Is it possible to utilize social media as a lead generation engine? A locomotive of power that will actually pull in SEO leads and Web design leads?
The answer is yes, but there are some things that have misdirected people thus far, and some more aspects of using social media for business and lead generation that people still have to learn. And here is RankLead’s magic list of “must-knows” for building a social media lead generation engine – from scratch:
1. First of all, don’t get distracted with Facebook and Instagram.
Really – these two are slightly overrated when it comes to lead generation and business. While the wealth of data that can be mined from Facebook and Instagram are still important, don’t forget that the world’s elite are on another platform that is dedicated specifically for business – LinkedIn.
LinkedIn may have just a fraction of the sign-ups of Facebook and it is minuscule if you think of all the people who tweet and make “instagrammable” food shots, but again – focus on the output that you really want in the first place: more business and leads for you.
2. Fortune 500 directors and other decision-makers are actually lurking on LinkedIn during their spare time.
No, they’re not on Facebook looking at the latest cat memes. The important people – the ones who do all the tough decisions, are on LinkedIn because they are effectively listening to their niches and the industry that they care about the most.
And what about self-publishing your content on LinkedIn? 45% of the readers on this platform are also high-level managers, directors, and other decision-makers in the different industries. They are not only on the platform during their spare time, but they are also actually there to learn, and the easiest to grab and read are LinkedIn articles produced no less than by regular users of the social network.
Do people have this opportunity on Facebook? Not really. For one, Facebook prioritizes image-driven posts, and amplification is largely affected by the user’s own interests and behavior on the platform over a period of time. Since we don’t want to leave the business to chance, it’s best to set up a shop where decision-makers are already waiting – on a network that is largely dedicated to business.
3. But how do you make it big on LinkedIn?
Here is RankLeads’ blueprint for making that locomotive work for you:
– Start generating leads by making narrow searchers using LinkedIn’s database. This is a manual process, but it works wonders and you will not believe how much you will reap by being dedicated to making searches on the network. There are nearly half a billion users already on this network and it is growing day by day. There are no signs that LinkedIn’s importance to generating business is being reduced any time soon.
– Don’t be afraid to send connection requests. This is LinkedIn’s equivalent of a friend request, but LinkedIn being what it is, contacts aren’t called ‘friends.’ Does it matter if you add a short introduction?
According to current stats, there is a slight increase in acceptance of connection requests when you add a short introduction, but sending connection request even without a message will increase your chances of growing your network.
The bigger your network, the better off you are. Your LinkedIn engine will only thrive if you are responsive and actively connecting on the network, too. So people are most likely not going to be interested in working with you if you barely have any content to show people on your LinkedIn profile.
– You can make people more focused on your profile by deactivating the section on the right side of your profile called “People Also Viewed.” While it’s nifty if you are absolutely new to the network, it’s not helpful when people see it on your profile.
Dwell time is an important factor here because you would want visitors to view your credentials, LinkedIn articles, posts, and so on. They won’t be able to do this if they keep jumping to another face, another LinkedIn profile.
– Don’t forget about your followers (or the lack of it). In order to gain authority on LinkedIn, you need to generate followers. While we highly encourage that you write your own LinkedIn articles, in the meantime you can start appealing to people to visit your profile more often by posting updates.
Updates on this social network are just like updates on Facebook. There’s a 1,300 character limit, then you can add pictures, URLs, and other types of media.
The type of content that people love the most are genuine stories from businesses, tips (this adds immediate value and interest to your profile) and personal experiences. Personal experiences can be loaded with tips and business-related information, so if you are a keen storyteller, then nothing should hold you back from posting regular updates on this network.
– LinkedIn is a great place to showcase your previous accomplishment and current endeavors. And we are not just talking about the section of your profiles where you list down these things. If you are working on something great at the moment, that’s already an accomplishment – you can talk about that on your LinkedIn profile to get people interested in how you do things. Essentially, we want people to be interested in your skills and capabilities, so other businesses will be more likely to reach out and want to do business with you.
Essentially, a LinkedIn profile is an evolving picture of how you do things in your business. People want a story, they want updates and continuity as if they are watching a TV show, or reading a book. These are all unavoidable as people will have a general tendency when reading content. But this shouldn’t discourage you at all – it should instead motivate you to tell your on-going stories of success and even your struggles – because a lot can be learned even from struggles and past failures.
