Most business owners see the value of social media as a tool for communication, community building and increasing brand awareness – all of which are great for business. But how do you turn turn those likes into leads?
Through the effective use of proven social media strategies and best practices, you will notice a boost in business in no time. And while marketers still struggle with measuring social media ROI, there’s no doubt an investment in social media marketing can impact your bottom line.
In fact, companies that used social media for lead generation saw a 24% increase in revenue, according to Quick Sprout. What’s more is that those businesses also saw a decrease in costs after engaging in social media marketing.]
Here are 9 tips to get those social media leads rolling in:
1. Fill in your business details
Every social media platform provides space to fill in your business details. Use this space wisely and make sure your profile looks complete. If people can’t find out more about your business or how to contact you, they will leave.
2. Take advantage of additional platform features for businesses
Most social media platforms have special features specifically for businesses. Do your research on each platform and make sure you are using those features to the fullest. For instance, Facebook provides a customizable call-to-action button for pages and Twitter offers Twitter Cards to drive traffic to your website.
3. Get reviews and ratings
Reviews and ratings are becoming increasingly important on social media sites. People are looking for more social proof than just the number of likes or followers you have. In a 2013 study, 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Certain social platforms, such as Google+ and Facebook allow consumers and clients to fill in reviews and provide ratings for businesses. Use these features to your advantage and request reviews from clients or customers that have had a positive experience with your brand.
4. Create gated content
Gated content is content people can access only once they have shared some of their information. By providing something of value, such as an e-book or exclusive content to those that sign-up, you can quickly build up your lead database. For example, you can use your social media platforms to promote the content and drive people to a fillable form to access said content.
5. Run a contest
People love contests. And they just so happen to be a great way to generate leads. It’s definitely a win-win. To get the most out of your social media contests in terms of lead generation, direct your fans and followers to a custom conversion landing page. It’s important to note that if you decide to run a contest, make sure you are abiding not only by the platform rules and regulations, but also by your country’s laws.
6. Use retargeting strategies
Retargeting or remarketing through social media is an extremely effective way to get more business. In basic terms, social media retargeting is when your ad follows people to their social media platforms after visiting your website. Facebook has offered retargeting options for quite some time and Twitter recently launched this feature.
7. Post interesting, relevant and consistent content
For social media lead generation that works, you don’t have to (and really shouldn’t!) be selling at people all the time. By being consistent with your posting and sharing interesting, relevant, timely information that is authentic to your brand, you will gain more followers and in turn, more customers.
8. Respond to comments and messages
If people take the time to comment or send you a message, you should respond in a timely manner. While it may seem like a small action at first, it could lead to a lead down the road.
9. Listen in
With over 500 million tweets being sent out every day, people are likely talking about your industry or more specifically your brand. By listening in, so to speak, on conversations happening on social media platforms you can access new customers or clients. Follow industry hashtags and key words to hear what people are saying and feel free to (tactfully) join in on the conversation. This will not only increase engagement and raise awareness of your brand, but it could also turn into those leads you’ve been looking for.
For more on how Lifeblood Marketing can help you generate leads using social media, contact info@lb.realtylabsmarketing.com.
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