IAW Blog

Some recent suggestions have highlighted that this is the case, and that looking at social media services like Twitter and Facebook strictly as lead generation tools might be counter-productive, especially for companies that focus on business-to-business sales. Checkout the latest blog report from American website Open Small Business.

The blog talks about the lack of sales converted from Facebook and Twitter visitors, but this might be a little short sighted as I think if you are using social media in business you should be using just like you would if you are face to face networking.

Relationship building takes time don't just expect a flood of sales because you've tweeted a fantastic offer to your followers, create conversation, share your knowledge, ask questions, it's social media so treat like a social environment which the blog later talks about and offers advice on the use of social media for conversation and content.

Businesses need to be aware of the grow of social media as brand awareness and lead generation tool, and the stats seem to prove that according to the annual Unisfair marketing survey.

66 percent of respondents said lead generation was their top priority for 2010, with only 17 percent ranking brand awareness and 16 percent ranking customer retention as top concerns. The survey illustrated that marketers are beginning to rely on social media as a steady source of new customers.

In another study, 51 percent of Facebook fans and 67 percent of Twitter followers said they were more likely to buy the brands they like on Facebook or follow on Twitter, strengthening the argument that social media is one of the most important emerging channels for lead generation.

Open Small Business

You need to be aware of what is right for one business might not be right for you, think about what you are saying and don't over sell be informative.

If you would like any help or advice regarding social media for business call us on 0151 324 0102 or email info@itsaboutwebsites.com to arrange a consultancy session or to register for one of our forthcoming Social Media Business Sessions.

And remember you can follow the online activities of It's About Websites on Facebook and Twitter.