When you hear the term “lead generation,” social media may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but maybe it should be. Social media marketing has reduced costs for 45% of businesses, and 92% of marketers say that social media is important to their company.
So, where do we begin? These leads aren’t going to generate themselves.
Choose the right channel
Start off smart and don’t try to get leads from the wrong social channel. With over one billion users, it’s easy to assume Facebook would be the go-to choice, but that’s not always the case.
For a variety of B2B Marketers, 44% have generated leads through LinkedIn, while 39% have gone through Facebook, and 30% through Twitter.
However, this all depends upon your audience and which social platform they’re using the most. If you’re not sure, take a look at this infographic that breaks down users based on top social media sites.
Let’s take a look at some of the best practices to lock down when using each social platform.
1. Generate leads through Facebook
By now, most companies know that Facebook is an important business tool for organizations of every size and industry. With a daily active user base of 1.23 billion (1.15 billion on mobile alone), it can help you reach an audience you may not have otherwise.
- Post blogs that generate the most leads
- Include links in your posts that lead back to your website
- Use video to promote lead generation offers and pin those posts to the top of your feed
- Add a call-to-action button on your Facebook business page
- Utilize Facebook Ads to reach more people
2. Generate leads through Twitter
Twitter isn’t just for gaining status, followers, retweets, or replies. It’s a valuable marketing and customer service channel with prospects floating from hashtag to hashtag. With a few tweet tweaks, your Twitter content can be transformed into a #LeadGenerationMachine.
- Search keywords and hashtags relevant to your industry
- Create events using Twitter chats
- Track brand mentions
- Get creative with your hashtags and use ones that are trending
3. Generate leads through Instagram
With over 600 million monthly users, Instagram could be your ideal channel for drawing in new leads if you have access to original visual content that relate to your company. Instagram is the go-to platform when it comes to sharing photos to relay information and connect with individuals and businesses on a personal level.
- Engage and communicate with other brands
- Personalize your hashtags and use them often
- Target and retarget with ads
- Use live video
4. Generate leads through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the top social media site for B2B leads thanks to its easily accessible connections. Since it’s catered toward professionals and networking, it’s a natural lead generation tool that works like a charm.
- Utilize LinkedIn’s Publishing platform
- Inbound Marketing (it drives 54% more leads than traditional outbound tactics)
- Add connections to your network
- Follow your current clients and prospects
- Build out your lead list
Social media isn’t just about branding anymore. It’s time to start changing the way you use it. Stop thinking of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn as gateways to brand your business and start valuing them as lead generators.
