Need to increase leads but not sure where to start? Social media is one of the most powerful channels for lead generation today, but it takes the right strategy and toolkit to attract qualified leads that convert.
In this guide, we‘ve rounded up over 35 of the best tools and eye-opening statistics to help you get the most out of your social media lead generation in 2024. From must-have features to data-backed best practices, you‘ll find everything you need to know to start filling your pipeline with high-quality leads primed to buy.
Why Social Media Is Essential for Lead Generation
First, let‘s look at why social media is so critical for generating leads today. Consider these statistics:
- 78% of salespeople engaged in social selling are outselling their peers who are not (LinkedIn)
- 54% of social media users research products on social platforms before purchasing (GlobalWebIndex)
- 71% of consumers who have had a good social media experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others (Ambassador)
- 77% of B2B marketers say they have generated leads through LinkedIn, and 43% through Facebook (Content Marketing Institute, 2022)
The takeaway is clear: Your target customers are active on social media and open to engaging with brands that provide value. Meeting them where they are and building genuine relationships is key to attracting leads who are more likely to convert.
Best Tools for Social Media Lead Generation
Now let‘s dive into the specific tools and features that can take your social media lead generation to new heights. We‘ve organized them by key use cases and included top picks in each category.
Social Media Advertising
Organic reach has become increasingly limited as social algorithms prioritize user-generated content. Paid social media advertising is now a necessity to get your brand and offer in front of fresh eyes.
These ad tools allow you to target lookalike and custom audiences, as well as retarget based on user behavior:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Ads | Audience targeting, campaign objectives, creative formats | Varies based on ad spend |
| Instagram Ads | Visual ads, audience targeting, shopping tags | Varies based on ad spend |
| LinkedIn Campaign Manager | B2B audience targeting, Lead Gen Forms, content ads | Varies based on ad spend |
| Twitter Ads | Audience targeting, ad formats, campaign objectives | Varies based on ad spend |
| TikTok For Business | Creative ad formats, audience targeting, Spark Ads | Varies based on ad spend |
| YouTube Ads | Video ad formats, audience targeting, sequential storytelling | Varies based on ad spend |
| Pinterest Ads | Visual ad formats, keyword and interest targeting | Varies based on ad spend |
For example, Facebook‘s Custom Audiences allows you to target ads to users who have visited your website, engaged with your content, or are on your email list. This is a powerful way to re-engage warm leads and move them closer to conversion.
Retargeting
97% of users who visit your website for the first time leave without converting (Invespcro). Retargeting these users with personalized social media ads keeps your brand top-of-mind and gives you a second chance at conversion.
Check out these advanced retargeting tools:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| AdRoll | Cross-platform and cross-device retargeting, dynamic ads | Starting at $0 |
| Perfect Audience | Cross-platform retargeting, dynamic ads, audience targeting | Starting at $4,800/yr |
| RollWorks | Account-based retargeting, cross-channel orchestration | Custom pricing |
Chatbots and Conversational Marketing
Chatbots have become a key tool for engaging social media users in real-time, capturing lead information, and automating customer support. They allow you to provide instant, personalized interactions at scale.
Here are some of the top chatbot builders for social media:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| MobileMonkey | FB Messenger, SMS, and web chatbots, templates, integrations | Starting at $14.25/mo |
| ManyChat | FB Messenger and IG chatbots, visual drag-and-drop builder | Starting at $10/mo |
| Chatfuel | No-code FB and IG chatbots, AI and NLP, integrations | Starting at $15/mo |
| Drift | Conversational marketing chatbots, AI automation, sales integrations | Custom pricing |
| Intercom | Customer messaging, product tours, help center automation | Starting at $74/mo |
For instance, MobileMonkey allows you to build chatbots that can qualify leads, book appointments, and send drip campaigns all within Facebook Messenger. By engaging leads in a high-converting channel like Messenger, you can dramatically increase your conversion rates.
Video Marketing
Video consistently ranks as the most engaging content type on social media. It‘s a powerful medium for educating prospects, showcasing your brand personality, and driving action.
These video tools can elevate your social media videos:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Animoto | Customizable video templates, easy editing, licensed music | Starting at $16/mo |
| Biteable | Video templates, easy editing, animations and effects | Starting at $19/mo |
| Wistia | Video hosting, lead capture tools, analytics | Starting at $99/mo |
| Promo | Customizable video templates, licensed music, easy editing | Starting at $39/mo |
| Lumen5 | AI-powered video creation, storyboards, media library | Starting at $11/mo |
With Wistia, for example, you can add lead capture forms and custom CTAs directly within the video player. This makes it seamless for engaged viewers to convert in the moment.
Giveaways and Contests
Running giveaways and contests on social media is an effective way to engage your audience, expand your reach, and collect leads. In fact, accounts that run contests grow 70% faster on average than those that don‘t (Tailwind).
Check out these tools for easily creating and managing social media contests:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Woobox | Easy contest creation, templates, entry forms, winner selection | Starting at $37/mo |
| Wishpond | Landing pages, contests, entry forms, email marketing | Starting at $49/mo |
| Gleam | Rewards campaigns, competitions, gallery imports | Starting at $10/mo |
| RafflePress | Drag-and-drop giveaway builder, fraud protection, email integrations | Starting at $39/yr |
Social Media Management
Managing your social media presence across multiple platforms is time-consuming. Social media management tools allow you to streamline your workflows, from scheduling content to monitoring mentions to measuring results.
Here are some of the most popular all-in-one social media management platforms:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Scheduling, monitoring, analytics, content curation | Starting at $49/mo |
| Sprout Social | Publishing, analytics, engagement, listening | Starting at $249/mo |
| Agorapulse | Publishing, reporting, social CRM, monitoring | Starting at $79/mo |
| Sendible | Publishing, collaboration, listening, analytics | Starting at $29/mo |
| SocialPilot | Scheduling, analytics, client management, content curation | Starting at $42.5/mo |
Many of these tools also offer social CRM capabilities, allowing you to track leads and customers for a more personalized experience.
URL Shorteners with Tracking
Including tracked links in your social media posts and ads is essential for understanding what drives conversions. URL shorteners not only make your links more shareable, but also provide valuable click data.
Try these URL shorteners made for marketers:
| Tool | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Custom branded links, link management, campaign tracking | Starting at $29/mo |
| ClickMeter | Link tracking, link cloaking, conversion tracking | Starting at $29/mo |
| Rebrandly | Custom branded links, link management, tracking and analytics | Starting at $29/mo |
Social Media Lead Generation Best Practices
Of course, tools are only as effective as the strategy behind them. Here are some data-backed best practices to follow for social media lead generation:
Embrace Video, Short and Long
Video is the future of social media content, with the amount of online videos predicted to make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022 (Cisco).
Both short-form videos on Instagram Reels and TikTok as well as longer live streams and produced videos can drive leads. Focus on providing value and telling authentic stories rather than being overly promotional.
Focus on the Right Channels
Not all social media platforms are equally effective for every business. It‘s important to focus your efforts on the channels where your target audience is most active and engaged.
For B2B companies, that‘s often LinkedIn, with 80% of B2B leads coming from the platform (Oktopost). For B2C, it may be Instagram, which has the highest average order value of any social platform (Yotpo).
Optimize Your Profile for Leads
Your social media profile is often the first impression potential leads have of your brand. Optimize it for lead generation by:
- Making it clear who you serve and how you help them
- Using relevant keywords in your profile name and description
- Highlighting social proof like customer success stories
- Including a strong CTA and link to a relevant landing page
Develop Content for Every Stage of the Funnel
Effective social media lead generation requires meeting prospects where they are with content tailored to each stage of the buying process.
- Awareness: Focus on educating and building trust with informative content like blog posts, infographics, and how-to videos
- Consideration: Overcome objections and showcase your value with case studies, product demos, and comparison guides
- Decision: Drive action with limited time offers, free trials, and consultation requests
Use Paid and Organic Tactics
Organic and paid social strategies work best in tandem. Use organic posting to build brand awareness and trust while amplifying your highest-converting offers with targeted ads.
Retargeting is especially effective here, generating 3-5x higher click-through rates compared to standard display ads (Spiralytics).
Measuring Social Media Lead Generation Success
As with any marketing strategy, tracking and measuring results is key to optimizing your social media lead generation over time. Here are some of the most important metrics to track:
- Reach and impressions
- Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, etc.)
- Click-through rate
- Lead conversion rate
- Cost per lead
- Leads by campaign and platform
- Marketing qualified leads and sales qualified leads
Platforms like Google Analytics and individual social channel analytics provide data on traffic and conversions from social media. Your CRM then ties this social data to sales for closed-loop reporting.
Conclusion
Social media lead generation is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of your target buyer, a full funnel content approach, and the right tools to engage and convert your audience.
By leveraging the tools and data-backed tactics covered in this guide, you can attract better leads at scale while building lasting customer relationships. Remember, social media is all about delivering relevant value to the right people at the right time. Focus on that, and the leads will follow.
What‘s your #1 takeaway for increasing social media leads this year? Share in the comments below!
