As business owners, we're obsessed with getting traffic. It's what the gurus and experts tell us we need to turn our websites into cash machines.

There are many ways to generate traffic to your blog or website. Social media is one of the sources you can tap into. Getting traffic from social media websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube can boost your business and help you get attention quickly. You get tons of people visiting your blog or website in a short period of time.

However, due to the fact that social media traffic isn't targeted, nor is it relevant, I recommend that you attract leads instead.

According to Wikipedia.org, a lead is a person interested in purchasing a product or service, and represents the first stage of a sales process. That means leads are much more targeted, much more relevant and will take action with you.

So, how do you use social media to attract leads to your business?

1. You need to solve a problem. Whatever you post to your blog or whatever you share on Twitter or Facebook should solve a problem. Take a stand on an issue, then offer your tips.
2. You need to be active. Just creating a profile on LinkedIn or Twitter is not enough. You have to engage with your target market often. Check in with your followers or friends at least once a day so they don't forget you.
3. You need to share your expertise. Make it easy for people to share your content with others. That means providing buttons on your blog that allow people to easily forward your blog posts to their friends and colleagues.
4. You need to be emotionally attractive. Don't be afraid to let your personality show through. Just like you have to be physically attractive when dating, you should be emotionally attractive to get leads using social media.
5. You need to measure your results. Use a variety of tools to measure which social media tool is bringing you the most leads. You may also want to split test and send Facebook leads to a different page on your blog than the leads you attract from Twitter. If you use 1ShoppingCart or Aweber, you can use these tools to measure your results.
6. You need to let go. In other words, open the door so that those who follow you can meet each other. Allow your friends, followers and fans to interact. Be in your abundance mindset.