4 Super Easy Ways to Generate Leads on Instagram

Want to get more great leads on Instagram?

Of course you do!

Instagram is a great tool for developing brand awareness. But are you using it correctly to get real, qualified leads?

So what is lead generation?

Lead generation is defined as the creation of customer interest in your product or service. More substantial than just generating brand awareness, you’re trying to entice potential customers into becoming full-fledged customers.

Instagram lead generation is all about creating intrigue and encouraging customers to make the leap from your Instagram to a sign-up form, an app download or your website. 

Here are a few easy steps to get you gaining leads right away!

Invest In Paid Advertising 

If you haven’t started using paid advertising on Instagram for your business, this is a great time to get started. Particularly if you have already been using paid advertising on Facebook.

Why?

Because the ad creation platform for Instagram can be done through the ad manager on your business’ Facebook Page. You can set up your ads exactly the same way but remember to make the placement Instagram and use the correct sized graphic!

One of the most useful benefits you receive by using aid advertising is targeting.  You can use lookalike audiences to target users with similar attributes as your current paying customers.

The second is retargeting.  To further improve the effectiveness of your Instagram ads, after targeting a custom audience, the next step could be to retarget users. What this means is, your next ads will be geared specifically to the users that had an initial interest in your product. Include people who visited your site, viewed products or abandoned their shopping carts.

Advertising on Instagram can help you reach a new and targeted audience. It’s definitely a worthwhile investment, especially if your brand or business is fairly new.

Implement A Hashtag Strategy 

Why?

Because hashtags categorize content and make it more discoverable. Anyone who clicks on a hashtag or searches for it will see a page with all the posts tagged with it.

Think of hashtags as your keywords. Use words and phrases that you think your ideal audience will be searching for. 

Remember, you can use up to 30 hashtags per post on Instagram, but make sure you chose words that relate to your posts. Also, studies have shown that posts with at least 9 hashtags attached get the highest engagement rates.

For more tips on how to use hashtags effectively, read How to Use Hashtags to Promote Your Business on Instagram.

Build Real Connections with your Brand

Your audience doesn’t want to be sold to. No one wants to be sold to!

People want to have real interactions. 

Luckily, Instagram makes this is easy to do! 

Developing that feeling of a real relationship with your followers helps to turn followers into customers. 

So how do you do that?

Show behind the scenes shots and videos of your business and your staff. Let people know there are real people behind your brand and that you’re approachable.

Humor goes a long way in engaging an audience. Try to use witty puns and humor in your Instagram posts. The goal is to improve people’s perception of your brand.

The Skimm, an online news blog, is one of my favorite accounts. They are one of the best at mixing great content, news and humor.

Hire Influencers

Regardless of whether you like it or not, influencer marketing works!

An influencer is someone who has a strong relationship with his or her audience and affects their purchase decisions because of the knowledge and authority they have over them. Their followers look to them for purchase recommendations and advice.

Instagram is the perfect platform to use to engage your target audience using the help of influencers. A good Instagram influencer marketing strategy can help you get higher traffic and increased engagement, which ultimately leads to more leads!

To increase the number of sales generated by influencer content, provide influencers with a discount code or promo link. If you intend to use multiple influencers to promote your products, assign each a unique code or link so you can track their individual conversions.

Studies have shown that customers generated through word-of-mouth advertising have a 37% higher retention rate than those generated from paid advertising.

Wrap

Social media is constantly evolving, and Instagram is no exception. The above tips should give you some great ideas on how to increase your sales on Instagram.