Getting likes, shares and saves on social is one factor. However turning all that consciousness and engagement into leads is an entire different problem.
The excellent news? Social media does affect buy selections. Our 2025 Q2 Pulse Survey revealed that 76% of social customers say social media (together with advertisements, influencer content material, model posts, and so forth.) has swayed their buying selections up to now six months. That quantity jumps to 90% for Gen Z and 84% for Millennials.
So, how do you construct the bridge between content material and conversion? Your social technique must seize consideration, however it additionally must drive leads and income.
On this submit, you’ll study all about social media lead technology, why you want it and our favourite ways for producing gross sales leads by way of social media. We’ve additionally included some real-life examples to encourage your subsequent marketing campaign.
Let’s dive in.
What’s social media lead technology?
Social media lead technology is the method of accumulating new leads utilizing social media. A lead is any info that identifies somebody considering your services or products. This info may be something from their title and electronic mail tackle to their occupation and employer particulars.
Why you want social media lead technology
It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re B2B or B2C. Social media is the place at the moment’s customers uncover, analysis and store. And with 86% of customers planning to extend or keep their social media utilization this 12 months, based on our Q2 Pulse Survey, there’s a rising alternative to attach with and convert your viewers.
Listed here are 5 explanation why a social media lead technology technique is important for all sorts of manufacturers and companies.
- Increase your attain and increase viewers engagement. With billions of lively customers, social media stays some of the highly effective platforms for constructing consciousness and attracting new audiences. Plus, based on our Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, practically half of worldwide social media customers plan to spend extra time on rising networks like Substack, Patreon, Bluesky and Reddit. This pattern signifies that manufacturers can have extra alternatives than ever to satisfy potential clients the place they already are.
- Goal your preferrred clients. Do you know that, based on our 2025 Sprout Social Index, most customers begin researching services or products one to 6 months earlier than they purchase? Social media will get your model in entrance of these high-intent goal audiences with well timed, related content material that strikes them nearer to buy.
- Optimize your advertising and marketing spend. Social media stays some of the environment friendly and versatile advertising and marketing channels. It permits groups to set versatile budgets and rapidly pivot based mostly on outcomes. In keeping with the 2025 Sprout Social Index, practically three-quarters of promoting leaders now rank natural and paid social as high priorities, second solely to content material and web site advertising and marketing.
- Entry in-depth viewers knowledge and analytics. Each built-in and third-party social media analytics instruments present deep insights into viewers habits, marketing campaign efficiency and content material engagement. Use these insights to trace social media ROI and refine your lead technology technique over time.
- Nurture your leads. As customers browse, save and analysis, your content material may help information their journey. Share helpful content material, reply questions and construct belief to show passive followers into lively leads, and ultimately, loyal clients.
Finest social media platforms for lead technology: What’s proper to your model?
There are numerous platforms to select from. To make your lead technology technique efficient, align it with the place your viewers spends time and the content material they’re most definitely to interact with.
Right here’s how lead gen ways range throughout at the moment’s high social networks, based on knowledge from The 2024 Content material Technique Report and Sprout’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey.
Fb lead technology
Fb’s strong advert platform and intensive person base make it a go-to selection for manufacturers concentrating on Gen X, Millennials and Child Boomers.
Lead advertisements, giveaways and reductions work properly for B2C manufacturers trying to drive quick sign-ups. B2B manufacturers, alternatively, could deal with instructional content material like webinars or lead magnets to construct belief and nurture patrons by way of longer decision-making processes.
Instagram lead technology
Instagram is the #1 platform for product discovery and Gen Z’s high social app, based on our findings.
Its visible nature makes eye-catching inventive and clear CTAs a should for lead technology. For B2C, that may imply utilizing UGC or influencer content material to advertise downloads or purchases, early entry or contests. B2B manufacturers can use short-form instructional posts, like Reels or carousels, to spark curiosity and information followers towards gated content material.
LinkedIn lead technology
LinkedIn is constructed for B2B lead technology, however B2C manufacturers can nonetheless profit. In keeping with our analysis, customers need instructional product info from manufacturers on this community above all else.
With this in thoughts, each B2B and B2C manufacturers can drive LinkedIn lead technology by way of webinars, how-to content material, downloadable guides—something that teaches and captures lead knowledge within the course of.
TikTok lead technology
TikTok continues to dominate with Gen Z and youthful Millennials. It’s additionally their high channel for product discovery. The platform favors enjoyable, quick and relatable short-form video content material. B2C manufacturers providing demos, creator collabs or freebies with sturdy CTAs actually thrive right here.
B2B lead gen is much less direct right here however nonetheless efficient. Sharing fast ideas or insights helps construct belief and drive visitors to guide magnets, like guides or checklists.
YouTube lead technology
YouTube stays a high international platform, particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennials. It’s a robust area for each B2C and B2B lead technology because of its mixture of leisure and academic content material.
B2C manufacturers can use YouTube Shorts to share fast promos or product highlights. B2B manufacturers profit from long-form movies that specify advanced subjects or share buyer tales. Pair all of it with sturdy CTAs and constant posting to drive high quality leads over time.
Social media lead technology methods
Now that you already know the advantages of utilizing social media to generate leads, how do you go about it? Genuine, participating content material that establishes your model ethos and character will seize potential clients’ consideration and develop your platform. Then, following up with extra sales-focused content material will convert them into clients.
Simply understand that counting on natural ways alone might not be sufficient to succeed in a wider viewers. Incorporate paid ways, like social media advertisements, to focus on particular teams of individuals and get extra visibility.
The next ten ways will make it easier to attain the precise individuals on the proper time with the precise content material and messaging to seize their curiosity and generate high-quality social media leads to your group.
B2B social media lead technology methods
B2B lead technology is much less about impulse buys and extra about constructing belief and guiding longer resolution cycles.
Listed here are just a few strategic methods to seize B2B leads from social:
Launch compelling lead magnet presents
The correct incentive compels individuals to share their info with you. This may very well be something from a analysis report back to a free device. You possibly can additionally supply low cost codes, case research, webinars, whitepapers and extra.
LinkedIn, utilizing its personal platform to advertise a LinkedIn Advertisements ROI information, is an ideal instance.
Take advantage of lead technology advertisements
Take your social media promoting one step additional with lead-gen advertisements. These advertisements mean you can collect leads on a social platform somewhat than pushing clients to a touchdown web page. They arrive with pre-populated varieties, making it straightforward for leads to enroll with out spending an excessive amount of time coming into their private info.
This method hurries up the lead technology course of, considerably boosting engagement. In keeping with a Wordstream research, Fb lead advertisements have a mean click-through fee of two.53%, in comparison with 1.57% for visitors campaigns.
Notion makes use of Fb Lead Advertisements to advertise its three-month trial supply. The shape fields are pre-filled utilizing particulars that the prospect has already included of their LinkedIn profile, making it frictionless to your result in entry your content material and so that you can gather their info.
Share testimonials as social proof
Buyer tales, opinions and testimonials present the social proof it’s essential to entice new leads. Showcase how purchasers profit out of your services to show your model worth. In keeping with a 2025 BrightLocal survey, 42% of respondents belief shopper opinions as a lot as private suggestions.
On this model partnership (extra on these later!), creator Oren John shared how he makes use of premium inventory photograph library Loss of life to Inventory in his work, and its advantages.
Host a digital occasion or social media convention
Digital conferences and occasions are an effective way to draw a extremely related viewers whereas establishing your experience and authority within the area. They’re additionally nice for producing leads on social media, as individuals should present their info to enroll or be part of the convention.
Host a digital convention on subjects that intrigue your target market and relate to your model’s experience. Use the occasion to debate trending business subjects, present actionable ideas and invite influential audio system. Plus, generate loads of content material by posting on social media whereas the occasion is reside or repurposing content material into lead magnets later.
As an illustration, Canva just lately partnered with Deloitte and Omdia to host a webinar on the state of promoting and AI.
Use advocacy to let your group unfold the phrase
Every of your workers has a social community. Now, think about the influence tapping into these audiences might have in your progress efforts. That is the ability of worker advocacy.
Worker Advocacy by Sprout Social simplifies the method by enabling workers to rapidly share firm posts, customise their feeds to point out subjects related to their roles and recommend content material for others to share.
Vizient, the US’s largest healthcare efficiency enchancment group, created an advocacy useful resource hub with Sprout. It comprises product demos, educational movies and on-demand webinars, making it straightforward for Vizient workers to turn out to be social media model advocates.
B2C social media lead technology methods
B2C patrons usually tend to take motion within the second, particularly when a proposal or message speaks on to their wants.
Listed here are just a few ways to seize their consideration and switch it into significant actions:
Create focused advertisements with particular presents
A paid social media promoting technique is very efficient for producing leads as a result of exact concentrating on choices and potential attain. These options mean you can personalize presents and broaden your viewers past that of your present social media followers.
To drive engagement and conversions, promote particular reductions and limited-time presents to your services by way of these advertisements. Dairy Farmers of Canada used Instagram advertisements to advertise a grocery present card giveaway. They captured leads by requiring customers to subscribe to their Extra Goodness publication for the possibility to win.
Arrange sequential retargeting advertisements
Retargeting amplifies your social promoting and lead technology technique by re-engaging misplaced prospects. Say somebody clicked in your first advert and scrolled by way of the touchdown web page however by no means submitted a type. That is your cue to retarget them with advertisements, encouraging them to complete the signup course of.
Think about additionally retargeting individuals who’ve landed in your web site by way of search or different referral websites. Or individuals who recurrently learn your weblog posts however haven’t subscribed to your publication.
Attempt organising your retargeting advertisements sequentially to get even higher outcomes. As an illustration, use an awareness-stage advert to deal with widespread ache factors and objections or a consideration-stage advert with testimonials to offer social proof and win individuals’s belief. Preserve the shopper journey transferring ahead by serving up probably the most related messaging relying in your target market’s previous habits.
Cirque Du Soleil makes use of retargeting advertisements to re-engage its earlier viewers and encourage them to purchase tickets. These dynamic product advertisements embrace a reduction to assist drive gross sales.
Leverage influencer partnerships
Partnering with influencers attracts leads from the social media content material your target market is already consuming. And based on our 2025 State of Influencer Advertising and marketing report, influencer content material will get 92% extra attain, 90% extra engagement and converts 83% higher than natural content material from manufacturers.
The bottom line is to work with respected content material creators who’re already common together with your target market. For instance, PGYTECH partnered with content material creator Tom Calton to advertise their OneGo2 bag, designed particularly for photographers and videographers. Since Tom is a photographer and videographer himself, the collaboration is a pure match.
Content material creators and influencers additionally present a type of social proof. They seamlessly combine your sponsored message into their content material, serving to it attain audiences who would possibly in any other case actively click on away from an advert.
Launch a referral marketing campaign
Referral campaigns are extremely efficient in doubling your gross sales leads. These campaigns incentivize your results in refer their mates or colleagues. The referred individuals will find out about your services or products and doubtlessly turn out to be extra leads.
To make this work, present a gorgeous incentive similar to a present card or a reduction in trade for the referral.
For instance, the web journey comparability and reserving web site Omio presents a referral program the place clients obtain and provides €10 once they refer a good friend.
Take advantage of social listening
Search for lead technology alternatives with efficient social listening. Monitor social media conversations and see what individuals say a few matter or competitor model. This step will make it easier to determine any alternatives to generate high-quality leads for your small business.
McDonald’s bringing again the Snack Wrap is a good instance of social listening performed proper. The social group noticed the demand throughout platforms and pulled the receipts. They made a powerful case internally, and it labored.
Connecting your social lead gen technique again to income
Social media performs a task at each stage of the shopper journey. However for those who solely deal with the ultimate step, you’ll miss how social helps drive curiosity and strikes individuals nearer to that buying resolution.
That’s why a social media administration device like Sprout Social is important. It helps groups floor the significant insights that assist a stronger social media ROI story.
Sprout’s reporting options and integrations with CRMs like Salesforce assist groups perceive how social, influencer advertising and marketing and worker advocacy contribute to pipeline progress by way of multi-touch reporting.
Crush your social media lead technology targets
Social media is a lead technology powerhouse as a result of it permits you to attain and interact with broad and area of interest audiences. Simply do not forget that social media is meant to be social.
Use the ways we’ve outlined above to construct a powerful relationship together with your viewers. Concentrate on offering helpful and informative content material that addresses your viewers’s wants and pursuits. You’ll entice leads genuinely considering what you supply, fueling your general enterprise progress in the long term.
Lastly, don’t neglect to measure the influence of your lead gen efforts and search for alternatives to enhance. Learn our social media reporting information to study extra about easy methods to preserve monitor of your efficiency.
