Likes are good but leads are better: 5 surefire tactics to turn your likes into leads

We all get a buzz from seeing likes and follows on social media. It’s nice – a sign that you’re being seen, that something ‘inbound’ is happening. But what does that really mean?

You could get 200 likes for every Insta post but if none – or very few – of those likers are ending up as traffic on your website or leads in your sales funnel, what’s the point?

The truth is, if your social media engagement doesn’t convert to quantifiable metrics or sales, it’s nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It might prove that people are seeing your posts and engaging to some degree, but on their own, ‘likes’ are ultimately useless for your business – unless you can convert them into real leads. So how do you do it?

Here are 5 tried-and-tested tactics to turn those Facebook and Instagram likes into bonafide leads…

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1.Know your audience

Unlike the scattergun approach of outbound marketing, inbound marketing relies on you knowing your audience. For social media to be an effective part of your inbound strategy, you need to know exactly who you’re targeting.

Start by creating detailed buyer personas. Who is your audience? What do they want? How can you personalise your messaging to reach them?

Social media is a mine of valuable data, so getting an idea of basic demographics should be fairly easy. You can also learn a lot about your audience by reading comments – both on your and your competitors’ pages.

Once you have an idea of who your target audience is, you can segment them (age, gender, interests, location, etc.). This will allow you to personalise content and ad campaigns that you run on the platform.

2. Offer exclusive content

Once you know who your audience are and what they want, it’s time to create high-quality content that addresses their problems. And it needs to be fresh.

If you think you can just repurpose all your Facebook content for Insta or vice-versa, think again. Did you know that 58% of Facebook users expect business pages to give them access to exclusive content or events?

While it’s ok to post occasional campaigns or posts on multiple platforms, you need to also offer bespoke content for each platform. This can make a big difference in the quest to turn likes into leads.

By offering platform-specific, downloadable content, you'll leverage the power of exclusivity and boost your brand credentials. Most importantly, you’ll be driving people to your website.

All you have to do is set up a designated landing page for your content, share the link to Facebook or Instagram – and gate it by asking them to follow or like your page. And speaking of gates…

3. Gated likes

You’ve heard of content gates, but have you heard of like gates? Just as gated content asks for personal data, like gates ask visitors to follow your page. In exchange, you give them access to exclusive content or offers.

This is effectively a CTA which creates active engagement; they’ve ‘opted in’. Once they’re in, they can see your offer and click through to access it. And even if they don’t redeem the offer immediately, you’ve engaged them, driven them to your website, and started them on a customer journey.

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4. Respond to messages and comments quickly

Did you know that 40% of Instagram users expect a brand to respond to them within an hour? Or that 35% say they’re more likely to trust brands that reply quickly?

Building positive customer relationships is key if you want to turn likes into leads – and sales. And on social media that means responding to comments and messages in a timely fashion. If you don’t, you run the risk of alienating your potential customers.

But of course, it’s not always feasible to reply straight away. What happens when someone messages outside opening hours or you’re inundated with enquiries? What if they’re asking a question that could directly influence a sale and you miss it?

If your human team is unavailable, Instagram Automation tools are a great way to fill the gap. Designed to give your customers real-time responses to their DMs or comments, these types of bot tools ensure that you never miss a message.

Naturally, some are on the spammy side, but there are plenty of legitimate, Insta-approved tools that can help you stay responsive and turn your followers into leads.

5. Use Facebook Pixel to retarget

You've used a Facebook ad, created some like-gated content, and driven your customer to your website. So you’ll probably get a sale, right?

Wrong. According to a study by Episerve, 98% of consumers don’t make a purchase on their first visit to a website. Customers are much less likely to make an impulse buy online than in-store. They’re in no rush – they can come back to your website at any time, and they might want to shop around online and make comparisons.

This is where retargeting comes in. By installing the Facebook Pixel tool on your website, you can effectively track anyone who clicks on your ads, Facebook page, website and landing page – but doesn’t convert into a sale. It works by retargeting your leads; showing them your ads again and again in various places on the web.

Facebook Pixel also allows you to gather more granular, valuable data – like what a customer put in their basket and the exact pages they visited.

It’s easy to see why this type of targeted advertising is so effective. These are people who have already interacted with your brand and shown interest. Instead of letting them slip away, you retarget them, draw them into your funnel, and take them from ‘like’ to lead.

Turning likes into something tangible and worthwhile isn’t as challenging as it first seems. With a few tweaks, tools and content-focussed tactics, you can transform your likes and follows into qualified leads.

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