Social media remains one of the more challenging parts of the modern marketing campaign: Sure, you can use social media to help improve brand recognition and etc., but can it be used to create new business and find new leads?
The answer is yes…that is, if you invest enough time in social activities. Here are a few tips on basic social media management and how it can help bring in new customers.
Always Audit
Start by doing a basic audit of your social networks.
1. What social profiles do you have?
2. Are they all using the same marketing materials?
3. What links do you want people to visit?
4. How do people get there?
5. What is your end goal for lead generation?
6. Who is in charge of scheduling posts and ads?
You have to ask and answer these questions before you are ready to start creating new business on your accounts. Organization is a vital step: Don’t fall into chaos before you begin.
Get Involved in B2B Discussions
If you are a B2B seller, pay special attention to blogs, LinkedIn discussions and other places online where conversations are taking place.
You want to prove that you are an authority in the community and an expert in your field. Sites like LinkedIn even monitor your discussion presence as a way of charting your sales acumen. This commenting and industry leadership model works best for B2B selling, but can also be effective when selling to consumers.
Social Media Targeted Advertising
Social media is not just about posts – there are plenty of opportunities for creating social ads. Facebook has one of the most complete targeted online ad creators out there, allowing you to create and target ads to specific groups of users, then track their progress.
There are also options for mobile app advertisement for sites like Facebook. Use a combination of online social ads to bring in new business, but don’t stretch your net too wide!
Twitter Ads
Twitter also has several options for advertisement, but one of the most effective is the Promoted Tweet, which allows you to skyrocket tweets to the front pages of followers and searchers where it can be seen.
You can also promote your account or your campaign if you prefer. Link to a product page, a customer info form, or something else that will generate a real lead.
Hashtag Interest
Now that hashtags are supported across a number of social sites, you can use them very effectively to chart how well a campaign is going.
Who is sharing or mentioning your keyword hashtags? How many people have picked up on it? Smart hashtag use can attract the attention of people searching hashtags for particular suppliers, products or services, and it can generate more business than you might think. Just avoid going too general and getting lost in the chatter.
Always Manage Your Links
As you have probably noted, most of these social tips depend on really excellent link work. You need to have the right links in the right places at the right times to generate qualified leads.
Always double-check your link management, and keep a watch for potential problems, such as poor conversions or redirect issues.
Proper analytics and tracking is key here, but you can save a lot of trouble by checking and updating your links before you launch new material.
Social media is just one of the many ways your agency can generate new business. Click here, to learn more about how Catapult New Business can help you grow a pipeline of prospects and grow your agency.
Tags: marketing tips
