subject: Social Media Sins in Lead Generation [print this page] Social Media Sins in Lead Generation Social Media Sins in Lead Generation
Now that business experts have declared social media marketing as the next big thing, there was never any doubt that the platform will be saturated fast. The late movers, the call center units that have come to the scene after the initial lead generation methods were tested, couldn't taste much of success. A main reason for the social media failure is that the BPO firms tried to bulldoze their way to lead generation. The outbound call center agents tried to be too hard, they pushed web-links before the lead matured and they expected the marketing process to go viral before they got the basic matrix right.
Viral marketing is not something that you can target. You have to get the basics right and only focus on those. Once the basic framework is in place, it will go viral on its own. For example, you can ask your call center agents to work towards spreading the word. Your aim is to be the next buzzword on the internet and you communicate the same in non-ambiguous terms to the BPO service provider. What happens next?
The outbound call center team goes on an overdrive to carry out your commands. The business outsourcing agents send out mass mails on Facebook and MySpace. They add everyone they can find. They post links to your products/services pages. They post bulletins. They try their best to engage the friends and followers they have added at random. You find numerous links of your page spread all over the social networks. However, when it comes to lead generation, you have little success. The ROI looks so pathetically against you.
The way forward is to engage in conversation. Networking doesn't mean a one-way conversation where you keep saying things to someone you have added at random. Before you think of these friends' as your prospective customers, BPO agents have to interact with them. Your call center guys must engage in discussions on topics that concerns them.
To be a good social media marketer, you have to listen to what they have to say. Visit their profile pages, make insightful comments. Suggest ways to improve their corporate profiles if you are doing B2B networking. The cardinal rule is that your voice will be heard only if you hear others.
As for going viral, once you start talking to people and sharing genuine content, you will find people talking about you. Lead generation has a lot to do with attracting people to you rather than pushing yourself and your BPO services under unsuspecting noses. Make the right noises and wait for the ripple effect to come back to you. Meanwhile, open other different channels of communication.
The more the vines of communication and interaction, the more open you are to feedback and suggestions. Only the concerned will offer opinion about your call center services. Finally, when they see that you mean business and professional enough to conduct your call center services through best practices universally accepted, you will find work. The ideal gain here is, other than qualified leads and business revenue you do establish a brand image for your company.
