If you’ve been developing your online social network via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, you probably think your business should be seeing more results by now.

You may be missing some critical steps. Every business needs a reliable system for converting social marketing contacts into leads in your database.

I’ve found there are five steps to converting online contacts to leads. When you have all five in place, you can achieve the same kind of results as others who’ve used this system:

• 9,000 new followers on Twitter

• 63,000 new leads in database

• 247 friends and followers recruited into two webinars to yield 39 new clients

• 48 ideal prospects from Facebook fill a live event and yield $4,000 in sales

Your system will move your contacts to the top of your product funnel and into your database, where you can market to them. Finally, you’ll be one of the few for whom online networking has delivered on its promise to generate leads!

Step 1: Market with Leadership
Become a leader NOW because people follow leaders. Leaders believe in what they are doing. They innovate. They create new ideas. They add their unique spin to what’s happening and challenge the status quo.

To position yourself as a thought leader, identify your area of expertise, create a movement and get people engaged. As an expert, you know their problems and have solutions. Your followers will spread the story.

Step 2: Grab Attention with a Hot Topic
To lead with innovative new ideas, choose a fresh angle on a topic that your target market really cares about or pick a topic that connects your expertise to the news. As a thought leader you’ll need a fresh hot topic about every six weeks, so keep up with the news and concerns of your target market.

Step 3: Seed Awareness with Articles
Nothing establishes your credibility like articles. Learn the basic patterns—“How to,” “Interview,” “Tell a story,” “Product reviews,” and “Tips”—and start writing!

Be short and to the point. You need about 400 to 600 words with a strong angle, a hot title, passion, humor, and simple terms. Don’t forget the signature line that invites readers to visit your website and join your network.

Get your articles out to article directories where they’ll be indexed by search engines and disseminated by e-zine publishers. Maximize the effect by sending out an electronic press release, which search engines index even more quickly.

Step 4: Make Connections with Social Media Content
For more exposure, cover your hot topic in other kinds of social media, like a video on YouTube or postings on your blog.

Typically you need to publish 3 to 5 pieces of content relevant to your hot topic (articles go towards this count). Pepper your content with offers for your top-of-funnel product, and include a link to the page where readers can get it: typically your home or landing page.

Then start reaching out to your online network. Post links to your hot topic content in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and on discussion boards in your online groups.

Step 5: Capture Leads with Top-of-Funnel Products
Your top-of-funnel product is what you give away “free” when readers visit your site and give you their e-mail address: your special report, audio download or free webinar.

Once you have that address in your database, you can really begin to market—to take regular steps in building the rapport and trust that leads to sales and a long-term client relationship.

About Chris Williams:

Named the #1 saleswoman of the year in Sacramento, Chris is a dynamic business builder, sought-after speaker and results-producing business coach. After training more than 1,000 Xerox sales reps, she single-handedly built a $4 million per year Xerox distributorship of 13 sales people that grew 18% year over year. Today she leads interactive, high-energy and high-content programs whose participants report results like, "I increased my sales by 233%." "I closed 60 leads in 45 days." "I tripled my business in 90 days." Learn more about Chris at www.FreshBuzzTribe.com.

Free Teleseminar November 6th:

Social Networking: Create Leads Now!

Leveraging technology

One of the best ways to do this is with technology.

Here are 5 ways I am leveraging technology in my business:

1. Blog
2. Online Community
3. Portal Site
4. Twitter
5. Ping.fm

Blog

My blog is one of my best leveraging tools right now.  Blogs can get great search engine rankings.  Type in "Sales Script Writing Techniques" on Google.  The last time I checked my blog was number 1 on Google for that search term and the blog has only been up for a few weeks.  One great technique you can do is create a blog in an untapped market.  I created the first script writing blog on the internet.  Perhaps you could identify a niche you are an expert in and create a blog around it.  Karen Sielski helped me create my 2 blogs.  If you would like to connect with Karen, visit her website Autopilot Online Success.

Online Community

I just launched www.saleschampioncommunity.com.  This is a sales social network for people that like the sales conversation.  I currently have about 700 members.  I see the community going to 10,000 people over time.  What is cool is the total cost of the community is less than $50 per month.  That is HUGE leverage.  If you would like to create your own community go to www.ning.com.  Michelle Price is the person who taught me how to set up a Ning site.  If you would like to connect with Michelle she has a profile on my www.saleschampioncommunity.com site.

Portal Site

My portal site is www.saleschampion.com.  You can access 4 of my main websites from this site.  The reason I created a portal site is so when I am marketing my 2 blogs, my main website, or my online community I can direct the prospect to one place that has an easy to remember domain name that is easy to spell.  www.ericlofholm.com is easy to remember but not easy to spell.  Check out www.saleschampion.com and you will get an idea of what I am talking about.

Twitter

I am sure you have heard about Twitter by now.  I am just learning about it.  It is a great way to get your message out at zero cost.  One great thing about Twitter is if people like your message they often will RT it.  Go to my portal site to follow me on Twitter.  The portal site is www.saleschampion.com

Ping.fm

This is a really neat site where you can load in your social networks so when you update Ping.fm it updates all your social network sites for you.

Leverage, leverage, leverage.

Success,

Eric Lofholm
Master Sales Trainer and Coach