How to get more leads online and through social media

By Jennifer Tomlinson, Sr. Marketing Manager, Microsoft Partner Network on December 14, 2015
 
I hear the question all the time: does lead generation via the Web and social media actually work?
 
The elusive, simple answer: yes.

Just ask partner Jeffrey Goldstein of Queue Associates, who recently closed a major project that started from a “request more information” form on his firm’s website.

“I was at a conference, in my hotel room at 11 o’clock at night, and this lead comes in from our website. I immediately call the person back, expecting to get voicemail, but he answered. We talked, and now we’re working together.
 
 
 
“That directed the prospect to our website, which had great, easy-to-understand content around the solution he was looking for. He filled out a form, and I responded immediately. All of that really impressed him, and it involved zero traditional media to get that lead.”

Clearly, social media is not just about branding or what you had for breakfast. Yes, social media is great for brand awareness, engaging with others in the industry, and – still – for pictures of your daily life. But you should also know it’s a very powerful tool for lead generation, especially as more and more sales conversations shift online.

So how do you do it?
 
Done correctly, you can leverage social media both to collect information on prospects and drive traffic to your website where the amazing content you’ve created will convince them you’re the best solution provider for their needs.