If you are looking to generate more leads to your website or online business, there are a variety of ways to do that. You can use online ads either through various browsers or social media networks, utilize article marketing, or build your email list. While all of these options can be fruitful, many people are turning to Facebook pages.
Facebook provides a lot of lead generation options, from buying ads to promoting giveaways and opt-ins. Your Facebook fan page can provide a lot of benefits to lead generation, but there are also some drawbacks to consider. Here are some pros and cons to think about first.
Pro: You can create ads for your page instead of just a website.
Facebook ads now have multiple options, which is a great thing if you decide to start a Facebook fan page for lead generation purposes. Not only can you create ads that direct people toward a landing page or blog, but you can also get more activity for the Facebook fan page itself. If done right, this lets you get more fans, likes, and shares of content on your page just by placing some well-targeted ads, not to mention the amount of traffic you get to your website when people look into your fan page.
Con: Followers don’t always see your posts.
A drawback to using a fan page for lead generation on Facebook is that they have their new algorithms that sometimes keep people from actually seeing your updates and shares. You might craft a perfectly worded post that relates to a current trend in your niche and may have the potential to go viral in the social media universe, but so few people see it show up in their feed because they haven’t been active on your page recently. This is the unfortunate risk of using a fan page. To avoid this problem, do your best to really get people involved on the page regularly so that your posts show up in their feed more often.
Pro: Your fan page followers are already targeted.
In lead generation, one of the most important keys to success is targeting the right people. Anyone can place an ad in an attempt to get leads, but even if 1,000 people click on the ad and go to the landing page, there is no telling how many of them are actually interested in what you have to offer. Having 100 people who are targeted and truly interested is better than 1,000 or more people who would never buy from you or sign up for your email list. With a fan page, these people are already interested in your business or services, so they are already a highly targeted group of people, thus improving the success of the page for lead generation purposes.
Con: It takes a gentle balance of sharing, helping and promoting
While Facebook fan pages can be a great way to get more leads, it is easy to fall into the trap of only promoting and trying to get people to click on your links. This is a quick way to lose all your followers.
With fan pages, you need to find that balance between promoting and simply trying to engage your audience. Only a small number of your posts should have anything to do with gathering leads. The other posts should be providing helpful resources, solving their problems, helping with issues you get questions about, and sharing interesting things you find that you believe your fans would enjoy.
Take your time with your Facebook fan page if you decide to use it for lead generation. Pay attention to what your fans and followers ask about or are concerned about, and really try to target your updates to
those questions.
