Social Media Lead Generation Strategies

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Julie Frost

October 30, 2022

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Social Media

When you check your social media profile analytics, you see thousands of daily views. Unfortunately, only a fraction of those people visit your website--and a tinier fraction clicks the "Sign Up" button. You're grabbing their attention, but you can't seem to convert them into potential leads. Does this sound familiar?

Top Social Media Lead Generation Strategies

With the right social media lead generation strategies, you can increase visitors to your website and convert more into leads.

Gated Content

While some businesses offer discounts to new subscribers, others go a step further with gated content, wherein subscribers get access to exclusive content, such as an ebook, videos, or online classes. By doing so, these new subscribers feel like they snagged a deal because they received free content--and you get to add them to your marketing list.

Free Evaluations

Woman in a zoom call

You can also grab new leads by offering a complimentary assessment of their current situation with a 15-minute Zoom discovery call. During the assessment, you can show prospects areas that need improvement and how hiring you will benefit them. For example, if your company writes resumes for job seekers, you could ask them to submit a resume for evaluation. From there, you could quickly review the resume's strengths and weaknesses and then show them how your services will resolve these issues.

A free discovery call allows you to introduce yourself, meet new potential clients and demonstrate your capabilities. Software demos will show them what your business could do for them as you build rapport without taking their money. After the call or meeting, they'll feel a personal connection that they won't get through emails alone. This connection makes prospects much more likely to choose you over a competitor. Essentially, they've already started working with you, so why not hire you for the entire project?

Trial Packages

Prospects might not pay a thousand dollars for your online course, but they might pay $50 for a trial course that introduces your product. Likewise, they might pay for smaller services, introductory guides, and one-off sessions that grab their attention without making them spend hundreds of dollars. Trial packages also help prospects decide if your business is the right fit for their needs.

For more potential leads, direct visitors to a sales funnel that advertises the package as a limited-time offer. This creates a sense of urgency that makes clients want to buy immediately instead of "thinking about it" and inevitably forgetting about the deal.

Targeted Ads

Target audience

Target your audience's pain points with ads that bring up common issues. For example, a chatbot service could highlight the percentage of website visitors who browse for a few minutes, then leave without buying anything. The ad validates the viewer's frustration with low sales compared to their daily traffic.

Once you've grabbed the users' attention, explain how your business can solve their problems and help them succeed. Make it quick with a sentence or two because most people won't scroll endlessly to read through paragraphs of information. Invite the user to learn more about your products and services by browsing your website, and be sure you have a solid call-to-action (CTA) that encourages them to take action, like calling or filling out a form.

Chatbot and Live Chat Campaigns

Chatbot saying: What can I help you?

Most visitors passively browse your website by scrolling through the home page, clicking on a few links, and then leaving. If you’re looking for more innovative customer service ideas, you should consider chatbots, which actively engage visitors by grabbing their attention and inviting them to ask questions. This real-time interaction allows them to discover new ways to resolve challenges while learning more about your products and services, which keeps them on our site longer. Conversely, live chat customer service is particularly engaging because visitors interact with real people instead of bots.

Similarly, you can send your social media followers the occasional direct message (DM) to share news, offers, and promotions. Don't bombard their inboxes with weekly DMs--they're private messaging platforms, not email accounts. However, when you reach out once or twice a year, you'll engage customers directly instead of hoping they stumble upon your ads.

Free Trials

A free trial allows prospects to test your service without a monetary commitment. This generates leads from people who don't have the budget or don't want to pay for a service that might not work for them. If satisfied, they'll keep their subscription and possibly order more services. Some users will simply forget to end their trial.

You could also adopt a "freemium" model that requires users to pay for advanced features. People will sign up because it's free, then pay for more features if needed because it's easier than turning to a competitor. Plus, they'll know that they can trust your business.

Influencer Sponsorships

Woman filming herself

Reach a wider audience by sponsoring influencers. You could offer free services or pay for video production in exchange for a promotion, such as a social media post or a recommendation at the start of the video. A sponsorship could reach millions of viewers--and when it's attached to engaging content, it could generate leads weeks or months after the influencer uploaded their clip.

Sponsorships also act as a two-way endorsement. The influencer's audience trusts their judgment and assumes they only work with the best companies. Just work with an influencer with a similar audience to your business- a makeup artist won't generate many leads for a company that sells software.

Optimized Profiles

A well-designed marketing campaign falls apart if visitors click on your ad, then find a sloppy, outdated social media profile that hasn't been updated in weeks, suggesting that you abandoned the business. Optimize your social media profiles to make a strong first impression.

Use consistent branding across your website and social profiles so visitors instantly recognize your business. If you have a new business, post regularly for a week or two before you start advertising. Visitors won't linger on an empty profile. Share funny, informative, and engaging content with crisp graphics and well-written captions that make them click the "Follow" button, potentially generating future sales.

Virtual Events

Virtual conference

Virtual events allow you to greet customers, generate leads, and network with like-minded people without trying to secure a location for an in-person event. You can connect with people hundreds of miles away who wouldn't be able to attend otherwise. Events provide a platform for your sales pitch so that you can collect leads and follow up afterward.

Gather contact information and potential leads before the event starts by inviting visitors to sign up. You'll have their name and email address even if they don't attend, so you can reach out later. Attendees will remember your enthusiasm and professionalism and possibly initiate the conversation.

Referral Marketing

Your audience trusts referrals more than sales pitches because a fellow consumer has no reason to exaggerate. Referral marketing gains potential leads by relying on positive reviews and implicit trust between consumers. People see that a third party recommended your business, check out your website, and consider making a purchase.

Offer a reward for clients who refer friends to your business, such as $10 off their next order. And you can get even more potential leads by offering a reward for both the referer and the referee. People are more likely to sign up when they get an exclusive discount--and when they see the referral prizes, they might generate even more leads for you.

Influencer filming himself

Collaborate with bloggers and influencers to reach a wider audience. Offer a reward for their support, such as a free product or service, then give them an exclusive discount code to share with their followers.

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