How Social Media Can Boost Lead Generation
When you’re trying to popularize your product or service, it makes sense to social media to reach a large number of people. At first, social media might have only been the domain of the young but now, everyone is participating, from an older generation to Fortune 500 companies to even small businesses. Obtaining “likes” for your business doesn’t solely mean that you’re getting a seal of approval from your customers. It also means that they’ve now recommended you to all their friends. So the more “likes” you get, the more likely you and your company is to be seen by potential new customers.
Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing
When you start using social media for marketing purposes, it makes sense to understand the difference between inbound and outbound marketing. Traditionally, marketing has always been outbound. It involved reaching out to the customer via print advertisements and promotional materials. Direct mail marketing, billboards, email marketing, TV advertisements, print advertisements and internet advertisements are all examples of outbound marketing. The idea is to catch the eye of the potential customer and convince them to buy your product.
However, inbound marketing works the opposite way where the idea is to build an organic online presence and prepare for your customers to reach out to you. You can do this by having an active website, relevant social media pages and a current blog. Inbound marketing is more informational in nature and less promotional. So it doesn’t get in the customer’s face, but exists where the customer is looking while helping them make their own choices, using the information you’re providing them across multiple channels.
Using Social Media for Inbound Marketing
So how exactly do you use social media for inbound marketing? The idea is to make your Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages into a hub for information within your company or your industry. When you set up a website, it makes sense to keep everything organized so that customers can find the exact information they’re looking for. However, in social media, it’s ok to be more random and follow trends in real time, reacting when appropriate.
In addition, your brand should have a voice when you write your comments on social media. You can be funny, sympathetic or cheerful, depending on what field you’re in and what you’re writing about. Other than that, you can feel free to write about a vast variety of topics, which may only be loosely connected to your business. Having a number of threads on social media ensures that you will be found in a number of searches. And keeping your comments accessible and engaging ensures that you’ll catch the customer’s eye once they find you.
Contact us for more information on social media marketing for your business.
By Todd Levy
