Generate free or paid blog traffic? Which is better for your business?

Written by Radu Dascalul on Jan 31, 2012 3:55 pm

When it comes to getting blog traffic, the question that shows up very often is “Which kind of traffic is better to build my home based/ MLM business, free or paid?”

The amount of opinions that this topic continues to generate is huge and can fill up many blog posts.

Let’s have both ways of getting blog traffic exposed today, with their pros and cons.

In the end, you will be able to be the judge.

Getting blog traffic using the free way

Sources- blogging, blog commenting, guest posting, article marketing, video marketing, social media and social bookmarking sites, forums, SEO, web 2.0 properties(such as Squidoo, Hubpages, Tumblr etc), RSS feeds, free press releaseas or free classified ads.

Pros:

- you don’t spend money

-you can make mistakes without the stress of losing money

- it’s easier to learn, especially when you’re a newbie in the online world

With tons of free training available online now you can pick one-two traffic sources that fits your personality and stick with them.

- a content marketing strategy such as blogging or videos when performed consistently and properly creates a sense of trust, leadership and authority.

In other words, through quality content you generate traffic but also it becomes easier and easier to sell when people notice that you care about them.Pre selling and branding.

- a free traffic source allows you to build meaningful relationships that last- a vital component when running a home based business.

-good content+SEO+active social media/forum participation produces traffic quite fast

The myth “free traffic comes hard” falls when all the conditions above are met.

In some cases I managed to rank on page of Google in less than a day and generate free organic traffic while in others in 3 or 4 days.

-once you master few strategies, getting solid blog traffic in the long run is a job well done.

The “pipes” you created in few months will continue to pump traffic and attract new prospects over and over.

Cons:

- a free traffic source means that you don’t pay with your money but with time and work.

- you can generate free traffic relatively fast but it takes consistency and focused action to maintain the momentum.

- people pay more attention to what they read or watch on Youtube these days.

Just throwing some blog posts out there won’t cut it anymore! In fact, it can harm your home based business.

Quality and authenticity are a big deal!

Getting blog traffic using paid advertising

Sources: Google Pay Per Click, Facebook ads, banner ads, ezines and solo ads or outsourced content+SEO

Pros:

- instant traffic and leads

- less time and effort needed

-easier to generate money.

There are many marketers who achieved great results with paid strategies. Just to name a few: Daegan Smith and Rachael Mcgregor with solo ads or Michelle Pescosolido and Jonathan Budd with Facebook PPC.

Cons:

- as a beginner you can lose a lot of money with no guidance. Thus, it’s better to have first a step by step training and coach, especially when your marketing budget is limited.

- if you stop pumping money into a campaign your traffic is gone.

Final thoughts

There is no perfect formula about getting blog traffic.

Both approaches create results and have their pluses and minuses.

Your preference ( and budget) will dictate which one is a fit.

I believe that using a free source it’s a good start while adding a paid advertising campaign can come along the road as you start creating few solid income streams.

Confidence and influence are earned through mastering something you love. Period.

The best thing to do is keeping things simple: start with the strategy you like the most, implement what you learn, test/adjust until results appear and then move to the next one.

Jumping from here and there just to “see how things work” will drive you mad after few weeks

Which of getting blog traffic is better in your opinion?

What is the strategy you are implementing now? How it works for you?

I’d love to hear your feedback. Also, if you found this post useful please share it on Facebook, Twitter or Linked In. I appreciate your support!

PS: If you don’t have a simple Blueprint to make your home based business work and prosper, Check This Out (Of course, unless you don’t need too many leads ) – Click Here For Instant Access

To your prosperity,