Instagram is no longer just a mobile application for photos, it is much more than that and the big brands know it. Some time ago they made the leap to this platform and are already taking advantage of it by getting new customers to those who previously had no access. The good news is that this model can also be applied on a small scale and to help you get started we offer you  3 keys with which to convert your Instagram followers to customers.

In recent years Instagram has proven to be an effective platform for sellers, its format of images with short descriptions is ideal for any business to promote their products. Believe us, if the big brands are on Instagram is because it really helps them to sell more, that simple.

Instagram + Followers + Confidence = New Customers For Your Business.

What we show you below are proven techniques that major brands apply daily to make their Instagram appearances. They encourage their followers to be also part of the promotion and thus generate the greatest possible impact.

1. Create enthusiasm and motivation with contests.

Instagram has become a very popular platform for photo contests. In addition, the use of tags in Instagram makes the job much easier when it comes to following the contest.

The contests encourage people to follow your profile, with this you get their attention and motivate them to be part of your promotions. If you also motivate them with a succulent gift, your followers will speak well of you and recommend you to others.

Normally brands invent a new hashtag for each contest, asking their followers to include that hashtag in their photos if they want to participate. In this way the brand can follow all the photos participating in the contest and choose their winner.

Brands like socialrunner are a great example of how to use photo contests on Instagram for their promotional campaigns. An example of their most successful competitions was # socialrunner , in which to participate, they first asked people to follow their profile and after they published photos with the #socialrunner  label of anything that represented love. In addition, the winners based on the most original, creative and best technical photo, received products from the new socialrunner  merchandise.

2. Reward your followers with promotional codes.

Another way to capture the attention of your followers and get them to return to your profile is publishing photos with promotional codes hidden in the description or comments. It is a way to reward those followers who have taken the trouble to see the photos of your products and read the descriptions and comments.

It is a very effective method of making a “call to action” on Instagram, since users who find the codes will be in need of spending them on one of your products. This generates a sense of special treatment on the part of your brand and results in greater confidence with your followers, remember that trust is the last step before converting them into customers. In addition this technique can report important benefits that otherwise would be impossible to achieve.

3. Highlight your best customers.

Posting photos on Instagram of your customers while using some of your products is a great way to thank their trust in your brand. This is something that many companies are starting to do, since on the one hand they have a good gesture towards the client of the photo and on the other hand that client is going to encourage their followers and friends to follow the profile of your brand.

Satisfied customers are the best defenders of your brand, so this technique is a great way to tell the story of your company from the point of view of someone outside of it. Take it as if it were the testimonial section of your socialrunner website where clients recommend your products or services. Posting photos of real and satisfied customers on Instagram is the best testimony you can have to tell people that your products are worthwhile.