Social media has never been a more popular route for digital marketers to take than it is now. At the time of writing, Facebook is believed to have 2.74 billion monthly active users, who spend 34 minutes per day on the platform. And there are no indicators that this is going to change anytime soon.

This is why marketers, salespeople, and business owners are turning to Facebook and other social media platforms to find new leads, sales, and even staff. What was once consideread an add-on to marketing has now become the primary means by which companies communicate with their customers. Social media marketing is here to stay, and many experts believe it will only get more popular in the coming years. But how can marketers turn their social media chats into sales leads for their businesses?

Based on my personal experience, I’ll share some recommendations below on how to turn your everyday interactions with your audience into actual, strong leads for your sales staff to pursue.

Post on a regular basis.

You must post on a regular basis to stay in front of your audience. With such a big number of people on Facebook, there’s bound to be a deluge of posts, likes, comments, and shares. To even have the chance to converse with your audience, you must post at least once a day on Facebook, Instagram, and any other social media platforms you may be using. If your audience never sees your postings, they will never connect with you, and if they never interact with you, they will never become a customer!

I was unaware of this truth when I first started using social media marketing into my firm many years ago. I didn’t take the time to post on a regular basis, instead opting for irregular posting. I didn’t understand why I was getting so little attention until I decided to consider social media as a legitimately helpful tool that required my entire attention. I increased my follower count and encouraged current followers to connect with posts by making the decision to post every day.

Create stuff that people will want to click on.

Depending on your brand, industry, and audience demographics, this might signify a variety of things. There is no set science or formula that can truly determine whether or not a post will resonate with your audience, but you can make educated decisions about what to post and what not to post by understanding what your brand represents, the industry you are in, and the specifics of your social audience.

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to provide a diverse range of post kinds. Pictures, blogs, videos, and even memes can all help you engage your audience. One of my favourite elements of social media marketing is that you can publish pretty much anything as long as it’s relevant to your business. Have a good time and don’t overthink things! People want to engage with posts that they believe will benefit them. Informative blogs, as well as enjoyable or humorous posts, might be effective. Don’t worry if your posts aren’t getting much attention; simply adapt!

Engage people in order for them to engage with you.

If your audience notices that you don’t respond to their comments, they’ll most likely stop leaving them. The fact that consumers can interact with the brands and companies they love in real time is one of the aspects of social media marketing that makes it exciting for them. Don’t be scared to interact with your audience, and don’t be afraid to like or comment on their posts and comments. Interaction is, was, and always will be at the heart of social media. If this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, you’ll have to push yourself out of your comfort zone. One of the most important factors in converting social media conversations into leads is engagement. It’s simply a matter of doing it. Otherwise, those discussions will always be just that: discussions.

Don’t go for the finish line.

This may appear counterproductive, but bear with me as I explain: Don’t settle for a quick, first-time-speaking closure. You don’t want to come across to your followers as spammy or overly aggressive. Engagement will drop if a follower gets the impression that you are only there to sell them your stuff. Make sure you’re not solely interacting with audience members while you’re trying to sell something. Instead, approach it like though it were any other customer. Establish a relationship with the people behind the screen by getting to know them and demonstrating the value that your firm can bring.

Inquire about their business.

While you should not ask for someone’s business in every interaction, you should not feel awful if you do. Feel free to discuss these products/services with audience members if you believe you can benefit them once you’ve established a rapport and demonstrated an appropriate amount of value in your business and products or services. Members of the audience are counting on you to do so. They’ve made contact with you and have stayed in touch with you for a reason. Make it apparent that you believe you can help them with your product, and then go ahead and help them.

Marketers and salespeople can both benefit from using social media to generate leads. Post on a regular basis. Create material that is both intriguing and engaging. Make eye contact with your audience. Don’t rush to the finish line. Finally, ask for their business and watch as yours expands!