A company could have thousands of “likes” on Facebook or hundreds of “followers” on Twitter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these individuals are actually customers. Developing a strong social media presence is only one piece of the marketing puzzle; the next important piece is turning those “likes” into loyal, paying customers.
Lead generation is one of the biggest hurdles companies face. In fact, 79 percent of marketing leads never convert into sales, in large part due to a lack of lead nurturing. Moreover, research shows that 89 percent of marketers said email was their primary channel for lead generation. While email marketing does assist in lead generation it shouldn’t be a company’s only strategy. Companies with one primary marketing strategy are doing themselves a great disservice as best-in-class companies generate over three times their share of all leads from social media.
Social media is an invaluable tool for lead generation. What better place to generate business leads than a social platform where hundreds or even thousands of potential customers are discussing everything from current events to their least favorite activities to their favorite foods? Wishpond, which creates social media marketing applications, recently compiled an infographic detailing the use of social media in lead generation including the best social media platforms to use for B2B and B2C organizations.
According to data, 77 percent of B2C marketers have acquired a customer through Facebook. The social network is also the leading source of referred social media traffic to websites, while Twitter comes in at second. Furthermore, the number of marketers who say Facebook is “critical” or “important”—83 percent—has increased in just two years. Of those using Twitter, 34 percent have generated leads while 20 percent have closed deals.
77 percent of business-to consumer (B2C) marketers have acquired customers through Facebook
In terms of B2B lead generation, LinkedIn takes the cake. LinkedIn is 277 percent more effective at generating leads than Facebook or Twitter and 77 percent of B2B marketers say that they have acquired a customer through LinkedIn, despite the fact that only 47 percent of B2B marketers are using the platform while 90 percent are using Facebook.
Marketers claim that SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation goals coming in at 59 percent followed by social media with 21 percent and pay-per-click at 20 percent.
Still not convinced? Other market research states that social media lead conversion rates are 13 percent higher than the average lead conversion rate and 43 percent of all marketers have found a customer via LinkedIn in 2013.
With social media producing almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC and 77 percent of buyers saying they are more likely to buy from a company who’s CEO uses social media, it’s clear to see why companies should be using social media for lead generation.
Tell us how you’re using social media to generate leads. To see the full infographic, click here.
Edited by
Carrie Schmelkin
