To make this tactic work for you, you need to set up at least 10 different accounts and join groups in your target market. Visit the members' spaces and read their profiles as well as the comments posted on their sites. These spaces take you into the hearts and minds of your customers. By understanding how they think and feel, you can tweak your copy to reach them more effectively.

Then using a friend management software like Friend Adder or Friend Laser, start asking these targeted prospects to be your friends. With 10 profiles at 350 requests each, you have the ability to send 3,500 requests a day.

A good response rate (which depends on the quality of your picture first and your message second) gets you 250 friends for every 350 you request, so you have the potential to gain 2,500 friends each day.

Within a matter of days, you should begin to see the friend sections on all of your spaces fill with pictures of your new MySpace friends. And having friends means you're ready to start commenting on their sites and driving traffic to your website.

Here are some basic things to keep in mind when leaving comments no matter which program you use:

One, write several Comments in both html and text only format. For users that allow html comments, the best way to drive traffic to your site is to use an image that, when clicked on, leads people directly to you. Test several images as well as the copy that accompanies the image. Target users who allow html comments first.

For users that do not allow html comments, write at least 5 comments in text only format. Here you'll have to include your actual web address for readers of the comment to copy and paste in their browser. Include a tracking tag in all your comments so you can track the click thru rate.

Two, limit your comments to 225 per day per profile. If you attempt to send more than 225 comments (which is the current MySpace limit), you could be accused of sending spam. If that happens, your accounts will be deleted.

Three, leave only comments that are relevant to the group you are targeting. Then make commenting on your friends' sites a daily habit. Now that you know the basics, let's do the math to discover the kind of traffic you can expect from the comments you post.

By sending 225 comments for each profile, you're actually posting 2,250 "ads" a day. Since each comment is viewed an average of 10 times a day, 22,500 targeted people are exposed to your information every day.

Because these are targeted viewers, you should be able to expect a 5% response rate from a decent post. That percentage translated into an actual number gives you 1,125 visits to your site a day. How's that for a great source of free, targeted traffic!

So make requesting friends and posting comments a part of your daily marketing routine. By sticking with it and learning what it takes to gain friends in this social network, you will start to see a steady flow of free traffic come your way each and every day.