Should I Be Using Social Media Marketing for Lead Generation?

THANE, India - July 15, 2013 - PRLog -- The answer is “Yes,” of course you should be using social. It’s 2013. Do you still need a reason to embrace social media to connect with new prospects and customers? It’s time to not only get on board, but to optimize each of your social channels so that they not only engage, but capture leads. After all, plenty of B2B marketers realize the value.

One of the best things about social media marketing is that in general most elements are free in terms of monetary investment. There is, for the most part, no cost to participate in these networks except for your investment of time, which depending on how involved you get could become substantial.

When correctly tapped into social media, marketing spreads like a virus. This is why it is sometimes called viral marketing. Viral marketing is a not a bad thing. When you participate in social-media, you can almost guarantee that your marketing will soon have that viral quality you’re seeking.

Social media marketing allows a company to use fun, interactive, and often times, different content than it might otherwise be able to use with only a corporate website.

Through social media marketing (http://www.imkraf.com), businesses can be available to their prospects and customers in a personable and accessible way. This has proven especially important to connect with prospects that are at the start of their solution search and are not yet ready to buy.

The casual, “social” nature of this type of marketing is perfect for nurturing leads. Rather than the stuffy, uptight, or high-pressure reputation that haunts sales departments, social marketing allows you to build a relationship with qualified prospects in an informal, personable, low-pressure way. At the same time, it helps you stay top of mind with prospects so when that prospect is ready to buy, your business is in the prime position to make the sale

The Golden Rules of Social Media Marketing (http://www.imkraf.com/sem.html)

Don’t take yourself too seriously. It should be obvious but social media is about being social, and that means you need a good personality to make your brand likable.

Inbound is not enough. But, for a business to benefit fully from them, they should be combined with outbound marketing. Never underestimate what a bit of paid promotion can do for your business.

You must have good content and solid offers. Without well-produced, engaging content, any and all tactics you employ will most likely fail.

You will need a strong call to action. The tried-and-true, strong call to action is just as important in social media as it is anywhere else. Be clear about what you want your audience to do after consuming your content or engaging with your brand.

Always add value. At the end of the day, if you are not providing some sort of value to your prospects and customers, you are not doing your job and social media will never work for you. Here is an easy test: put yourself in your prospects’ shoes and ask if you find what you are offering of any value – from their perspective. If not, kill it and start over.

Never forget that social is a two-way street. No one likes being talked at. Yes, broadcast your message, but remember to keep the lines of communication open in both directions. When contacted, always respond quickly and sincerely. Be sure to mix up your messaging and use a combination of content and offers.

Some of the major social media platforms:

·         Facebook

·         Blogger / Wordpress / Tumblr

·         Twitter

·         LinkedIn

·         SlideShare

·         YouTube

·         Google+