Thursday, March 31, 2016

5 Ways to Generate Leads on Instagram

Do I Really Need Instagram?


Before we jump head first into generating leads on Instagram, let's first talk about why Instagram matters.


“There's already a ton of social media networks, why do we need one more?” – I hear this quite frequently. I'm sure you do as well or maybe have even said it. Heck, I may have said it a couple of times myself.


As someone who is approaching 30, I just don't see the point in certain social media networks younger people are using like Snapchat. I used to think this way about Instagram as well.


You may have heard things about Instagram such as :



  • It's only for the younger crowd

  • I just don't have the time to look into it


By the end of this post, I hope to prove wrong the doubters and show you through data and examples, that not only is Instagram worth your time, it is 100% needed in your business / marketing efforts at the time of this writing into the future.




NEWS: Instagram just announced they are now allowing you to post 60 second videos. This is long enough for you to get out a full marketing message and get leads coming to you through your video marketing efforts.




Why Instagram Matters


Now, let's take a look at some data at why Instagram is not just for the younger audiences, how your ads can work, and how it is absolutely worth your time.


Let's first talk about the massive upsides of Instagram Marketing:


#1 : Brand Interaction – Instagram boasts the highest level of brand interaction out of every major social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ as seen in the image below. The 1.53% is Instagram there in the bold.


Instagram has a 10x+ higher rate of engagement and interaction than other social media platforms meaning your marketing efforts can go 10 times as far.


This alone should convince you to get more into Instagram Marketing for your business.


brandinteraction#2 : Wide Audience – Instagram is continuing to grow leaps and bounds among many different age groups. Not just under age 28. Let's take a look at some recent data.


eMarketer-US-Instagram-User-Estimates-by-Age-2013-2019-Mar2015


5 Ways to Generate Leads on Instagram


1. Use Hashtags


This may be the most obvious way to generate leads on Instagram. You can post up to 30 hashtags per post, and the more you post and use hashtags, the more leads you will get simply.


If you use your limit on Hashtags (30), you should see 30 – 100 likes per post and a small amount of new followers. Not the greatest results, but its 100% FREE.


Here's a list of the top Hashtags you can use for the most likes:


hashtags


Here's some examples of my own Instagram Account:


samcartREPOSTexample sample2


2. Post Daily (Twice Per Day)


Regularity is the key to any type of content or social media marketing. Instagram is no different. However, you can't schedule content out right now, so its all manual unless you have special software like InstaMate. (Click for my full review – Coming Soon)


I suggest that you post first thing in the morning and around 5 pm. People are most active on their mobile phones before and after work. So before 9 am and after 5 pm. That's a fact. So, post according to your main audience. For me, its usually 8 am EST and 5 pm EST since most of my audience is in the US and Canada and most of them are in EST.


3. Post Content That Makes Sense


All of your Instagram posts should flow like a timeline or a story. You shouldn't have random things next to each other. Don't put a picture of your dog next to a quote of Steve Jobs. Make it a story that people can follow who are new to seeing your profile.


Post content that makes sense for the time of year and the day. People will only spend a second as they glance at your posts, so make it relate to world events, trending stories, and what your target audience is interested in. Look to get ahead of trends and look for posts that can create viral growth that people will share.


4. Networking & Partnering


Its important to be active and connect with like-minded people, prospects, and customers. You can tag them in posts, message them, like and follow their profiles, and have real conversations. 


You can find great partners who will be willing to promote your profile for you. You just have to ask. Usually it goes both ways. You promote theirs as well.  You can also find profiles with tons of followers that are willing to sell you a post on their profile to drive thousands of new views to your profile. Use other people's followers to your advantage! This may be the fastest way to grow especially if you are doing this frequently.


5. Promote a Contest / Giveaway


Since Instagram has the highest engagement, it naturally is the best place to run a contest or giveaway of your product or service or perhaps something else… like a NEW CAR! Just kidding, Oprah did that one already. (And it worked wonders for her brand with tons of free publicity.)


I recommend doing this once you built up enough followers to make it really work otherwise, you may waste your time. You don't even need any special software or anything, just post your contest, tell them what they need to do to apply to win (such as tag 5 friends or start a hashtag trend or promote your profile on theirs, etc.) Then, you run that until you feel ready to give away the prize perhaps in a couple days or a week's time. This should create a huge influx of new followers and excitement. Plus, your engagement of your followers will likely increase 10x at least for that week and even longer if you have great content to share and excited followers.


Watch My Full Video Insights



Get Involved


Share with me your Instagram account and your results in the comments below and make sure to follow us at our Instagram : @RyanShaw.Me


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