I’m an SEO fanatic. I’m an SEO advocate, but my loyalty is to organic traffic, not the channel of that traffic. The problem with SEO is that it takes time, and it’s no longer wise to rely only on search engines for organic traffic, especially amidst the AI Search war. Just because SEO is slow, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t leverage other channels to get customers.

If you think creating cheap AI content for search engines alone is enough, good luck creating content for your blog that nobody reads.

If you’re a founder wanting to create a source of organic traffic that generates leads and, hence, revenue organically, this post is for you.

 

 

Key Takeaways

1. You don’t have to wait for SEO to get results.
2. Create content on social media to get customers.
3. Always repurpose existing content on social media.

Generate organic leads without outreach

When you’re working on content strategy, many founders fail to tuck in social media. While the organic traffic from search engines builds, you can create content on social media.

Furthermore, even when content is published on your product blog, social media can be used to repurpose blog content.

Here are five simple steps you can implement right now to start attracting customers from social media, regardless of your number of followers.

Step 1: Pick the right topics

What to do: Social media success starts with choosing topics that resonate with your target audience. As a founder, you need content that attracts potential customers, not just followers.

How to do:

#1 Topic Selection Strategy
Start by identifying your audience’s pain points. For instance, if you’re selling a SaaS product, don’t just talk about your features. Instead, discuss the problems your potential customers face daily.

Dollar Shave Club mastered this by addressing the common frustration of expensive razors and inconvenient buying processes.

#2 Content Themes to Consider

• Problem-solving content
• Customer success stories
• Industry insights and trends
• Product updates & innovations
• Behind the scenes of your startup

Step 2: Start with an overview

What to do: Before diving deep into content creation, develop a clear content strategy that aligns with your business goals.

How to do:

#1 Strategic Planning
Map out your content themes to your sales funnel. HubSpot demonstrates this perfectly by grouping related content under specific topics and moving away from random posts.

#2 Content Mix
Create a balanced mix of:

• Educational content (70%)
• Promotional content (20%)
• Personal branding (10%)

Step 3: Get active on the right platforms

What to do: Not all social platforms will work for your business. Choose platforms where your potential customers spend their time.

How to do:

#1 Platform Selection
LinkedIn works exceptionally well for B2B startups. For example, Dan Kaminsky from homeadnet.com found most of their early users through LinkedIn by building a network of hundreds of real estate agents.

#2 Platform-Specific Strategy
For B2B:

• Twitter for industry conversations & quick updates
• LinkedIn for professional networking & thought leadership

For B2C:

• Instagram for visual storytelling
• Facebook for community building

Step 4: Optimize your profile

What to do: Your profile is your digital storefront. Make it count.

How to do:

#1 Profile Optimization
Slack’s approach shows how to do this right – they maintained a clear, professional presence while showcasing their brand personality.

#2 Key Elements

• Clear calls-to-action
• Professional headshot & cover
• Consistent branding across platforms
• Compelling bio that speaks only to your target audience

Step 5: Content and Leads

What to do: This is where you convert your social media presence into actual business results.

How to do:

#1 Content Strategy
Blue Apron’s success came from analyzing user behavior and creating targeted content that resonated with its audience. Through personalized campaigns, it achieved a 7% increase in conversions.

#2 Lead Generation Tactics

• Engage in meaningful conversations
• Create gated content for lead capture
• Use social proof through customer testimonials
• Share valuable insights that showcase your expertise

#3 Measuring Success
Track metrics that matter to your business. For instance, BuzzStream’s campaign generated 66,000 shares and resulted in record-breaking new sign-ups.

Tracking the right metrics that matters

It’s common to get carried away with numbers, significantly when growing. However, focusing on metrics that don’t mean anything in the real world will land you in trouble. For example, likes and comments on social media won’t pay your server bills. Will they?

With that in mind, here are a few metrics that matter in the real world for your business’s growth.

#1 Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Your CAC from social channels needs to be tracked carefully. Calculate it by dividing your total social media spending (including content creation, management time, and ad costs) by the number of customers acquired through these channels.

For example, if you spend $1000 on social media marketing and acquire 100 customers, your CAC is $10.

#2 Conversion Related Metrics

Track conversion rates at multiple levels:

• Social content to website visits
• Website visits to lead capture
• Leads to paying customers

A healthy conversion rate varies by industry, but aim for 2-5% from social traffic to conversion events like subscriptions, downloads, or sales.

#3 Engagement That Drives Revenue

Don’t just count likes and shares. Focus on:

• Click-through rates (CTR) for your content
• Comment quality & sentiment
• Share-to-conversion ratio
• Direct message inquiries

#4 Time to Conversion Analysis

Monitor the time it takes from the first social touch to the purchase. This helps optimize your content strategy and sales funnel. Tools like GA4 can help track user behavior and identify areas for improvement.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Despite all the preparations, there will be instances where you will hit the wall or, worse, fail. That’s inevitable, but you can always know common mistakes that you can avoid, not deliberately fall for it.

#1 Platform Overwhelm

Instead of trying to be everywhere, focus on platforms where your audience spends time. For B2B, LinkedIn often provides better ROI than spreading efforts across multiple platforms.

#2 Vanity Metrics Trap

Many founders get caught up in follower counts, comments, and likes. Instead, focus on:

• Conversion events
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Customer lifetime value (CLTV)
• Engagement rate relative to your industry

#3 Content Consistency Issues

Maintain a regular posting schedule that you can sustain. Quality trumps quantity in the long run—it’s better to post three high-quality pieces per week than daily mediocre content. If you don’t want to burn out, start with a few quality content pieces. Once you get hold of them, start adding more reps until you reach the desired volume.

#4 Response Management

Set up systems to:

• Track customer service issues
• Monitor mentions & messages
• Measure response satisfaction rates
• Respond to inquiries within 24 hours

#5 Automation Balance

While automation helps scale, avoid:

• Bot-like engagement
• Generic automated responses
• Automated direct messages that feel impersonal
• Over-scheduling content without monitoring performance

Social media success is about building meaningful connections that drive business growth. Track metrics directly impacting your bottom line, and focus on creating value for your audience rather than chasing vanity metrics.

 

 

Ready to start making revenue from LinekdIn?

Building a successful social media presence while running a startup can feel like juggling flaming torches. While the outlined strategies provide a roadmap, implementing them alongside core business responsibilities often stretches founders thin.

Many successful founders have found that outsourcing their content strategy allows them to focus on product development, team building, and strategic growth.

Having an experienced hand guide your social media journey saves precious time and accelerates results through tested frameworks and industry insights.

For founders looking to scale their social presence without the steep learning curve, a quick strategy call might illuminate the path forward. After all, the best investment is often in expertise that compounds over time.