How to Utilize Social Media for Lead Generation
Contributed by Idea Collective Member:
Abbey Harrison
Founder & Chief Marketing Strategist at Assist for the Win
A big pain point for many small business owners is the amount of time, energy, and money they spend on social media marketing that doesn't produce results.
The truth is… most biz owners are approaching social media with the wrong mindset.
If you want to attract followers that convert into buyers you have to do more than post occasionally and hope for the best.
You need to optimize your social media for lead generation!
Let’s get you to a better place when it comes to creating content and posting on social media for your business:
1. Where You At?
What social media platforms are you on right now for your business? Better question – which platforms are you regularly posting on? If the answer is none, then that’s your first problem! You’ve got to put your business out there, and often, to get attention for your brand and attract followers.
If you do already have a social media presence, who is your audience? Do you know who they are? Do you know where they hang out on social? Which platforms will be most effective to reach your ideal audience? For example:
The key is not to show up on platforms or channels that you are not 100% dedicated to creating and sharing content consistently. No one is attracted to a naked social media profile that contains a logo and not much of anything else. (Leave naked things for naughty time.. 😉 )
This is bad for biz! (It’s better to not have a presence than to have a neglected one.)
Step #1 to convert followers into buyers is to clean up your social media accounts, pad those profiles with keywords and sales copy that converts, and ditch any profiles for platforms you don’t plan to monitor or maintain.
2. Just Keep Swimming
You get more eyes on your content when you ACTUALLY POST YOUR CONTENT!! WOW! WHAT? CRAZY!
Not sure how often to post or when? Our Suggestion: Post at least twice a week during times you know your audience might be most active. (We do suggest posting daily on your Instagram Stories as those will get the MOST eyes on your brand.) Once you do that for a month (or 3, or 6) you’ll have a much better idea about where and when to post to make the most impact. However, if you haven’t been doing that you have zero data to work with so just pick something and see what it does.
A Simple Rule: People can’t do business with you if they’re not hearing from you. While spamming is a thing that should be avoided, small business owners really can’t market (get your brand out there) enough. You may need to be creative about the where and how so that you aren’t flooding one group of folks, but no one can find you if you aren’t putting your business out there and no one will remember you if you don’t do it often.
3. Warm Contact
Posting on Social Media isn’t just for the birds. The people who follow you are actually INTERESTED in you and your brand. Mmmmm so warrmmmmm.
Your social media content is an extension of your brand. People will really feel like they know your brand from the content you post on social media. These people are ready for you, your business, and your products and services. Don’t leave them hanging!
4. Boosting
Did you know that only 10% of your followers see your content? TRUTH BOMB! Boosting your content on Facebook and Instagram is such a magical thing. You can literally tell social media platforms to show your content to your ideal clients. Say WHAT?! Putting just a few buckaroos behind your content could get thousands more people to see your content and ensure that your regulars get to see the content you are creating or them.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you post something and get no reactions. Social media marketing is a long game. Keep showing up for your people and they’ll find you and show up for you in return. While not all of your followers will become customers or clients, they are still the pool in which you draw out the people interested in what you have to offer. Set up your social media for lead generation success and you won’t be disappointed!
Not sure where to start? The Idea Collective has an entire community of experts who can help you with any aspect of your small business.
Contributed by
Abbey Harrison
Chief Marketing Strategist
I am the Owner and Chief Marketing Strategist of Assist for the Win, a digital marketing company, where we help small businesses elevate their brand, position their authority and drive results with our online marketing strategies and services. My mission is to partner with small business owners nationwide to elevate and manage their online marketing and social strategies so they can run their businesses without marketing worries
