We hear it time and time again from our clients: how do I generate more leads? And we love getting this question–because we’ve spent over a decade in digital marketing coming up with answers. Our experience has proven that social media can be a powerful tool for lead generation, so if you’re looking to leverage social media to grow your audience, drive leads, and ultimately boost your sales, we’ve compiled seven expert tips to help you get started.
1. Provide Value in Your Content
The first (and perhaps the most important) role of your brand’s social media content is to provide something of value to your audience and customers. When you seek to generate leads through your social media, you are asking something of your audience. You’re providing them with something of value in return, which will incentivize them to give you what you are asking for.
This is the foundation of all leads you’ll acquire through social media–and it’s what’s going to keep people coming to you. Offering something useful to your audience builds trust between them and your brand. Your goal should be to give your audience information they can’t get elsewhere, or something else that will be beneficial to them. This can include:
- Tips and tricks on how they can use your product
- Educational content about the industry you’re in, such as articles or case studies on trends in your field
- Information about news related to your industry and/or company
These pieces of information often come in a free download, ebook, video, or something else that the viewer gets for free once they provide you with their contact info through filling out your lead generation form. Whatever value you can provide to your audience through your content will help your business generate more leads through social media.
2. Have A Clear Call-to-Action
If you’re going to ask your audience to do something, you need to be clear about what it is you are asking them to do. Using clear calls-to-action improves the user experience when someone views your post or ad, and it increases the likelihood that they will take the action you want them to take. Every piece of content you share on your social media should have a clear goal.
Are you trying to get users to click a link? Fill out a form? Send a DM? Create the content with a clear goal in mind and then use a straightforward call-to-action that leads to that goal being met. Leaving people confused will likely lead to them taking no action at all–except to keep scrolling.
3. Encourage Sharing
Another great way to want to drive traffic and generate leads is to encourage your audience to share your social media posts! How can you do this? By creating relevant and valuable content that people can’t wait to tell their friends about, and then using a clear call-to-action asking them to share. The more compelling and convenient you make it for them, the better chance you have of getting more shares. While it may not generate leads directly, it helps spread your message and brand awareness to a wider audience, which could result in more concrete leads down the road.
Pro tip: offering some sort of incentive for shares (like a giveaway in which a share counts as an entry) gives your audience all the more reason to share and engage.
4. Create a Custom Landing Page
Using social media alone will only take you so far. If you really want to generate leads, you’re going to need a custom landing page on your website. This landing page is what your social media content or ads will drive users to visit after clicking on your ad or link. Creating a landing page opens up a world of possibilities for driving leads.
Not sure where to begin with creating a custom landing page? We wrote a whole blog post about it! Read our 8 Tips for Creating Landing Pages that ACTUALLY Generate Leads here.
5. Use Visuals to Tell a Story
As we said above, if you’re going to ask your audience to give you something (like their contact info) in a lead generation form, then you need to give them a good enough reason to do so. One great way to kick this off is by connecting with your audience, and storytelling is a proven way to grow this connection. Social media is an ideal place to tell a story. Our tip for doing it well? Use visual content. Visuals can be used in many ways: to capture attention, make an emotional connection with your target audience, and sell products or services. Don’t neglect the visuals used in your social media content, and you won’t miss out on their lead-generating power.
6. Connect With Your Customers Using Live Video
While visuals are important for telling a story, take it one step further by utilizing live video to engage in a real conversation with your audience. Live video is a great way to connect with customers, as well as show your expertise, personality, and trustworthiness in front of a large audience. When you livestream, you show the authenticity behind your brand and give viewers a real face and voice they can connect with. This can lead to increased trust and ultimately more leads generated.
If live streaming isn’t something you’re comfortable with yet, don’t worry! Here at SN:D Agency, we have extensive experience running livestreams and helping our clients do the same. From what to wear on camera to tips for moderating a livestream panel, we’ve got you covered!
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Our final tip is this: don’t be afraid to try new things and see what works for your brand! Test different types of content, from images to videos to GIFs. Try different social media platforms–you might find that one drives more leads than expected! One month you may want to offer exclusive discounts and promotions for people who provide their email address when signing up through your website via social media channels; another you may want to test out different call-to-action buttons or copy on landing pages so you can figure out what converts best with your audience.
You can have all the best advice and do all the right things, but you still have to figure out what works best for your brand. Part of being successful in lead generation is learning how to adapt and keep things fresh. Working with an expert agency like SN:D allows you to seamlessly test different lead generation methods without breaking the bank. You never have to reinvent the wheel or feel like you’re going in blind. We have extensive experience in running social media programs and creating lead generation campaigns, and your brand will benefit from our years of trial and error when you work with us!
To learn more about our expertise and what we can do for your brand, contact us for a free consultation here!