When someone sees a compelling advert on Instagram, a sale isn’t usually far off. Statistics show that they often result in the customer taking some sort of desirable action. In fact, 79% of Instagram users searched for more information after seeing a product or service on the platform according to a Facebook-commissioned global survey.

The first phase of social media marketing hype was focused primarily on products and eCommerce, but more and more people are realising that services can do just as well. The same things that make social media so great for advertising products make it a great choice for getting clients.

Large amounts of data on potential customers, tweakable campaigns, and online communities. There are so many benefits to scoping out business growth on Instagram

Professional service companies are actually the second top advertising industry on Instagram, so a lot of people in the services industry clearly think it works. Others use organic strategies to get clients instead and many more benefit from a combination of the two. Have no doubt that there’s a goldmine at your fingertips here.

Here are some of the best things you can do to turn your account into a stream of clients.

Make an Instagram Business Account

If you already have a non-business account for your service, then there’s no need to worry. Switching from one to the other is easy enough through your Instagram settings.

There are a number of benefits to using a business account rather than a normal one.

The first of these is the access you get to Instagram Insights. This will let you look at important data such as engagement rates with your posts, the demographics of your following and how many impressions you’re garnering overall.

You can also create advertising campaigns so that when you notice a post doing well you can give it a boost and spread the word even more.

Add calls to action to your profile by clicking on “Action Buttons” under “Edit Profile” and selecting a suitable option. If you’re providing a service then the “Book Now” button allows you to link a booking app so customers can easily sign up.

Stick with things a while and you’ll get access to “swipe-up” links when your business account gets 10,000 followers. This can turn your IG stories into a great way of sending traffic to your website or sign-up page.

None of these is as important as getting the basic details right first though. Make sure you have a clear, high-quality professional choice for your profile picture. Write a clear, concise bio and include a link tree to direct people to your website or other accounts. Popular options include Campsite and Later.

Make the Most of Hashtags

Hashtags are all about people discussing a topic or being part of the buzz around a trend. Every business wants to be part of the discussion and build a buzz. That’s marketing at its very core.

So, getting the most out of hashtags is a must-do if you want as many clients as possible rolling in.

Many IG users follow hashtags which means they see posts containing that hashtag even from accounts they don’t follow. This is a great way to introduce your business to new accounts and potential clients.

Hashtag spamming is counterproductive in the long term as it can result in people unfollowing or blocking your account and your engagement rate dropping. You can use a lot of hashtags but make sure you’re putting in the effort to create matching content that people want to see.

That way you end up on the newsfeed of people who are receptive to what you’re offering and are more likely to give your profile a look or at least leave a like on your post.

To keep up with which hashtags are generating a lot of traffic at the moment, there are tools like SparkToro which show you the most popular hashtags relating to specific subjects. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the hashtag suggestions Instagram gives you when writing comments, as these are often less competitive but still relevant.

Ensure a Rapid Response Rate

For better or for worse, many of the people scrolling past the hard work that makes up your service’s IG account will have short attention spans. People are used to getting answers and information quickly and if you can’t meet that expectation, they’ll have plenty of alternatives to turn to.

If you’ve been executing your Instagram strategy well then you should start receiving Direct Messages from potential clients once your following has built up enough. Initially, getting back to people within a couple of hours should be quite manageable.

As the rate of people messaging you picks up though, manually responding may become unsustainable. Luckily, tools like ManyChat allow you to automate aspects of your inbox. This way potential clients can quickly get the info they’re looking for and hopefully sign up for your service.

Geotagging

This is especially helpful to people that provide an in-person service. People looking for something such as a personal trainer or tattooist will often search by location and if your refined local account comes up, they’ll be hoping as much as you that you can make the sale.

You can save geotagging for the posts where you’re showing off your work, such as a particularly buff-looking client or a recent tattoo you finished. There are creative ways to use this feature if your service isn’t pinned to a specific location. Tag somewhere you’ve worked before or want to do business in the future to boost your reach and chances of being featured on Instagram’s popular Explore section.

Tools to Use

Bring everything together by using the right things to get the most out of your Instagram experience.

People will judge your professionalism on how well-designed your posts are so it’s worth taking the time to piece things together correctly before posting them. Pixelied’s mockup generator is free and can help you make sure your Instagram is filled with the highest-quality content.

As things progress you’ll need to keep a close eye on the responses you’re getting so you can work out what’s going well and what isn’t. There’s tons of data potentially at your fingertips to fine-tune your approach but it’s important that you know how to interpret it. Flick’s Instagram Analytics Guide can prepare you to make the most of all that information and become an efficiency machine.

Then to finish everything off, you need a good CRM (customer relationship management) set-up so your Instagram clients can become real-life successes. Finding a simple, inexpensive CRM can be the cherry on top of your client-finding journey. In this regard, Trello has no competition. Use its organisation prowess to ensure all your hard work on Instagram can be managed effectively.