Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Social Media How to use Social Media for Effective Lead Generation
Currently, there are more than 4.5 billion global active internet users. Of that number, some 3.8 billion have at least one current social media account. In 2019, 14.1% of all retail sales worldwide were generated through e-commerce and by 2023, it is expected that that number will surpass 22%. In December of 2018 alone, 80% of people made at least one online purchase.
By the end of that fiscal year, (2018) global e-commerce topped 2.93 trillion dollars in sales. In 2019, that number rose to 3.46 trillion. Projections for 2020 originally pegged sales to exceed 4 trillion. However, with the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, that number will most likely be closer to 5 billion dollars. These numbers are simply breathtaking. But what is even more impressive, is that a staggering 62% of all global e-commerce sales came from leads generated through social media. Below are several ways your business can use this to its advantage.
- Sharing links: Making it easier for potential customers to find and access your business’ digital platforms is perhaps one of the most important parts of any successful advertising campaign. Social media provides a massive audience for whom to draw a map to your products and services.
- Run contests: This is a fantastic way to build engagement with your target audience. Noting gets people’s attention more than the opportunity to participate in a fun game with the opportunity to win free items. An engaging contest is also a great way to increase brand recognition. Make sure the giveaway item is in relation to your offering to ensure the interests are aligned.
- Advertising: Getting your ads in front of the eyes of your customers is the goal. Online ads have made it easier to drill down and really target your specific customers, by age, sex, income, interests and need just to name a few. Again…3.8 billion people are currently using social media.
- Geographically targeted campaigns: The ability to convert leads into sales is dependent on many factors. Geography is certainly among the biggest of them. Specifically, targeting your campaign to a particular region can significantly increase your chances of conversion. This can work great for brick and mortar businesses.
- Organic advertising / sharing: In certain situations, your customers can do the work for you. If your ad is effective, it is highly likely that it will be shared by those visiting your social media page, or those who have been specifically targeted by the ad. This is essentially “word of mouth” on a global scale.
When it comes to lead generation, there is one very simple rule that always applies: the more leads that are created, the more opportunity there is to convert them into sales, and the best way to create possible leads is by getting your products and services in front of as many potential customers as possible.
