How To Generate Leads Using Instagram
Imagine, if I said to you: “Instagram is a great social media platform to be on!”
You would look at me and say: “Well, duh!” And you would be right.
Instagram’s user base is big. It has over one billion users. Yet, I see many business Instagram accounts not set up to generate leads.
This article will give you 7 tips you can use to successfully (and consistently) generate leads on Instagram and grow your business.
You will likely need to make some changes to your Instagram account, but it should be an easy sell to your boss or client. Did you know, for example, that 83% of users end up discovering a product they like on Instagram?
Here’s another fun fact:
It’s a highly visual platform, which means that most products do well. Industries, such as travel, fashion, or beauty, are especially great for lead generation.
7 super-effective tips to generate leads on Instagram
You can use any one of these 7 action items to generate leads on Instagram (but for best results, use them all).
Jump to each section to learn more about optimizing for lead generation.
1. How to generate Instagram leads fast: run paid ads
It’s no surprise that if you want results quick, you’ve got to put some money behind it. In this case, with lead ads.
You will need:
- A business Instagram account
- A budget of at least a few hundred dollars
- Facebook ads manager (this is where you create Instagram ads)
- An audience to target (best to use an interest-based audience or a lookalike audience based on your current followers/subscribers)
- A lead magnet, such as a freebie or something super valuable that helps capture prospects
You need to set up Instagram lead generation ads through Facebook Ad Manager.
Your users will simply need to follow three steps on your lead generation ads.
2. Manage your lead follow-ups better
Leads are 9x more likely to convert when businesses follow-up within 5 minutes. For this, you must have a fully-developed sales engagement system in place BEFORE launching your ads. Facebook offers a lots of integrations you can use to automate your sales processes.
Don’t let your ad dollars go to waste by not having a proper follow-up plan in place.
3. Create a funny/creative/memorable Instagram Bio
How is your Instagram bio looking?
Is it a simple description of your business?
Yawn.
You need to come up with something more interesting. People need to go: “Ha! That’s clever”, after reading it. See below some examples.
It also helps with Instagram lead generation if you add any or all of the following elements to your bio:
- Emojis
- Your own hashtag
- Action buttons
- Link in your bio (see more on this below)
4. How to optimize the link in your bio
Here are some tips:
- Either shorten your URL with bit.ly or use an Instagram bio link service like Shorby to serve up multiple links at once
- Use UTM tracking to see the traffic analysis in Google Analytics
- Add a call-to-action above the link
- Don’t forget to promote your link in your bio in your posts
5. Develop more strategic Instagram content
A nice photo isn’t quite enough on Instagram.
According to a survey, the 5th most important thing in Instagram content for people is being able to discover new things related to their hobbies. Platform users spend about 53 minutes per day on Instagram.
What does this mean for your business?
The most successful business Instagram accounts are run with a clear strategy. This strategy needs to consistently cater high-quality content to their target market.
Having a clear plan is the most important part of your work if you want to generate leads using Instagram.
Can you live up to the expectations? Out with the boring, in with the creative (but strategic).
You should also ensure that you are posting when your audience is most active on Instagram.
How to develop an Instagram posting strategy for lead generation
Set up a schedule
It’s super hard to think of a bunch of interesting posts off the top of your head.
Which is why it helps to outline the types of posts first. It’s a good way to get an idea on what your Instagram grid will look like visually AND ensures that your content helps users.
Examples of post types that are great for lead generation:
- Product features
- Product launches
- Seasonal posts
- Giveaway Contests
- Educational content
- Inspirational quotes
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Multiple media content like infographics, videos or podcasts
- People using your products
- Posts with a beautiful landscape or scenery
- User-generated content (you have to have a brand hashtag)
Once you have a schedule for the types of posts you want, all you need to do is find a subject for each post.
This means knowing your shooting schedule ahead of time. If you’re just starting out, plan multiple posts per day in the beginning to find your traction.
Check out Blogging Wizard’s article on the best social media scheduling tools or check out our article on dedicated Instagram scheduling tools.
6. Checklist for the perfect Instagram post
The most important thing to remember if you want to generate leads using Instagram is that every post has to have a purpose. 65% of users visit the brand’s website after seeing a product on Instagram.
This is your time to shine.
Here is a quick Instagram post checklist for you:
- Use highly visual with beautiful imagery (you can use Canva or Visme to find the best quality photos)
- Leverage Insta tools like Instagram editors, hashtag analyzers to help with your Instagram campaign
- Ensure your image conveys a message or evokes a feeling
- Have a captivating caption
- Have a clear call-to-action
- Make the post intriguing or interesting enough to spark engagement
- Feature well-researched and/or branded hashtags
- The link in bio should drive traffic to a conversion-optimized landing page (even better if it’s a custom page for Instagram users only)
Examples of business Instagram accounts done well
Some inspiration for your own Instagram:
7. Provide better engagement
Instagram is currently testing removing likes from posts.
The reason why they’re doing this is to encourage engagement with users and stop account owners from fixating on likes too much.
It’s a bummer that you can’t showcase your likability this way anymore. But – don’t look at it as a problem.
Why?
According to a study by Iconosquare, 65% of Instagram users say they would feel honored if a brand liked their post.
This is your golden opportunity to stand out and generate more leads on Instagram. Which brings us to the next tip:
Respond to everything
Yes, everything.
I know this sounds overwhelming, but regular engagement is especially crucial when you’re starting out. People love to feel acknowledged and heard. A simple like or response can help followers have a more personal experience with your brand.
Use influencers & Instagram Live & Instagram Stories
Still stuck on trying to increase your followers on Instagram?
The best part about this platform is that there are creative ways to get more fans. For example, these days, small and big brands are equally keen on partnering with influencers to expand their reach.
Don’t be overwhelmed: you don’t need to fork out big money for an expensive influencer. You can start out with a micro-influencer who has just a few thousand followers. According to this study, micro-influencers see 6.7x higher engagement than famous influencers.
Types of posts that work well for a collaboration (aka Instagram takeover):
- Instagram Stories
- Instagram live video
- Giveaways, contests
- Announcements of new product
Note: Influencer marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing channels. If you want to learn more, check out our article on the top influencer marketing statistics.
Utilize the Swipe up feature
The Swipe up feature allows you to add a link to your Instagram stories (which is great because you won’t have to always say “link in bio”).
The catch: you have to have at least 10,000 followers. To get there, you can use any of the tips above or follow this handy guide.
How do you know if your Instagram lead generation is working?
These are the best ways to track direct lead generation from Instagram:
- Dedicate a landing page on your website for Instagram-only traffic. Measure conversion rate via your CMS.
- Track clicks with a URL shortener like bit.ly and Google Analytics’ URL builder
It’s a good idea to monitor your engagement metrics, as well, such as comments, and likes to see if you’re heading in the right direction.
There you have it! Now you know how to generate leads from Instagram consistently.
One thing to remember: social media is a long game. It may take some time ‘till you master lead generation. As long as you know your audience, you are consistent with your content and there for your fans – you WILL be successful on Instagram.
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