I’m afraid you’ve heard the truth too many times already. “Content, content and more content” is what you need to drive traffic to your site. But, of course, it is not just any content. First of all, it has to be valuable content. Not just “yak-yak”. Who’s really going to come back for more of that? Second, the content must apply to what you sell or offer.

Here are three quick tips on using content for your home business:

1. Use content to get repeat visits to your site. Please don’t stick your head in the sand. It’s true. Find all the free places to advertise, but it will never be as valuable as spending your time researching and writing valuable content for your site. If you have a website for a direct sales company, then make it a priority to build your own website. Dont wait! You will miss out on promoting yourself, collecting leads, and adding your own content to your site. Add “valuable” content that will make your visitors ask for more. Here are three ways you can get started:

*Include informative articles on your site. The main goal of Internet users is still to find useful information. You don’t have to be a professional writer. Just do some research on your topic, put your information in a decent order, and make it sound interesting by letting your personality shine through like you’re talking to your best friend. We often enthusiastically offer our own friends valuable information and even have fun sharing our opinion.

*A monthly newsletter is a great way to offer content. Be sure to include your newsletter subscription on each page. Entice them with all the benefits they’ll get or information they’ll learn from your newsletter. Entice them further by offering them a free eBook, report, or eCourse.

*Sweepstakes and contests may also be considered content for your site. Make them fun and interesting. Run a free raffle every month if you can. People love to win prizes and this is a timeless promotion that will keep working for you as long as you honor your offers.

2. Use the content to establish yourself as an expert in your field. You can mark your brand by choosing a particular niche to work on. Study and learn all you can. Soak up all the information you can find on the subject. Also learn from your own mistakes and share this knowledge. People may like to learn what to do, but they also like to learn what “not” to do. So sharing your successes and mistakes will help your readers connect with you. Here are some ways to share your knowledge:

*Blogs, websites

* Newsletters, Ezines, E-courses

*Ebooks, Reports, Articles, Audios

* Online chats, podcasts, teleseminars

3. Use the content to market your site. Try “no advertising” for a while. While many may like to spend their day posting ads for their home business, you won’t really get the attention you’re looking for so much as spending your time making genuine efforts to meet others and help others. Here are some ways to share your content with others:

*Forums – How about sharing your articles or other knowledgeable resources with your forum friends? Join some good forums that are close to your niche area and establish yourself there. (It’s better to settle on a few good forums than to jump into three hundred different ones. How can someone really get to know you that well if you’re a forum jumper?) Establishing genuine friendships and sharing your resources there will market your site better than posting advertisements.

*Networking groups are another great way to brainstorm and share your content. Some network members believe that “networking” means advertising your home business to all other members. That’s as boring as someone who comes to a party just to talk about himself. Yuck! Who wants to really listen? Too bad we don’t use “knowledge sharing” and “share ideas and resources” more. I think we could all do a little more with the “no ads” technique. It’s true that you won’t make many sales or get rich through networking, but you can gain more knowledge and resources, find partners, get referrals and more through networking the right way.

*Contribute to newsletters and ezines of other webmasters that target the same audience as you. Try exchanging content with other webmasters who have established their own mailing list, or offer a free eBook to all your subscribers.

*Submit your articles to article directories. There are numerous article directories that accept article submissions at no cost, which translates to free exposure for your business. Many article directories are used as a source of free content by webmasters looking for content for their sites. Do a good review of your articles to make sure that webmasters are willing to use your articles.

Content still reigns supreme when it comes to gaining the interest of other Internet users. Train yourself to think “content” first and find unique ways to deliver your content. If you’re out of ideas, spend time exploring other sites. Take note of what interests you the most and what bores you the most. Of course, you shouldn’t have to clarify which ideas you should use. You have the right idea. New, fresh and interesting content is as refreshing as a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie…”something to bite into”.