Who doesn’t want to generate leads for their business at times like this? There’s lots of ways to go about acquiring new leads, but some social media platforms make it even easier with built-in features that let you collect data as part of your advertising campaign.
Yes, that’s right, it’s part of their paid-for service, but there are ways to publish lead generation campaigns on Facebook free of charge (more on that later ;)).
What are lead generation campaigns?
Twitter was one of the first platforms to offer a means of collecting email addresses from your tweets, but has since discontinued this feature. Facebook (+Instagram) and LinkedIn followed suit and still offer this as part of their advertising platform. Google have also introduced lead gen campaigns as part of their advertising programme, although the feature is still in beta at time of writing. The great thing about using a lead generation campaign was that you didn’t have to build a landing page to capture the user’s information and you didn’t have to take them away from their beloved social media channel. It was a quick and painless way for users to sign up to hearing more from you.
The added benefit of lead generation campaigns is they can be connected to your CRM system, meaning leads are automatically added to your sales pipeline or email automations, meaning your campaigns can be set up to run on auto-pilot. Bonus!
What makes a successful lead gen campaign?
All of the above sounds great, right? You just set up a lead generation campaign and it will magically build your email database! Well, it’s not quite that simple.
Why would someone willingly give you their email address or other personal details? You need to provide them something of value. Something that will solve their problems. In order to do this, it’s vital that you understand your ideal customer, what pains they have and what their goals are. Only then can you create an effective lead gen campaign.
The magnet!
Think about giving something away for free. For B2B leads via LinkedIn ads, consider using whitepapers, educational email/video series, downloadable templates, webinars and courses. For B2C campaigns via Facebook and Instagram, consider using prize draws/competitions, discounts and special offers.
With these campaigns, you could be paying for clicks or impressions, not leads. So there is a chance you could be paying for clicks and none of them convert into a lead. This makes it even more important to get your messaging, offering and targeting just right.
(For more lead magnet inspiration see our article here)
The messaging!
Speaking of messaging, you’ll want to include and carefully consider your introductory text. This is where you need to resonate with your audience and provide a compelling reason to fill in their details in the form that follows. Think about what they’ll get by submitting their details and how it will benefit them – e.g. how will it make their life easier? how will it save them money? how will the information you’ll be providing them increase their sales?
The form!
You’ll also need to consider the form you use to capture people’s data. Capturing more information will allow you to segment and target your prospects so you can nurture the lead more effectively. However, requesting too much (or too personal) information could put people off filling in the form in the first place, so it’s getting the balance right.
For example, you could add a simple question to your form that asks “Which of the following best describes you:”, then provide 2 or 3 options for the user to tick. (Checking a checkbox is much easier for the user than filling in a text field and it’s an easier way for you to then tag them in your CRM.) This will help you learn a little more about the lead and you can then follow up with tailored messages, specific to them.
A bad example would be asking people for their date of birth just because you think it’ll be nice to send them a happy birthday message. It’s just too intrusive and unnecessary.
The strategy!
Have a plan! It’s tempting to jump straight in and start creating a lead generation campaign, but I’d urge you to take some time to plan the entire process first. So grab a pen and paper and map out the process and journey the customer will take. Make sure to include:
- Your goals – how many leads do you want, what’s your target cost per lead?
- Target audience – buyer persona/avatar, what are their pains, motivations?
- Chosen platform – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Google
- What will your offering be? How will you persuade people to give their details?
- Key messages in your ad copy and introductory text
- Form fields and data you’ll be collecting
- Follow up process – automated or manual? Linked to your CRM? One-off email, or series of emails? What will be the content of those emails? What happens then? Are they added to your main mailing list, or do you keep them separate?
Lead generation campaigns are bit more in-depth in terms of planning and setup than regular campaigns, but with the right strategy, the results should be much more tangible and measurable.
I mentioned above that there is a way to create lead gen campaigns on Facebook without paying for ads, so if that’s where your audience are, it’s worth checking out this article from Wordstream for how to post your campaign for free. It’s a bit faffy, and based on the old Facebook interface, but the principle is still the same. Enjoy!
If you found this useful, let us know in the comments and share it with your network!
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