The social photo sharing trend has turned into an impressive phenomenon and clearly the photo sharing platform of choice is Instagram with the highest user/brand interaction rate.

Here are five ways you can use Instagram in your lead generation strategy.

Staff photos

Sharing photos of your staff and company events gives followers a look inside your organisation that feels intimate. Customers generally like to feel familiar with their brands and any photo that portrays team unity and teamwork will be positive for your brand image. Also, you don’t have to use fancy gear to take these types of photos – a portable device such as a smartphone, tablet or iPad will do the job.

Create a personal hashtag

Don’t underestimate the power of the hashtag! The most effective way to generate leads on Instagram is to promote your brand or business using a hashtag. You can use your business name or a targeted key word to interact and keep an eye on any possible leads. Additionally, by using a content specific hashtag you can extend the reach and searchability of your brand.

Engaging with your customers

The best way to increase your Instagram traffic is through liking, commenting and following your customers and ideal leads. You can also use your Instagram to connect with your customers by answering any questions they may have in the comment section.

Customer generated content

Depending on your brand, your customers may voluntarily share photos of your brand with their friends, and tag you in their posts for no cost. This also provides another opportunity for you to engage with your customers by “re-gramming” their content, which is basically when your post their photo on your business’ page. Just make sure you keep your customers happy by crediting the photo as theirs.

Photo competitions

It’s clear that people on Instagram love to share photos, so you can use this to your advantage. Using competitions on social media to generate leads isn’t new, but it is effective. Tell your customers to “Follow” your page, post a relevant image, tag your brand, and use a personalised hashtag for a chance to win your competition.