Your social connections can translate to site popularity if you only know how to use them. Think about it: all those connections mean real people that can translate to several things for a website: members, readers, a paying market, a free means for promotions and marketing. If you own a website, you can take advantage of your connections through social media to drive traffic to your site. Here's how:

Offer high value content.

If there's one thing you have that will find high acceptance in the social media, it's content. If you can produce good content; the kind that people actually read from the first word to the last, the kind that gets passed on from one person to the next and talked about, you'll find a good audience waiting for you in social media.

High value content is highly sought after in social media networks and elsewhere on the internet. After all, content is what makes the internet interesting. If you want to drive traffic to your website using social media, be popular with its users by offering them something they can't refuse.

Make content usable.

Aside from creating original and high value content, you also need to provide your target audience with a way to find it. Your content is more likely to be noticed and read if it's organized and can be located quickly. Make sure your articles are easy to use and are optimized so anyone looking for topics related to your write-up will find them easily.

Increase your presence.

Were you a hit with one write-up? Did you cause a sensation with your previous submission, driving massive traffic to your website in the process? Don't just stop there.

Consistently and frequently update your submissions to social media networks. You want to make sure that people remember you not for that one great write-up you produced but for being a reliable source of excellent content.

That way, each time you submit an article, it can ride on the buzz you have already created for yourself. Once you're a recognizable name in social media, your target audience will gladly follow your link back to your website. They'll even find you on their own.

Promote your content and your website.

Don't be shy about promoting yourself. Each time you have a new write-up or significant changes in your website, inform your target audience through e-mail. Mention the same in your podcasts and other articles you might submit to a directory. Make sure you let people know who you are and what you have to offer. However, make sure you don't overdo it. Promoting your write-up or website too aggressively in social media networks might make you look too desperate. People are also more likely to be suspicious of your intentions if you sell yourself too hard.

Encourage interaction.

Sure, people like the anonymity the internet provides but they can't help but communicate with other people they find online. That's why you should provide them with a means to use your website or write-up to air their views. Allow interaction such as comments, polls, surveys and feedback forms.

Using social media to drive traffic to a website is not exactly an easy task. In fact, it can often become labor intensive. However, if it's done well, it can be a very effective and inexpensive method to increase awareness for a website. Try to explore what you can contribute to social media and take advantage of this great source for traffic.