Posted by: Kerry Houchin, Marketing Coordinator

Of emerging forms of media today, social media is the fastest growing. Spending on social media marketing (SMM) is projected to grow 60.8% just this year. But how can it be used to generate business leads?

The usefulness of social media as a lead generator depends on your definition of a lead. A lead can vary, of course, from someone who registers to download a white paper to someone who signs up to attend a webinar – and everything in between. Methods for generating leads through social media are as diverse as the forms social media takes. But let’s consider how an event – whether live or online – might benefit.

Facebook, a popular social site for friends and networkers, offers paid advertising comparable to Google’s AdWords, though the program is a little less dialed in. The difference? Facebook throws in the twist of serving ads to users alongside a picture of one of the user’s contacts who has expressed interest in the product advertised, giving the impression that the contact has recommended the product. This can work exceptionally well for events. If a user’s friend has expressed interest or registered to attend, the user is more likely to check out the event.

Twitter, a social networking and microblogging service, allows users to post updates about what they’re up to, as if they’re having a casual conversation. So, if you’re hosting an event, you can tweet (Twitter vernacular for posting) about it and provide a link to registration. This is most successful when others deem the event’s content valuable, when they consider you to be an expert in your field and when you’ve held great events in the past.

Photo sharing sites such as Flickr and Picasa allow users to post photos from recent events. Photos can be posted and shared on these sites, or they can be posted on a website or sent out via email. Pictures accompanying event registration material can be used to generate interest in future events. The same concept can be applied to video sharing sites such as YouTube.

Using social media allows you to create a buzz surrounding events and gives your potential customers an avenue to seek you out. Keep in mind, however, that social media marketing is primarily about building and maintaining a quality reputation and generating interest. Content must be kept new and exciting to for your prospects to keep listening and for you to create the opportunity for lead generation.