Features
Why Sked?
Sked Social is a third party app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any social network platforms.
See our Terms & Privacy Policy.
See our Terms & Privacy Policy.
Download
follow us
© 2024 Sked Social. All rights reserved.
All your followers are potential prospects - here are winning campaign ideas that turn your Instagram feed into a sales machine!
With over 1 billion users worldwide, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms out there and, no doubt, one of the most influential, too.But Instagram isn’t just about posting pretty pictures. To leverage the platform to its best advantage, brands and individuals need to create a clever Instagram marketing strategy and – most importantly – execute it skillfully. With a clear social media marketing strategy, you can be sure that all that fabulous content you’re creating will actually generate new leads.For many big brands, individuals, and small businesses, Instagram is a communication channel that allows them to build large audiences and connect with those audiences by sharing compelling visual content. And, if used correctly, Instagram can play a significant role in turning those audiences into leads – and even paying customers.In this guide, we’ll be discussing exactly what Instagram lead generation is.We’ll dive into exactly how to generate new leads on Instagram, including:
- Creating engaging content
- The best way to use Instagram Reels
- Using content strategically
Ready to supercharge your Instagram marketing strategy and turn your Instagram profile into a lead generation machine? Keep reading for the ultimate guide on Instagram lead generation. If you can follow our simple tips then pretty soon, you’ll be sitting back watching new leads roll in!
What is Instagram Lead Generation?
Lead generation is all about creating and building interest in the services and products your company is offering – SO much interest, in fact, that potential customers will give you their contact information! When they do this, that customer information is called a lead.But customers aren’t always willing to give up their contact information that easily, right? Therefore, leads can be gathered in several ways, such as:
- Directing users towards a landing page with a lead form where people can sign up to receive a discount
- Offering your audience a downloadable e-book or guide – also called a lead magnet – in exchange for their contact information
- Creating a giveaway or competition in which users need to enter their details for the chance to win – either online or in-person
That’s not all, though – there are a number of additional ways brands can score new leads. Sometimes brands might just offer to share discounts or deals in the future, or for a customer’s birthday. Often this is enticing enough for potential customers to subscribe, especially when they’re buying high-priced goods or services like luxury handbags or discounted holidays.Sometimes content such as blog posts and tutorials might be a compelling enough reason for customers to turn into subscribers. It really depends on how effective your lead generations strategy is.Whatever your lead generation method is, once you have collated a bunch of new leads, your strategy should be all about trying to convert those leads into fully-fledged customers.Before we get into more detail about how you could use Instagram for lead generation, let’s have a look at a simple and concise definition of lead generation that basically sums up everything we’ve said so far in different words:
Image Source: SendPulseThat’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it?When it comes to Instagram lead generation, this is essentially the process of enticing potential customers through one of the most popular social media platforms in the world: Instagram!
Is Instagram a good place to generate leads?
So far so good. But perhaps you’re wondering if Instagram is the right platform for generating leads?Instagram lead generation can be super successful – but only if you do it the right way.First of all, Instagram has proven to be one of the most effective marketing tools when it comes to raising awareness and prompting users to engage and take action.Two out of three people said that Instagram enables them to interact with brands, in the “Project Instagram” survey in 2018What’s more, a huge number of companies are using Instagram to not only grow their subscribers and gain more followers but also to turn prospective customers into actual buying customers.Wanna see an example?Popular British fashion brand, Pepe Jeans used its Instagram profile to launch a new campaign to “rejuvenate its brand using Instagram Stories”, according to Instagram.
As we can see, the campaign reached over 5 million people and gave the fashion brand a five-point lift in brand familiarity.Even though Pepe Jeans is undoubtedly a popular brand already, this doesn’t mean that small businesses with more conservative budgets can’t find similar success on Instagram.This is only one out of endless examples of brands that are using the power of Instagram lead generation.Let’s dive deeper into five simple Instagram lead generation tactics. You can take advantage of these simple tactics without having to use lead generation software. All you need is an Instagram business account!
Tactic #1: Create Engaging Content that Prompts Users to Take Action
The very first thing we advise you to do in order to maximize your chances of generating new leads through using Instagram is to consistently create engaging content that prompts users to engage and take action. Optimization of your social content strategy is crucial in generating new leads.Whether it’s aesthetically pleasing Instagram posts, well-made videos, snippets of a podcast, or interesting and informative Instagram live streams, creating engaging content can cement your brand among the favorite Instagram accounts of your audience.In fact, according to the State of Marketing Report by HubSpot, creating content is a task 53% of marketers prioritize. Why? Because strong content led by a clear social media marketing strategy increases engagement. The more Instagram users you have engaging with your content and learning about your products, the sooner you can generate new leads, and streamline the path to purchase for your customers.Yet, as you’ll see, creating fabulous content isn’t enough. You also need to create engaging copy with emojis and compelling call-to-actions (or CTAs) to entice users to take that next step and turn into a lead.The following example will help us illustrate this.
Example: Clinique
The first example we want to show you is American skincare and cosmetics manufacturer, Clinique.One might think that a household brand like Clinique wouldn’t have to invest much in creating modern and compelling content on Instagram.
Image Source: InstagramHowever, with over 3.3 million Instagram users, it seems like the company has put in the hard yards to amass such a cult following. But how did they do it? No matter how established a brand is, Instagram users still don’t want to clog up their feed with poor content.Well, the Clinique team has created a truly modern and inclusive Instagram account that almost always invites users to engage with the brand.From long IGTV videos...
Image Source: Instagram...to user-generated content…
Image Source: Instagram...and guides that feature all sorts of Clinique products…
Image Source: Instagram…this global brand does all they can to engage their audience, involve their customers in conversations, raise awareness of their products, and, ultimately, turn prospective customers into clients.All this content links back to the Clinique website through a swipe-up link whenever Clinique uses Instagram Stories. As soon as Instagram users hit the Clinique website, they’ll see a welcome pop-up with a 10% off offer when users opt in to become a subscriber.
After that, that Instagram user will become a new lead, and Clinique can send them information on new products, sales, product tutorials, or whatever they like!Now that you understand the importance of strong, relevant content and a thoughtfully curated visual marketing strategy, let’s look at some of the other social media marketing tactics brands are using to generate leads.
Tactic #2: Use Instagram Ads
Using Instagram ads is one of the most obvious ways to generate leads for your business. If you need a lot of leads in a short time frame it may not be as cost-effective as generating leads organically but you can’t argue that it’s not efficient! Instagram lead generation ads are currently supported on the mobile version of Instagram only but you’ll find that most Instagram users are on mobile anyway.The “Project Instagram” survey that we mentioned earlier actually showed that 50% of respondents are more interested in a brand after they’ve seen ads for it on Instagram.To use Instagram lead generation ads, just follow these easy steps:
- If you don’t yet have an Instagram Business account, turn your Instagram profile into a business account. Find out about different Instagram account types and how to change them
- Once you have a business profile, you’ll need to create a Facebook Business Manager account, if you haven’t already done so while using Facebook. This should be linked to your existing brand Facebook page if you have one
- From there, you can simply use Facebook Ads Manager and select the “Lead Generation” option
- Create your lead generation ad as you normally would on Facebook but be sure to select Instagram as a placement in the “Manual placements” section. You can also use Instagram Stories as an ad placement
The lead ad will present Instagram users with a lead form so they can fill out all their contact information with details such as their name, phone number, and email address. And there you have it!If you have a compelling ad creative and lead magnet and a clear call to action, (also known as a CTA), there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to generate new leads affordably on Instagram.Your lead magnet could be anything from an offer or discount to an e-book to a free giveaway – it’s really up to you. As with any social media ad, your Instagram lead generation ads may require some trial and error. You just have to test different lead magnets, creatives, and targeting options using Facebook ads manager to see what works best for you or your brand.Using Instagram ads can help you generate new leads quickly and easily. Then, with a compelling offer, you can even turn those Instagram users into customers in one fall swoop.
Example: Chantelle Lingerie
The Parisian lingerie brand, Chantelle Lingerie, has a long history and a strong brand presence all over the world. For this particular campaign, the company partnered with an agency and created a very successful social media ad campaign in order to raise awareness and generate leads.How did they do that exactly?The brand’s objective was to promote its SoftStretch underwear collection in the United States.To do this, they used video ads in Instagram feeds as well as using Instagram Stories, promoting their collection to a targeted audience.
The marketing campaign generated amazing results for the brand.Have a look:
Between March and June 2019, the campaign effectively doubled online sales of the SoftStretch underwear collection and resulted in a significant lift of 7.3 points in brand awareness.
Tactic #3: Use Instagram Reels
Next up, you can utilize one of the most popular Instagram features being used today, Instagram Reels. Instagram Reels are undoubtedly one of the most popular features since the launch of the product in the US in August 2020.Reels are perfect in that they allow you to create high-impact vertical videos that can also be posted as Instagram feed posts.Even though Reels are a relatively new feature, more and more brands, influencers, and individuals are using the feature to create super engaging bite-sized content and connect with their online audiences as part of their visual marketing strategy.Additionally, Reels are being used by brands to educate their audience, highlight their differences from their competitors, and, ultimately, lead audiences down the path to becoming leads and converting.Let’s get right into an example of an eCommerce website that uses Reels to keep their Instagram audience engaged.
Example: ASOS
We couldn’t miss mentioning the example of the well-known eCommerce company, ASOS.Why? Well, because when it comes to successful social media marketing strategies, companies like ASOS are definitely hitting the mark.First things first, we can see that ASOS has an impressive number of Instagram followers.With over 12 million Instagram users following their page, we can only assume that ASOS must be creating content worth sharing on social media.
Image Source: InstagramAs you can see, the ASOS Instagram Reels that we’ve grabbed below are getting very high numbers of views:
Image Source: InstagramMore specifically, out of twelve Reels shown above, six have received over 1 million views, and four have over 2 million views.This shows just how engaging Reels can be in bringing people closer to your brand, thus increasing your chances of seeing a lift in your leads, too.However, engaging content doesn’t automatically = leads.We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; brands need to use content strategically in order to generate leads. Don’t just create content for content’s sake!That means adding swipe-up links and well-considered call to actions in their captions. This will ensure Instagram users will then visit your website (for eCommerce brands), or your physical store.That’s why ASOS is sure to mention their website in their Reel captions and Stories.Have a look:
Image Source: InstagramCheck out this super successful reel that’s received over 75,500 likes in three days. In the caption, ASOS gives users a direct hint on where they could find the products featured in the Reel on the website.Apart from Reels, they also use Instagram Stories and utilize the swipe up link to link directly back to their website as much as possible, like this…
Or this…
Once their Instagram followers are on their website and they are compelled to make a purchase, ASOS has several pop-ups and opt-in banners offering a discount for signing up as a subscriber.
It’s as simple as that!After having talked about Reels and Instagram ads, let’s move on! Read on for even more Instagram lead generation tactics.
Tactic #4: Create Videos and Graphics
As we’re moving towards the end of our Instagram lead generation guide, we definitely need to talk to you about the importance of creating videos and graphics for your audience.The number of users that consume - and are expected to consume - video content in the US between 2018 and 2022 increases at a steady rate.Have a look:
Image Source: StatistaWith over 244 million video users in 2021, we understand that video content is definitely one of the most prominent content formats.In other words, given the level of engagement that video gets, creating videos and sharing them on Instagram can potentially make people want to engage more with your brand, thus increasing the chances of generating leads.Similarly, creating graphics for social media is yet another way of sharing engaging and thoughtful content that can be easily consumed and make users want to see more of your content and brand.However, you need to keep in mind that graphics might be a more difficult-to-digest type of content for some audience members, so make sure to not overdo it and always invest in creating light content for your audience.Let’s jump right into an example of a company using video content to reach a wider audience.
Example: SharbatlyFruit
SharbatlyFruit is a leading fresh produce brand based in Saudi Arabia.Interestingly, what the company did is create an Instagram video ad campaign to reach a wider audience and make sure their content would be seen by a greater number of people.Put another way, the company wanted to increase awareness and emotionally connect with its audience through Instagram video content.The 2020 campaign achieved the following impressive results:
- 2.8 million people reached
- 3.8 million video views over the course of three days
That’s an amazing number if you consider the company’s niche as well as the number of followers it has:
Image Source: Instagram17,000 followers for a fruit and vegetable company sounds like a big deal, right?We can therefore assume that the company’s video campaign has definitely boosted engagement and helped expand the brand’s reach, thus opening the road for generating leads through Instagram.Let’s get to the next tactic.
Tactic #5: Partner Up With Influencers
Instagram influencers have been around almost since the platform began. But brands often see mixed results when it comes to measuring the efficacy of influencer marketing, particularly when the campaign objective is to generate leads or sales.So, the burning question here is:Can partnering up with Instagram influencers actually help a brand get more exposure and generate more leads?The answer is: yes, absolutely!However, every brand needs to find the right influencer for each campaign, taking into consideration the industry they’re in as well as the goal of the particular campaign. In other words, make sure that you’re reaching out to Instagram influencers that fit within your brand’s social media goals and do indeed have some influence over your target audience.For example, you might choose an Instagram influencer who is popular in your country right now. But how can you be sure that their audience is right for you? Some influencers travel and live in different countries. This means that the majority of their audience may be based in their country of origin, not where they are currently living. If you have a product or a new range that isn’t sold in that country, the pool of that influencer’s followers who are actually willing to buy a given product dwindles. Influencer marketing campaigns also need to be led by clear objectives, be governed by strategic tactics, and be measured correctly to ensure success.Let’s have a look at an interesting example of a brand using Instagram influencers.
Example: Heinz
The ever-popular American food processing company, Heinz, needed to redefine their connection with their audience and boost engagement with their new product, their Saucy Sauce. They did so by launching an influencer marketing campaign.More specifically, they used six different influencers to reach a wide range of different audience demographics. Naturally, the influencers were matched up to the company’s key demographics.Have a look at the screenshot below:
Image Source: YouTubeThe influencers that participated in the campaign created authentic, engaging content on their Instagram feed and Instagram Stories featuring Saucy Sauce.
Image Source: YouTubeThe influencer marketing campaign on Instagram led to increased engagement and impressions.What’s more, the influencer content with the new Heinz product went viral on social media.As we keep saying, the more engagement you can generate on social, the more chance you’ll have of being able to convert that traffic to leads.To make an Instagram influencer campaign more strategic, you could get influencers to offer their fans a unique discount code for signing up to your service or purchasing a product. This way, you’ll be able to generate more leads and sales, plus you’ll be able to track which of your influencers are creating the most effective content – and which aren’t!Keep reading to find out one more way to generate leads on Instagram!
Tactic #6: Use your Link in Bio
The final tactic – and a tip! – we want to share with you when it comes to Instagram lead generation is this: always use a powerful call-to-action (also known as a CTA) and utilize your Instagram bio link.The reason for this is quite simple.It’s one thing creating powerful social media content and engaging videos. But after Instagram users have consumed your content, they want to know what’s next. A powerful CTA will tell them exactly where to go to. It can help them:
- Find out more information or learn more
- Shop a certain product or service
- Enter a competition
OR, more specifically, it can help them become a subscriber to your email list!While it pays to keep your content fresh and engaging, it’s just as important to include clear and engaging CTAs within or at the end of the content. Otherwise, what’s the point?So, that might mean adding a CTA within your Reel, as well as in your caption. You can also add a link to your Instagram bio. Having fresh, unique content and optimizing your content correctly with engaging CTAs can help convert Instagram users into leads easily, with just a few clicks of a button! But if you’re posting every day, how can you possibly add just one link in your Instagram bio? We’ve created the perfect solution! Sked Link is an easy-to-use tool that can help you with Instagram lead generation.Unfortunately, Instagram only provides brands with just one link. This is the link in your Instagram bio that can be customized. If you use a Sked Link URL in your bio, you can link out to a customizable menu that has several different link options, allowing you to direct traffic to different web pages. For instance, if you were trying to direct traffic to a sign-up page to generate leads, you could add this as your first link, then add a couple of your product pages, and then add links to a couple of your most recent blog posts. It’s super simple to use, yet allows Instagram users to easily find the links they’re looking for. After all, you want to make things as quick and streamlined as possible for your audience, don’t you?So, without further ado, here’s an example of a brand that does this well!
Example: SBS Food
SBS Food shares countless different food recipes. In fact, they share a recipe almost every single time they share an Instagram post. But with only one URL in their Instagram bio, how can they possibly share countless recipes to their audience of almost 250,000 Instagram users?
Thankfully they can use Sked Link, which allows them to link out to multiple recipes at a time directly from their Instagram bio link.When users click the Sked Link in their Instagram bio, they get directed to a grid-style feed like this:
From there, Instagram users can click on different delicious recipes and easily access food content, all in just two clicks. This is far easier than taking several minutes to painstakingly search through the SBS Food website to find the right recipe.
It’s easy to see how taking the extra time to optimize your Instagram account, investigate effective tools, and make the most out of Instagram’s functionalities can help improve user experience and help companies achieve great results.
Ready to Get New Leads on Instagram?
Social media platforms can offer you a valuable platform to connect with your audience, but they need to be used strategically. Instagram lead generation can help you narrow the path to purchase and can see you ultimately making more sales.At the heart of Instagram lead generation, however, is compelling content that will keep your audiences coming back for more. Given the crazy amounts of content that is being published every second on social media platforms, business owners need to continually experiment with new types of content and create a consistent social media schedule. If so, Instagram users will be far more likely to share their contact information. If you’re looking to optimize your social media marketing processes and carve out hours in your workflow, sign up for Sked’s 7-day trial. Our all-in-one Instagram scheduler allows you to automatically post images, carousels, Instagram Stories, videos, and more. Better yet, it also works for Facebook, Pinterest, Linked In, and other major social media platforms! Add locations, users, hashtags, and products, and manage all your hashtags in one place to save hours every week.So, don’t hesitate to think up creative ways of approaching content, review your social media marketing strategy regularly, and refine your Instagram lead generation strategy as much as possible. If you do, you’ll be able to generate new leads affordably and optimize your social media marketing strategy for success.Made in collaboration with the amazing team at Respona, the best all-in one digital PR and link building software.
Collaborate effortlessly, save time and spend less
Why settle for a lackluster social media management tool when you could be using Sked Social? With unlimited collaborator access, streamlined approvals and advanced auto-post technology that lets you schedule to all major platforms, Sked Social offers everything you need.
Get Started for FREE