Leveraging social media to increase conversion

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Converting leads within social media looks like a pipe dream to many business owners. If used properly, social media leads convert to paying clients and customers. Here are the latest industry standards when it comes to converting leads into sales utilizing the strength of social media.

Gated subject matter

When a great bit of content turns up, put it behind a bar when publishing. A gate is an online form that readers must complete to view the content. Those users are placed in a sales funnel for contact placed on a list for a newsletter. Gates need to be used sparsely because publically available content is required for good natural search visibility. Some selling channels are ideal for gates, and social networks are one.

Social media is ideal for such content since users arrive at your form; you know their interest has been raised. When posting content to Twitter, anyone who clicks your link has already decided they want that content. Will leads be turned off by material that needs a gate? Yes, some, but if the content is introduced suitably, and you have a trustworthy reputation, the serious users will readily hand over their name and address as the "price" to read it.

Promo code

Whether on Facebook or Twitter, pictures on your company's social media profiles are ideal places for promotional codes. Leads who stumble across your profile may be interested enough to learn more. Leads already interested will find the nudge they require to become clients.

Non-coded offers work also, but a unique code is particularly helpful in social media as they support measuring ROI. If a code is designed strictly for Twitter, for example, any time that code is applied, you know Twitter turned for you.

Create a path

Too frequently, companies produce lovely social media portraits but fail to provide a chance for fans to become buyers. A link back to the company website isn't sufficient. Like every well-converting landing page, each social profile requires a call-to-action and a simple method for prospects to perform the action.

Your choices are restricted in various ways for each social media site, but a few essential tactics any firm can apply are:

Drive Facebook fans by using a unique Facebook tab. If the primary goal is to gain more subscribers, create a space that invitingly sends leads to sign up and points them to the appropriate page.

Drive Twitter followers to conversion by publishing a telephone number in the profile. Twitter is used a great deal on smartphones, so make it simple for leads to call you.

Convert Pinterest fans with pin-unique calls to action. Each pin has space for a description, so include a call to action and the link, address or whatever is needed to perform that action.

If you don't convert leads, your company is dropping out. Does every tactic operate for all businesses? No. That's why the tactics should be mixed up, and various tactics tried until one is found that works particularly great for your company.

Target

Using a shotgun approach on social media similar to big brands isn't financially feasible for smaller companies. Companies with modest budgets should target customers whom they are most likely to convert.

Listen

Let your potential, and existing, clients know you are listening. Unlike other mediums, social media is not a one-way monologue. It creates opportunities for dialogue and brands have the obligation to be responsive.

Some businesses use their strongest brand advocates as a source of ongoing content by asking fans to write testimonials or even guest posts. Doing this creates a feeling that the company really cares and is listening.

Special offers

The customers who are already singing your praises on social media sometimes just need a little push to keep coming back. As you thank them, consider offering an incentive such as a discount to visit your business again.

Curate

Another way brands develop meaningful relationships with fans and customers on social media is by finding, and sharing, interesting content around a topic. Larger brands tend to publish content equal to that in quality magazines, but companies of any size can develop an effective content marketing strategy.

It is important to tailor content for a variety of social networks. A 140-character tweet won't work well on Pinterest, for example. Working your social media properly will have your fans returning again and again not only for the shared content, but the marketing messages and special offers as well.

It's difficult to become the music in the midst of the noise on the Internet today. But proper use of social media can add your tune to the symphony and make you a success. It's not difficult and following these tips – modify them as you need – will help.