If you’re still not sure social media is worth the investment, try this one for size: According to a May survey by virtual events provider Unisfair, social media is now the number one emerging channel for lead gen among technology marketers. And while that could seem somewhat skewed based on their occupation, the point is this – social media delivers qualified leads. While the conversations, brand awareness and friends make you feel good, that’s not the power of social media. The power of social media is that it connects you to qualified leads and puts more money into your bank account.
According to the Unisfair survey, 66 percent of respondents said lead generation their greatest concern for 2010. The findings seem to match R2integrated’s April survey that found 61 percent of respondents were after lead generation, as well as HubSpot’s report that Twitter usage could double monthly leads for SMBs.
In case you need a recap: Social media = leads.
Why is social media such an effective lead generation tool? It’s easy.
It Distributes Your Content: When you put content on your Web site, no one but your current customers or prospects see it. When you upload that same content to Facebook, to YouTube, to StumbleUpon, to Flickr, to Twitteryou take advantage of larger and larger networks. Networks that have thousands of active users who are there to consume and share content. The more people who see it, the more brand awareness you earn, and the more people who will be driven back to your Web site and placed in a conversion funnel that you create.
You Pick Up Sitting Duck Clients: Stop what you’re doing and go to Twitter Search. Click on the Advanced Search option (or just click that link) and create a Saved search designed to pick up ‘sitting ducks’. For example, if you’re a local mechanic, you may want to set up a search for [brake job], [car inspection] or [oil change]. Set the distance for 25 miles from your place of business and then save the search. Now any time someone in your local area tweets about needing a brake job, a car inspection or an oil change, you’ll be notified. And then you can reach out to that person. You can also create searches for you competitors and try to steal those conversions away.
Answer Questions Qualifies You For Future Jobs: While you’re near Twitter Search, enter in some business-related keywords and look for folks asking questions about whatever it is you’re an expert at. When you can, answer them. Go to Yahoo Answers, Business Answers and any other relevant question/answer site and do the same thing. This is a great way to increase leads by using your expertise to pre-qualify you for the job. For example, my Twitter friend Andrew Norcross commented that he often answers people’s WordPress-related questions and has received both freelance and long term clients from it. Answering questions is a good way to establish your authority, but also for people to “test you out” before they commit to a larger contract.
Delivers Trusted Referrals: One of the most obvious ways social media delivers leads is through social media
referrals. Through your interactions on Twitter, on Facebook, wherever, you make your presence known to colleagues and users. You converse with them and develop relationships so that they feel like they “know” you. Then, when they have a job they can’t take or they hear about someone in their network looking for a local caterer, they remember you and recommend you for the job.
Connects you to local professionals: Another way that social media can deliver leads is by connecting you to other professionals in your area that you can talk, debate and share information with. For example, I belong to the Albany, NY Marketing Professionals and Internet Marketers of New York groups. Both groups serve as discussion forums for people to share advice and to pass on referrals or freelance opportunities as they come up. It’s a great way to connect and build trust.
Social media is an emerging lead generation tool because, quite simply, it lowers the barrier to the sale. By building relationships, displaying expertise and networking, you’re able to bring in more people than cold calling ever could.
How are you using social media for lead generation?
Michelle Waters
I agree that social media is an excellent solution to the lead generation piece of the online sales question. That said, if social media isn’t working for you, you need to evaluation both your promotional process, but also the site where you’re sending visitors. You could have a brilliant social media campaign, but if your site doesn’t convert visitors to buyers, you’re not going to see the effect that you want.
Great post as always, Lisa.
I also like the RSS feature with Twitter Advanced Search. I use twitterfeed.com as my RSS aggregator. This way I get alerted every time somebody searches for the services I offer.
Sarah
http://twitter.com/sarahsantacroce
Hopefully people follow your instructions on creating advanced Twitter searches. This is a functionality that many people I’ve talked to didn’t even know about. Also, answering other people’s questions builds not only credibility, but likability. And don’t underestimate how much people prefer working with someone they like.
Mike LaVallee
Very informative post, I had no idea I could have a saved search in Twitter like that and I will definitely start using it today. I’ll also be employing it with my clients that have Twitter accounts.
Thanks so much!
Lisa,
There are so many things that social media brings to the table. Leads are certainly one of them, but it’s a real art to not come off salesy, when trying to get folks to respond. It takes a while to “get it.”
Thanks!
The Franchise King
DawnV
I had no idea about the advanced Twitter searches that could be done. Thanks for that info!
How much time do you recommend small businesses spend on social media daily working to build the relationships that will generate leads down the road?
Your tips are all good, the challenge that I found was (1) that it was taking up too much time (my fault as I kept getting lost in social media), and (2) it was hard to assign goals to different social media searches and lists. I now use Xeesm http://xeesm.com which solves both those problems. I keep various lists of people that I want to routinely check, especially in relation to developing sales leads, and the system allows you to put a sequence of up to 5 goals for each list (they call them Flights).
There is a good article in Social Business One about how it’s being used on a daily basis with sales staff. They call it a social CRM system but don’t be deterred by that!
http://www.socialbusinessone.com/blog/working_with_a_social_crm_system_first_review
You can also get a free “social address book” where you list all your own social places and spaces so that you can easily share it (mine below). Anyway the main point is that if you’re interested in lead generation and a really practical tool then Xeesm is what I use every day and it has changed my day!
Walter Adamson @g2m
http://xeesm.com/walter
Mark Newman
Getting Targeted Leads from Social Media is the first piece of the puzzle. When you have a lot of leads coming in controlling all those prospects and emails is vitally important, also having a follow-up system. We automate all these tasks, and talk personally with leads that are hot.
Lisa Pecunia
Believe it or not I have been accused of spamming because I reached out to someone on Twitter who was complaining about something my services could solve.
People are hyper-sensitive to being “sold to”, but if done right most people really do respond positively. Especially if done with warmth and sincerity. Definitely avoid avoid avoid anything resembling a hard sell.
It’s kind of an art, and actually it’s kind of fun :-).
Thanks for the useful info.
Lisa