More than half of internet users today are regular users of social media as well. Unlike all other platforms of advertising, social media provides the much-needed data of the users, which enables businesses to market their products to their exact target audience based on age, sex and location. While search engine marketing is getting more difficult by the day with every new update, social media marketing cuts marketing costs significantly. It costs only 1/5th of search engine marketing and a fraction of that of traditional print and visual media.
But how does a business generate leads through social media? Here are five ways:
Paid Social Media Ads:
There was a time when social media users saw more of marketing content than posts by friends. But not anymore. Companies like Facebook have changed their algorithms to project relevant content more than ads, which mean that you have to make use of paid ads to bring visibility to your brand. Give users something to click on in your ad, which could be of use to them, to bring more engagement.
Contests and Discounts:
Contests are a great way to engage your audience. However, the prizes should help your brand, and can be in the form of discount coupons or first time user discounts. You can also mandate liking your page and referring or mentioning friends for participating in the contest. All of this will generate interest in your brand. People who feel a connection with your brand are much more likely to buy at some point, studies show. The same results can be derived from conducting polls and surveys as well.
Live Videos:
Live videos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can often bring immediate results, as users get a notification. Make sure that when they click on the notification, it goes to your landing page. This will bring immense visibility to your brand, even if the user does not watch the entire video. Instead of just advertising your brand in the video, include content which will be of interest to the user, which will encourage them to explore further. Encourage users to ask questions during the live video and interact with them by responding to their queries.
Social Media Platforms:
With nearly 3 billion monthly users across the world, Facebook has revolutionised marketing like nothing else. As a business owner, you also get to choose your audience on Facebook, according to your requirements. Make sure your audience is not too little to bring sales, and not too broad. Like with Facebook you can choose your audience on Twitter, too. A large percentage of Twitter users follow small businesses, and Twitter ads helps you reach your target audience.
Gated Content:
The word ‘free’ would be the most popular anywhere, online and offline. Your success depends on providing something which the user actually wants, for free. This could be information on a topic of interest to them, short videos or even a webinar. For example, if you are selling cosmetics, offer a video on ‘easy make-up tutorials for different occasions’, or ‘common errors while using make-up’ etc. The key is to introduce a caveat, that they should provide their email ID to access the content. This will give you the exact leads you want, and help you build a connection with your potential buyers through email newsletters.
