There is a common misconception that social media use can elicit high-quality fresh leads from clients interested in using your service. While social media has its place for advertising and promotional purposes, it is hard to generate leads from social media alone.
Gaining qualified leads is something that many companies depend on to gain new business and turn to social media to posts, share photos, and build their audience. However, social channels alone do not always prove to be the most effective for lead generation.
If you are a business wondering why you are not getting a deluge of inquiries from your Facebook or Instagram accounts then read on.
Social media takes energy
One of the factors frequently not taken into account by business owners is the amount of sheer energy it takes to generate and run successful social media campaigns on a regular basis. What starts out seeming easy, can often turn into another routine task that many business owners simply don’t have time for.
The truth is that building an audience and gaining leads from social media takes consistent posting and dedication to your social channels. If you operate on numerous platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, this can quickly become time-consuming and often falls by the wayside, while other more important tasks are attended to.
Social media needs consistency
Along with posting content to share your business or behind the scenes office view you will need to connect with your audience. This means coming up with witty captions or taking the time to respond to comments posted by your viewers.
As the needs of the business can often take over, maintaining a consistent presence can be difficult and not responding or being active on your social channels can mean your audience starts to feel neglected.
Social media works best with other sales channels
Rather than being a standalone method to promote your business social media works best when used in combination with other things like a website or review pages. This is effective when it comes to generating leads as people will look for validation before committing to your business or service.
Most purchases happen after the customer has checked out your business in multiple places. These places can be your social accounts, GMB reviews, Youtube videos, or anywhere else that your business has a presence. Statistics show that people will research your company looking in up to 5-7 places online before reaching out or making a purchase.
What else can I use?
Other things that can be used to support social media accounts and generate leads have already been mentioned. But things such as videos and social media stories can help to boost visibility. Landing pages can be helpful when used correctly and a strong call to action can capture quality contact and lead information.
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertising there is so contact past clients and ask for testimonials that you can use to support your business services. Your website may also benefits from some kind of lead magnet to encourage users to leave you their contact details.
Finals Words
While social media can help with gaining leads it may work much better when used in combination with other outlets. Having a visible online presence in other areas will help to boost lead generation efforts and this multi-channel approach has been proven to be more successful for businesses that have invested in marketing. Consider the platforms you are using and whether you can add more to support promotional outreach and gain more client interaction.