How to Get Traffic, Part 4: Web 2.0

This is the last post about traffic (for now!) and it's about using Web 2.0 to get surges of traffic.

But Web 2.0 is really a buzzword describing new user interactions on the web, and encompasses many aspects, from blogging to wikipedia. What it's really about is using things like social networking and social bookmarking. How does it work? Basically, you use a site like Digg, Slashdot, MySpace, or Reddit and link back to your site. You will get immediate exposure and if you do it right, you'll get floods of traffic.

How do you do it right? There is no easy way to go about it, and if you blatantly advertise your site, your link will be removed at the least. You must offer valuable content. Perhaps write an opinion piece. A sure-fire way to get all these people interested is if you write about a recent, controversial topic. As of this writing, Paris Hilton is serving time in jail. This is a highly publicized topic, and if you could develop a product or write something that would catch the eyes of these surfers, you will generate server-crashing loads of traffic. Speaking of Paris Hilton, there was in fact a fake news site stating that she committed suicide. I saw it posted on several sites I frequent, so I imagine it was getting a lot of exposure online. If that site was monetized in any way with ads, they definitely saw a nice little increase in revenue during that time.

That's just one example of how to capitalize on Web 2.0 traffic. The potential is huge, and Web 2.0 marketing in general is really a broad topic on its own.