How are we turning fans and followers into sales prospects? Are we monetizing our social media channels?
These are questions you have probably asked your Internet marketing service provider. These are, in fact, valid concerns that need to be addressed. While social media is indeed about forging relationships, revenue generation should not be taken out of the equation.
So how do you and your Internet marketing service provider channel social media leads into the sales funnel?
Here are some tips from the Social Media Examiner.
1. Figure out your sales funnel. First, sit down with your Internet marketing services team and determine which marketing channels are contributing leads to the sales funnel. Include information such as the sales follow-up process and the time it takes to close a sale. Other questions which may help you are: Will social media leads respond to existing sales processes? Where are social media leads in the buying process? Will they convert at the same rate? As in any scientific experiment, you need to test how social media performs in terms of lead generation as compared to other types of marketing.
2. Provide ways for soft conversion. For fans or followers who are not yet ready to make a purchase, a soft conversion is the next best step. Soft conversion is a term familiar to your Internet marketing service provider. It means converting interested fans and followers into e-mail subscribers. In exchange, you provide highly valuable and relevant content. At this stage, you have better chances of turning these soft leads into potential buyers by employing e-mail marketing campaigns in combination with quality content.
3. Treat social media leads with extra care. Social media leads bombarded with traditional sales-related campaigns might be turned off and vice versa. Adjust your e-mail campaign in such a way that it will encourage your social media leads to convert into a buyer. This involves decision-making content that answers product-related questions and overcomes objections commonly encountered in the sales process.
4. Measure your efforts. For a quick and cost-efficient way to do this, use Google analytics campaign tracking on the links you shorten and post on your social networks. Your Internet marketing services provider can also use these metrics to quantify success (or lack thereof): cost per impression, cost per engagement, cost per soft lead, cost per hard lead and cost per sale.