How do you follow up with prospects who interact with your social media posts?

1 Be timely and relevant

The first rule of following up with social media prospects is to do it as soon as possible. You don't want to lose their interest or attention by waiting too long. Ideally, you should respond within 24 hours, or even sooner if you can. But don't just send a generic message or a sales pitch. You need to be relevant and personalized, showing that you care about their needs, challenges, and goals. For example, if they commented on a blog post you shared, you can thank them for their feedback, ask them a follow-up question, or share a relevant resource.

2 Use the right channel and tone

The second rule of following up with social media prospects is to use the right channel and tone for each situation. You don't want to come across as intrusive or unprofessional by contacting them on a platform they don't use for business purposes, or by using a casual or informal language that doesn't match their expectations. For example, if they liked your LinkedIn post, you can send them a connection request and a short message on LinkedIn, using a polite and professional tone. If they retweeted your tweet, you can reply to them on Twitter, using a friendly and conversational tone.

3 Add value and curiosity

The third rule of following up with social media prospects is to add value and curiosity to your messages. You don't want to sound like a salesperson who only wants to sell them something, or a marketer who only wants to promote your brand. You want to sound like a trusted advisor who can help them solve their problems, or a thought leader who can inspire them with new ideas. For example, if they clicked on a link to your webinar, you can send them an email with a summary of the key takeaways, a link to the recording, and a teaser for your next webinar.

4 Ask for permission and feedback

The fourth rule of following up with social media prospects is to ask for permission and feedback before moving to the next step. You don't want to assume that they are ready to talk to you on the phone, or to book a demo, or to receive a proposal. You want to respect their preferences and pace, and to get their consent and input. For example, if they shared your ebook, you can send them a message asking them if they enjoyed it, if they have any questions, and if they would be interested in a free consultation.

5 Track and measure your results

The fifth rule of following up with social media prospects is to track and measure your results. You don't want to waste your time and energy on activities that don't generate any outcomes, or to miss any opportunities that could lead to sales. You want to use the right tools and metrics to monitor and analyze your social media performance, and to optimize your strategy accordingly. For example, you can use a CRM system to record and manage your interactions, a social media dashboard to track and report your engagement, and a sales funnel to measure and improve your conversion.

6 Experiment and learn

The sixth rule of following up with social media prospects is to experiment and learn from your experiences. You don't want to stick to the same methods and messages that may not work for every prospect, or to ignore the feedback and signals that could help you improve your approach. You want to test different variables and variations, such as timing, frequency, channel, tone, content, value proposition, call to action, and follow-up sequence. For example, you can use A/B testing to compare and contrast different versions of your messages, and to see which one gets more responses.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?