Many users of social media obsess over numbers. How many likes did that video get? What is the viewership like? How many likes did we get today? How many followers does my business have?
The list goes on, but a great question to ask, that most of especially the newer users of social media for business purposes overlook is how many of my followers actually turn into leads?
Now that you have read this, things probably have snapped into perspective. It is your leads, not the number of followers you have that will ultimately make your business more profitable. With that said let us consider how we go about converting.
We have been conditioned to believe that a click equals a lead. With such marketing techniques as pay per click ads and banners, that is a more accurate belief.
However, clicking like on Facebook or following on Twitter is not the same as clicking on an advertisement. Your social media should be a part of your marketing strategy that leads your followers in a step by step fashion to your goal.
To convert your followers, you must put in effort. Except for those who are naturally talented at something, an hour of work will look far different from something that a whole day was spent working on. Why should your followers spend more than a minute on your page when you only put ten seconds of thought into the design?
Therefore, you need to develop a plan, stick to it and change it when necessary.
Choose your platform(s) carefully
You need to determine which platform(s) your target audience uses most frequently and focus there. You also need to assess which platform compels enough in line with your brand.
Sometimes followers won’t be compelled to convert via Twitter but may be via Facebook. This may be because of some of the features available on Facebook that are not available on Twitter.
Promote your content in an entertaining way suited to the platform of choice
To get the best results you have to tailor your content to the platform of your choice. The native content you may say. This refers to content that takes on the style, culture and distinct language of the platform.
This is simply because your followers on that particular platform are there for a particular reason and they communicate there in a way that it is unique to that platform.
Know what offers to make
Liking your page or following it does not necessarily mean an individual is intent on buying your products. Maybe you give good advice or your posts are informative.
An offer of a free trial to an individual who is merely following you for your advice will not necessarily convert them even if they actually take you up on the offer. You may be expending hard-earned resources to convert leads that have no interest in becoming your customer.
Persons who are not really intent on becoming a customer are most effectively reached by free articles or whitepapers, information packets and/or special offer downloads.
Ensure that these are downloadable so you can capture the information of those that have demonstrated interest. Even if you do not manage to convert these people, if they believe in your brand, they can generate leads.
Individuals who you assess to be very interested in becoming a customer are those individuals who you want to make substantial offers to. Webinars, estimates, consultations and free trials are all some of the offers that they will appreciate fully and that will not only make them leads but also customers.
Provide calls to action and conversion opportunities right there
On your social media page, you want to provide clear calls to action and also ways that your followers can heed these calls. If you want them to sign up, put a link to where you want them to sign up right there on the page. Any product information and free downloads should also be linked to your page. Some social media platforms allow you to integrate purchasing capabilities, be sure to make full use of that.
We make these suggestions because people these days are accustomed to instant gratification; they like being able to fill their needs now. You need to cater to that and not send them around the world and back just to become your customer. When you do this, you can get them to do things for you. For example asking them to share something in order to give them a deal or requesting that they provide feedback to get a chance to win something.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Not because the experts have said it works best this way means that it is the only way. The good thing about social media is that you have the numbers. There are so many variables that you can manipulate. You can choose different post topics, images and even platforms. These experiments can provide you with well-needed insight into who you are dealing with and how to approach them.
Keep track of your results
Now that you have an idea of what to look for – monitor it. When you do, you can make your strategies better and tailor them specifically to the needs of that portion of your following that would like to become your customer.
Remember, you can always count on satisfied followers to help you in generating more leads. Tag your most active followers, ask them to repost and answer any questions they may have quickly and accurately.
At the end of the day, don’t overdo anything. Yes, you want to push links and ultimately your product but no you don’t want to come across as pushy. Put some fun stuff on your page maybe a motivational quote, marketing joke, a behind the scenes video or a funny meme. Connect with your followers, that’s the whole point of social media. Use the above tips and discover some of your own to convert your followers into lifelong customers.
