Linking content — whether internal on your website or external on your social media pages -- is often described as huge, convoluted process that’s best left to professional web managers and SEO geeks. I guess that depends on the size of your online footprint. Sure, if you’re Nike, you’ll probably want to invest in a whole team of techy whiz-bangs.

 

But what if you’re Uncle Charlie from Uncle Charlie’s Archery Pro Shop? You can easily do it yourself. Trust me.

 

OK, there are probably dozens of reasons why you’re not driving as much traffic to your blog, website or ecommerce store as you think you should be, but here are three of the biggest:

 

1. You’re not visual enough.

 

Compelling photos move eyeballs and computer mouses on a click parade. It doesn’t matter if it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (duh) or Linked-In, you have to have something that’s going to stop your fans in their tracks to sell your branding message or get them to click on that linked content.

 

According to research by SocialPros, links with thumbnail photos generate 20 percent more traffic than just plain text links. Even more impressive, on Twitter, posts that include photos are retweeted 150% more often than simple text posts with outbound links.

 

You don’t need to hire a professional photographer to get your message across. You merely need to insist on having some kind of visual element that at bare minimum coincides with your message. Creative posts will include one image with the linked-content preview and other (related) images on the actual posts. The first image brings your viewers to the table; the second (and third, and fourth) are bonus content that makes them happy they linked over to consume the content. In the readers’ mind, they believe they are not being baited into clicking over to the linked story or video. Instead, they believe they are getting more than what they expected. That will build trust and follow-up visits on future posts.

 

A quality smartphone — along with a keen eye — will go a long way in helping you build a library of usable images. You can cache all of these images in a separate folder on your hard drive, or you can create them in programs like iPhoto.

 

2. Your descriptions/headlines are boring.

 

The linked content you’re trying to “sell” might be the best thing you’ve ever created. Why aren’t people liking and sharing it? It might be something as simple as a hastily written headline or description.

 

Concise, call-to-actions are the key to writing compelling headlines. Offer the promise (and you had better deliver on it) of teaching someone something or entertaining him or her. If you’re content is product-related, define the problem and solution that your product offers. Here are just a few examples:

 

Poor:

 

Johnny Pro Staffer’s Top Turkey Hunting Strategies

Mud Prowler Offers New 2017 Boot with Vibram Soles

Successful Turkey Hunt Ends with Awesome Meal

 

Better:

 

3 Ways to Fill Your Turkey Tag Before Lunch Time

Why Vibram Soles Are Best for Hunting Boots

How to Smoke a Turkey Breast Without Drying it Out

 

The “how to” angles are easy — if your content is built around the problem-solution angle. The key here is to stop and think for just a few minutes. Think of what you’re trying to accomplish by getting those users to link over to your content, then verbalize it in nearly the same way someone would Google it on the internet. This strategy not only helps you create better headlines, it almost always adds bonus points for longevity in SEO search engines.

 

 

You’re not genuine (enough).

 

Finally, the reason why people aren’t clicking on your linked content might come down to the simple “been there done that” mentality they’ve adopted after viewing what you’ve offered thus far. If you’re always doing the same thing — straight links back to your website — your followers might already know what they’ll be getting. In most cases, they stop clicking because they know you’re either trying to sell them something (again), or they’re going to land on the same type of content they saw last week.

 

On social media, strive to be a curator of good content that’s related to your community. You don’t always have to be the one who is providing the content. Link to other sites and other social media pages, and don’t be so insecure that you ignore sharing a competitor’s post. The more quality content you share, the more your fans will view you as a genuine brand that’s interested in providing a quality experience. The end result will be a strengthening of your own brand. Try it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.