Being active on social media is a requirement these days since 70% of Americans use social media regularly. Social media platforms are a great place to find people of virtually any identity, background, and belief. There’s an audience for your product or service there!
However, being on social media and getting leads with social media are two different things. To get leads, you need a defined strategy that will allow you to move people through your marketing funnel.
How’s it done? Here are some tips you can implement today.
Understand the Customer Journey
Before you can get leads and turn them into sales, it’s essential to map out the customer journey for your specific product or service. Each type of customer makes decisions differently.
B2B customers often take a long time to make a purchase, and the buying decision requires multiple people. Young people may be impulsive and buy quickly, especially if your product has a low price point. Older consumers may be more considerate, or they might be more easily enticed with a discount or a sale.
Until you know exactly how your specific leads move from awareness to engagement to purchase, you won’t be able to craft an effective social media marketing strategy.
Put the Customer First
One thing that’s been proven over the years is that people respond better to engagement than to advertising. Simply broadcasting general content yields poor results. Facebook even updated its algorithm to prioritize posts with meaningful engagement, which includes active interaction.
The easiest way to take advantage of this idea is to think about social media marketing with your customer at the center. What do they want? What are they interested in? How can you encourage them to participate with your brand?
Being customer-centric is what leads brands to utilize user-generated content (UGC), where prospects and customers create materials that are then shared by the company. From video clip contests where the winner’s creation is used in an ad, to selfies with the Coke bottle with their name on it, customers can do a lot to spread your message.
Don’t approach social media marketing with the mindset of “What do we want to say?” Instead, ask yourself, “What does a prospect want to hear, and how can we get them to engage with us?”
Create a Trustworthy Brand Voice
In today’s social media environment, it’s easy to get dragged into controversy and negative discussions. Many people — even brands — are guilty of sharing false or misleading information in the heat of the moment.
The best option for any company is to be very careful when it comes to politics. If you do share an opinion on a hot-button issue, make sure you’ve carefully researched the topic and that the information you’re sharing is accurate.
It’s easy to be misled by emotional headlines and heart-wrenching photos. Don’t let your company get sucked into those controversies. Instead, stay focused on your brand voice, mission, and how you can engage with your audience.
A trustworthy voice is sorely needed in these divisive times, and if your company can provide that, you’ll create a significant number of leads.
Choose the Right Platforms
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is being on too many social media platforms at once. You might think that’s the best way to maximize your reach, but it’s not true. In reality, maintaining an authentic and engaging brand takes time and energy, and the more platforms you’re on, the more that cost is multiplied.
Instead, focus on the best social media demographics for your business. Where does your core audience spend the most time? What type of content is best suited for your products and services?
If you have a product that appeals to those over 30, and benefits from being demonstrated, building a robust YouTube channel and focusing on Facebook video might be all you need to do. For younger folks, you’ll need to get the hang of TikTok and other emerging platforms.
Pinterest is incredible if your company is involved in big life moments, such as weddings or new babies. Best of all, over half of millennials have discovered products on Pinterest! By doing your research, you can find out the best place for your company to be. Once you do, focus on being consistent and maximizing your reach on that platform before you branch out.
Turn Leads into Sales
Once you’ve started to gain traction on social media, it’s time to turn those new leads into sales. You want to take advantage of the best practices of effective digital marketing campaigns.
For instance, use webinars to promote a new service offering or product. The free information about the impact of your product can lead to a sales presentation at the end. Webinars allow you to explain your offer in-depth, establish yourself as an expert, and answer questions in real-time.
You can also take advantage of retargeting, where those who have clicked on a specific offer but didn’t buy are given additional ads about that offer on other websites. This consistent reminder can help you turn leads into sales, even if they weren’t ready to purchase initially.
Finally, you can incorporate the best aspects of direct marketing into your ads and track your analytics to see how effective they are. Use a marketing code to know exactly which sales are coming from which ads, and make sure each marketing message includes a strong call-to-action giving people a great reason to act now.
Social Media Can Bring in New Leads and Improve Your Profitability
One of the best things about social media marketing is its relatively low cost compared to other outreach methods. However, you have to carefully plan, track, and optimize your campaign to get the best results.
When you understand the customer journey, choose the right platforms, use customer-focused marketing, and build a trustworthy brand voice, you’ll bring in a lot of high-quality leads. From there, use the best digital marketing strategies to convert them into customers.
Once people have bought from you, continue to nurture the relationship. Repeat customers are highly profitable, and you can encourage buyers to advocate for your brand online as well.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to social media marketing. It’s time to get started!
