This post is a delayed version of SME Clinic newsletter, a weekly newsletter that provides tips and recommendations to help you position your small business for success. Register to attend SME Clinic 2021 here.
For the most part, people sign up for Instagram to connect with friends and enjoy content while simultaneously growing their followers and improving engagements.
However, as a business owner, your focus should be on turning these followers into clients — people who pay for your products and services.
If only a handful of your Instagram followers have ever patronised your business, or you do not even know how to start advertising on the platform, here are a few ways to convert your followers into paying, repeat customers.
1. Have a clear idea of your target audience
Often, it's so easy to think that your products/services are solutions to all problems. But that's not true. As a business owner, you're not for everybody.
Your product/service has a specific problem it's proffering solutions to. Find out what problems your followers have that can be solved with your product/service.
2. Post persistently, but more importantly strategically
If nobody knows what you're selling, you won't get buyers. Be loud about what you do! Own your brand and promote it relentlessly and strategically.
Create content around your product/service offering and share consistently. Pick specific days in the week that you post, and let the content always emphasise what you're offering and what makes it unique.
It's okay to take a break, but communicate with your followers beforehand.
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3. Engage your audience regularly
This cannot be overemphasised. Building a good relationship with your followers is very important. It's as easy as constantly leaving kind and witty comments on their posts, sending them wishes on their birthdays etc.
As an entrepreneur, it's important to go first! You could personalise it and go a step further to send DMs, know what they care about, and engage their interests as observed from their posts. This will create a leeway to introduce your products/services. Outstanding customer relationships are key.
4. Customer feedback is a pot of gold
So, you've completed an order for one or two followers; don't let it end there. Ask for feedback. What was their experience like using your products? What did they wish was better? Without the interactions, it's not social; it’s just media!
And share this feedback. Let your service do the talking. Word of mouth is a fast selling medium. There are products you've used today because you know someone who knows someone that knows someone.
5. Invest in paid advertisement
Paid advertisement prices on Instagram depend on what package you and for how long you want the ads to run.
But even when you do this, you still have to engage with your customers to keep them. Reply DMs; it shows trust. Research shows that the longest a customer on social media is willing to wait for a reply is 4 hours. After this, they might no longer trust you.
6. Give often
Giving in a world that keeps taking is rare, and this is good for a change.
Pick a time — maybe once or twice a month — when you let your followers apply for a giveaway. This helps to get and publicly share feedback on your product/service.
It's never been easier to promote oneself and build in public; however, it's never been so easy to be open to the unexpected. But at the end of the day, a great deal of the shots we miss are the ones we don't take!
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