Learning how to drive traffic from Instagram to your website can be tricky. Not so much because the platform is hard to use, but—based on experience—because Instagram is primarily a visual platform. This makes for a bit of a learning curve for businesses that are used to using text-based marketing strategies such as blogging, AdWords or Facebook and Twitter posts.
Does that mean you should completely forget about using Instagram as a marketing tool? Of course not, especially when, according to Hootsuite, 1 billion people use Instagram every month, and 500 million people use Instagram Stories daily.
With a bit of trial and error, and a better understanding of Instagram’s new tools and features, you can leverage Instagram’s potential as a powerful content marketing medium. Here are some tried and tested tips to get you started:
1. Remember: Instagram is About Images
There are certain industries that are easier to market on a visual platform like Instagram. Restaurants, fashion retailers, the beauty industry—it’s pretty easy to showcase a specific product and post it on Instagram. However, what if your business is in a very specific niche? Or you offer a service that’s hard to capture on film?
Yes, it’s going to be more difficult and it will take a bit more effort, but it is possible. I would advise against typing something up and taking a screenshot and posting it. What you can do is create a catchy headline, use some nice graphics as the background, and create a brief caption that compels your audience to engage with your post.
2. Know Where to Put Your Links
Here’s a big challenge with Instagram: you can’t just add a link in your captions for people to click on. The only place you can add a link is in your profile bio, unless you have a verified page with thousands of followers.
That said, be smart about where you put your links. If you add a link in your caption, you’re basically asking your audience to manually type the link into their browsers—they can’t even copy the text. Remember to ask them to click the link on your bio if you want them to head over to a specific page.
3. Leverage IGTV Video
IGTV Video, a recently added feature on Instagram that allows you to upload live and recorded videos, allows you to put links in your descriptions—so make the most of it. Remember, video can be very powerful for converting audiences to make a purchase or click on a link.
Encourage viewers to check out your video descriptions and make sure that a call-to-action is in your IGTV video titles.
4. Engage with Your Audience
From experience, Instagram users are eager to engage by commenting and liking photos, stories, and videos. Make the most of this. When someone comments, like their comment and try to engage with them in conversation.
These are simple, actionable steps that can truly make a difference. Give it a try and see how quickly you’ll see results. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via Leadspanda.
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