So you’ve made your own website. You devoted precious time and effort so that it can be the best that there is. You take a step back to look at what you’ve accomplished. You anticipate the steady flow of traffic. Time passed, the visitors came in trickles. Several days after, they are still scarce. Did you do anything wrong? Perhaps not but I will give you a few ideas to drive traffic to your website.

You want to reach a multitude of people. But you do not want to go out of your way just to do so. There are several ways that you can accomplish the same. Some of them won’t require you to leave the convenience of your home or office.

The first idea to drive traffic to your website is to evaluate. Evaluate your website and see if it would appeal to many. Is your website unique? Is it user friendly? How does it stand compared to websites of the same nature or kind? You have to understand what you are trying to market. To give you an idea on how your site should be, visit the more successful sites. Try to figure out their formula for success. Who visits them? What do they contain? If you want to drive traffic to your site, it must be appealing.

The next idea to drive traffic to your website is to utilize social networking websites. There are several social networking websites to choose from. There’s Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Friendster among others. Choose what is best for your objective. Social networking websites are teeming with potential visitors. You have to immerse yourself and understand the culture peculiar to the site you choose. The more friends that you make, the more potential visitors you will gain.

Another idea to drive traffic to your website is to tap social bookmarking websites. There are also numerous social bookmarking sites that you can choose from. Some of the most popular sites are Twitter, Digg, Yahoo! Buzz, Delicious and StumbleUpon among others. Each of these sites are unique and you might want to choose one having the features that you require.

The next thing to do is to join online forums. If you are diligent enough, you can stumble upon a forum with people sharing your interest. Make friends and tell them to visit your site dedicated to your common interest. Or direct them to your site where they might find something interesting or useful. 

Another idea to drive traffic to your website is to seed press releases. If your material is very good, it has a greater chance of getting picked up by your choice media. Of course, it is also important that you observe the submission requirements. These requirements can be peculiar to each medium so be sure to do your homework.  

Another way is to ally yourself with a respected personality. Always keep in mind that each individual you encounter is also capable of introducing your site to others. Try to find someone whose opinion is respected. Win this person over and he is sure to point netizens to your direction.

The last idea to drive traffic to your website is to harmonize your online efforts with your offline efforts. Do not discount the power of offline efforts. Every once in a while, it feels good to go traditional. By being able to reconcile your online and offline efforts, you double your opportunity. 

These are just some of the ideas to drive traffic to your website. Of course, once you’ve achieved increased traffic to your site, you must be able to sustain the interest of those who visited. The preference of the people would always change. So you must always be alert for the latest sensations. That way, traffic to your site is not only increased, it also remains constant.

Sending press releases is a rewarding undertaking. You can enjoy several advantages if your effort is successful. For example, if the media outlet that picked your material is a well-established one, your story will be read by numerous people. You are also accorded free press space instead of paying for an advertorial. Moreover, you can direct large traffic to your website and other web applications if you attract favorable media attention. But not all who tried to use press releases to generate traffic ended up achieving their goals. How then can you effectively use press releases to generate traffic?

First, know your media. Choosing the medium to which you will send your press release is always critical. The more established the media outlet is the more favorable for you. More so if it is known for credibility and strong following. Your press release can be read by many and this in turn will help generate traffic to your site. Also try to determine the demographics of their chosen audience. See if your own target audience is among them.  

Second, you must come up with a great article. Is your press release news worthy? If the media thought otherwise, your press release would go unnoticed. A press release written with skill and great style cannot be denied and how to use press releases to generate traffic will be a savvy. Consider the audience when writing a press release to be used to generate traffic and emphasize items important to that group.

Third, make sure that you perform proper editing before sending your material out to ensure the best way on using a press releases to generate traffic. The last thing you want is for your article to be edited in such a way that the message is changed. Your material must be accurate, brief and concise. Do not delegate the editing job to the media as much as possible. Always remember that you are merely asking them a favor and that is to accommodate your submitted work.   

Fourth, observe seeding requirement. “Seeding” is the process of distributing copies of your press release to the various media outlet. This is one way to get your press releases to generate traffic.  Consider the form that they require. What file must I send them? Is it okay to include photos? To what department or to whom should I endorse the press release to generate traffic? The requirements may be peculiar to each media outlet. So it is best if you inquire first before sending them anything.  Never forget to include reference information. Include the reference in the article itself if such is allowed. That way, people would know what site to visit helping your SEO and site taffic.

Fifth, monitor pickups. “Pickups” are press releases to generate traffic that were actually released by the media. Monitoring can be a bit tedious especially if no guarantee or date of publication was provided. But it is essential to monitor pickups to determine if the material came out as you projected. This can also help you determine learning curves for future press releases that generate traffic and the correction of errors.

Lastly, let the media know that you are grateful. You must try to achieve a continuous and strong partnership with the media. If they know you provide good material and you actually thank them for using it, there is a very strong possibility you can count on them to use your subsequent press releases to generate traffic.

These are the ways how you can use press releases to generate traffic. Keep in mind that the press is a great molder of opinion. If your material passed their scrutiny, then the public might appreciate the same. It is time for you to tap the power of the media and use it to its full potential.

Are you in search of a good topic or a link directing you to one? If so, you should give Digg a visit. While it is a very good way to learn about the current and best reads in the internet, learning how to get on the first page of Digg can also help because of the very large traffic it generates. But to able to do so, your article or link must be featured on the Digg home page. Hundreds of articles are submitted everyday. Only those that are “dugg” well-enough are featured on the homepage. So how can you get on the first page?

Essentially, there are two things to remember on how to get on the first page of Digg. First, you need to establish a strong social network. Second, your article needs to garner numerous votes. If you take the time to work on these two things, you have a very strong chance of being featured on the Digg first page. You must also observe the following tips:

• Familiarize yourself – try to learn as much as you can about the site. What kind of people use Digg? What kinds of articles make it to the first page? What are the other features of the site and how can I utilize these to my advantage? Remember that Digg is also a social tool. Learn how to use it well master how to get on the first page of Digg.

• Set your goal – you need to create a clear list of goals and objectives as early as possible. And then reconcile this with the functions of the site. Is your purpose to share useful information or to increase traffic to your own site? How do you get on the first page of Digg? Try to visualize your desired effect and then plan on how you can achieve that.

• Sign up – of course, you have to create an account to ensure that you could get on the first page on Digg. Try to make your profile as interesting as possible. Remember the first of the two essential things: you need to establish a strong social network. You need to attract people and then sustain their interest. You’ll be surprised how great personal build-up is rewarded in a site such as Digg. 

• Network – as emphasized several times, Digg is a “social” tool. The more friends or acquaintances you have, the more chances of your articles getting “dugg” on the first page of Digg. Be courteous, smart and sensitive to your fellow netizens. After all, you reap what you sow.

• Keep yourself updated – the “inspiration” you seek is in current events most of the time. People dig what is fresh and interesting and this is how to get on the first page of Digg. Be on the alert for juicy news and be the first to share it.   

• Share very interesting work – this part is very critical. Never ever share anything mediocre. Before you submit it for the entire world to see, try to make sure that your article passed your own standard and critique and you would get on the first page of Digg. Believe what you sell. Nothing can beat a well-written write up. Make it even more potent by coming up with something useful, something that is most likely to be bookmarked. A poorly written article would go unnoticed and that is a sad waste given the number of people with the potential to vote for it.  

• Do an “aggressive” marketing effort – market your work. Send emails, let people know through chats and forums. If you believe that what you are trying to market is relevant and useful information, then there is no shame in letting others know about it. And they won’t be wasting their time by casting a vote for it.

• Stay active – be an active Digg user and let your presence be felt and you’d master how to get on the first page of Digg. Remember too that Digg gives you the power to vote for articles and links submitted by other users. Use this power well for this is also an opportunity to invite others to check your materials so you’d get on the first page of Digg.

These tips are meant to help you get on the first page of Digg. But you can deviate from this list and come up with your own formula of course. Genius work would always rise to the surface. And above all else, enjoy the Digg community. If you enjoy what you are into, then landing on that Digg first page is a sweet bonus.