How to Qualify Leads via Social Media

Your Lead
Qualifying Machine
How to Make Social Media
© Copyright 2013 InsideUp, Inc. All Rights Reserved

What’s Inside
1. Background
2. The Case for Qualifying Leads
3. How Are Your Prospects Using Social Media
4. Some Ways to Qualify Your Leads Using Social Media
5. Analyze and Adapt
6. Steps You Can Take to Get Started
7. Some Tips for Getting the Most from LinkedIn
8. Conclusion
9. About InsideUp
Table of Content
Ready to Learn More?
Contact UsToday
Call
(800) 910-7638
Click
insideup.com/getleads
Email
getleads@insideup.com

Background1.
Social Media Networks are a Growing Lead Resource
?
?
?
?
?
More than 665 million people now use Facebook every day.
Over 70% of Internet users say they are more likely to purchase
from brands they follow on social media sites like Twitter and
Facebook.
The number of active LinkedIn users has grown to over two
million, and 35% of them access the site daily. So potentially one
third of your leads can be contacted on LinkedIn.
Hoping to go global? 64% of LinkedIn users are outside the U.S.
Does your company tweet for leads? You're not the only one; 34%
of marketers have generated leads using Twitter.
And we haven't even touched on Pinterest or Google +, two rapidly rising social media
platforms. In one recent survey, 69% of respondents said they use social media in their
business. If your company provides services to the business community, these business
social media users are your potential customers.
Executive Summary
*
Source: MarketingSherpa
But a major challenge lies in qualifying all these leads. The reality is, whether your
leads come from social media, traditional marketing, word of mouth, or a lead supplier,
once they're in your pipeline, it is up to you to gauge their level of interest.
As you've probably discovered, leads from any
source are often still in early stages of the buying
cycle when they find you. The question that of
course follows is how to qualify these leads.
What's so important about qualifying leads,
anyway? Why not just work with every lead we get?
Doesn't that increase our chances of making a sale?
The more leads we talk to, the better our odds of
(eventually) closing a deal, right?
FACT:
Although 61%
of B2B marketers
immediately
turn all leads
over to sales,
only 27% of leads
are actually
qualified.*

The Case for Qualifying Leads2.
The three main benefits to proper lead qualification are:
Lead generation, lead qualification and lead nurturing are all closely related,
even overlapping at times. The same channels you use to generate leads can
be the ideal setting for qualifying them.
Regardless of the source of your leads, social media lends itself naturally as a way to
discover more about them, such as their position in their company and their level of
interest.
Having a conversation is what social media is all about, after all. And engaging in
dialog, whether face to face, on the phone or in cyberspace, is the best way to
uncover the information you need to qualify your leads.
Qualifying leads using social media is friendlier—it's the digital form of networking
groups. And it can be a much easier and more intuitive way to get to know your
prospects.
Plus, the more you take advantage of social media, the less you will need to subject
your prospects to lengthy forms in order to learn about their needs.
1. If you've ever worked hard to land a
client who turned out to be more trouble than they were worth, we
don't have to tell you why this reason tops the list.
2. and less likely to be a waste
of time for sales reps. If a business person is interested in learning more
about a service, this doesn't always mean they are in a position to make
the purchase.
3. to make sure a lead is ready and able to
buy (or soon will be) before handing it over to sales.
Better leads make better clients.
Qualified leads are more likely to close,
It is much more cost-effective
Lead Qualification Benefits the Sales Process
Why Use Social Media to Qualify Leads?

Knowing the research behavior of the typical B2B buyer is the place to start, and
can help you build an action plan for qualifying your leads via social media. Here are a
few things to keep in mind:
Buyers download an average of nine informational assets during
the purchase process. By the time you've made a prospect's
short list, they have most likely perused several brochures, white
papers, case studies and blog posts, watched videos, sat through
webinars and podcasts, and pored over infographics and ebooks.
While this type of research activity used to be limited to the pre-
sales phase, now buyers say they find a variety of content
valuable throughout all phases of the sales cycle.
One study of B2B buyers asked the question,“How did you use social media to research
your solution purchase?”Participants were instructed to check all responses that
applied to them. Here is what they found out:
(Source: Eccolo Media)
§
§
How Are Your Prospects Using
Social Media?
3.
(Cont.)
Social Media as a Research Tool
?
?
?
?
?
?
78% start off their research by doing a web search.
54% get involved in group discussions on social media sites to learn
about specific services.
50% turn to social media for peer reviews.
24% used social networks to connect with industry thought leaders.
22% posed questions on social sites to learn about solutions other
companies have used.
14% connected directly with potential solution providers via social
networking channels.

3.
10%How B2B Buyers Use Social Media to Research Purchase
Web
Search
Group
Discussion
Peer
Reviews
Connect with
Thought
Leaders
Ask
Questions
Connect with
Vendors
75 —
100 —
50 —
25 —
0 —
78%
54% 50%
24% 22% 14%
How Are Your Prospects Using
Social Media? (cont.)
Tap into a Pipeline of Useful Data
How did these intrepid marketers in the survey put their research findings to use?
Which factors were most critical when choosing a vendor?
36% collected information in order to build the business case.
30% considered the breadth of information from each vendor as a
critical factor in their buying decision.
1. Timeliness of response to questions
2. Relevance of the information based on questions
3. Amount of content/thought leadership vendor provided
The takeaway?“B2B marketers must adopt sophisticated strategies for monitoring social
media conversations and tracking buyer behavior – even when they don't necessarily
make direct contact with buyers.”
(Source: 2012 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey Report, from DemandGen Report and G3 Communications)

How Can You Put this Information into Action and Start
Qualifying Leads with Social Media?
First, do your homework and find out what you can by looking at the LinkedIn profiles
of your individual contacts as well as the company profile. This can give you a great
deal of information and insights about the company. Are you talking to the right
person? If not, you might eventually ask to be introduced to someone involved in the
buying decision.
Then, do what your prospects are doing; get
involved in group discussions, pose questions,
create a poll. Learn all you can about the pain
points that are driving their quest for a
solution.
Pay attention to what your target audience is
saying. Follow them and learn about their
concerns, even taking note of what key phrases
tend to come up a lot. This will provide
excellent fodder for discussion in your own
blog posts, group discussions, emails and
networking activities.
Use what you observe to create engaging
content that addresses the needs you've
uncovered. But remember: don't be salesy, just
be helpful. Think about:
Why does this prospect need my product or service?
What might their objections be, based on what they have said about
previous experiences?
How can I communicate the benefits of our solution and how our company
differs from the competition?
?
?
?
Some Ways to Your Leads
Using Social Media
Qualify4.
As a bonus, what you learn during
the process of qualifying leads can
also help you to develop your future
blog, website and email marketing
content to attract new leads.
Your target market will likely have
similar needs, questions and
objections as the leads you are
currently qualifying and nurturing.
Additional Social Media
Opportunities
(Cont.)

A Continual Stream of Actionable Insights
The data you gather when generating leads will often give you insights that help
you determine your prospects' level of interest, motivation, and ability to purchase.
Keep track of all your findings, preferably by adding the data to your CRM system so
you can easily refer to it later as you build on what you know about each lead.
Connect with your current followers by getting involved in the conversation; pose
open-ended questions that may spark an interesting discussion.
1. What prompted your interest in this service?
2. Are you using a similar product/service?
3. What are you currently doing with this service?
4. What problems do you encounter with your current provider?
5. Have you thought about getting a competitive quote on this service
to compare to what you are currently paying?
6. What features are you looking for in this service that you don't
currently have?
7. When would be a good time to talk?
Using Social Media (cont.)
Qualify4.
(Cont.)
Here are some questions you might ask:

(Cont.)
Be alert to clues that will help you qualify them even further. Keep in mind the
questions you need answered about your prospect, such as:
Are you talking to someone directly involved in making the purchase decision?
If not, is this someone who can influence the decision and/or introduce you to
or otherwise help you connect with the decision makers?
What is the prospect's greatest challenge?
What objections or roadblocks to purchase might they have?
What solutions have they tried in the past that worked or didn't work and why?
What vendors have they worked with or considered, and what did they like or
not like about those companies?
As you learn more about your social media contacts, their position in the company,
their buying process and their company's specific needs and pain points, you will be
able to tailor your messages and social media content to their needs to keep them
engaged and further the relationship.
Always approach such leads with a helpful attitude as they research their options.
Taking a consultative role will build trust and increase the likelihood that they will
choose your services when they are ready to make a final choice.
?
?
?
?
?
Using Social Media (cont.)
Qualify4.
Use Social Media Channels Nurture and Qualify the Leads
In the on-going process of lead
generation, lead nurturing and
lead qualification, social media
can be an invaluable resource
to increase results.
Marketing
Social
Media
CRM/
Support
10%Social Media is a Part of the New Marketing Database
Sale
PROSPECT ENGAGEMENT

Analyze and Adapt5.
Tracking a few key factors and comparing your social media activity over a period of
time against your sales for that period can give you a good idea of what is working and
what is not.
Where are your most highly qualified leads coming from?
What specific tools are you using and how often?
What is the best way to get your sales messages to the decision makers?
How can you better address your prospects' concerns and reduce the perceived
risk of purchasing from your company?
What value can you offer to keep leads engaged through the research phase
and into the buying process?
What else can you do to help your prospects move forward into the buying
process?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Use Insights from Social Media to Your Advantage
It is getting more
difficult to be found in
today’s multi-platform,
highly-competitive
marketing environment.
It is getting more
difficult to be found in
today’s multi-platform,
highly-competitive
marketing environment.
Each Social Media Channel
has unique characteristics
and strategic benefits
based upon your individual
company objectives and
the dynamics of your
industry.
Optimal Mix of Channels Will Give You the Best Results
in
t
f
You
Tube
(Cont.)

Steps You Can Take to Get Started6.
Here are some easy ways to make that connection and start qualifying those leads.
For our purposes here, we will use LinkedIn as an example, but these activities can be
adapted to practically any social media platform.
Most B2B marketers recognize the value of LinkedIn as a networking tool, but LinkedIn
can also be a very effective means of qualifying your leads by keeping in touch
throughout the sales cycle. Since LinkedIn was created specifically with businesses in
mind, it is a natural choice for business networking and qualifying leads.
Be sure you're following any companies you believe might be interested in your
services. This is always a good way to show interest and connect with your target
market.
Make sure your company email template includes an invitation to connect on
LinkedIn. Some of your leads may need a friendly reminder, so you might also
want to send a quick connection request through LinkedIn, or via email.
Personalize your messages to avoid coming across as spammy. If you're
connecting with a lead that attended your LinkedIn event, for example, you
might mention the event you shared in common. Have you already had a phone
conversation? Add a message to your connection invite saying that you enjoyed
talking to them and are available to help if they have any questions.
Regularly offer value to all your leads throughout the sales cycle. You might even
create special deals, free webinars, etc., especially for your LinkedIn connections.
Then send out an email to your lead database, inviting all to take advantage of
your offer or attend your event. Those prospects who are not yet in your network
may decide to connect when given the added incentive.
Let all of your prospects know that you're available to offer expert advice in your
discussion groups, and encourage them to join your group for no-pressure
answers to questions about your industry. Each conversation gives you the
opportunity to gather additional detail such as company size, purchasing budget
and details about the company's needs and interests.
§
§
§
§
§
(Cont.)
Begin with a Strategic Plan

Some Tips for Getting the Most
From LinkedIn
7.
Since LinkedIn was designed as a platform to help business people connect, it
offers a number of tools created specifically for that purpose. Here are a few ways you
can use LinkedIn to create awareness about your services and set the stage for
qualifying your leads.
t
1. Be sure you've fully fleshed out your profile with information about your company.
You can embed your videos and company blog on the profile page, and add a
“share”button so your content can be spread to social sites like Twitter, Facebook
and Pinterest.
2. Add your company to the LinkedIn company directory, and give details about the
services you provide.
3. One of the best ways to establish yourself as an authority in your field is to answer
questions on the LinkedIn Answers page. Browse the various categories for topics
in which you have expertise to share. Maintain credibility by refraining from making
promotional statements and focus on supplying helpful information.
4. Join the same LinkedIn groups as your prospects and take part in the discussions.
Read posts and provide answers when you can, without promoting.
5. Create and manage your own group and invite your prospects to join. By actively
participating in group discussions, offering valuable tips and insights, you can
expand your circle of influence and continue building those relationships.
6. Take advantage of LinkedIn applications to create surveys and slide presentations,
display your portfolio, embed your blogs and tweets, and connect with prospects
via professional events and conferences.
7. Keep track of all new data you find on each prospect and use it to guide your
discussions, provide answers to questions, establish your thought leadership and
build relationships.
8. Take care not to be invasive. Comment on your prospects' posts, show interest, be
as helpful as possible, but resist the urge to sell at this point.
9. After an event or business presentation with decision makers, connect with hem
on LinkedIn send a brief Inmail message. Something like,“I enjoyed meeting with
you and look forward to talking to you again.”
(Cont.)

Conclusion8.
A prospect's permission to contact them is one of your most valuable marketing assets,
especially since most people do not give out their information freely to just anyone who
asks for it. It indicates that they are already interested in what you have to offer, so you
don't need to expend any effort convincing them on that count. The only thing that
remains is to demonstrate that yours is the ideal company for their needs.
Speak to your social media contacts out of a genuine desire, not just to sell them on your
solution, but to truly help their business succeed. Keep this motivation at the core of
every interaction with your prospects.
7.
(Cont.)
Some Tips for Getting the Most
From LinkedIn (cont.)
Optimizing Your Connections
B2B Internet Demand A Growing Trend
By 2015 as Much as 75% of B2B
Demand will Come from Internet
Finding out where your prospects
are and what type of online media
they are using involves constant,
diligent research followed by
continual fine-tuning of your
social media strategy based on
your search results.
25%
75%
*
Source: Sirius Decisions

Conclusion (cont.)8.
(Cont.)
This presents business service providers with the challenge of casting their virtual net farther
and wider than ever before just to capture the interest of these potential customers.
As a business service provider, you have a wide range of tools like blogs, interactive wiki
articles, search-optimized white papers and active participation in discussion forums that
enable you to actively communicate with your prospects.
Building a genuine rapport does take an investment of time, but the results will be solid and
lasting. Be the company who provides value before your lead has committed to using your
service. Answer their questions and build their trust. Make sure your company's message is
aligned with your prospective customers' needs. You will be building a loyal customer base
while you strengthen your reputation and your brand.
These are the same principles used by the best lead generation companies to generate warm
leads who have demonstrated an interest in your services, supplied information about their
specific needs, and are not only willing, but eager to hear about your solutions.
With all the channels at their disposal to generate and qualify leads, many businesses still
struggle to fully utilize them due to the labor-intensive nature of these activities and the
amount of time it can take to see results.
That is why increasing numbers of business service providers are using online lead
generation platforms to educate their prospects, engage in regular communication and build
trust. Automated lead generation systems provide a virtual one-stop shop for online
marketing, social networking and high-quality lead generation.
Buyers provide data about their company as well as information related to their particular
needs. This data is then scored and matched in real time with service providers that are
uniquely qualified to deliver the solution.
Business Service Buyers Have an Ever-expanding Array
of Choices When Researching Online

About InsideUp
High-Quality Leads
Easy to Set Up
Optimized Lead Generation
Pay-Per-LeadQualified Business Network
Real-time Delivery
Live Phone Transfer
Online Access
- We use only high
quality business traffic and media
partners.
- No campaigns to
manage. Account setup takes just a few
minutes.
- Using
proprietary technology and lead scoring
algorithms.
- You only pay for
qualified leads. No set-up and no
monthly fees.
- Leverage
our community of buyers who actively
use our service when making business
purchases.
- Leads posted to
your CRM, delivered by email or
accessed from dashboard for quick sales
conversion.
- Free automated
live transfer of leads to your sales
number.
- View analytics, reports,
billing, credits, leads and more.
InsideUp was founded to solve a critical
market need – to help firms effortlessly
connect with a community of businesses
actively looking to purchase services.
What We Provide
Ready to Learn More?
Contact UsToday
Call
(800) 910-7638
Click
insideup.com/getleads
Email
As the leading platform to acquire new business customers, InsideUp has
pioneered new ways of connecting service providers with buyers.
Our unique and proprietary platform, designed specifically for business services
firms, allows our customers to be matched with and provide custom quotes to
targeted, ready-to-buy decision makers. InsideUp also offers a lead clearinghouse,
which lets lead buyers pre-select the type of leads they wish to purchase.
9.

The leading platform to
ACOUIRE NEW BUSINESS CUSTOMERS/
For additional information
Visit
Email
Call
www.insideup.com/getleads
(800) 910-7638

How to Qualify Leads via Social Media

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (16)

Destaque

Destaque (10)

Semelhante a How to Qualify Leads via Social Media

Semelhante a How to Qualify Leads via Social Media (20)

How to Qualify Leads via Social Media