• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Social Media Examiner | Social Media Marketing

Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle

  • 🔥 Free Newsletter
  • Tools
  • FindHelp
  • Events
  • Shows
    • Social Media Marketing Podcast
    • Social Media Marketing Talk Show
    • Crypto Business Podcast
    • Our YouTube Channel
  • Articles & Videos
    • Articles
      • Web 3.0
      • How To
        • Instagram Marketing
        • Facebook Ads
        • Facebook Marketing
        • YouTube Marketing
        • YouTube Ads
        • LinkedIn Marketing
        • TikTok Marketing
        • Clubhouse
      • View Points
      • Expert Interviews
      • Tools
    • Video Tutorials
      • Instagram Marketing
      • Instagram Ads
      • Facebook Marketing
      • Facebook Ads
      • LinkedIn Ads
      • TikTok
      • Clubhouse
  • Sponsor
    • Podcast Sponsorship
    • Email Sponsorship
    • Event Sponsorship
  • About
    • Society
  • Search
  • How to Convert Leads Using Instagram Stories

    by Alex Beadon / June 22, 2020

    Want to add an email signup link to your Instagram stories? Wondering how to access the swipe-up feature, even without having 10K followers?

    In this article, you’ll discover how to reach, warm up, and convert new leads into becoming email subscribers via Instagram Stories.

    How to Convert Leads Using Instagram Stories by Alex Beadon on Social Media Examiner.

    #1: Leverage Your Followers and Tag Other Accounts to Reach a Wider Audience on Instagram

    The best way to find new leads on Instagram is through your existing audience. When a customer buys from you, Make sure that there’s a clear call to action (CTA) encouraging them to take a picture to celebrate their purchase, post it to their Instagram story, and tag your account. You’d be shocked at how many business owners don’t capitalize on this.

    Not only does this tactic get your business in front of that person’s friends but it also acts as social proof to your existing followers, showing them that other people love your products and services and are buying from you.

    You can also encourage people to tag you in other ways. To illustrate, remind podcast listeners to take a picture showing where they are while they’re enjoying your show. You could also send a note when people purchase a physical or digital product to remind them to tag you in their story and celebrate the purchase.

    When your followers do post and tag you, make sure you repost it to your own story.

    example of Instagram story with reposted UGC

    Another technique to reach a wider audience is to tag larger accounts in your story when it makes sense. If a larger Instagram account finds a piece of your content valuable, they’ll repost it to their story, which will get you in front of thousands and potentially millions of new people and improve your discoverability.

    To get the best results from this tactic and avoid annoying the tagged account, don’t be spammy and make sure you’re adding value.

    #2: Use the Instagram Stories Questions Sticker to Warm Up Your Leads

    You can use the Questions sticker in your Instagram story to warm up your leads. There are a couple of ways to do this.

    The first approach is to use the Questions sticker to start a conversation with your audience. Ask them to tell you more about a problem they’re having that might be related to your industry or niche.

    example of Questions sticker used in Instagram story for business

    Getting your Instagram followers to respond to your question can benefit you in multiple ways:

    No Longer Just for Tech and Finance Nerds...

    Crypto

    Originally just for people who understood the jargon, Web 3.0 is now the business playground for entrepreneurs, creators, and marketers.

    Whether you’re a newbie or have already gotten your feet wet, you can learn the ins and outs of NFTs, DAOs, social tokens, and more on the newest show hosted by Michael Stelzner—the Crypto Business podcast.

    Follow the show on your favorite podcast platform to find out how to make Web 3.0 work for your business.

    FOLLOW THE SHOW
    • You get a micro-commitment from viewers, which is what marketers are always shooting for.
    • You learn what your audience is struggling with and can use this input to develop more effective marketing messages.
    • You identify who your warmest leads are. The people talking to you—those stepping forward to have that conversation—are likely some of your warmest leads.

    Another way to use the Questions sticker is to collect contact information from your Instagram story viewers. But as a disclaimer, make sure you’re abiding by the rules and regulations of your country and service provider.

    #3: Use the Instagram Stories Swipe Up Feature to Collect Email Subscriptions From Warm Leads (Without Having 10K Followers)

    As social media marketers, we all know that email marketing is one of the most powerful ways to generate sales and build your brand. You can use your story to get the people who are already engaging with you on Instagram onto your email list.

    One way to do this is to keep it short and sweet. If you have a story-sized graphic that you can quickly and easily upload, use the Swipe Up feature—if you have 10,000 followers—and just act as a constant tap on their shoulder: “Hey, are you on our email list yet? Because you should be.”

    example of Instagram story asking for sign-ups

    If you don’t have 10,000 followers on Instagram, there’s a workaround for getting access to the Swipe Up feature. To do this, you swipe up to an IGTV video in your story, and when viewers get to the IGTV video, Instagram allows your audience to click through to your outside link.

    To learn how to use this tactic, keep reading for an easy-to-follow walkthrough or watch this video:

    Upload an IGTV Video With a CTA to Tap on the Link

    First, you need to record and upload your IGTV video and include the link you want viewers to click.

    To record your video for IGTV, use the native camera app on your phone; you can’t record from the IGTV app itself. The video itself needs to be longer than 1 minute.

    record IGTV video in native camera app

    Launch Social Projects Faster and Easier

    FindHelp Marketplace

    Looking for a content creator, campaign manager, or strategist for your social channels or a special project?

    Find the right expert for even the most complicated project or campaign in just a few clicks with our new FindHelp marketplace. You'll have more time to focus on other areas of your business without sacrificing your social presence. Browse highly qualified Facebook and Instagram experts today.

    FIND HELP TODAY

    To get viewers to tap on the link in the description, your video needs to follow a specific script:

    • Introduce the offer right away.
    • Give viewers clear instructions for accessing the link.
    • Restate the instructions.
    • Give a CTA to spur engagement.

    Make sure you give viewers enough time to tap on the link in the video description. Tell them where to click at the beginning of the video and then give them enough time at the end of the video to actually follow through.

    When you’re happy with the video, open the IGTV app and tap the plus icon at the top-right side of the screen.

    plus icon on IGTV home screen

    Then select the video you want to use and tap Next.

    On the next screen, you have the option to choose a thumbnail. Even though Instagram story viewers who swipe up to watch this IGTV video will never see the cover photo, it’s a best practice to always add a thumbnail cover because this video will live on your IGTV channel. It would be cool if the cover had some text on it or some additional color to grab people’s attention.

    To add a thumbnail, tap the App From Camera Roll button at the bottom of the screen and select the image you want to use. Note that IGTV tends to be slow so if you’re trying to upload a video or cover image and see a black screen, just be patient.

    screen to add thumbnail to IGTV video

    After you select your cover image, tap Next.

    Now add the title and description of your IGTV video. You want to be clear and purposeful. For this example, I entered “Click Here to Sign Up Now” and pasted the URL I want to link to. I also added pointing emojis to the link so people know where I want them to tap.

    IGTV post creation screen

    You’ll also see an option to post an IGTV video preview to your Instagram feed. Because this video is just a CTA to get people to tap the title at the top, you don’t want to post the video to your feed so deselect this option.

    When you’re finished, tap Post to publish it to your IGTV channel.

    Once your video has been successfully posted, you’ll see a prompt to share the video to your Instagram story. For now, tap Close and I’ll show you how to do it without this prompt.

    prompt to share IGTV video to Instagram Stories

    Share Your IGTV Video to Your Instagram Story

    To share the IGTV video to your Instagram story, first create the story image you want to use.

    Pro Tip: Adding a GIF to your image is an easy way to encourage people to swipe up. To do this, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen and select GIF. Then search for “swipe up.” You’ll see a ton of different options for swipe up GIFs. I like the GIFs that are two arrows moving upward.

    search for GIF stickers for Instagram story

    Next, you want to link to your IGTV video so tap the chain link icon at the top of the screen.

    chain link icon in Instagram Stories

    On the next screen, select IGTV Video.

    option to add swipe up link to IGTV video

    Now choose the IGTV video you just posted and tap Done.

    select IGTV video to share to Instagram Stories

    The CTA has now been added so you can post the story.

    notification that call to action has been added to Instagram story

    Whenever anyone swipes up on this story, it will take them directly to your IGTV video, which will have the clickable link.

    Conclusion

    Instagram Stories offers you a variety of opportunities to generate leads on the platform. You can leverage your existing audience to reach new leads, use the Instagram Stories Questions sticker to warm up and identify qualified leads, and employ the Swipe Up feature to get them onto your email list.

    If you don’t have 10K followers, you can still access the Swipe Up feature by using IGTV video in your Instagram stories. Make sure your IGTV video, title, and description reinforce your CTA.

    What do you think? Which of these tactics will you try? Do you have any tips of your own for generating leads with Instagram Stories? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

    More articles on Instagram Stories:

    • Discover a step-by-step plan to drive traffic to your opt-in form using Instagram Stories.
    • Learn how to use Instagram Insights for Stories.
    • Find six ways to enhance your Instagram stories for better audience engagement.

    Curious about NFTs, DAOs, and Web 3.0?

    Crypto

    Follow the Crypto Business podcast to find out how NFTs, social tokens, DAOs (and so much more) will affect your business in the near future.

    Every Friday, host Michael Stelzner interviews leading industry experts about what works right now in Web 3.0 and what to expect in the future, so you can prepare your business for the shift, even if you're a total newbie.

    FOLLOW THE SHOW

    Tags: IGTV, Instagram, Instagram Stories

    About the authorAlex Beadon

    Alex Beadon is an Instagram Stories expert & Online Business Strategist who helps small business owners learn to use Instagram Stories to build trust, boost engagement and strengthen sales.
    Other posts by Alex Beadon »

    Get Social Media Examiner’s Future Articles in Your Inbox!

    Get our latest articles delivered to your email inbox and get the FREE Social Media Marketing Industry Report (39 pages, 50+ charts)!

    Industry Report Cover

    Worth Exploring:

    Facebook

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Instagram

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    YouTube

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Linkedin

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Facebook Ads

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Social Media Marketing Industry Report

    Get Free Report →

    Social Marketing Trends

    The data you've been missing!

    Need a new plan? Find out how thousands of marketers plan to change their social marketing activities in our 14th annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report. This 39-page report reveals what marketers have planned for their organic social activities, video marketing, social ads, and more. Get this free report now and never miss another great article from Social Media Examiner.

    Enter your email to get
    our free report:


    Footer

    Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
    Copyright © 2022 Social Media Examiner®
    All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy.

    Helpful Links

    • About us
    • Our content via email
    • Our podcasts
    • Our YouTube channel
    • Our live show
    • Our industry report
    • Sponsorship opportunities
    • Write for us…
    • RSS
    • Accessibility