Contrary to past beliefs, the internet is now an indispensable tool for marketers and all sorts of marketing activities. In light of this, so has social media become an integral part of many marketing schemes that businesses employ. And as time goes on, it seems that a lot of companies are shifting to using social media CRM. That being said, it seems like social media has already made deep roots into the soil of marketing and is here to stay. So, as part of your lead generation programs, why should you start using social media?
To the naysayers of social media, they are missing out on something amazing. Social media isn’t just about having an online presence which your followers and target audience can marvel at, it’s also about company culture and showcasing what you are as a service provider and a company. How does all of this aid in your marketing schemes? Why should you incorporate social media into your marketing activities, specifically for B2B lead generation? Well, here are a few points:
It’s not about cold calling all the time – How many times have you had to pick up the phone and hear a telemarketer on the other end trying to give a sales pitch? If you’ve already experienced it, then you may already understand how unpleasant it is to be tried to sold to, especially by someone you don’t know and trust. In this day and age, it’s no longer about always relying on cold calls. Now, you need to engage your prospects through different avenues and set up warm calls instead, more so when you want good results in teleprospecting. Engaging your prospects through social media allows you to do just that; set-up an environment in which you can generate warm leads and in turn make warm calls.
The connections matter – What some marketers fail to do is connect with their prospective customers. Rather than sounding like and coming off as someone who just wants to grab the customer’s money, a marketer should be able to understand and connect with their prospects, making for a much more better buying process in which the needs of the prospect are understood and acknowledged before the sale is made. This can all be achieved through connecting with your prospects through social media, such as on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and the like. Once you’ve forged a connection with your B2B leads, you’ll find that they will be easier to pursue and be more receptive to your claims and advice. By the time you pick up the phone, you won’t have to worry about talking to a stranger; you’ll be talking to a potential partner who may just want to start working alongside you.
Telemarketing is better when prospects are informed – Although cold calling still holds a vast amount of significance for marketing usage, wouldn’t you much rather make them a bit less “cold”? That being as said, the previous point is what makes connecting through social media an important part of how you can improve your results with B2B telemarketing. When your prospects are informed before you make your calls, you’ll have less of a hassle getting through gatekeepers and the like. Also, if your prospect agrees to receiving a call from one of your representatives, wouldn’t that be a form of interest in your products and services? So to speak, you can get better results from prospects who know you are going to give them a call, and those who have agreed to receive said calls.
Aside from just getting you ready for warm calls, social media can help all of your marketing schemes by exposing your company to your target audience through all sorts of ways. Pictures, videos, you name it and social media can help you with it, as well as generate more interest in your brand and help you run much more effective campaigns.
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