Although Instagram’s reputation for e-commerce and B2C businesses is rock solid, B2B companies feel a little shakier about it. Frequently, B2B businesses question whether or not Instagram can be used for their organisation and, if it can, how can they do it right?

What’s so great about Instagram?

Firstly, let’s talk about what makes Instagram a worthwhile platform to explore.

One of the main benefits of using Instagram for lead generation is the audience. Not only are you speaking directly to an audience looking to discover brands, you are also reaching a difficult audience to connect with: millennials. 

At this point, many millennials are in their late twenties and early thirties. They’ve developed careers and are even heading departments. Often, they are the people you want to set up meetings with. And, if not, they’re able to have serious conversations and make recommendations to those you do want to meet.

Another key feature? It’s mobile driven. These days, more and more users explore the internet and do brand research from the comfort of their phones. It also means that you are able to access the audience anywhere, not just on desktop. 

Read more: 7 reasons why your business should use Instagram

So how do you make Instagram work for your business?

Bio Link

One key thing is to make sure you’re using your bio link to its fullest potential. Rather than just having the link direct  visitors to your website, you can use that space for links to lead capturing landing pages. And, to support these, you can create visually engaging posts that encourage people to click on the link in your bio. 

Especially good formats for engagement are videos and carousel posts!

Brand Building

Although this doesn’t translate directly to generating more leads, brand building is an important part of any business’ strategy. Making your brand known and trusted by your audience is vital. Culture is a big part of why people buy into a business right now and Instagram is a fantastic way to showcase yours.

Show off your team and ethos by sharing things like behind-the-scenes posts, company days out (or Zoom parties), and team successes. Buyers want to know who they’re buying from!

Multiple Contact 

This is a really simple tip, but make sure that you give your followers multiple ways to contact you. In addition to the link in your bio, business accounts come with a contact button. When a user clicks on that, it pops up with contact options. Always be sure to provide both an email address and a phone number to make getting in touch easy.

Brand Ambassadors

Although marketing news loves to shout about the era of influencers being dead, it’s not exactly true. While traditional influencer marketing is complicated for B2B businesses, engaging with brand ambassadors isn’t.

These Instagram users don’t have to be high profile celebrities or Instagram stars. Instead, reach out to your customers. Often, highly engaged customers will be more than happy to mention you on their posts. If you can sweeten the deal by returning the favour, even better! 

Ads

The Instagram lead generation ads are a fantastic way to go if you want to put a little bit of extra budget behind your campaign. While they’re not the most affordable ad channel, Instagram does offer the ability to reach your audience directly and gather contact information straight through the platform.

If you decide to take this route, make sure that your ad designs are captivating. Instagram is a visual platform and the best ads can almost be mistaken for high quality native content. 

Stories & Live

Instagram stories is an underutilised tool for B2B businesses. These short videos can be used for a variety of different reasons and pairing them with live sessions can make them very powerful. 

Consider adding things like tutorials and industry news to your stories to engage your audience and show off your thought leadership. Help your followers see that you are an authority in your field and share helpful information with them.

And hosting live session Q&As can act almost like a webinar. You can share information, answer questions, and get to know the people interested in your brand. It also has the benefit of feeling informal, so potential customers may be more willing to interact.

Instagram isn’t just for B2C anymore. B2B businesses need to start engaging on multiple channels, including Instagram, to ensure that they are giving themselves the best chance for growth. And, using the tips listed here, you can absolutely start generating leads on this platform.