Network Magazine summer 2014 | Page 50

HOW TO GAIN QUALITY LEADS THROUGH Can half an hour on social media really enhance your reputation and supply you with prospective clients? WORDS: KALINDA ATKINSON ne of the most common complaints I hear from small business owners is that they can’t justify spending time on social media because there isn’t a clear and measurable return on investment. Owning a fitness business, whether you’re a sole trader PT or manager of a club, means constantly juggling priorities, and social media often seems to lack the urgency to make it to the top of the To-do list. I’m here to convince you otherwise. By spending around half an hour a day on your social media presence, you not only actively generate PR on a daily basis, but also kickstart the process of attracting quality leads. O 50 | NETWORK SUMMER 2014 Of course, there are now countless social media avenues you can go down, but due to its sheer size and reach, we’ll focus here on that goliath of social media, Facebook. While the process of attracting quality leads can take time, it’s time well spent. There are a number of factors that can improve your position on social media, and subsequently help you gain quality leads, including: sales process, and try to avoid using the term ‘we’. By using personable, almost colloquial, language, you and your brand not only become easier to relate to, you also create room for a genuine connection – something that isn’t possible when there’s too much cold, corporate lingo. Once this positive relationship has been established, it is much easier to encourage a transaction with your business. Authenticity Engagement Social media has become a hugely important tool for marketers, and users have become sceptical. In order to gain trust and respect, you need to show authenticity in your posts. Don’t use marketing lingo, don’t push the Facebook has developed an algorithm to help distinguish between high quality and low quality content. The more engaging your posts are (the more likes, comments, and shares a post has), the more they will be shown to your fans. This