Here are 4 ways you can drive targeted visitors to your site.
Although this is focused on anyone who has just launched or is ramping up their blogging efforts or new web properties, some of these tactics are applicable to other types of websites as well says Paul Haarman.
1. Reach out to your existing network
I'm going to assume you have web 2.0 profiles on sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. These are the four big ones that I know about right now (feel free to post in the comments if you know of any resources or services not listed here).
Twitter – Once you're set up with an account, search for people who might be interested in your topic/product/service and follow them. After they follow back (assuming they don't suck), send them a direct message: "Hey [name], I found this cool blog post related to what we talked about... Check it out!" overdo it – there's no point in annoying people.
Facebook – Search your personal and business networks for friends that might be interested in your site, and message them. Be sure to let them know that it's okay if they share the post/link with their own network as well. Most people don't mind at all!
LinkedIn – Send an InMail to everyone you're connected with asking them to check out your latest post or product launch. You can also search for any groups related to your industry and send a request to join the group (you'll have to fill out a profile first).
Google+ – Search Circles for people who might be interested in what you're doing and reach out.
2. Guest Post
This is probably my favorite way of generating traffic to my new websites. If you're just getting started, you want to reach out to some of the big names in your space (who also don't suck) and offer them a guest post. And guess what? 90% of the time they say yes! Here are some tips on how to maximize your success with this tactic:
Don't make it super long. The idea is not to write an epic. It's to provide value for that person's audience (i.e., potential customers). Hook them into your product/service if they like your stuff. A few hundred words will do it.
Only pitch ideas that fit within the scope of their site. Don't send over something that sounds completely off-topic because chances are they won't run it.
Read their last few posts, and then summarize the content. This shows them that you did your homework and are providing value for their audience with your post. Twitter is a great resource to find this info quickly.
Have at least 3-5 links in your post back to your site. Don't make every link an affiliate link or they'll wonder what you're up to. If you have multiple products/services, try making one of them free if possible (and include a note on why they should sign up).
3. Guest Post on Other Sites
Similar to #2 above, but more time-consuming unless you have super tight relationships with people already. You can do some research through Google+ Communities, Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups and Twitter Mentions to find sites that allow guest posts.
4. Get on Blog Networks
Blog networks are huge for driving targeted traffic because they house some of the best content in your industry. Here's an example (and how you can get more traffic):
For this example, I'll use the search term "coffee":
Blogs with over 100 RSS subscribers were used in this list (the number is listed next to their name). You want to make it on one of these lists if possible. The top three blogs on this list get at least 1000 visitors/post (if not more) so if you make it on any of these sites, you're golden. Do I know? Because there are no specific rules governing the use of these links, I would err on the side of caution and only send traffic to your own blog.
Conclusion by Paul Haarman:
The more links that point to your site, the better. So when you're creating content/products for distribution, think about how you can surround them with high-quality links (that don't suck). That way, people will be drawn in by the value of your stuff and hopefully check out yoursite.com afterward! Of course.