How to Use Instagram to Drive Inbound Traffic: 3 Easy Steps
In this age of social media, most brands (and agencies) have Instagram accounts that they use to represent themselves online. When done right, Instagram profiles can serve as a deciding factor in a potential client or customer converting. When done wrong, it can deter people away from learning more about your business. But, how do you strike the perfect balance that contributes to your lead generation strategy? Read on if you want to learn more about what effective social media marketing looks like.
But, how can you use it as a tool to drive leads and eventually drive potential customers and clients to your website? In this week’s blog, we’re going to walk you through the 3 key steps you need to follow in order to get the most out of your Instagram account.
Step 1: Instagram is a visual platform: make sure you look good!
Instagram is a visual platform with over a billion users that is based solely on the aesthetic appearance of your profile. If your photos appear to be disjointed and not “on-brand”, people who land on it will be more inclined to click away. Invest in creating high quality content (or have a content strategy that using what is already out there). Have someone on your team who can carefully curate an Instagram feed that represents what your brand is all about. If you are a product-base brand, make sure that your product shots are high quality, etc. Think of your Instagram account as a storefront for your business. Would you put a torn and ugly sweater in the window of your store? Probably not.
When curating content for your instagram, it is more important than ever to create consistent content that promotes your brand.
A great example of a brand using Instagram as a customer acquisition tool is Vans. Their content marketing strategy is well-curated and is focused on showing the people who wear their shoes in real life. When they run promotions on Instagram (also known as “boosted” posts), the advertisements drive consumers directly to this profile or their website. They use well-curated content and UGC (user generated content) to build their brand and drive relevant traffic to their e-commerce website. At Wildly Creative, we know this space like the back of our skateboard. We know how to grow brands in the action and adventure sports spaces both online and in real-time. Learn more about how we do it here.
Step 2: Use Stories and IGTV
With the advent of IGTV earlier this year, utilizing these long-form video features of the Instagram app are more important than ever. Whether you are a product or a service based business, you can use IGTV to connect direct with the people that buy your offering. When you post something, make sure to create a visually appealing story along with it (when applicable). Be careful not to bombard your audience with story content, though. No one likes having to tap a million times to the right to see all of your stories!
Using stories to speak with your audience is more important than ever.
More than half a billion people use Instagram Stories every day, and a third of the most-viewed Stories are posted by businesses.
– Hootsuite
Step 3: Engage with your community
Your audience is you audience for a reason. Sometimes, marketers make the mistake of simply building a following to see the numbers grow. While, of course, increasing the number of people who follow your business is important- don’t lose sight of the fact that the people in your community are people. As you work through your explore page, comments, and DMs (direct messages), try to create a meaningful connection with the people who are your biggest fans. If you cultivate an engaged community that enjoys your content, it will only benefit you in the long run. If you follow these 3 easy steps, not only will you see your website traffic and social media following grow- but you will see how Instagram can really move your ROI needle.