By Senior Editor – Kris Smith (@croncast)

This short list is a way to gain site traffic beyond SEO. I should also say beyond PPC, affiliate marketing or hiring a social media expert.

It hurt me to type those last three words.

As Nick Cave said in his Grinderman role, “Get it on.”

In no particular order . . .

1. Be the first in a niche

Take the thought about that next great business and simply flesh it out on paper. Then implement. Even in the simplest form if you are first in a niche you will get the rank and community support to grow. It will start out small but over time if it is the right idea and execution traffic will grow.

2. Insightful content

Being first is awesome but if you aren’t first, ahem, which you most likely aren’t, you’ll need to deliver insightful content. Regardless of whether it is video, audio, text or non-digital products the content around the item needs to add value.

3. Controversy

If you’re doing it right it will find you. On accident you will step on some toes of competitors or even your own users. Remember this isn’t always about always being right, it is about the battle that you can win. And if you lose, be gracious and admit the defeat. If you despise confrontation maybe this one isn’t for you but it sure can help in promoting your wares.

4. Offer more

Much more than your competitors. Give visitors a reason to come back. If you nearest competitor offers a message board then offer a message board and live chat . . . and standard 3rd party social tools like Twitter or Facebook. Take the time to review your road map and go off the reservation with brainstorming. Get crazy with ideas and you’ll find a solution that you didn’t know was there to differentiate you from the competitor. In other words, innovate.

5. Celebrity love

This isn’t the layup that it seems. The site doesn’t have to be flashy and filled with paid celebrity users. One engaged celebrity user would do. Hell, that engaged celebrity could come from the site community and simply need the spotlight to shine themselves. Offer your users the chance to become the rock star of their dreams.

Conclusion

Be a grinder and get it on. Stop languishing as competitors in your space pass you by. Maybe you are already in the lead and feel that you are not meeting your goals – grind it out.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Tags: affiliate marketing , get it on , grinder , grinderman , nick cave , PPC , SEO , site traffic , social media expert