Most businesses know that at least one social media profile helps them stay connected with consumers. But many of these companies have no idea how to build a following and devote relatively little time to developing it. Even some experienced marketers may consider it a secondary channel.

Here are some ways to be sure social media is generating more clients for your business.

Track Social Activity

Most social users are looking for things of interest to engage with, but some are deliberately shopping for products and services. The best way to find prospects is simply to use the search function on your social platform. It can sometimes provide long lists of prospects. Some useful things to search for include your company name, competitors, hashtags related to your industry, your product/service type, or your city if you’re a business that depends on local customers. Once you’ve identified good prospects, follow them, engage them in conversation, and suggest products or provide links that can help them.

Match Emails to Profiles

If you’re collecting subscriber emails at your company website, start matching them to social media users. These emails are publicly available so you can get posted address lists through email services. You can also buy email software that will allow you to do this yourself. By identifying the social profiles of people who already subscribe to your business, you have a ready audience you can engage with on a more personal level. You can learn where your clients spend their time, discover more about their interests, and adapt your marketing strategies to these behaviors.

Ask Your Audience for Help

That seems pretty sensible, but many companies don’t even try it. Ask loyal followers to help. Invite them to leave their social media handles when they subscribe to your mailing list. Brick-and-mortar shops can print a line on feedback cards or other forms asking for a link to social media profiles. Turn your fans into social advocates. Grow your following by asking for shares, reviews, and referrals. Of all the companies on social review sites, 75 percent don’t have a single review. Don’t be afraid to encourage feedback!

One great way of encouraging feedback is to reward it when it happens. When you get a positive review, reach out to that person and thank them. You may even want to have a drawing for those who give your business positive reviews within a certain time frame. If you get negative reviews, however, don’t let those get ignored. Reach out to them both privately and publicly. In private, your interaction can be personal.

By responding to the review publicly (such as in a comment—you don’t need to dedicate whole posts to it), you’re letting everyone else know that that you are responsive to the needs of your customers. Yet, don’t just generically say, “We see your complaint and will look into the issue.” Instead, let them know how the issue will be resolved and make sure to make those changes. When people see that you respond to even negative reviews, your business is given more credibility. People will see that you actually address concerns, have more respect for your company as a whole, and be more willing to put their trust in your services.

Learn More

Apart from posting quality content, social media is all about conversation. You must find opportunities to provide a compelling reason to follow your brand. You should find opportunities to connect with other industry professionals to learn more about optimizing your social media presence. For example, you could attend educational workshops like those that The Rainmaker Institute provides to legal firms to help with their marketing game. Learning everything you can about the ins-and-outs of your social platform will accelerate your success with it.

You have to find ways to connect with the people who are willing to spend. It comes down to understanding where they are and what they like.