Now that we’ve covered how to make money on Instagram, it’s time to dive into the nitty gritty of Instagram sales funnels.
This post will show you how to put all those Instagram money making tips into practice with an Instagram sales funnel that runs smoothly and effectively on autopilot.
This Instagram sales funnel is based on the 7 step customer’s journey–a.k.a the process your followers go through on their way to becoming your clients. This is also known as the buyer’s journey, and it’s a hugely important part of marketing psychology.
In order to sell to your followers, you need to understand where they’re coming from, and what part of the journey they’re on. That way you can tailor your approach to exactly what they’re looking for.
Before you dive into this post, you also need to understand how to build the Know, Like, and Trust factors with your audience which can read in this post here.
Below I’ll break down each part of the Instagram sales funnel, including examples and action steps, so you can see it step by step.
If you’d rather watch than read, check out the video version below:
The 7 Step Instagram Sales Funnel
The 7 steps of the Instagram sales funnel are awareness, identify, consume, engage, nurture, opt-in and convert.
Most business owners are only concerned with the last step (convert), because that’s the point of sale. But don’t forget everything that comes before! You won’t have an audience to sell to if you neglect the earlier steps of the funnel.
Now let’s look at each step in a little more detail.
Step #1: Awareness
Before people can buy from you, they have to be aware you exist. This is the “know” portion of your sales strategy (read the complete breakdown of know, like and trust in this post).
Awareness is all about expanding your reach to new audiences. A potential client might see you tagged in someone else’s story, or see one of your posts come up on a hashtag they follow. At this point they view your profile and hopefully see something there that makes them stick around.
This is their entry point into the customer’s journey, so make sure you have as many entry points as possible.
Examples include:
- Collabs with other businesses or creators
- Press
- Comments
- DMs
- Hashtags
- Freebies
- Guest FB live in another group
Action Step: Take a minute to think about how you are getting visible and how your clients find you on social–or put up a poll and ask them! Look for ways to grow your reach even further.
Step #2: Identify
In the context of Instagram, this is the step where someone follows you. At this point they actively remember who you are, and identify with something you’ve said (in a post, a story, your bio, etc.).
Some part of your content hits home for them. It could be your energy, something you wrote in a caption, a common place you’ve both visited. The key is to always be creating content your ICA can relate to.
This only works if you’ve established who your ICA is and curated your content to appeal to that person. Your bio, profile and posts should all be consistent, so that no matter which piece of content your ICA sees first, they immediately identify with you. Make it clear why they should follow you (ie. for more great content!).
Action Step: Refine your vision of your ICA and make sure you’re clear on their pain points. Make sure you are crystal clear on your brand and messaging and what you stand for as that is going to be what people identify with. Make sure this is also clear immediately in your bio and quickly throughout your profile.
Want more help gaining followers? Check out my free guide on how to gain 100 ideal client followers every single week!
Step #3: Consume
Moving beyond know into the like factor, your potential customer is now passively consuming your content (ie. a “silent follower”). They may not be actively engaged yet, but they’re still soaking in everything you create. They may even drop a few likes on your posts.
Before people are ready to purchase, they need to like and trust you. One way to do this is to create content tailored to your ICA, so they feel it really speaks to them. It should both hit on their pain points and offer solutions (for more on creating content for your ICA, check out this post).
Action Step: Create stories and posts that speak to your ICA.
Step #4: Engage
This is the point at which your customer goes from a follower to actively engaged. Something you said really resonates with them, and they choose to comment or send you a DM. What differentiates this step is that they’ve now taken an action to engage with you and your brand.
This all comes back to your messaging and brand. If you’ve been following the steps up to this point, your messaging should resonate deeply with your ICA. They feel comfortable with you, because of your shared beliefs, thoughts and desires. They can relate to you, and that inspires them to take the next step.
The other key piece here is the invitation – you want to invite and instruct your audience to engage with you and maybe even take the initiative to engage with them first via something like a DM.
Action Step: Engage with your audience in the DMs and respond to their comments on your posts. Make sure to include CTA (call to actions) in all your content (see below for examples).
Below are two examples of how to incorporate CTAs into your posts. Click here or here to see the full posts!
Step #5: Nurture
Since you’re now creating content that’s targeted towards your ideal client, you’re already one step ahead on the nurture phase. You also need to intentionally nurture your relationship with each engaged follower–check in with them, send a DM, reply to their comments. No matter how you do it, we need to build relationships.
Again, people won’t buy from you if they don’t trust you, and the way to build trust is through relationships.
Action Step: Work on building your relationships with your existing followers. Check in with them and ask them about something without trying to sell.
Step #6: Opt-in
The next step usually consists of a freebie or some other commitment toward your brand. This is the first sign of trust–they’re now expressing interest in you and your offers. At this point, the funnel may move from Instagram to another platform (like Facebook or email). Ideally, you should integrate your social media so that all these systems work together like a giant spider web.
Action Step: Once someone has opted-in to your email list to receive your freebie, you know they’re one of your best leads. Make sure you add their information to your leads tracker! For more on creating the perfect opt-in, check out this video.
Step #7: Convert
This is the point of sale–your follower now understands your brand and sees value in your offer. They trust you are the person who will get them results, and they know, like, and trust you enough to purchase. Congratulations!
In order to sell successfully, you have to sell often. Each of your followers may be at a different stage of their customer journey, and you never know who could be ready to buy.
Action step: Include a CTA (verbally or written) at the end of your post or story, inviting followers to purchase. Also make sure you are talking about your offer often – you are a business so sales is at the heart of what you do.
Bonus Step: Advocate
This optional final step is the ultimate mark of a successful Instagram sales funnel. You’ve delivered on your promise, and your clients are so happy that now they recommend you to others! They appreciated your service and believe in you enough to share your message.
This step is also known as social proof or even word of mouth, and if you make it to this stage of the funnel, you’re doing it right! Social proof is a great way to expand your audience, and start the sales funnel all over again with awareness.
Final breakdown of the Instagram sales funnel:
Remember every customer moves at a different pace.
Some people find my profile for the first time and are ready to purchase within two days. Others take a year or longer. Knowing the different stages will allow you to pinpoint where each follower is at, and therefore target your sales approach. It’s your job to walk them through the journey.
Now you know how to create an Instagram sales funnel! If you’re looking for more Instagram marketing & sales tips, make sure you check out my Instagram Business Blueprint, the ultimate Instagram sales course for entrepreneurs.
And don’t forget to check out MY own Instagram to see all these strategies in action!
Keep Reading:
How to Make Money on Instagram in 2021
Creating Content That Converts: 3 Steps to Success
3 Easy Ways to Improve your Visibility on Instagram!
How to use Instagram to rocket-launch your biz in the next 30 days
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xoxo
amanda kolbye
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hey there!
I'm Amanda.
