Discover the Social Media Sites that Work Best for Your Blog

| June 22, 2012 | 16 Comments
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social mediaWhen I started this blog, I almost burnt myself out, being everywhere as it relates to social media/networking.

I had read from an A list blogger that it is best to try to show your face everywhere. This means join as many networking sites as you can and be active on those sites.

After trying this route for a little while, I soon, realized that I did not need to be on every site to drive traffic to my site. This was time-consuming and I did not notice any big changes in traffic.

Sure, I had a lot of referral traffic from those sites, but my search traffic was very low. I was putting so much energy into social media, that my search traffic was suffering.

In the beginning stages of blogging, writing content is more important, than social media sites.  Get your content flowing first, and then do social networking.

Today, I do not spend my time on a lot of social media sites. I learned to spend time on those sites that send me the most traffic and stick with those sites.

I realize that there are new sites like Google Plus and Pinterest, that I have yet to invest time, maybe I will.  I’m a little stubborn when it comes to change.

This month, I unpublished my Facebook page because it was a challenge for me to keep it updated and to share information on my personal page.

I prefer manually sharing everything on Facebook, which takes time.  I think manual sharing is more personable, because it shows your followers that you are there.

I will see if the traffic from Facebook goes down. I think the traffic will remain the same because, I do have a lot of friends who follow my blog. I will let you know the results.

Traffic Sources from May 22, 2012 – June 21, 2012 (Google Analytics)

16,972 people visited this site

  • 75.67%  Search Traffic:  12,843 Visits
  • 12.90%  Referral Traffic:  2,190 Visits
  • 11.13%  Direct Traffic:  1,889 Visits
  • 0.29%  Campaigns:  50 Visits

 Referral Traffic

  1. stumbleupon.com:  Visits – 399, Time on Site  00:00:34, Bounce Rate –   77.94%
  2. scrumptiousfit.com:  Visits – 252, Time on Site – 00:00:24, Bounce Rate – 53.97%
  3. t.co (Twitter):  Visits – 249, Time on Site – 00:02:47 , Bounce Rate – 70.28%
  4. facebook.com:  Visits – 238, Time on Site – 00:02:21, Bounce Rate – 67.65%
  5. google.com:  Visits – 115, Time on Site – 00:01:02, Bounce Rate – 66.96%
  6. m.facebook.com:  Visits – 94, Time on Site – 00:00:37, Bounce Rate – 87.23%
  7. curlsandrealtalk.com:  Visits – 84, Time on Site – 00:14:43, Bounce Rate –  7.14%
  8. bloggers.com:  Visits – 81, Time on Site – 00:02:44, Bounce Rate – 48.15%
  9. youtube.com:  Visits – 76, Time on Site – 00:02:51, Bounce Rate – 47.37%
  10. search.mywebsearch.com:  Visits – 32, Time on Site – 00:01:02, Bounce Rate – 81.25%

All Traffic

  1. google / organic:  Visits – 12,152, Time on Site – 00:01:02, Bounce Rate – 83.06%
  2. (direct) / (none):  Visits – 1,889, Time on Site – 00:01:21, Bounce Rate – 62.73%
  3. stumbleupon.com / referral:  Visits – 399, Time on Site – 00:00:34, Bounce Rate – 77.94%
  4. scrumptiousfit.com / referral:  Visits – 252, Time on Site – 00:00:24, Bounce Rate – 53.97%
  5. t.co / referral:  Visits – 249, Time on Site – 00:02:47, Bounce Rate – 70.28%
  6. facebook.com / referral:  Visits – 238, Time on Site – 00:02:21, Bounce Rate – 67.65%
  7. yahoo / organic:  Visits – 209, Time on Site – 00:01:20, Bounce Rate – 80.86%
  8. bing / organic:  Visits – 178, Time on Site – 00:01:11, Bounce Rate – 80.90%
  9. google.com / referral:  Visits – 115, Time on Site – 00:01:02, Bounce Rate – 66.96%
  10. m.facebook.com / referral:  Visits – 94, Time on Site – 00:00:37, Bounce Rate – 87.23%

Conclusion

Notice that StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Google.com, Bloggers.com and YouTube.com brings me the most traffic.  Looking at all traffic sources, StumbleUpon, Twitter, and Facebook brings me the most traffic.

I probably would have more traffic from other social networking sites, but I do not have the time to spend on other sites networking.  I just stick to what I know and what works best.

You will notice also, that traffic that comes from StumbleUpon does not stay on the site very long, which results in higher bounce rates.

However, traffic from Twitter, Facebook, Google, CurlsandRealTalk.com, Bloggers.com and YouTube.com have stay on the site longer, which results in lower bounce rates.  I spend more time on these sites and it pays off.

If you find it challenging to keep up with the many social networking sites that are out here, check your referral traffic statistics and decide which social media sites are worth your time.

Once you discover which social media sites are worth your time, then focus on networking on those sites.

Discussion: Which social media sites do you use the most and why?

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Category: Blogging

About Evelyn Parham: Hi, I'm Evelyn and I write about healthy living, vegan and blogging topics. I obtained a Master's of Science in biology from Tennessee Technological University. I enjoy reading, writing, singing and dancing. View author profile.

Comments (16)

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  1. Andrei
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 26, 2012 at 8:54 AM

    Hi Evelyn,

    Thanks for sharing your Google Analytics. I’ve learned new things based from your results. I’m gonna use Stumbleupon more frequently now.

    Reply
  2. Jee
    Twitter:
    says:
    June 28, 2012 at 10:54 AM

    We are alike evelyn.. I do everything to promote my site..

    However, i do more on SEO..
    Jee recently posted..The Six Rationale: Why Should I Talk to My Doctor about Weight LossMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Tamara
    Twitter:
    says:
    June 26, 2012 at 1:30 PM

    Evelyn, ironically enough, this post of yours showed up in my inbox while I was listening to a session on social media and blogging at the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference this past weekend! I immediately shared, but am just coming back to comment today!

    I see myself in your post. I’m fairly new to both blogging and social media. It seems like every second week there’s a new platform that needs to be mastered. The more time I spent on social media, the less time I have to research and write quality content. The more time I spend researching and writing quality content, the less time I have to spend on social media. Both are important, but how to allocate time is the BIG question!

    I love your analytical approach! So sensible! I’m like you; most of my traffic comes from search (so learning SEO techniques is on my list of things to improve on), Twitter and Facebook. Of course, those are the sites I spend the most time on. Pinterest and Instagram are fun, but I’m more of a ‘words’ person than a ‘visual’ person. And forget Goggle+, I just don’t get it!

    Thanks for reaffirming the conclusions I’ve recently been coming to; focus on what you enjoy and do well and what drives the most traffic to your site!
    Tamara recently posted..Healthy eating on the road: Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference recapMy Profile

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      June 26, 2012 at 4:28 PM

      Hey Tamara!

      Balance is key, but sometimes it can get overwhelming. It took me some time to figure it out. ;)

      That’s great that most of your traffic comes from the Search engine. When I first started out, it was the opposite for me, but now I’m happy that I get more search engine traffic. This let’s you know that you are ranking pretty well in the search engines. Learning more about SEO can only help you soar even more. :)

      Twitter and Facebook is where I hang out most too, oh don’t let me forget You Tube. Another ‘words’ person here…give me some words and I’m there, but photos I can do without. I feel the same way as you do about Google +. Like..what’s the point? I find that sticking to what you like and know best is key.

      Love your conclusions..”focus on what you enjoy and do well and what drives the most traffic to your site.” –Absolutely!!

      Thanks for sharing my post at the conference and I appreciate your feedback!

      Reply
  4. doug
    Twitter:
    says:
    June 25, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    Twitter crushes all other sources of social media traffic for me. Google+ and facebook pale in comparison. Re Pinterest, if I had a fashion, food, photo blog, I would put some effort into building my exposure with a bunch of boards

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      June 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM

      Hey Doug!

      I think Twitter is the best. There are more eyes that can see what you share and I agree G + and FB do pale in comparison. Yeah, I feel the same way when it comes to Pinterest.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      EP

      Reply
  5. Mariella Lombardi says:
    June 25, 2012 at 11:44 AM

    This is the best advice I’ve read all day Evelyn and it is exactly how I see the whole social media thing. It is best to have a great content in order to keep readers coming to your site, as well as having better google ranking.
    Mariella Lombardi recently posted..2 Pounds for Larger Breasts? Pregnancy Weight Gain, The Good, The Bad…The RealityMy Profile

    Reply
  6. david from gassy foods says:
    June 24, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    Agree with you, as a part time blogger i have limited time to spend on the social sites as well, I have to learn from you, just focus on a few that bring more traffic
    david recently posted..Probiotics for constipation – does it work?My Profile

    Reply
  7. Pamela says:
    June 22, 2012 at 2:16 PM

    This is great information Evelyn. I am trying to wrap my head around all this. There are so many social media networks and when you are just starting out it can be a challenge trying to figure out what is working and what is not working.
    Pamela recently posted..Raw Food Challenge Day 33My Profile

    Reply
  8. Monique
    Twitter:
    says:
    June 22, 2012 at 1:19 PM

    I like/use Twitter the most and wouldn’t mind letting go of Facebook to explore Google + more.

    I enjoy Twitter because it forces you to get the point (with only 140 characters) and it moves a lot faster than other social media.

    I agree that it’s hard to keep up with all the sites and I feel like my Facebook “fan page” is usually a ghost town.

    I guess what I just typed confirms that it’s time to move on. lol

    Reply
    • Evelyn
      Twitter:
      says:
      June 22, 2012 at 4:15 PM

      Hey Monique!

      I feel you with Twitter.

      My Facebook “fan page” was like a ghost town most of the time, even with 500 fans. I lost my motivation to share information on the page, now I share it on my personal page. The funny thing is, I get more feedback on my personal page than I did on my fan page. Guess I made the right move. ;)

      You have to do what you feel is best. I know you will!
      Evelyn recently posted..10 Quotes To Help You Succeed (healthy lifestyle changes)My Profile

      Reply

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