Depending on how long you’ve been following me, this next thought may surprise you: your social media is more than just a gallery of pretty pictures. Without the proper strategy in place, it’s simply a time-suck that you know you have to do, but don’t know why you’re doing it. (And it’s definitely not leading to higher sales).

If this is you, you’re definitely not alone! As creative entrepreneurs, it can be challenging to figure out exactly how to use social media to attract and book more of your ideal clients. After all, how do you promote your services on these visual platforms? Isn’t social media, especially Instagram, meant to be ‘pretty’?

Not quite.

In reality, social media is a powerful tool that can move your business forward — again, if you have the right social media marketing strategy in place.If you’re ready to take charge of your social media marketing in 2022, keep on reading!

Think of your Instagram as a funnel

For the purpose of this blog post, we’re going to focus on Instagram since it’s one of the most popular social media apps. You can learn more about how powerful Instagram can be for your creative business by tuning into this episode with Instagram strategist, Bianca Trevino.

Alright, back to Instagram and funnels.

I like to think of Instagram as a funnel — one that brings your dream clients through a customer-buying journey. The reason it’s a funnel is because of the shape (a funnel goes from wide to narrow). When we talk about Instagram being a funnel, it represents using the platform to funnel your dream clients from your Instagram (the wide end) to eventually clicking that ‘book’ button (the narrow end).

So, how do you move your dream clients through that funnel? If you think about it in three parts, this is how you’ll develop your social media marketing strategy. First, at the widest part, you start with Instagram Reels. The middle is Instagram Stories. The third, or the narrowest part, is in-feed Instagram posts.

Let’s get into each part of the funnel, and how to create that customer journey with each part.

Top of the funnel: Instagram Reels

Here we are at the top, or the widest, part of the funnel. This is where you’re going to put your Instagram Reels because Reels are shown to anyone on Instagram and Facebook (yes, you can find Reels on Facebook now!) that the algorithm thinks may like them.

This opens up an opportunity for your content and your brand to get in front of more eyes — eyes that don’t already follow you! In other words, this is a great way for new ideal clients to get introduced to you, decide if they enjoy your content, and hopefully, follow you because they find your content valuable! Creating valuable content is out of scope for this particular blog post, but you can read more about what this means by reading this blog post about How to Get Your Reels on the Explore Page.

Now, you should see why Instagram Reels is at the top of the funnel — because our goal is to attract new followers to your Instagram page. As you’ll read about in the following sections, we will focus on increasingly narrower audiences that will eventually lead your followers to your website.

Middle of the funnel: Instagram Stories

The next part of the funnel, or the middle, is to nurture your existing and new followers with valuable content as they’re in the process of getting to know you, like your brand, and trust you as a professional. This is where Instagram Stories come into play.

Stories are a great way to connect with your audience on a more personal and vulnerable level. It allows you to be real with your audience and as a result, make a genuine connection with them.

This can look like sharing behind the scenes of what you do, sharing tips that pertain to your niche, and overall showing the realities of being a business owner and working in your field.

Pro-tip: Although I admit to working on this myself, don’t be afraid to show your face and talk to the camera! If you’re like me, this can be intimidating. But it’s also a sure-fire way to boost engagement, make those connections, and establish trust because your followers get to see there’s a face behind the logo. And don’t worry about always looking super polished or having a script ready — just show up and be yourself!

Last part of the funnel: in-feed Instagram posts

The third part of the funnel, or the most narrow bit, is your in-feed posts. As your followers are getting to know you, like you, and trust you through your stories, they also want to know if you can solve the problem(s) they have.

For example, if you’re a wedding DJ, can you keep wedding guests engaged and pack a dance floor? If you’re a florist, can you create the type of design your ideal client is looking for and within their budget?

Your in-feed posts are a chance to do one thing: answer the burning questions your ideal clients have. This gives you a chance to position yourself as the expert your followers are searching for.

OK, I know I said this was the last step in the funnel — the one that would lead them to click that ‘book’ button or at least visit your website. So how do you do it?

Including CTAs on most, if not all, of your Instagram posts. Now, your CTAs can be as simple as asking your followers to double-tap or drop an emoji to boost engagement. Or, you can ask them to get more involved, like asking them to share the post with a friend who may need your post. And of course, the most invested CTA is to book a consultation call via the link in your bio.

Feeling like you need just a bit more guidance creating your posts and the right CTAs? I got you! Social 365 is a resource I created that contains one FULL year’s worth of Instagram Posts, Stories, and Reels. Plus, 52 blog post prompts that will help you strategically market to, attract, and book your ideal clients. Click here to grab it!

Conclusion

If you’re new to the Instagram game, this may feel overwhelming at first. However, I promise that with a little bit of practice and time, you’ll quickly find a way to prioritize Instagram. Plus, now that you have a strategy in place, your process should be more streamlined! Just always think to yourself, “what is the purpose of this post, and what step in the customer journey do I want my followers to take next?” Then, lead them there!

Want to learn more about customer journeys? Grab your FREE ticket to the Wedding Summit Series Talk, where I’m talking more in-depth about how to use social media to create an intuitive customer journey. Click here to attend!