5 types of Facebook posts that can be used to generate leads

Besides increasing brand awareness and engagement, Facebook is also a great place to generate leads. Lead generation is the process of initiating consumer interest in those people who have heard about your business. Since a user liking or sharing your post doesn't imply intent to purchase, it is important to nurture leads in order to increase interest in your business and ultimately convert them to customers. Here are five ways Facebook posts can be used to generate leads:

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Link directly to a landing page

A post which directly links to a landing page with a lead-generating offer is the simplest way to garner leads on Facebook. The post caption should generate interest in viewers and provide a clear description of what they should expect if they click the link; phrases such as ‘download the free report’ or ‘sign-up now for this offer’ are crucial.

Link to a blog post with a call to action

It's no secret that people like being informed rather than being sold to. Some social media users have an aversion to brands pushing offers in their face. That is where linking to a blog post with a CTA can help. Your blog post can detail a particular problem and the CTA within the blog (placed in a prominent manner) can describe either a solution to the problem or more relevant information.

Use visual content

Visual content is king on social media. Posts with visuals, whether images or videos, rate higher on organic reach and are shared far more than text-based posts. If used creatively, an image or video can effectively tell a story which social media users are more likely to see and remember. To convert this engagement into leads, you can provide links to a landing page with an offer or a subscription form in the caption of the image or video.

Initiate a contest

People like free stuff, and people like to win. Starting a contest on Facebook immediately boosts engagement and is great for driving actionable leads for your business. If your brand has just released a new product, for example, share it on Facebook and announce that the first 100 people to participate in your contest will get it for free. Provide a link, which navigates to a page with the contest rules and a sign-up form, in the caption and you'll see your leads numbers racking up in a hurry.

Run Facebook lead ads

Facebook understood its potential as a powerful marketing tool early on and has since taken numerous steps to empower digital marketers using the platform. One of the best offerings by Facebook's vast advertising network is the lead ad. When clicked, these ads allow the user to sign-up for your brand's offer without leaving Facebook. This not only eliminates the need for setting up dedicated landing pages, it also makes it easier and faster for users to sign up (Facebook autofills the details they've shared on the site), who would otherwise avoid filling lengthy forms due to the time it takes.

Since each business has a different goal and target audience while marketing, the best lead-generating Facebook post for your brand can only be ascertained by trial and error. But keep at it until you find the ideal one and you'll soon see a significant increase the number of leads you garner through Facebook.