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Social Media is an excellent way to grow your business and get the word out about you. This is a case study that was done that I think illustrates necessary steps to use social networking sites effectively.

Generate Leads with Social Media Strategy: 6 Steps to Fill Up Sales Funnel

Just over a year ago, Pam O’Neal, VP Marketing, BreakingPoint, shared her team’s success using a wide-ranging social media strategy to generate leads. We’ve asked her to present an update on their tactics — with a focus on integrating email and social media — at our upcoming Email Summit.

In advance of this session, we’re highlighting the original case study that first demonstrated how the team tested and measured activity from several social media channels. The results included 55% of all leads coming from inbound Web visits, and 75% of marketing-influenced pipeline coming from inbound Web leads.

Step #1. Create blog to start and join online conversations

O’Neal’s team began its foray into social media by launching a company blog. They didn’t wait to finalize a blog strategy before launch, however. Their blogging approach evolved over time, based on observation of online conversations related to their network equipment testing niche.

- First, the team set up an online monitoring system that scanned the Web, the blogosphere, online forums and communities to find conversations relevant to their industry and their technical audience. The results were consolidated into an RSS feed that a team member could review each morning.

Step #2. Establish a Twitter account

The team supplemented their blog with a company Twitter account. It allowed them to post shorter, more frequent updates to their niche audience.

Company “tweets” included:
- Notices of new blog posts, webinars
- Fun entries (e.g., trivia questions, quizzes)
- Informal focus group questions (a poll of Twitter followers about potential names for the company newsletter)

As they did with the blog, the team used their scanning tools to find and participate in Twitter conversations relevant to their industry. They were particularly interested in community members asking for advice about equipment testing, so they set up alerts to find key terms.    –more