Using SlideShare to Generate Leads

Visual content marketing is motivating marketers to rethink their overall marketing strategy. Previously, written content was enough to make the marketing strategy of many business work effectively. However, it isn’t enough anymore. Now, it takes more than that to get the message to existing and prospective clients.

The current tools

It has become increasingly more important to use a visual element in all marketing strategies. SlideShare is an extremely important part of all marketing strategies and its impact should not be underestimated. There are many visual elements from which to choose, such as videos, graphics or presentations. Many people think of SlideShare as a repository where they can upload slides but it is so much more than that. SlideShare is an exciting, effective social community that has millions of visitors each month. It is very important to understand how to use SlideShare to generate leads for your business.

• Choose a topic on which you are an expert: The objective, when it comes to your content, is to position yourself as a subject matter expert (SME). SlideShare has the ability to present you in that manner by using visual elements that will get a great deal of attention from your target audience. In order to accomplish that, you need to create SlideShare content that truly fits the wants and needs of your target audience. Of course, when doing so, it is important for you to be as creative and compelling as possible. You need to push the boundaries in an effective way. If you are successful at choosing topics that highlight your expertise, you will succeed at expanding your reach (through your content) and thus attracting additional prospects. The reason that those people will be interested in what you are offering is because you will be conveying to them that you have the ability to solve their problems. (You will be demonstrating the WIIFM, “What’s In It For Me?” concept.)

• Consider your title slide as your headline: You are probably aware that you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your audience when they first start reading your content and you do that with your title. In the case with SlideShare, your slide title will act just like any other title. If you are not able to grab their attention in a few seconds, they won’t continue reading and you won’t be able to build a relationship with them. In many ways, your first slide will set the precedent for your success entirely. With that in mind, your first slide should be very easy to read and designed well. The result will be that you will be able to express your viewpoint very effectively and that viewpoint will be well received.

• Don’t forget about SEO: As important as your content is (regarding how well written it is, how clear and concise it is, etc), it is also critical that you present content that is properly optimized for the search engines. It will be well worth the effort to spend some time and effort on your titles and lead (or teaser) paragraphs. The search engines will thank you. The easier your presentation will be to find on the search engines, the better your chances of getting people to share it with other people and to get those people to come to you directly.

• Consider multiple channels: SlideShare can easily be integrated into other social media channels, including a blog, Twitter, a landing page, etc, which will hold the attention of your target audience without their having to go anywhere else. That is a very positive attribute. That one presentation can be a very powerful jumping off point and you will get a great deal of mileage from it.

• Make a strong first impression: Your first impression will stay with your target audience indefinitely. It is not always easy to make a solid first impression and there are a few things that you should do to guarantee that your ideas are received in the manner that you want them to be received. First, it is very important that you have your marketing strategy in place before you upload any content. Another important move is to determine how much you can use your strategy and exactly where you should put it for the maximum effect. Part of your strategy must be getting people to “like” and follow your content.

• Recycle your content, when appropriate: There is no doubt that you have a great deal of valuable content that you can use more than once. It is probably easy enough to take your written content and turn it (at least some of it) into a SlideShare presentation. If you do that, you will be allowing your target audience to choose how they want to view the information. It is a great way to recycle your old content and to present it in a new and exciting way.

• Pay attention to the numbers: Analytics are essential to your business’s success. Getting ahold of the statistics after you have completed your presentation will help you to improve what you have already created. The next time around, you will be presenting a more sophisticated version. Some of the statistics that you will want to pay attention to are demographics, key metrics, etc.

• Use the “Forms” feature: You can embed lead generation at the end of your SlideShare presentation. SlideShare gives you the option of having a form appear after your presentation is complete. Your audience members can then enter information to be able to download your presentation as well as learning about your business and eventually interacting with you.

• Show off a little: LinkedIn owns SlideShare, which makes it very easy for your to integrate some of the features of the two tools. You can easily embed your presentation directly into your LinkedIn profile so that more people are able to access them and so that you give your credibility a valuable boost.

Conclusion

SlideShare is a wonderfully effective tool and you must take advantage of it for your business. Adding the visual element to your content is a very smart thing to do and you will see positive results before you know it. If you present your information effectively, there is no limit to how far you can go with your online interactions. If your strategy is well planned and you follow your script, you will succeed.

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