Lead Generation through Social Media - How to untap high value leads

Social media is one of the most popular online activities and its penetration across all regions increases every day. According to Statista, in 2020, over 3.6 billion individuals across the world were using social media and this number is projected to reach almost 4.41 billion in 2025. In the same article, Statista states that as of January 2020, the global social media usage rate stood at an incredible 49% and this percentage is set to grow as less developed digital markets catch up in online infrastructure development. 

With these statistics in mind, businesses and brands are now relying on social media platforms to reach their desired audiences and gain market share. However, social media is not just about posting pretty content and creating brand awareness, it can be a powerful channel for lead generation. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the ideal channels for showcasing content, lead generation campaigns and opt-in campaigns which allows businesses to direct potential clients through the sales funnel. 

Social media channels now offer a way to generate quality leads, and thanks to online developments, you are able to achieve your lead objectives and track your lead generation and sales success through these platforms. 

How to Untap High Value Leads through Social Media

If you are looking to use social media to your advantage and generate high-value leads through these platforms, take a look at these tips to help you achieve your objectives and fast track your business success.

Target the right social media channels

Just because TikTok is trending or you enjoy Instagram does not mean your target audience is active on these platforms. The biggest mistake a marketer can make is focus their social media efforts on a variety of channels, spreading their content thin, and reaching the wrong target market. If you want to reach high value leads on social media, then you need to understand your buyer persona in order to determine where you will find them online. 

For example, Facebook may be the most dominant and well-known social platform available today, however this platform may not be the ideal choice for a B2B business looking to make sales. LinkedIn would be the most effective tool for this audience as it caters to a business minded market, and you are able to target the decision makers in your specific industry. 

Your marketing team should be able to create a lead generation strategy based on where your target audience is present online and this can be done by analysing social media demographics. Social media management tools will allow your marketing team to understand where your audience is present, help you target the right audience and generate high value leads on the right social networks.

Share Informative, High-Quality Content 

Your following or community on social media is only as strong as the content you share on your chosen platforms. It is important that you have a strategic content plan in place if you want to reach, engage with and retain quality leads. You need to create content, from blog posts and thought leadership articles through to informative imagery or video content if you want to boost the authenticity and credibility of your brand. This is referred to as user-generated content, ie: instead of sharing posts or articles written by other people or brands, you create your own and share this across your personal platforms. 

According to the Consumer Content Report, user generated content has the ability to influence potential clients throughout the buying cycle. This kind of content will solidify your place as a thought leader in your industry, and build consumer trust which leads to increased sales and customer retention.

By providing your audience with industry specific content that can benefit their lives, such as e-books or e-guides, you also have the opportunity to collect lead information. For example, you can create content that your community needs to download in order to access, and in order to download this content, they will have to provide their contact information - this allows you the opportunity to collect leads which will help in the next stage of the marketing process and buying cycle. By sharing links to your e-books and e-guides on your social media platforms, you are able to direct your audience to your website, and collect their information in the process. This is known as gated content, and is one of the most effective ways to generate leads through social media. 

For most brands, Instagram and Facebook are the core channels when it comes to generating UGC. For B2B marketers, LinkedIn would be the ideal platform for this kind of strategy. 

Create Targeted Social Media Advertising Campaigns

In 2019, the global spend on social media ads increased by 18%,and continues to increase for good reason. Social media has come a long way since MySpace, mIRC and the early Facebook days. As the social media landscape has evolved, marketers are now able to access vast social media user information which makes these platforms perfect for targeted advertising campaigns and lead generation initiatives. 

Social media paid advertising provides incredibly high conversion rates with significantly low costs - making return on investment that much more profitable. The top social channels are now providing the most advanced lead generation specific advertising options which allows marketers to gain leads through highly targeted social media ads - based on demographics, user behaviour, careers, likes, dislikes, location, interests and more. 

Not only are marketers able to reach the ideal buyer persona through these platforms, they provide lead generation specific advertising formats to help businesses generate quality leads directly through social platforms. For example, when a user clicks on a lead specific advertising they are provided with an opt-in or lead generation form where they can place their contact information. This makes the process of gaining lead information easier - and allows for greater lead nurturing campaigns and email drip campaigns, which leads to increased sales. 

When it comes to B2B marketing, LinkedIn offers a similar strategy by providing LinkedIn lead generation forms, making it easier for prospects to share their information with businesses. 

By investing in social media targeted campaigns you can improve your lead quality - increase your sales and improve your bottom line. 

Create Competitions to Gain Lead Data

Everybody is looking for a good deal and social media competitions help your brand engage with your audience and obtain important information relating to their specific lifestyle and buying behaviour. To ensure your campaign gets the best results make sure that your prize has value and make every participant feel like a winner (e.g.: offer each participant a discount when they enter). 

By implementing a contest, not only will you increase your following, grow your community and increase brand awareness - you gain valuable lead information to use for future remarketing campaigns and lead nurturing campaigns. 

Track and Measure your Campaign Success

What is great about social media marketing is that you are able to track and measure your lead generation efforts through social media monitoring tools. By keeping track of your campaigns you are able to sharpen your strategies and make your campaigns reach their true potential. 

This can be done through social listening which tracks your audience engagement, and informs you every time your brand is mentioned. By investing in social listening you are given actionable insights which allows you to reach your audience at a greater level, and you are able to learn about them and their buying habits through this tactic - allowing you to optimise your campaigns and gain even greater success. 

In Summary

Social media is not just a way to increase brand awareness and engage with consumers, it is a platform that allows you the opportunity to reach the highest quality leads, increase conversions and make more sales.

Lead generation continues to evolve with the times, and if you put time and effort into your lead generation campaigns by understanding your audience, creating relevant content, promoting that content on powerful platforms, and continuing the conversation, you will attract quality leads and convert those leads into loyal customers. 

Does your business need a regular flow of qualified sales leads? 

Nexa has been generating highly qualified sales leads for businesses of all types for almost a decade. We have both the experience and track record to help businesses in all industries generate highly qualified sales leads.

Contact Nexa for all your social media lead generation needs.