LinkedIn continues to carry the crown as the B2B stronghold of social media platforms, but other platforms are taking strides toward more business-specific options. The most recent? Instagram.
Instagram is no longer just a platform for sharing pictures and keeping up with friends and family. With the latest updates to Instagram’s features, those in the B2B marketing sector have even more options to engage with their audience and generate leads. With CTA and lead forms, Instagram is upping its game and providing B2Bs with valuable tools to increase their visibility, drive traffic to their website, and, ultimately, convert followers into customers.
Why should B2B brands be on Instagram?
Users are following their favorite brands—and 80 percent of Instagram users follow at least one business account. According to the latest data, there are 200 million users who will visit a business profile on a daily basis.
While it’s true that Instagram may not be the first B2B social media marketing platform that comes to mind for B2Bs, it’s important to note that the platform has evolved beyond just a social media site for millennials to share photos of their brunch. With over 2.3 billion active monthly users, Instagram has become a hub for businesses of all kinds to showcase their products and services, connect with customers, and build their brand reputation.
In fact, professionals and C-suite executives are active on Instagram as well. Many use the platform to keep up with industry news and trends, and some even use it to network and make business connections. By having a strong presence on Instagram, B2Bs can connect with their target audience and build a positive reputation with industry leaders.
And while it may seem like Instagram’s user base is predominantly younger, studies have shown that people of all ages use the platform. This means that B2Bs have the potential to reach a wide audience on Instagram, including potential customers and industry thought leaders.
Furthermore, Instagram provides an opportunity for B2Bs to humanize their brand by sharing behind-the-scenes content and showcasing their company culture. By doing so, they can create a more personal connection with their audience, which can ultimately lead to increased brand loyalty and sales.
If nothing else, brands should invest in building a CEO’s presence on Instagram to elevate the brand’s profile and increase visibility. By sharing industry insights, engaging with followers, and showcasing the company’s values and culture, CEOs can establish themselves as thought leaders and build a positive reputation for their brands.
And now, with Instagram’s latest feature updates, businesses can generate leads directly from their Instagram profiles by adding customizable lead forms to their page.
What are lead forms on Instagram?
Lead forms are pre-filled forms that allow users to easily and quickly submit their contact information to a business. Instagram’s new lead forms feature enables businesses to add these forms to their Instagram profiles, making it easier for potential customers to get in touch with them.
How do lead forms work on Instagram?
When a user clicks on the CTA button on a business profile, they are presented with a pre-filled lead form that they can submit to the business. The form could include the user’s name, email address, and phone number, making it easy for businesses to follow up with potential customers. Marketers can use the standard CTAs and lead forms offered by Instagram or create custom ones with on-brand copy.
What are the benefits of using lead forms on Instagram?
Firstly, they make it easier for businesses to generate leads and connect with potential customers. First-party data is king these days. The lead forms also provide a seamless user experience, as users can submit their contact information without leaving the Instagram app. And because they are customizable, businesses can collect the most valuable information to inform their strategies.
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How to set up lead forms on Instagram
Setting up lead forms on Instagram is a straightforward process. First, make sure that your Instagram account is set up as a business profile. Next, navigate to your profile settings and select the “Contact options” menu. From here, you can add a lead form by selecting the “Add an action button” option and choosing the “Get in touch” button. Finally, customize your lead form by adding fields for specific information that you want to collect from potential customers.
Advantages of Using Instagram for B2B Marketing
One of the main advantages of B2B Instagram marketing is the ability it gives brands to increase visibility by leveraging organic content promotion.
A strong presence on the platform is an easy way to create emotional connections with users through creative visuals and storytelling. By engaging with customers on the platform, businesses can establish a rapport and create a sense of community. As a result, customers are more likely to trust the brand and be loyal to it. This is particularly important for B2B brands that rely on long-term relationships with their clients. Building emotional connections creates a relationship with your audience. And studies show that relationship-based companies are twice as likely to outperform their counterparts on average.
B2B Instagram marketing be used to establish deeper connections with people, including industry thought-leaders, employers, and prospective clients. Instead of focusing solely on selling their products and services, businesses can use Instagram to share behind-the-scenes glimpses into their company culture and values, showcase their expertise, and build relationships with their followers.
One of the best advantages of Instagram is its user targeting capabilities. Ever noticed how relevant and personal the content on your feed can feel? This is thanks to Instagram allowing brands to segment audiences according to their interests, budget, or location. This helps map out tailored approaches for different customer segments. Brands can then develop highly personalized campaigns that maximize conversions from their already available advertising budget. All these benefits make strategically using Instagram one of the best investments that B2B brands can make in digital marketing efforts.
Related Reading: Ultimate Guide to B2B Social Media Marketing
16 Ways to Promote Your B2B Brand On Instagram
1. Know your audience.
No, like, really know your audience—not just online but also offline. Because when it comes to promoting your B2B via Instagram, understanding who your followers are and what they are interested in is essential. This is key if you want your Instagram account to drive traffic successfully. The most important thing you will be doing is targeting specifically the people that will make up your audience, so you can’t go in blind.
You must understand their wants and needs to attract your followers and create relationships with them. Speak to them on a personal level rather than just a business one. Showcase things other than what you’re selling. Display the actual human behind the brand by getting involved. This can be through going live on Instagram or posting behind-the-scenes photos. By getting to know the people you’re targeting, you can begin working towards building an ongoing connection with them, ensuring success for both sides of the interaction.
2. Get up to date on the latest trends.
If you don’t know what a meme is, then there’s no better explanation than you’ve been living under a rock. In technical terms, memes are an ever-popular way to engage with a wide range of audiences. They are topic based, and there’s probably a meme out there for anything you can think of. Memes on Instagram provide opportunities for brands to capitalize on timely trends and capture the attention of their followers. It’s important to remember that these trends sometimes present risks and opportunities. Using a cultural moment or news event to generate engagement can benefit brands when done correctly.
So, try not to take it too far. First, assess public opinion about the current trends before engaging with them. This is especially important when dealing with moments that may have profound implications or carry baggage from past conversations. Being aware of and staying current on timely trends is essential, but taking the time to properly vet potentially complex topics ensures strategic value and protects your brand’s reputation in the long run.
Related Reading: How B2B Companies Can Capitalize On Social Media Marketing Trends
3. Start with nine posts.
Creating the perfect initial nine-post grid is essential to a successful Instagram business. When establishing an account, it’s important to have visually cohesive content following a theme. This will give new viewers a better understanding of your brand, what you offer, and why they should follow you.
Try planning ahead by creating nine posts as part of your grid. Posting these all at once has its advantages. It allows you to launch with much more visual impact than if you only posted one or two pictures every few days. It will also make your account look established and active immediately.
4. Establish a posting schedule.
Creating an effective posting schedule on Instagram is key to generating valuable leads. There are four distinct parts to a successful Instagram scheduling strategy: regular posts, stories, IGTVs, and Reels.
Regular Instagram posts should be shared at least once daily, more if you have the capacity and content to do so. You can use tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or other scheduling platforms to help you stay organized and save time by planning and scheduling your posts in advance. Make sure that these posts focus on providing interesting, engaging content that relates to your brand and industry. When drafting your post captions, take advantage of the 30 hashtags you’re allowed. Pick and choose relevant hashtags related to the post’s topic, as this will help increase visibility leading to new followers, likes, and potential leads.
A daily posting routine will give you more traction on Instagram. This doesn’t mean that you need to post multiple times a day; once a day with good quality content is enough to attract followers’ attention. It also allows you to showcase your creativity through visual content such as images and videos. Plus, updating regularly will ensure you stay ahead of the competition while making the best of B2B Instagram marketing efforts.
5. Prize quality over quantity.
I know it gets tiring to hear this repeatedly, but it pays to focus on quality over quantity when creating an Instagram presence. Building a following quickly with engagement trickery will backfire if that audience does not represent the target market and genuine interaction is not there. Quality content not only increases your brand value but also can earn organic traffic from users who may find value and entertainment in what you produce.
Focus on creating content that provides value and inspires engagement. This will ensure that their follower base is made up of genuine people who care about what they have to say rather than fake followers that can easily be purchased with minimal effort. Investing in producing high-quality content is well worth the effort to build a successful online presence and achieve a positive return on investment.
6. Optimize your profile and posts for Instagram Search.
B2B SEO is an important factor in ensuring your content is being seen. After all, if you post to Instagram daily, you want to make sure someone out there is seeing so. With their built-in search feature, Instagram users can find your content more quickly within the platform. To maximize visibility through this method. Incorporating SEO techniques into your Instagram profile and posts can be extremely beneficial.
By including relevant keyword phrases in your profile’s @username, display name, and bio and correlating hashtags and secondary keywords in image captions, you are improving how easy it is for your target audience to come across your content. Hashtags should be used judiciously- not just thrown in beneath every post or overused to a point where even new followers will know what you are talking about if they click them- but rather strategically placed as keywords that draw attention to posts if a user searches something similar on the platform. Being mindful of what key components trigger web page rankings will help bring attention from both old and potential followers alike.
Related Reading: How To Hashtag Like A Pro
7. Post images that highlight information and data.
Posting images that contain information and data is an effective way to showcase the value of a business on Instagram. These include anything from templates to infographics. By using numbers, statistics, customer quotes, and testimonials, brands can give their followers more insight into what they can offer. For example, if a B2B company is offering a new product or service. In that case, they could post an image containing detailed metrics showing how their offering will help other businesses succeed. This makes it easier for potential customers to understand why the product or service is worth their investment and serves as an engaging advertisement for social media audiences.
8. Use location filters
Location filters can be a powerful tool when utilized strategically in marketing efforts. By using these filters to target clients near a certain location, ABM (Account-Based Marketing) campaigns can be more effective and efficient. Location filters have the potential to increase visibility quickly and effectively when coupled with creative and clever image content, making them an invaluable tool for any digital marketing campaign.
When used effectively, location-based filters save the time and effort needed to target the right groups of customers and develop relevant messaging for them. These filters can personalize ads with targeted messaging and ensure that people near a specific location or store address see content. Additionally, by leveraging interactive maps, businesses can effortlessly track responses from potential customers within their target area and start personalized outreach efforts or run unique campaigns just for them.
9. Embrace User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for creating an engaging Instagram profile. Not only can it show your customer’s unique interests, but it helps establish credibility and authenticity for potential customers who view your account. Embrace UGC and use it to your advantage. Take Etsy as an example, which successfully utilizes the content created by its creators to fill their Instagram feed with inspiring displays of works of art. This helps them attract new users who may be interested in buying handmade products from Etsy sellers.
Using UGC on your company’s Instagram is a creative way to fill the page with interesting visuals that cannot always be produced in-house. Relying on users for content allows you to keep up with popular trends faster than if it was solely managed by an internal team. It also encourages other customers to engage with your brand across social media platforms.
10. Instagram Stories
Don’t give stories a backseat. They are just as important as posts! Using Instagram Stories allows you to tell a story within a story, adding suspense and intrigue and drawing followers in. The stories are always located at the top of the home page and stand out visually so they can be easily seen. To make the best use of this feature, you should post a different story every few hours to keep followers engaged.
For example, many brands and influencers post a story with the text “Do you want to see what we’ve been up to…”’ with a right arrow pointing ahead. When followers click through, they find the next Story, which could highlight a new product launch or even give them a sneak peek behind the scenes. This keeps followers engaged and eager for more of what you have to offer.
11. Instagram TV
Instagram TV (IGTV) is a great way for businesses to connect with their customers and build an online presence through long-form videos without having to go to Youtube. IGTV allows users to upload content for up to an hour, allowing business owners to share in-depth video tutorials, interviews, and even tours of their offices. It can be accessed from the Instagram app or by downloading the Instagram TV app.
This is a goldmine for B2B businesses that want to spread awareness about their product or service more effectively. As well as that, it gives smaller businesses a chance to show off what they have, such as their unique office space or company culture. Videos taken of such would give potential customers another layer of trust when debating whether or not they should invest in particular products or services.
12. Instagram Ads
Instagram Ads can be a powerful tool for businesses wanting to increase their reach and engagement. In fact, 2 million advertisers are using ads, including Stories ads, to promote their products and services. Ads on Instagram allow you to target specific users based on their interests, demographics, and location, meaning you can tailor your ads to the people who would be most interested in what you offer.
Instagram Ads also provide call-to-action buttons that sit directly within the post or story. This makes it easy for users interested in your product or service to act quickly and makes it hard for them to change their minds since they’re already immersed in your content. The great thing about investing in Instagram Ads is that you only pay when someone takes an action that leads them further down the funnel — whether that’s visiting your website or making a purchase. And with Flowbox, you can display Instagram feeds on websites which will help encourage even more customers to purchase your products or services. So when you invest wisely, you’ll be able to maximize each ad dollar while reaching more of the right audience members with relevant details about your brand.
13. Run a contest/giveaway.
A big part of Instagram consists of giveaways and contests. Launching an Instagram contest can help businesses in various industries to generate leads and grow their following. To make the most of a contest, brands need to start by picking a prize that’s relevant to the business and attractive to users and participants. It could be anything from a special discounted product or service, gift cards, apparel, or other desirable items. Companies can then ask users to complete a survey or comment on a post for a chance to win the prize. Tag-a-friend contests are especially popular for driving more leads as they incentivize past customers and followers to spread the word about your campaign.
Another lead-generating option on Instagram is exclusive discounts or promotions available only on the platform. Brands should use compelling visuals in their advertising to stand out in viewers’ news feeds. While this may seem like a B2C tactic, B2Bs can leverage giveaways and promotions too! For example, a SaaS company could offer a year of access to their services for free. Likewise, your company could provide an exclusive high-reward opportunity, like a meeting with a respected influencer. It might just be that little push they need to get them over the finish line and purchase your product or service faster.
14. Offer an incentive (downloadable asset)
Everyone likes getting a little something in exchange for their effort. When it comes to giving back, downloadable assets are an invaluable tool. By offering prospects something of value that can help them navigate a challenge or provide useful information, you can increase their trust in your business. From reports and white papers to eBooks and guides, downloadable assets offer something tangible that prospects will be eager to take advantage of.
15. Don’t undervalue vanity metrics.
Marketing analytics are often presented as complicated, multi-channel tracking systems requiring expensive tools and statistical professionals to build a predictive attribution model. However, rather than wasting time and resources on perfect tracking, it’s better to trust your gut and focus on high-level metrics like impressions, likes, and shares. In reality, non-attributable sources of marketing are often more impactful and less competitive. Provable channels like branded search and paid media often take credit for non-provable channels. Ultimately, most organizations’ marketing investments aren’t driven by their attribution modeling systems, and it’s better to focus on what’s working and ignore the rest.
16. Track, measure, and learn
Not only does Instagram enable you to connect with potential customers, but it also allows you to track and measure your results. This way, you can make sure that your campaigns are actually working for you and reaching the audience you intend to target.
Measuring your Instagram campaigns’ success is important for assessing their effectiveness so that you can continue to refine them until they’re performing at their best. To do this, tracking metrics like landing page click rate and lifetime customer value might be useful indicators of campaign performance, while conversion rates can provide more specific data regarding overall success. Additionally, A/B testing different content styles or variations could be a great way of optimizing the performance of each campaign and ultimately maximizing ROI.
Related Reading: The Top 14 Social Media Tools for B2Bs in 2023
Wrapping Up
When it comes to investing in social media marketing, Instagram is a great platform to consider. The famed social media platform is an incredibly powerful tool for B2Bs to reach their target audience. With the right strategy and tactics in place, brands can use Instagram to increase brand awareness and generate leads, grow their customer base, and measure their results. To achieve success on the platform, businesses should focus on creating relevant content that resonates with their target audience and shows that they have a story to tell.
Looking to expand your B2B Instagram marketing efforts? Reach out today!
Related Reading: 6 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Matters for B2B
