Want to grow your email list? Of course you do! Twitter’s lead generation cards are a great way to do just that. Outdoor apparel store, Rock/Creek, got 1,700 new email sign ups in a week by using this social media tool. Interested? We’ll show you how to set up an account and create your first lead generation card.

What is a lead generation card?
A lead generation card is a promoted tweet that helps your small business in two ways. First, it gets your business in front of a target audience for a small financial investment. Second, it can help boost your email list.

People scrolling through Twitter can click on the card, which usually has some sort of deal or offer, and their name, twitter handle, and email address gets pre-filled in the form. All the persohn has to do is submit it. Here are two examples.

What do I need to do before creating a lead generation card?
To create a lead generation card, follow these steps or watch our five-minute video to get started.

Create a Twitter Ads Account
Sign into your Twitter account and click on the sprocket in the top right corner. Select “Twitter Ads” from the drop down menu. You’ll need to answer a few questions about your company and you’ll be prompted to put in a credit card number.

• Set up a “collector”

Next, you’ll be prompted to select a company to collect the information. They’re called CRM (customer relationship management) companies. Once you pick, you’ll need to fill out a few business-related forms.

What do I need to do to create a lead generation card?
Now you’ll move on to actually creating the card. Go to the advertising option and select “cards” and “create new card.” Here’s what it looks like along with a breakdown of the fields that you’ll need to fill in.

• Add a card image
Visuals are important. Take time to select a relative and intriguing picture. The dimensions are also unique. The picture should be 600×150 pixels with a 4:1 aspect ratio. You can use the preview button to make sure the picture looks right.

• Write a short description
Most lead generation cards promote a sale, offer a coupon, enter people in a giveaway, or let subscribers download something for free or sign up for a newsletter. You need an incentive, says marketer Grant Tilus, who markets colleges and universities through lead generation cards. Give the audience something of value.

• Include a call to action
Create a short call to action that’s in present tense and sounds urgent. For instance, “Join us today.”

• Link to a privacy policy
Create a page on your website that explains what your company’s privacy policies are and include a link to that page on the card. People take privacy seriously, Tilus says; so don’t skimp on the details.

• Fill out card details
This is an optional link that offers more information about your campaign.

Here’s an example of a simple Twitter lead gen card we created for the VR Buzz daily emails:

What else should I know?
Here are a few other tips we thought you should know about lead generation cards:

• The cards aren’t free. You’ll need to decide how you want to pay for the promoted tweet. You can pay only when users engage or when you add a new follower.

• Have a plan to deal with new leads. Now that you’ve got a list of people who are interested in your business or product, how will you engage with them? (A welcome email is a good first step.) Have a post-campaign plan in place.

• Analyze the metrics. You’ll have access to a dashboard that will show you engagement statistics. Take some time to look them over and use the information to make your next campaign even better.

Want more marketing tips and tactics? Sign up for the free VR Buzz.

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