Get All Access for $5/mo

Turn Instagram Into an Effective Funnel Step for Your Business Tracking and analyzing all of the data available to you is essential to getting results on social media.

By Lesya Liu Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Caiaimage/Tom Merton | Getty Images

Once you've got a good grip on Instagram metrics and performance of your account, you should take a look at the traffic coming from Instagram to your website and examine people's behavior once they land there.

The first thing to take care of is to set up the right tracking. A majority of analytical tools often report Instagram traffic as "Direct," because all referrer information gets stripped away when switching between apps.
To truly get all the data you're after, employ URL shorteners. Now, every time someone clicks on the link in your Instagram bio, you will have all the information you need about them. You can compare that number to the number of clicks reported in your Instagram analytics, if you do have access to them.

Another strategy I highly recommend is to build a special landing page just for Instagram traffic. Most likely, your homepage paints a very broad picture of your brand. While it may be a good starting point for people who randomly stumbled across your site, it is not ideal for people who are already on your site and had some sort of previous interaction with your company (even if it's on Instagram).

Related: 12 Social Media Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make

Now that they're on your website already, you want them to take the next step, whatever it may be for your business: whether it's scheduling a call, signing up for a webinar, or placing an order. Homepages tend to have a lot of information and links crammed onto them. This results in informational overload and choice fatigue to a point where they feel lost. Take them through a clear path of the obvious next steps.

So, now that you have a dedicated page and a special link that is trackable, you are all set to dive deep into analytics. The referrer information will travel with them everywhere they go on your website, so you can slice it and dice it however you want.

So, what do you want to pay attention to? How long have they've spent on this page, what percentage of them bounced? These numbers will indicate how engaged they are on your website.

How many pages on average they've visited per session and where exactly have they clicked? This will give you a good indication of what they're interested in and looking for.

Related: This Instagrammer With More Than 2 Million Followers Literally Cooks Her Content

Finally, you can see how many people with Instagram as a referrer purchased something on your site and even know how much they've spent. This is the best metric to justify Instagram as as an effective business tool. If you have a lot of people who come from Insta and convert into customers, you will instantly know that you're doing Instagram right.

You can also reverse-engineer your sales funnel to see where the disconnect happens and which parts need the most work. If not a lot of people from Instagram visit your website in the first place, you need to craft a more engaging bio and a more enticing offer for them to click in to. If they land on your landing page, but don't spend enough time or don't go anywhere -- rework and optimize your landing page.

Related: 10 Proven Ways to Make Millions on Social Media

Finally, if they spend time on the page and wonder around your website without converting, then you need to polish your sales message to them or simplify the sales funnel and make it shorter, with fewer steps.

If you want to ensure that it's an effective tool in bringing highly qualified and engaged audience to your website, you need to track and analyze all of the data available to you.

Lesya Liu

Social Media Strategist at The Social Media Current

Lesya Liu helps entrepreneurs create a meaningful and profitable Instagram presence that feels right for their creative businesses. Born and raised in Ukraine, she is a social media strategist and a photographer. Her passion lies in combining art and marketing to create compelling storytelling, both visually and textually. Most days she roams the Interwebs, looking for fresh, inspirational ideas or testing things out on her own social channels.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Growing a Business

5 Reasons Why Time-Tracking Can Put Your Business in a Chokehold

More and more businesses are adopting time-tracking software to manage their operations, but is it all it's cracked out to be?

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Franchise

The Top 10 Coffee Franchises in 2024

From a classic cup of joe to a creamy latte, grab your favorite mug and get ready to brew up success with the best coffee franchises.

Business News

Looking for a Remote Job? Here Are the Most In-Demand Skills to Have on Your Resume, According to Employers.

Employers are looking for interpersonal skills like teamwork as well as specific coding skills.

Business News

'Do You Sell Cars?': Tesla CEO Elon Musk Trolls Jaguar Rebrand on X

The team running Jaguar's X account was working hard on social media this week.