Facebook is an excellent space for lead generation . . . but first you need to establish yourself on the platform. With over 40 million small businesses on Facebook, standing out can be a challenge, but certainly not impossible.

Encourage Interaction

Socializing is what social media is best for and Facebook is the perfect place for this. Make sure you interact with your fans on a daily basis. The simplest way to do this is to respond to every comment made on your page. Is this sustainable in the long run? Possibly not, but to start off, you want to build up that interaction. What if no one is commenting on your page? Then it’s up to you to get the conversation going. Hold a simple contest or post something that encourages people to respond. For example, a post that asks a question, gets people to choose between two options or asks for an opinion can help get things moving. When you respond to someone’s comment, their friends on Facebook can see it. This simple method will expand your reach to the friends of your Facebook fans.

Consider Paying for a Boost

As they say, “it takes money to make money” and sometimes, boosting a post on Facebook for a few dollars or even creating a unique ad can be the ticket to expanding your reach. It’s pretty easy to waste money and see absolutely no results, unless you know what you’re doing. Not all posts should be boosted. It’s a good idea to research Facebook advertising before you jump in and start spending money. Once you’ve learned more about paid lead generation on the site, test it with some low cost campaigns before sinking too much into it.

Track Everything

Tracking clicks and sales is boring, but it’s also the best way to see what works best. Are there certain posts that your fans respond to better than others? Do they share certain types of media more often? When are they online? Stay on top of the statistics for your Facebook page and you’ll quickly notice patterns. Certain days and times will be better for posting and your followers will likely comment, like and share different types of posts, as well. Learn what works and do more of that. Your followers themselves will tell you how to expand your influence.

Steal from Your Competitors

You don’t actually have to steal from them, but spend some time on your competitors’ pages and see what they do that gets results. While you should never copy from them, you can use the knowledge gained to improve your own page. It’s also a good idea to become active on your competitors’ pages. Leaving comments and likes will catch the attention of their audience. No one is limited to just one Facebook page, so there’s a good chance you’ll attract more than a few to your own page if you are a regular poster. Likewise, posting and being helpful in groups related to your niche can bring more people to your page. You don’t even have to directly promote your business. Just posting regularly will catch people’s attention, especially if you’re giving good advice. They can check out your personal page and then click through to your business if you interest them enough. Lead generation on Facebook is a little tougher than other social media sites, but it also has great ROI if you put the time in. Learn to engage those fans and build up your following to see excellent results.