Instagram may have started as a platform to share your cat photos, but today, with active monthly users numbering in the billions, it has grown to become one of the biggest content marketing tools in the world. In terms of potential ad reach, Instagram ranks as the fourth most popular social network by the number of users. With so many prospective customers collected on one platform, it seems a waste not to use Instagram to its full potential.
Once considered a “pictures-only” platform, Instagram is now one of the leading multimedia channels in the world. There are no limits on how businesses can interact with audiences to generate leads. Instagram features, photos, videos, reels, stories, live sessions, and polls provide many options to get creative with your content. However, like with any of your other digital content, lead magnets on Instagram need to attract potential with interesting, relevant, and entertaining content. They must offer something valuable in exchange for personal information. And if you’re new to lead generation, we know it’s tough not knowing where to start.
To make the process slightly less intimidating, we’ve reached out to our marketing copywriters to highlight their best Instagram lead-generation strategies to help you grow your business and attract more followers.
Start with the bio
A generation of viewers may know the actor Mandy Patinkin as Saul from Homeland, but we know him best as Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride.
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Inigo’s iconic line is more than just film lore—it carries, in a few words, the entire plot for his character. And that’s the crux of it. Nothing compels like a powerful bio. Consider,
Millions of songs. Zero ads. No commitment. – Apple Music
Fearless, adversarial journalism. – The Intercept
Sign our petition to get NASA to put a MoonPie on the moon in 2024. – MoonPie
A short and to-the-point bio is reflective of your business and brand. A brief and catchy description with clickable hashtags further helps gain attention. As an extra tip, keep the bio under 150 characters—Instagram is a visually-heavy medium. No one wants to read too much wordy text!
Pick the right hashtags
Every one of us has been guilty of overindulging in hashtags. However, lead magnets are not the reason to shy away from hashtagging. For every product or service, you’re offering, look for the most trending hashtags on Instagram and add them to your photos and videos. Marketing content with hashtags is more likely to invite engagement than one without. And if you’re in doubt about which hashtag works, use Instagram search to look for what’s popular.
A word of caution. Remember not to hash out your hashtags! The optimal number of hashtags per post is 11.
Set a proper posting schedule
Pew Research Center reports that half of all people on Instagram use the app daily. However, don’t expect everyone to be online at the same time.
While there’s no hard and fast rule on when to post, marketing copywriters tend to post during off-work hours. This is when your target audience will likely be home, browsing through their Instagram, and searching for your products or services.
Do NOT buy followers
We all know them, and unsurprisingly they’re on every platform – Marketing Bros! If you’ve come across a “marketing guru” offering to increase your followers by 5000 in exchange for an AED10,000 retainer agreement, you need to turn around and walk away!
Social media content creation is all about cultivating lasting relationships with your audience. It takes time to build a following, but it’s easy to fall into the temptation of “buying” followers. Don’t succumb! Fake followers and bots might look good on your Instagram page, but they’ll never purchase anything from you. Ergo, many followers on Instagram will not translate into higher sales.
Consider product reviews and sponsored posts
Just like you need business development experts to expand your outreach, you need specialists to spread the word on social media. This is where influencer marketing can be a game-changer for your business.
Look for the biggest social influencers in your industry. For example, look for the top 10 beauty bloggers on Instagram if you’re selling beauty products. Follow these influencers and discuss their pricing for sponsored posts. These posts can significantly boost your brand image on social media and bring more traffic to your Instagram page.
Stay up to date with the latest trends
With social media, there’s a trending topic or a viral meme almost every day. The internet is what made Bad Luck Brian, Hide the Pain Harrold, and Success Kid who they are today.
Digital content marketing can help you connect with your audience on a personal level. And the best way to add a human touch to your brand is to include trending topics or memes in your Instagram posts. For example, you can participate in hundreds of #holidays to get people talking about your business.
Comment on other posts
Businesses with the largest number of followers on Instagram started with one simple rule: commenting on and liking other posts. It’s a small but proven digital content strategy.
The best way to get your brand noticed is by commenting on other Instagram posts relevant to your industry. Writing an engaging and thought-provoking comment will turn heads in your direction.
If you need help growing your business by leveraging Instagram and harnessing the power of social media, get in touch with our team of marketing copywriters and content producers today!