Social media is an excellent source for lead prospecting, but as with any marketing strategy, you’ll have to do proper research and planning so you are your maximizing your efforts.

Start by looking at the networks that best represent your customer base rather than trying to cast a wide net.

For instance, B2B companies may find that the professional focus of LinkedIn’s platform is more effective in generating leads for them than Pinterest.

That being said, you should have a presence on as many networks as possible. Just be sure you are putting the most time and resources where you have the best chance of finding your customers.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are some of the most widely-used and attractive platforms for facilitating lead generation.

Below, we share some awesome hacks to best put each to use:

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LinkedIn

LinkedIn is by far the most effective lead generating-platform for B2B companies, mainly because it is a social network based on professional connections.

You can target users based on demographics like job position, streamlining your outreach efforts. Plus, LinkedIn’s publishing platform helps make sure your blog content gets seen.

Check out these tips to improve your LinkedIn lead generation:

• Get Involved: Joining LinkedIn groups is a great way to start interacting with potential customers. We recommend that you join industry groups and participate in discussions, but avoid using groups as a place to sell your company. You want to get your name out there as an industry participant, and show others that you are involved and engaged with current topics.
• Have an Active Presence: Successful lead generation on LinkedIn comes from having an active presence. Try and post at least once a week about newsworthy developments or occurrences in your industry. Not only will your immediate network see your activity, but future prospective customers will be able to see a long history of active engagement on your part.

Facebook

Having a presence on Facebook is always a good idea, despite the ever-changing algorithms. A Facebook page can help your SEO, but as far as lead generation goes, you’ll want to tap into ads and creative solutions for audience attention.

• Use Links Wisely: To boost leads on Facebook, try inserting links in your content that facilitate users giving you their information. Link to a landing page gating a piece of content or special offer to entice users to hand over their email address.
• Optimize Your Page: You want to make sure the content on your Facebook company page is as compelling as possible. Include CTAs that motivate viewers to find out more about your offerings, and customize your profile so that the most important information is the most visible. Make sure you add a newsletter sign-up form to your page to capture emails.

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Twitter

Twitter has emerged as a great source for B2B lead generation, in addition to being an excellent platform to engage directly with your audience and industry thought leaders.

Twitter is most useful when you can maintain a consistent presence, and with some changes on the horizon, including an increased 10,000-character limit, there are even more opportunities for companies to use the platform to generate interest in their products.

• Ad Targeting: In recent years Twitter has been boosting their targeting abilities for ads. Now, you can promote information to specific user demographics, and even tailor keywords for broad match, meaning that you can immediately increase your reach.
• Tweet with Purpose: The thing with quick message platforms like Twitter is that it is easy to schedule posts in advance on a number of different topics. However, you have a better chance of seeing real, consistent user engagement if your tweets have a purpose; they should be relatable, timely, on-topic, and of course, match with your brand’s message.
• Lead Generation Cards: One of Twitter’s exciting paid ad features is its Lead Generation cards, which reduce your need to link to a landing page to capture user information. Instead, your tweet expands and allows viewers to immediately access content, and hand over contact info, without needing to click through a link.

Related Article: Analyze This: The Comprehensive Guide to Social Media Analytics

Pinterest

Pinterest is a relatively newer social media platform that many B2B marketers still don’t know what to do with. To take advantage of the platform’s increasingly active user base with real purchasing power, try these Pinterest lead generation hacks:

• Use Links in Pins, Not Your Profile: Unlike other networks, your profile isn’t the best place for you to put your links. First of all, they won’t hyperlink, meaning that users likely won’t copy and paste it into a new tab. Second of all, most Pinterest users don’t engage with profiles, they engage with pins.
• Impactful Boards: While your pins will be the main form of engagement with users, you can also start creating boards with compelling content that makes users want to see more. Pick creative board names with optimized keywords so that they show up in searches, and don’t be afraid to get creative with devising content that is topical and of interest, even if it’s not directly related to your industry.