Social media has become the preferred way for customers to connect with businesses big and small. Did you know you can also use social media as a source of leads for your business? Here is 5 Step Plan For Driving Leads From Social Media.
1. Choose The Right Channels
The right social platform for your business depends on your customers and where they are likely to connect. There are hundreds of social media platforms, however, the Big 4 in social media for business use are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. These platforms are most popular because they have the most users which gives businesses more opportunity to connect with existing and potential customers. Here is a brief overview of how each of these social media channels are used by small businesses:
Facebook. It’s no secret, Facebook is the #1 social media platform touting well over 950 million users. Businesses are reaping the reward of accessing their customers’ spheres of influence through word of mouth.
Twitter. Marketers use Twitter to listen to and monitor mentions of their companies and products and services related to their business.
LinkedIn. Building relationships on LinkedIn is very similar to offline networking. This platform is most used for connecting with industry professionals, authority figures, employees and business contacts.
Pinterest. Believe it or not, Pinterest is the 3rd fastest growing social media network and businesses are taking advantage of its popularity by making their website content more Pin-able for people to share with their friends.
2. Share Quality Content
Leveraging social media for your business is all about building relationships with people you may not have reached through traditional marketing. The nature of social media allows for you to listen, share and communicate with your audience. Think about what brings the “social” to social media: people interacting with each other around a common interest. When it comes to your business, what are things that make your business a topic of discussion? What gets people talking about your business? What ways can you invite people into your business and discuss your brand? Think: Word of mouth.
What To Share On Social Media
Quality content becomes the glue that connects a social media audience. By sharing quality content – Content that is relevant, useful, entertaining, and inspiring to your respective audience – you make it easy for your connections to share information about your company within their circles.
Taking a look at a few of the most interactive Facebook pages, Twitter users or Pinterest boards will give you a good idea of what types of content people like to engage with. On Pinterest, notice the repins of infographics, images of DIY resources, fashion and favorite recipes. On Facebook, images and video are more shared than written posts. Want your Tweet to be ReTweeted? Add a link to a special promo or coupon. For LinkedIn networkers, How-To Guides and white papers go a long way in discussion groups.
3. Advertise To Find Targeted Prospects
One of the most effective ways to build a well connected community as well as attract new prospects to your business is by advertising on social media channels. Facebook, and just recently, Twitter, allow marketers to promote their posts to targeted followers. Using LinkedIn? Start promoting your LinkedIn company page using LinkedIn ads. Use attractive images and compelling headlines to attract the right people. The important thing is not to limit your social media lead generation to only what is free. Invest in marketing your business for more long term results.
4. Direct Prospects To Your Website
There is another advantage to sharing quality content on social media: driving leads to your website. When you build a community of connected and engaged followers, it is easy to drive them back to your website to read your blog, sign up for your newsletter or take advantage of a free offer. Schedule your posts to include links back to your site by using your website as a hub of helpful, relevant and interesting resources.
5. Convert Prospects To Leads
Building up your social media audience and driving traffic to your website are just two parts of the lead-generation puzzle. The third part is converting your social media connections into qualified leads. The beauty of driving leads to your site after you have already established a relationship through social media is that you have already overcome your prospect’s initial trust barriers. Consider offering a free gift for joining your newsletter or completing a survey to convert your social media connections into qualified leads. By giving you their email in exchange for a relevant offer, your prospects demonstrate a desire to receive more information from you, which opens the door for sales opportunities.
Social media for business is gaining more traction as businesses are getting strategic about generating leads and revenue. How are you taking advantage of social media for your business?
