For years marketers have been accustomed to sending one-way messages to their prospects, talking at them and not with them. Social media has fundamentally changed the way people are communicating, and to successfully integrate social media into the marketing mix, marketers need to join the conversation. Lead generation through social networks is all about pull marketing; by creating positive interactions and sharing valuable information, you cultivate an organic desire for more information. Because users voluntarily congregate and segment themselves within social networks based on interests and affiliations, it is the perfect place for marketers to communicate with their target audience.

Start by listening: The first step to developing a social media strategy is to research which social media venues your target audience already participates in. Create an account with the various social networking sites / blogs, join relevant groups and just listen. This is the unparalleled advantage of social media; it gives you the opportunity to learn what engages and appeals to your target audience on the most basic level.

Interact: After you have monitored your social networks for some time and “listened” to what your target audience is saying, you can now begin to join the conversation. Start posting your thoughts and opinions. Be sure not to go back to old habits – don’t sell, this will be an immediate turn off.  Instead, participate, make friends, and expand your network.

Prepare: Content is king! Use everything you’ve learned to start a company blog, library of useful information, create a resources portal, write white papers, upload videos, etc. – all with your target audience in mind.

Leverage your network: Once you’ve become an “active member of the community”, you are ready to launch your campaign with the tools you’ve just prepared. Create your own groups and start your own conversations. If you’re on Facebook, you can create a fan page and/or group for your company. On LinkedIn you can create a company profile and/or group. On Twitter, tweet about your blog posts or video. Use these resources to pose questions and start engaging discussions, link to your latest blog posts and promote your resource portal or webinars. When appropriate, ask for contact information in exchange for a download or webinar, and be sure to include the option to opt-in to your list in the form. Include social media tools on your blog (“Digg”, “Stumble Upon”, “Share on Twitter”, etc.) so that your audience can easily share within their networks, thus introducing you to qualified leads you might not have been able to reach otherwise.

By interacting and offering relevant information to your target audience organically, you can subtly introduce your brand into the conversation, but without the sales pitch. You are pulling instead of pushing. When you position your brand as a source for useful information or a community resource, your target audience will be more prone to trust you and, consequently, do business with you.