Results for lead generation via social media are varied. Some businesses report up to 40% of their leads are generated by social media (1), whereas others are struggling to see positive results. Research shows that only 32% of B2B marketers (2) have a documented social media strategy, which may be a contributor to the mixed results. A robust strategy is a key success factor and will enable you to better measure the effectiveness of your social media activity.

In Part I, we looked at the social media tools available to B2B marketers and how these can support B2B lead generation. Part II of our feature looks at the key points to consider in creating a strategy that works for you:

Objectives

Start with clear objectives for your social media campaigns, get agreement on what defines success, and how it will be measured. Make sure you have commitment across the organisation.

Monitoring

Use Google Analytics to track inbound links and record which channels are generating leads, and which platforms and campaigns are performing best.

Message

There is a huge amount of content generated on social platforms – in fact, 93% of marketers are producing content. So it’s no surprise that 38% say their biggest challenge is cutting through the noise. A thorough understanding of your audience and your competitors will enable you to craft a distinctive message and personality that draws potential customers to your brand.

Offer content that adds real value to drive interest in your organisation and build relationships with potential prospects. Using the platform’s advertising options to promote that content to your specific target audience will vastly increase your reach and engagement.

User Journey

Give clear calls to action to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to give you their data. Make your landing pages clear and engaging, and make sign-up forms straight-forward, user-friendly and include a compelling reason for your leads to sign up.

Integration

Social media is most effective when combined with other channels and supported by targeted content, and resources aligned to goals shared across sales and marketing. For example, you can use social media to gather data for remarketing campaigns, or to encourage sign-ups to an email database so make sure you combine social media with other channels to get the best results.

Human Interaction

In Part I of our guide, we looked at the importance of offline tools in qualifying early stage digital leads and providing insight into customer’s pain points and interests. Using the phone to qualify and understand the value of your social media leads will help identify which platforms are providing the best return for you. A phone follow up will not only gather insight that will increase the likelihood of a conversion, it will also help inform and refine your overall marketing and social media strategy.

Furthermore, many prospects will be unreachable, or unwilling to engage via social media, so reaching out with a phone call can sometimes be the best option for starting the conversation; and where a conversation has begun online, following up with a personal phone call is the best way to take that discussion further, and to the point of conversion. As we found previously, the human touch is vital in establishing a relationship with potential customers and building the depth of understanding needed to support a long-term mutually beneficial relationship.

We can help

From qualifying early stage leads and understanding your customers’ pain points and challenges, to developing trust and long-term relationships, human interaction is an essential element within any sales and marketing strategy. As with any strategy, the key is to align your sales and marketing resources including the channels which best serve your required outcomes, so they work synergistically to drive overall results.

If you would like to learn more about how the human touch can work with your social media activity and other channels, to provide a solid foundation for your overall sales and marketing strategy, please get in touch!

(1) http://reallyconnect.com/social-media-for-b2b-lead-generation/

(2) www.weidert.com/whole_brain_marketing_blog/statistics-about-b2b-social-media-usage