4 proven ways to get more bookings from Instagram

Get more bookings at your organisation

Are you looking to get more bookings at your organisation? As part of our Performing Arts series ‘Putting communications centre stage’, we’re taking a deep dive into which marketing channels can support that. Chances are you’ve already considered your website, Facebook or even paid ads. But have you added Instagram to that list?

With over 2 billion active users, Instagram is an ideal platform to promote your business and boost your bookings. When used right, Instagram marketing can help you get in front of your ideal audience and connect with potential new customers.

Plus, Instagram gives you valuable insights into your audience, helping you create content that keeps them engaged.

Keep reading to discover 4 tried and tested ways to get more bookings out of Instagram.

Boost your bookings with Instagram marketing

Tip number 1 – Make it easier

Let’s start with the basics. To get more Instagram bookings, you need to make sure it’s easy. Be sure to add a “book” button directly to your Instagram profile. When potential customers are checking out your profile they can then quickly book into trials or directly into classes. It also makes it easier for your customers to book into extra classes or workshops you may be promoting.

You can also link directly to specific classes on a branded timetable and personalised shop, which if connected to your drama class management software is even better! Make sure the end location has a similar look and feel to your Insta posts to look professional.

Make it easier for your customers. Get them while they’re ready to book.

So how do you add a booking link to Instagram? It’s simple, all you need to do is head over to your profile and click ‘Edit Profile’. You’ll then find underneath your bio you can add in links to URL’s. If you’re a LoveAdmin customer this could be a link to your shop or a specific class. If you’re not currently a LoveAdmin customer, then you could use this as a place to link to your website.

Here’s an example

Tip number 2 – Give potential customers FOMO

One of the best Instagram marketing strategies is to give your potential customers the FOMO (fear of missing out). Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram, seen a cool event or party and gone, ‘I wish I was there that looks great’. That’s the exact feeling you want your prospective customers to have, when they look at your Instagram profile.

Whether it’s showing off your end of year shows or classes, parents are going to go ‘wow, I need my child to experience that, they would love it!’

So how do you achieve this? There are a few things we recommend:

Show off your organisation consistently

This means regular posts and updates with a similar theme; you want it to be instantly recognisable to someone scrolling that it is your organisation

Create urgency

People are always afraid of missing out on something if FOMO is involved. We’ve all done that when we’ve seen a flash sale and bought something just purely because we don’t want to miss out. If for example you post a special offer for those who book 2 or more half-term workshops, make the numbers you give away limited

Include social proof

Share testimonials you’ve received from happy parents or customers, even some real images of students having fun while enjoying your classes with your teachers. All of this is going to help create FOMO and get people to book. And whilst you’re at it, you can add these images to your LoveAdmin shop products (just like below), so when somebody is thinking of booking a class, they can see the students in class and want their child to join in.

Tip number 3 – Use Instagram as a search tool

Believe it or not but Instagram is a great way for your prospective customers to find your organisation. Whether they’re searching for drama schools in Brighton or dance schools in London, it’s important that you’re showing up in all related searches to your location.

And here’s how you can do that:

• Tap “Add Location” on the top of your Instagram post (we recommend going back to old ones and do the same, then always have a location going forwards)
• Search your location and check that your posts are showing up in that feed. This works best if you turn on your location settings for results to populate, this can be found in phones settings

Tip number 4 – Make the most out of stories and highlights

Instagram has really grown in popularity thanks to its stories feature which helps you share quick updates or sneak peeks of your organisation for 24 hours before disappearing. The location of stories in the feed makes them a great way to capture attention and increase your reach. Adding them to highlights also means you can save them from disappearing.

• Here’s our top tips for maximising stories and highlights in Instagram.
• Highlight moments – Shows, new lesson themes, or upcoming events
• Share the human side of your organisation – Building trust is crucial, and showing the faces behind the organisation can help to ease any parents’ minds
• Share polls and questions – Engage your audience and gather feedback. Ask them what lesson dates / times they would be interested in or if they’re interested in classes

Have an extra bonus tip:

Do your homework – check out other competitors that are nailing Instagram. What are they doing? What kind of hashtags are they using? How’re they engaging with their audience? It’s a great way to get inspiration for your own organisation.

Discover how Imagine That Performing Arts are using Instagram

Here’s how one of our customers, Imagine That Performing Arts are using Instagram to their advantage. From advertising their upcoming to performances to highlighting their students with their monthly student stories, they use Instagram to communicate and engage their existing and potential students. Imagine That Performing Arts are using Instagram to put their communications centre stage, connecting with their audience and show off how great their performing arts school is.