The Future of Advertising: Following Up and Nurturing Relationships on Autopilot with Facebook and Instagram Ads

Carol Roderick, PhD

I recently asked some of my Business Network International (BNI) colleagues what would make advertising more effective for their business. Here’s what they had to say:

“Advertising would be more effective if I had someone who knows my business to generate proper marketing through different platforms to generate leads that would be hot leads vs cold leads….Having automatic follow up systems, and live tracking ability to see what is producing vs needs changing cause it's not getting the attention needed” - Eric Holman, Real Estate Consultant/REALTOR, Exp Realty of Canada

"If we could have a wider reach and find those champions for our business that would be a wonderfully amazing win. If we could get more of our customers engaging with our social media and sharing who we are with their circles that would help to further our reach and ensure the effectiveness of what we have been working on." - Lindsey Coshell & Barry Munro - Nothing Cleaner

"[Advertising would be more effective if it could] generate more face to face meetings and deeper discussions." -Troy Wallace

“We used a variety of advertising: social media, radio, billboards, TV, bus ads, and community sponsorship. It had a huge impact but I wouldn’t do it that way again. I would have used all that budget and put it against a targeted digital marketing campaign and SEO for the website with a much more ideal-client focused approach.” - John Swain, Swain Chartered Professional Accountants

Although their responses were varied, they share a common thread: cultivating strong relationships with your clients and customers is key to a thriving business, no matter your industry.

Following Up and Nurturing Relationships

Following up and nurturing relationships is super important. No question. However, has it ever happened to you where you didn't follow up with someone who would have made an excellent business collaborator, client, or connector? Unfortunately most of us have. It's easy to let potential opportunities slip through the cracks, especially when life gets busy.

Automated Follow Up Within Reach

What if there was a way to add an automated follow-up process to your networking efforts that would help you build relationships on autopilot? I’m in no way suggesting that you rely solely on an automated follow-up process. Nothing can take the place of real time interpersonal connections. Instead, imagine a follow-up system that runs on its own in the background complementing and enhancing your existing real-time networking and other marketing efforts. Imagine a system that ensures follow up happens no matter what else you are juggling in your life. Sounds pretty good. Well, thanks to the power of Facebook and Instagram ads, that future is now within reach.

In today's digital age, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become invaluable tools for businesses and individuals alike. With billions of users actively engaging with content every day, these platforms offer a unique opportunity to reach a massive audience. And with the right advertising strategy, you can take full advantage of this reach to complement your in-person networking efforts.

Staying in Front of Your Ideal Customers and Clients

One of the most powerful features of Facebook and Instagram ads is retargeting. If someone visits your website or looks up your Facebook page, checks out your Instagram profile, or comments on one of your posts or ads you can follow up by having strategic content show up in their newsfeed over time. By leveraging this capability, you can get back in front of potential customers and clients, keeping yourself top of mind.

Imagine this scenario: You attend a networking event and meet several interesting people. You exchange business cards and have engaging conversations, but then life happens, and you forget to follow up. Instead of losing those connections, you can set up retargeting ads on Facebook and Instagram and share with them customer testimonials, educate, smash through common objections that appear in the purchase journey. It's like having a personal assistant reminding you to reach out and stay connected.

Grow Your Network

But it doesn't stop there. With strategic ads, you can also introduce new people to your network. By targeting individuals who match the profile of who you’d like to work with, you can expand your reach and connect with potential opportunities that you may not have encountered otherwise. This not only increases your chances of finding valuable connections but also saves you time and effort by automating the initial introduction process. And when you do meet these people in person, they ALREADY feel like they know you and you've given them something to talk with you about.

The Know Like and Trust Factor

Building relationships is not just about making the initial connection; it's about nurturing and growing those connections over time. Facebook and Instagram ads can help you achieve this by consistently staying in front of your target audience. By showcasing valuable content, sharing success stories, or offering exclusive promotions, you can build the ever-important "know, like, trust" factor. People will become familiar with your brand, develop positive associations, and be more likely to engage with you when the opportunity arises.

The beauty of using social media ads for relationship building is that it works on autopilot. Once you've set up your ad campaigns and defined your targeting parameters, the platforms take care of the rest. Your ads will be shown to the right people at the right time, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your networking efforts.

Integrating In-Person Networking and Digital Strategies

In conclusion, the future of advertising lies in the seamless integration of in-person networking and digital strategies. By leveraging the power of Facebook and Instagram ads, you can automate follow-up processes, introduce new connections, and build relationships on autopilot. Don't let valuable opportunities slip away – harness the potential of social media advertising to nurture connections, expand your network, and pave the way for future collaborations. It's time to embrace the future and make your networking efforts truly impactful.

Interested in knowing how paid social media ads work and seeing how they might help you connect with potential clients and customers and deepen relationships with existing ones? Reach out to Carol Roderick, Ph.D. at [email protected].