The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating an Evergreen Lead Machine with Facebook

Here's the thing.

All social media platforms aren't created equally.

Facebook is the king of social media.

The stats are simply startling.

• A staggering 2.6 billion people use Facebook every month as of March 2020, marking a 10 percent increase over the last year.
• Facebook is the third most visited website after Google and YouTube.
• A 2019 Pew Research found that 74 percent of adult Facebook users in the U.S visit the site at least once every day.
• eMarketer projects that Facebook users will spend 38 minutes daily on the platform in 2020.
• Up to 75 percent of high-income earners use Facebook in the United States alone.

Numbers don't lie. Facebook is too big to ignore for any serious digital marketer and, by extension, business owner.

There's a catch, though.

Facebook's success is not a straight and smooth path. Whoever tells you that is winding you up.

There's no denying that Facebook can increase your return on investment and lead to greater success. Still, it makes perfect sense to learn the skills to move your business forward, especially if you're getting started.

You see,

Attracting new leads and taking them successfully through the customer value journey is the primary reason to use Facebook marketing.  And, it doesn't have to be a painful, strenuous process.

With proper planning and implementation, Facebook marketing can help you double or triple your returns.

With that in mind, here's an in-depth overview of how to create a successful lead generation campaign with Facebook and, most importantly, how to keep things on the upswing even if you're a beginner.

But, first things first,

What Type of Leads Can you Capture with Facebook?

For starters, a lead refers to a person or business that has shown interest in your product or service.  More specifically, he/she is looking for a solution to a problem.

Potential customers show interest in multiple ways including;

• Completing an online survey
• Filling a questionnaire or form to download your eBook
• Signing up for your newsletter
• Requesting for a demo of how your product works etc.

What if a person likes your page? Or, your status update? Does this make him/her a lead? No. People may, for instance, follow your brand because their interest is in what you know, not what you sell.

You can generate two types of leads on Facebook, – direct and indirect leads.

Direct Leads

You can generate these by sharing content that directs visitors to your website where they trade off their information for offers such as coupons, downloadable eBooks, infographics, and so on.

The best way to capture direct leads on Facebook is to create a landing page custom-built for your offer.

Indirect Leads

You can generate indirect leads by using Facebook as part of your conversion strategy.

This happens, for instance, when you share a blog post with a call to action directing people to a landing page. In essence, you're using your original Facebook share to drive traffic to your site or landing page.

Quick takeaway – Indeed, direct marketing can generate more leads and sales. On the flip side, sharing content without enticing your target audience to fill a form makes your brand's presence on Facebook friendlier.

Now that we're on the same page, here's how you can create a robust lead generation strategy with Facebook.

Build a Perfect Landing Page for your Facebook Ads Campaign

What is the most crucial element of any lead generation strategy?

Well,  if you ask me, it is what generates the highest number of quality leads – and the same is true for your lead acquisition through Facebook.

The point is,

You don't want to spend loads of cash and time promoting content or creating Facebook ads for clicks then direct your prospects to a confusing, super-boring disengaging landing page.

Do you know what this means?

It implies that you should pay a little bit more attention to detail. After all, the landing page is the first thing your visitors see when they click through to your website or eCommerce store.

Everything has to be on point from the main headline to the benefits of your product, images, closing argument, and call to action.

Speaking of images, make sure the photo getting pulled into your Facebook post is dazzling. Optimize the image size for Facebook. Add open graph tags to your landing page. Read this post for ideas if you don't know how to take good pictures for social media.

Let your readers know where you're directing them. The idea is to avoid confusion when a person clicks on your ad, then find out they have to fill a form.

Pro Tip - Use phrases like "click here to get your ultimate sheet" or "download your eBook" to specify where you're directing your readers.

Video, Video, Video

Video is here to stay.

Did you know that the Facebook algorithm favors video content? And that your post has a 135 percent greater reach if it is in video form instead of a photo?

With such statistics, it makes perfect sense to include videos in your Facebook lead generation campaign from the get-go.  Videos are excellent when introducing and promoting your lead-generating content, whether they're free checklists, events, or offers.

Pro Tip – Add a verbal call-to-action at the tail end of your video, inviting your prospects to "download" or "register."

Create an Event Page for your Next Webinar

Webinars are great for capturing leads.

Sure, you can post your webinar sign up forms by uploading them on your business timeline.

Still, creating a Facebook Event with a distinct registration page is an excellent way to spread the word. The trick is to entice your Facebook Event invitees to register on the separate landing page, converting them to leads.

What's more?

Facebook events enjoy more visibility in comparison to regular posts on your News Feed. Besides, Facebook introduced a set of new functions to help businesses promote events and, most notably, measure their performance.

Pro Tip – Share upcoming events and webinars with your audience in a single view using the Events tab on your Page. Be sure to click Manage Tabs to reorder your tabs so that "Events" pops up first.

Include a CTA Button to your Page

Call-to-action buttons offer a dynamic lead generation tactic you will not want to miss out.

The feature, available for business pages, allows users to add a simple CTA button at the top of their Facebook pages.

While the button is simple, it is powerful and can help drive tons of traffic from Facebook to your site, whether you want to direct visitors to your landing page, contact sheet, or any other lead generation forms.

There's a collection of buttons to choose from using phrases such a Watch Video, Book Now, Shop Now, Contact us, etc.          

Note - When you select a button to link to a page on your site, it appears below your cover photo to the right.

Pro Tip – Pick three to five CTA buttons to rotate throughout your lead generation campaign.  Test the CTAs to ensure the ads you place in front of your segments are going to bring in the best results during the busiest shopping season.

Run Targeted Ads

According to a Facebook report, over six million businesses are using the platform's ads to increase their reach.

Yes. You can use Facebook to target audiences that are likely to consume your content, and possibly turn them into followers, leads, and buyers down the line. And the beauty of it is that your ads can target people based on demographics such as interests, age, location, gender, etc.

You've got to know how to place the ads, the size of your images, and the amount of writing required, though. Here's a brief breakdown.

• Right-Hand Column Ads – These are the most common ads on Facebook. They appear on the right-hand side of your News Feed.

When using these ads, I see less expensive conversions and clicks. Right-hand column ads offer more advanced testing options.

• News Feed Ads – These appear on your News Feed. They look a lot like native ads, even though you can include a CTA button.

News Feeds ads work best when used as part of your "dark posts" strategy. More specifically, this means you'll be using News Feed-style ads that don't appear on the News Feed of your page.

In my experience, these ads generate more engagement in comparison to right-hand column ads. The ripple effect is that your Page looks incredibly healthy.

• Boosted Posts – These allow you to turn regular Facebook posts into ads. Boosted posts are great when you want to reach a bigger audience.

The other reason I recommend boosting your posts for lead generation is that you can choose your targets ahead of time.

...One More Thing

Whether you're an eCommerce start-up or an established business, creating a well-thought-out lead generation strategy is crucial.

Facebook is here to stay, and if the numbers are anything to go by, the sooner you start using it to acquire clients, the better.

While lead generation is an integral part of any business, it is time-consuming. Besides, you must know what you're doing to get it right the first time and, most importantly, save some precious time.

Activate your lead generation campaign with my course and coaching today. I  will teach you the skills you need to generate leads with Facebook month after month, year after year.  

Remember, 74 percent of Facebook users are high-income earners - it's time to get your share of the pie.

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