Posted by Let’s state the fact — generating quality leads on Instagram is hard. And you need them to make sales.
Businesses and brands struggle with this on Instagram, but this guide arms you with strategies that will see you attract potential customers who will patronize your products and services.
What is a lead on Instagram?
A lead on Instagram is a person who has shown interest in the products and services you sell on Instagram.
Such persons provide basic information that suggests they want to do business with you.
Examples could be engaging you in a conversation in the comment section, flooding your DM with questions about your products, and asking if you offer a free trial.
Keep in mind that all leads aren’t equal. So, not all will turn into paying customers.
Let’s now dive into how to generate quality leads on Instagram.
1. Post Helpful Content
Your target audience wants a solution to their problems, and it’s through the helpful content you post that you let them know you have it. Let’s say you sell skin care products. You can create content that teaches your audience how to make their skin glow. Doing this consistently creates awareness and positions you as an authority in the skincare industry. It grows your followers from which you get those who make inquiries about the products and services you offer. There are different ways to deliver helpful content that will generate leads.
For example, You can get people who do graphics design jobs to help you use graphics to illustrate how valuable your products are. This is important because visuals drive more engagement on Instagram.
You can blog on Instagram using the IG caption which allows you to write up to 2200 characters.
However, writing helpful content consistently on Instagram isn’t easy. You can use AI writing tools or outsource it to freelance writers that do remote jobs.
2. Go Live
You need to build trust and relationships to pave the way for people to take action on what you offer. And going live on Instagram is one of the ways.
Let’s say you sell expensive products which also require shipping.
No matter how valuable they are, people would want to see you emphasize the values virtually before they can spend their hard-earned money on them.
Also, it’s an opportunity to let them see the human side of you and the person behind the helpful content they consume on their feed. Going live on Instagram is easy with these steps:
Announce it to your audience
Prepare the content you want to deliver
Connect your smartphone or PC to the internet
And that’s it.
3. Leverage User Generated Content
User-generated content is your happy customers telling others how helpful your products and services are. It entices your target audience who are skeptical about your products to take action. Some customers post images or videos of them deriving value from your product and tag you on Instagram.
That’s user-generated content, and you can leverage it to generate quality leads. Check your notifications to see if you have customers who tagged you in a video or photo of them using your products.
Collect and package them into Instagram Reels, post for your followers to see, and for others to discover on Instagram explore.
User-generated content works like a charm on Instagram. An audience who sees a customer using your product already has proof that convinces them to give it a try.
4. Try Instagram Stories
Even though Instagram stories last for 24 hours, It’s a powerful way to generate quality leads. Since it drives huge engagement like Instagram reel, it’s an opportunity to tell stories of how your products can solve the problem of your audience. While your followers can see it, those who don’t follow you can discover it on IG Explore.
In addition, you can use polls and question stickers to spark conversations with your audience on how to improve your products.
Creating Instagram stories is easier now as there are tools that do the heavy lifting for you.
5. Automate Conversation
You cannot afford to miss conversations that your target audience initiates about your products and services. You can have 3 or 4 audiences flooding your DM with questions and expecting you to give them your maximum attention.
This can get you overwhelmed, so you need to automate conversations with chatbots so that you can keep the conversation going while you sleep. You can program a chatbot to respond to questions and inquiries from your audience. Nowadays, there are advanced chatbots that can warm up a lead and have them make orders without you getting involved.
6. Share Positive Reviews
What happens when you see a positive review of a product you want to buy but are skeptical for fear of making a wrong choice?
You are encouraged to give it a try right?
The same applies to your audience on Instagram. Many of them would want to see verified customers speak well of your product before they can give it a try. That’s why you should share positive reviews from customers.
Although Instagram does have a feature that collects reviews from customers, there is a way out. Identify products that drive more sales. It could be an indication that it works for your customers. Post it on Instagram and ask customers to leave their honest reviews. Another way is to inquire from a customer weeks after they purchased the product to ask them how it has helped them.
Take a screenshot of their responses, arrange them into a photo grid, or package them into Instagram stories and post them for your audience to see.
7. Partner With IG Influencers
Influencers on Instagram shape the behavior of a lot of IG users toward a brand. They command loyalty and their fans are quick to go with products and services they recommend.
A study has it that 80% of brands that leverage influencer marketing prefer Instagram influencers.
The percentage won’t be that much if there aren’t benefits like more brand awareness, an increase in followers, a boost in engagement, and most importantly, higher chances of generating quality leads.
So it’s a win-win partnering with them — they earn income promoting your brand while you get potential customers who can pay for your products.
What do you think would happen if a popular IG influencer in the women’s fashion niche shares an Instagram story about your latest women’s jeans?
Their fans will troop to your handle to check your brand and what it offers. Some can DM you thereafter to make inquiries if they see a pair of jeans they like.
Keep in mind that working with Influencers isn’t cheap, especially top-rated ones in your niche. Also identifying those that can be game-changers isn’t easy. A simple way is to perform a search on Instagram with keywords like:
“ Instagram influencer + your niche”
Alternatively, you can use tools like Upfluence, Grin, NeoReach, and Klear which have a pool of IG Influencers in different niches.
8. Host Giveaways
Have you asked yourself why businesses host giveaways on Instagram?
I guess your answer would be to create more awareness for their products. But it’s beyond that. They also want to generate quality leads. Your audience won’t know how valuable a new product you have in stock is until someone uses it and gives a testimonial. And it’s through giveaways that you get audiences that will use it, and give testimonials that will attract potential customers.
For example, you can pick 3 of your new products, make a post and announce to your followers that you are giving them out to 3 lucky winners who follow the guidelines for the giveaways.
9. Let Your Landing Page Deliver
You don’t want to disappoint a visitor that clicks on the link in your bio. That’s why you must have a landing page that delivers all that you promised. Let’s assume you stated in your Instagram post that you offer a free e-book to a potential lead. Ensure that it’s where they can download it easily. Let your landing page offer a great user experience so that a user can take the desired action without hitches.
10. Use IG Lead Generation Ad
Helpful content will generate leads organically on Instagram, but it may take time because you are trying to warm up a cold audience to have an interest in what you offer. You can try Instagram ads which is a quick way to generate leads.
With IG ads, you leverage a set of target audiences who Instagram based on their behavior think will have interest in your products and services.
Keep in mind that running ads on IG with the goal of generating leads isn’t cheap. You need to have a budget and the more money you spend, the more Instagram will show your ad to a wider audience. So, if you can’t run an ad on Instagram, I suggest hiring the services of an Instagram ad expert to avoid flushing money down the toilet.
A final thought on how to generate quality leads on Instagram
The more quality leads you get on Instagram, the higher the chances of making more sales. Audiences on Instagram can’t just become leads. You have to give them reasons to do so.
Keep in mind that a lot of businesses are competing with you to attract and retain their interests. I’ve shown you different ways to generate quality leads beginning with posting helpful content down to running ads. It’s up to you to start implementing them to attract potential customers who can pay for your products and services.