Council Post: 14 Smart Methods For Generating Leads On Social Media

Social media has made its way into all corners of life. This is particularly true when it comes to business: Social media platforms have become an integral component in promoting and conducting business, including finding leads.

So what should companies keep in mind when seeking to draw in new clients or customers? To find out, we asked members of Forbes Business Council to share their favorite methods for generating leads through social media, as well as why they work.

Photos courtesy of the individual members

1. Add Value And Be Generous

My preferred method is to add as much value as I can through the content I post. Share knowledge generously. See what questions people want to be answered and spend time answering them. This is an entirely organic way to demonstrate that you know your stuff and that you are willing to take the time to help someone out. This then draws people to your profile so that they can learn more about you. – Dee Hutchinson, Dee is for Digital

2. Instant Forms

This is not always the cheapest option to generate leads on Facebook or Instagram, but using the instant form on their advertising platform usually generates a higher volume of leads. This happens because when the prospect clicks on your ad to redeem the offer, their details automatically populate into the form—rather than requiring details be filled manually—thereby increasing conversions. – Dean Scaduto, Dino’s Digital Marketing & Advisory Firm

3. Valuable, Authoritative Content

Social media is a social platform to exchange valuable ideas and knowledge. People don’t want to be “sold” on social media. The key is to become an authority in your industry, provide valuable content and tips so the leads come naturally. Doing paid ads on social media to generate leads is acceptable, but also try to keep this same tactic in mind. – Don Daszkowski, International Franchise Professionals Group – IFPG

4. Respecting Their Time

There are many great methods to generate leads, so I will advise on what not to do instead. The worst method that turns me off as a potential lead for other companies is connecting with me on LinkedIn and immediately sending a six-paragraph essay about your company. Nothing will drive me away from your company or service faster. Respect the time of your prospects and they will become leads easier. – John Monarch, ShipChain

5. Showing Personality

Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with a mass audience when used correctly. To generate leads, I focus mainly on Instagram, where we have the most substantial following. On our page, we work to create a personable image of the company. Connecting with your target market in a welcoming way prompts feelings of trust while also promoting the company’s product or service. – Alex Pollak, ParaDocs Worldwide Inc.

6. Being Authentic

The best way to generate leads via social media is by being authentic. Don’t sell. Provide valuable information for the readers of that specific social media platform. For LinkedIn, it’s business associates. For Twitter, it’s more of a general audience. For Facebook, it’s your friends. Don’t think of it as broadcasting how great you are—provide some new insights readers can use and engage. – David Landis, Landis Communications Inc. (LCI)

7. Creating A Digital Portfolio

Instagram is our digital portfolio. It’s the first place potential clients visit before deciding to hire us. We use Instagram to create organic relationships with companies that would benefit from our services. Instead of cold calling or sending mass emails, we develop a relationship over time, which makes it easier to eventually turn a follower into a client. – Susan Neisloss, bigbiteprod.com

8. Gated Content

Sharing gated content on social media is one of the easiest ways to generate leads. Use compelling images, stats and videos to capture the interest of our followers and target the right audience. Most leads decide quickly whether they’ll click on the link to go for in-depth details or not. We keep our landing pages simple with minimal design to avoid any distraction for our leads. – Beth Worthy, GMR Transcription Services Inc.

9. Geotargeting

Geotargeted social media for lead generation is all about going local. The closer it is to your business, the easier it is for you to close a deal. You can use tools such as Twitter advanced search and you can select an appropriate geolocation to target your search, or you can use Hootsuite which within their dashboard you can find tweets nearby, and then you can share information that’s helpful. – Abigail Aboitiz, Advanced Remote Monitoring / ARM LLC

10. Facebook Ads And Personal Brand Groups

My preferred method is to do all of the methods. Facebook lead-gen ads are grossly undervalued and can generate a huge influx of leads in a short period of time. Creating a personal brand group on my profile and establishing myself as an authority via intentional and regular publishing of content has generated a steady flow of leads. – Rob Taormina, TalkIQ Media

11. Re-Posting Website Content On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most effective lead gen method. I re-post blogs and news from our website and make a habit to comment on the LinkedIn posts from my network. I’ve gotten leads this way and have also discovered new vendors and service partners. – Benjamin Elzweig, Active Staffing Services

12. WhatsApp Status Updates

Use your WhatsApp status to update the work that you are doing. Use it to post pics of jobs you were recently awarded, in middle of doing or have completed. This generates enormous buzz with the contacts stored on your phone that may have forgotten that you exist, and people you currently work with may use those updates to recommend you to other potential clients. It works! – Marty Waisbrod, Promont

13. Community Engagement

The first step to generating leads via social media is to understand the direct competitors in your space. By understanding your competing brands, you will be able to identify your target community by engaging with these brands’ audiences in ways that can draw attention to your own services. – Michael Albanese, Element Lifestyle

14. Using Twitter To Access Mainstream Media

Twitter has been one of the most powerful tools in terms of generating leads but in an indirect way. People think of social media and legacy media as distinct, but the reality is they feed off of each other. I have been able to use Twitter to get the attention of mainstream media, chat with them one-to-one and then get the coverage that ultimately generates numerous leads in the long-run. – Kaivan Shroff, Institute for Education

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