Social Networking Sites Help Drive Traffic to Websites

Further to the hub I wrote about not having to have a website to make an income online - which I've listed below.

I thought I would add to the list I have there of Social Networking Sites for you. If you have more, please add them in the comment section.

So much has changed regarding driving traffic to a website over the past 8 months or so...and it appears to me that the lean is completely toward social networking.

Stands to reason - what do people watch on T.V. these days?

REALITY Programming - the new main stay - Survivor, The Biggest Loser...that type of thing. So it stands to reason there is no difference in what Joe/Jane does online.

Most of us want to *connect* - feel a *part of*. Why else do we watch The Biggest Loser (or whatever one we watch)? Identification. We identify with what it is and so feel a part of that. Since over 1/3 of Americans are over-weight (to put it nicely) - they identify with that particular TV show.

The very same thing applies online - people tend to gravitate towards forums, groups, fanclubs they can identify with, mix with, feel apart of and feel good about. Where do they go if they need something? Need an emotional boost? (Care2 for Sure!) Have a question? They go to their *online buddies* - their Groups.

I am going to post a bigger list of these Social networking sites here and it would be great if those interested pitched in and added others as I am sure I won't come close to naming them all. But here is the why of it IMO - the point of doing it, and joining every single one of them from a marketing perspective.

I believe the first one I got into was MySpace. Now, I didn't like MySpace very much from its inception but that doesn't matter because I very soon realized that by linking TO many of my websites FROM the MySpace page, I began to see a rise in traffic TO those websites as a direct results, without any backlink either. So, unlike me, a whole lot of people DO like (or did) MySpace.

Which got me to thinking that if MySpace brought in 50 - 70 more hits a day from just that ONE site- then there must be more of these social networking sites to join and I should find them. Back then, there were not so many but today they are popping up like flowers in spring. Wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a new one every couple days.

So, at last count I have joined most of the list below (not all). So far, I like Hubbing the most; that and Care2 because it is actually FUN if you DO; like to write articles and answer questions. A great place to answer questions is with Yahoo.

I like to answer questions - Yahoo360 has this feature. I have found that by answering peoples questions in a thoughtful and truthful manner - they are really happy & grateful and...they visit my website(s).

And they use my services. They become my clients and some of them my friends; and that is rather the best of both worlds. I guess I'm just not that type of auto-pilot kind of person. I actually *like* contact with my clients.

I never have used an auto-responder! (Gasp!)

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-makey-money-online-WITHOUT-ever-having-a-website

Note: I do NOT try to answer questions that are not in my realm of expertise. I do NOT push anything. I NEVER make spammy pages. You shouldn't eiter - there are a lot of negative consequences to making spammy pages - spam in general.

Here's the list (In no particular order)

Please add to it....

=================================

• simpy

• del.icio.us

• hubpages

• MySpace

• Broadcaster

• stumble

• Care2

• Hi5

• Yahoo 360

• Experience Project

• Habbo

• ilike

• meetup

• friendster

• multiply

• passado

• faceparty

• netlog (was facebox)

• xing

• twitter

• facebook

• squidoo

• linkedin (business)

• addthis

• reddit

• mybloglog

• flickr

• flixster

These are all .com

Have a great day (unless you have other plans!)

Melanie