase the exposure of your business?

If your online business does not have a social media program in place to help spread the word about your business, then you need to add one to your online business arsenal for added traffic.

Although many users are still using popular search engines such as Google & Yahoo to find what they are looking for, many readers, especially the younger generation, are discovering websites through the social media avenues.

True or False… Social Media Will Eventually Drive MORE Traffic to Your Website than SEO?

Here are some compelling stats to rattle your brain: In 2012, half of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 23, and 43% of users between the ages of 24 to 32, used social networks as their Internet search resource, according to the report from Cambridge, Massachusetts based Forrester Research.

It has been found that Facebook and Twitter is a preferred means of discovery for 1/3 of all American, which is up 18% from the year 2010.

At this point, the search engines are ahead with 54% of Americans typing their interests in the search box to find the information they are looking for. Even though the search engine is still in the lead, it has an overall 7-point drop in popularity compared to the same statistics compiled in the year 2010.

Double Your Traffic & Exposure with SEO and Social Media Marketing Strategies

Now, this doesn’t mean that you should completely abandon your SEO efforts, it just means that you will need to include Social Media to your everyday business activities. After all, the basic SEO principles still apply today and are a must for any website or blog used for business.

If your business has a marketing budget concentrating solely on SEO and paid search, and doesn’t have any monies set aside to invest in social media marketing, then you might want to rethink your marketing strategy.

After all, if Forrester’s studies show that the younger crowd of Internet readers are using social media avenues to find what they are looking for, isn’t this a good indication to what the future holds for online business?

In order to do a turn-around and gain ground with your online business, the report asserts that search marketing teams need to focus on what the searchers are really looking for and focus on a broader engagement rather than trying to boost for an immediate sale.

Here is a list of 10 Top Social Media Networking Sites! Not only is this a good start down the path of social media, but these sites can help you improve your SEO efforts. These social media sites can also help create buzz with your online business, bringing targeted traffic back to your site.

Related: How to Find the Right Social-Media Platform (Video)

As a network marketer, I am interested to see what patterns emerge as a result of Forrester’s social media findings. We will be sure to keep you posted on the buzz of the social networking scene as it continues its steady growth and popularity.

Tags: network marketing tips Search Engine Optimization SEO Social Media Marketing