Instagram is highly popular among the millennials and 90% of the users follow at least one business on the platform. Also, many people use the platform to discover products.
While it can be seen that Instagram has great potential for B2C companies, it is also an effective way to drive B2B leads.
How can Instagram help generate B2B leads?
Here are three ways in which Instagram can help generate leads.
Most people today use Instagram for product discovery. Around 35% of the global audience is aged between 25 and 34 years. As Instagram has one billion users, you can reach a huge in-app audience of potential buyers.
Over 25 million companies and 2 million advertisers use Instagram for business promotion. Therefore, the platform rolls out business-specific features to help businesses achieve results.
Despite being a popular platform, many B2B companies overlook Instagram as a marketing option to promote their services and products.So, if you start using Instagram for B2B, you are more likely to be ahead of your competitors.
Simply put, Instagram can be a perfect platform to generate B2B leads.
Here are 7 ways to use Instagram to generate B2B leads.
1. Use your Instagram Bio Link
Around 200 million active Instagram users visit at least one business profile every day. This means people are interested in discovering companies and know more about the company. If you want your visitors to know more about you, make sure to use your bio. It is sort of a clickable business card that helps visitors learn more about your company easily.
A great way to generate B2B leads is to add a lead generation landing page as your bio link, just like HubSpot Academy;
Users are taken to a custom landing page with several marketing course options.
If you have digital downloads such as eBooks, you can use them as lead magnets to get your visitors to share their information with you.
2. Include contact options
So, a visitor has discovered your products and services on Instagram. What next? You have to make sure that your visitors contact you directly. When it comes to B2B marketing, do remember that many individuals are involved in the process and so, it can take time.
Add various contact options such as phone number, email address, or directions helping your followers to choose their best way to contact you directly and discuss collaboration.
Remember, B2B buying decisions are often difficult to make so it’s no wonder that your potential customer may want to ask questions related to your products or services. So, by providing contact options, your users get to contact you directly and you will have an opportunity to generate B2B leads.
3. Tell your followers about the B2B business
Once you have got the attention of your target audience, the next step is to prove to your followers that your products can help improve their business. The best way to do this to tell your followers about your B2B business.
You can write posts about your product benefits or share explainer videos to get your followers interested and engaged.
4. Build a relationship with your followers
If you want to gain more B2B leads, make sure to build an authentic relationship with your followers.
One of the best ways to create a connection with your followers is by taking them behind the scenes. You don’t have to worry about spending too much on high-quality videos. All you need to do is interact with companies that share your values.
Another impressive way to build authentic relationships is by sharing more about your clients. Publish success stories to provide social proof that will also help you sell on Instagram.
While it is important to publish content on Instagram to build relationships, it is also important to take part in discussions and to reply to comments.B2B buyers are real people who want to feel heard and valued. So, it is important to participate in such activities.
5. Collaborate with influencers
Despite the modern methods of marketing, word-of-mouth still remains one of the best methods to generate B2B leads. When you share positive reviews, other B2B buyers are more likely to be interested in your business. Instagram Influencer marketing is one of the best ways to spread the word about your company in a positive manner.
Finding influencers may seem like a daunting task but you can collaborate with influencers who can promote your brand. For example, Intel promotes its Asus laptops with Bricia Lopez, a niche influencer.
Small businesses can reach out to micro-influencers( people with less than 100,000 followers) who have amazing engagement in every post. Micro-influencers are more likely to have an audience who trust their buying advice.
6. Leverage Instagram Stories
Over 500 million people create or watch Instagram Stories and they are extremely popular. Businesses create about a third of the most-viewed Instagram Stories. For B2B companies, this is a great way to reach the right audience and achieve your business goals.
To increase your B2B leads, you can use Stories features such as a swipe-up link that takes your interested viewers to a landing page. Additionally, you can save popular Stories to Highlights (below your bio) which will help your followers as well new visitors discover relevant content easily.
7. Instagram Lead Generation Ads
Instagram Lead Generation Ads are one of the fastest ways to generate B2B leads. These ads help you reach your target audience and collect valuable information, all in-app. Whether you are looking to get phone numbers or build your email list, Instagram Lead Generation Ads help you collect all the important information from your potential leads.
Final thoughts
In addition to networking, Instagram has become a powerful marketing platform for B2B companies. Implement these techniques in your marketing strategy and watch the number of leads soar!