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\u201cI have a big social media following but it does not seem to be translating into new customers/clients.\u201d\xa0 I hear this comment all the time from potential clients who call me up wondering how to make their social media a more effective business development tool.\xa0

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The first step in gaining a greater conversion from your social media is understanding that social media is just one out of a necessary six to eight touchpoints to convert a potential customer, and so expecting social media alone to close a client is not reliable.

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To increase the chances of you converting someone who likes your social media into a paying customer or client, there are four things you need to ensure are happening as part of your sales funnel:

Tips on improving your conversion rate

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• Have a direct call to action \u2014 put up a direct link in the social post that leads to a dedicated landing page, white page, or download (special offers, promo codes and limited time offers work well).

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• Show, don\u2019t tell, your trustworthiness \u2014 too many businesses speak generally about why they\u2019re trustworthy. For example:\xa0

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• Saying \u201cwe are professionals with a great deal of experience\u201d is a general \u201ctell\u201d description. Instead say \u201cwe have worked with more than a hundred companies in 20 countries around the world including American Express, AT&T, Apple, and more\u201d, as it is a lot more tangible and \u201cshow\u201d oriented.\xa0

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• Focus on thought leadership and high-quality content. Social media will get people interested in you but it\u2019s the quality of your content that will close the deal. Blog posts, LinkedIn articles, white papers, podcasts, ebooks, etc.: these all provide additional touchpoints for potential customers and help make you the provider of choice.\xa0

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• Put a lead-nurturing campaign in place. A prospect who clicks through your social media or dedicated landing page enters into your sales funnel but they\u2019re not necessarily ready to make the purchase yet so keep them engaged, interested, and on the path to being a customer. Try setting up what\u2019s called \u201cgated content\u201d: this is free, high-value content the visitor to your website gets in exchange for providing their contact information.

About Karen Tiber Leland

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Karen Tiber Leland is the founder of Sterling Marketing Group, a branding, marketing, and color strategy and implementation firm helping CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs develop stronger personal, business, and team brands. Her clients include Cisco, American Express, Marriott Hotels, Apple Computer, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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She is also the best-selling author of nine traditionally-published business books that have sold over 400,000 copies and been translated into 10 languages. Her most recent book is The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand. She regularly writes for Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com and has had articles published in Self, The Los Angeles Times, American Way, The Boston Globe, and many others.

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Karen has spoken for Harvard, The AMA, Direct Marketing Association, and Stanford, among others. She has been interviewed on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, and Oprah.

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Get in touch with Karen on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

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Resources

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If you are interested in a complimentary consultation on either your CEO brand or your business brand, please feel free to contact me at Karen@Karenleland.com or go to KarenLeland.com.

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I will be delighted to schedule an appointment with you to take a look at how and what you\u2019re doing and give you some advice on how you can convert your social following to customers a bit better.

Sharing (Tweetables and Quotes)

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In today\u2019s crowded market, credibility and trust are the core of converting visitors to your social media into customers. @KarenFLeland

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You have to start thinking of social media as one touchpoint, not the only touchpoint. @KarenFLeland

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The bottom line is that trust comes from social proof such as links to testimonials, media mentions, influencers and endorsements. @KarenFLeland

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The more you can quantify that you are a trustworthy choice for your customer, the better. @KarenFLeland

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Studies show that it takes an average of six to eight touchpoints to create a viable sales lead. @KarenFLeland

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Don\u2019t spam people with offers. I think we all know that less is more and value is what\u2019s key. @KarenFLeland