The Difference Between Content That Generates Likes and Content That Generates Leads

Say you get 20,000 views for a post. Your notifications will be filled with likes, comments, and shares. The feeling is good when your content strikes a chord with people.

Then you check your enquiries.

Nothing.

This is one of the misconceptions of Instagram marketing that businesses often fall into. Attention is not always demand. A post may have reached thousands of people and be entertaining, shareable and viral, but this has nothing to do with the ability to drive sales.

Likes are good, reach is good, virality is good, but the second a business bases its entire Instagram strategy on engagement, it begins to fail its real purpose. There is no equivalence between a personal entertainment account and a business account. The content of a business needs not only to engage, but also to educate the audience, build relationships, trust and influence. The key difference lies in the journey: what the business content must do to get a potential customer to take some action.

So what is the fundamental difference between content that gets likes and content that gets leads?

It's not in the format, in the volume of hashtags or the frequency of posts. It is in intention and journey.

1. Likes Answer "Did People Notice?"

A like is a confirmation that someone saw your post and liked it.

This information will help you in determining the popularity of your idea or topic.

But it does not provide information as to whether or not the post made the user take any action that might have been required about your offer. Did the user need your service/product? Did the user understand what you offered? Did he trust you? Did he want to purchase anything from you? Did he find it affordable? Did he know how to get in touch with you? Was he ready to become your customer?

This is the reason why the engagement should be considered only as a sign of influence. Influence is something positive, but the influence needs to be converted into actions in the business. When analyzing engagement, it is necessary to formulate an additional question. Instead of just asking "Did they notice me?" try asking "What happened with these people after they engaged with my post?"

This is how you shift from the metrics of social media to the metrics of marketing.

2. Likeable Content And Lead-Generating Content Have Different Jobs.

Imagine you run an Instagram account like an organisation with different departments. One department's job is to drive traffic. Another educates the audience. Another removes objections. And the last one closes sales. Obviously, not every post has to do all of these things at once.

However, businesses often expect every post to be lead-generating, and this is where they make a mistake. In reality, different types of content have different purposes.

A funny Reel may get you famous and help you reach thousands of people who have nothing to do with your niche. At the same time, one post may be very boring but at the same time, solve a customer's problem and build trust. One publication may introduce a product, while another will show a customer's experience. One post will show what the company does, while another will provide a detailed proof of concept.

Finally, the publication may give a solution and make a direct call to action. But not all posts have to be lead generation machines.

The key point here is that all these publications create a chain: starting from catching the eye, going through education, overcoming objections, creating trust, and ending up with offering something to the audience. And that is the least you can do for your Instagram account to bring you sales rather than likes only.

Instead of "What to post?", think about: Attention → Interest → Trust → Intent → Action.

3. Likeable Content Often Begins With Entertainment.

Posts designed to grab attention at all costs often have one goal: stop the scroll. To do this, they use a large number of entertaining and engaging tools:

• Humor
• Trends
• Surprising information or facts
• Relatable situations
• Visual appeal
• Controversial questions
• Short stories
• Unexpected hooks

For example, a cafe account can post a Reel saying "POV: you said you would only have one coffee". This type of post can get great results in terms of views and engagement.

However, it fails to indicate to the user why they should choose this particular cafe.

A Reel saying "3 things to know before choosing a cafe for your next work meeting" can solve this problem by telling the user what to look for in a cafe. While it may not seem as entertaining, it will attract a more concrete audience with a specific request.

Entertainment builds attention and engagement. But problem-solving builds interest and intent.

4. Lead-Generating Content Often Starts With A Problem.

People do not come to your Instagram just to watch your content. They have their own problems and goals that they want to achieve. The content needs to fit into their existing conversation.

A food critic needs somewhere to take their family for dinner.

An entrepreneur needs more high-quality prospects.

A personal trainer needs a diet plan that is realistic to follow.

An Instagram account owner needs more sales and leads.

A homeowner needs a designer who understands space planning.

Your content being relevant to this conversation will automatically generate sales for you. Instead of wondering about what kind of content to post on Instagram, start thinking about what kinds of problems your potential customer might be going through right now.

Instead of:

Our new office chairs have arrived!

Try:

Buying an office chair? Here are 4 features worth checking before you spend ₹10,000.

5. Lead Content Creates A Mini "Next Step".

People do not start buying right away. It is a complex psychological process that involves several stages before a potential customer arrives at the decision to make a purchase. Here are some examples of "mini next steps" that can help lead generation:

Watch → Go to profile → Read bio → Read website → Save post → Send DM → Ask a question → Request a quote → Purchase

Great social media marketing reduces the friction of this process. For example, a financial advisor could publish educational content with useful tips on budgeting mistakes. At the end of the post, they could write: "Want to know where your business is leaking money? DM 'AUDIT' and i'll send you the checklist".

Now, they have transformed general information into a step towards a sale by providing a CTA (call to action) related to the topic of the post.

6. The Strongest Lead Content Doesn't Feel Like An Advertisement.

This may very well be one of the key points that a small business must keep in mind if it wishes to boost sales using social media. One does not use Instagram for seeing advertisements; one uses it for communicating, getting inspired, having fun, and exploring new ideas.

Hence, instead of shoehorning a product into your posts, you should concentrate on the situations where it would be necessary.

A laptop store is unlikely to have much success with a post saying "Laptop available. ₹65,999. DM to order". However, a post saying "Buying a laptop for graphic design? Don't choose based only on RAM. Here are five specifications you should check" can bring much better results. At the end of the post, the laptop store can mention which laptops are suitable for graphic design.

This way, useful information is provided to the user without being overly promotional. Now the product is presented as part of a solution to a specific problem.

7. Use Content To Answer The Questions People Are Afraid To Ask.

A potential customer will always have questions and concerns before making a purchase. For example:

Is it worth it?

Will it suit me?

Can I return it?

Can I trust you?

How long will it take?

Why is it more expensive?

These are all valid questions. They can all be converted into content ideas for Instagram. Every industry has its own frequently asked questions and objections.

A skincare brand could address the issue of higher pricing compared to drugstore brands.

A marketing freelancer could talk about what a monthly retainer includes.

A photographer could describe the procedures that are followed when a client places an order.

A restaurant could state their cancellation and reservation policies.

Instead of hiding the objections, use them as content ideas for Instagram.

Every answered question will remove some of the friction on the buyer's journey.

8. Your Best Lead-Generating Content Might Not Have The Highest Reach.

This is probably one of the most disappointing revelations for any business owner on Instagram. You may have published two similar posts.

Post A

50,000 views. 2,500 likes. 300 shares. 4 enquiries.

Post B

6,000 views. 300 likes. 40 shares. 22 enquiries.

If your business has a marketing goal of generating sales leads, it is important to understand that Post B is significantly more valuable, even though it got nowhere near the same level of engagement.

Optimising your Instagram campaign depends on more than one metric. If your objective from your marketing campaigns is sales, you need to measure metrics that pertain to sales, like inquiries, direct messages, phone calls, website visits, downloads, etc. Some examples are as follows:

For awareness:

Reach, views, shares.

For consideration:

Profile visits, saves, website clicks.

For lead generation:

DMs, enquiries, form submissions.

For sales:

Purchases, bookings, sales value.

9. Create "Intent Signals" Into Your Content.

All engagement is not created equal. If a user views your post for 2 seconds, it's very unlikely that they will have the same purchasing interest as someone who has saved your price sheet, visited your page, viewed your bio, your website, and messaged you on Instagram. That’s why it's crucial to know the meaning behind the engagement.

These are examples of "intent signals" on Instagram:

• Save this checklist before choosing a photographer.
• Send this to someone planning a wedding.
• DM "PRICE" for the complete package details.
• Visit our profile to compare the three plans.
• Comment "GUIDE", and we will provide you with the checklist.

We do not want to manipulate our customers; our goal is to let them see the next helpful step.

10. Create Content Based on Purchase Questions, Not on Trends.

Trends are here today and gone tomorrow. Customers' needs are stable. Therefore, if your Instagram feed posts are completely trend-driven, there is a big chance that you will be off-target. Consider what questions your potential clients would ask before purchasing your product, and create a list of these questions instead of thinking about what is trending on social networks.

For example, if you are a digital marketing freelancer, your list may include such questions as:

• How much should I invest in Instagram advertising?
• How long does it take for SEO to become effective?
• Should I create my own website?
• Should I work with freelancers or agencies?
• Why am I getting clicks from my advertisements but no inquiries?

After creating a list of topics to cover, start brainstorming ideas for content for each of them.

Instead of randomly browsing for new post ideas, you have a pool of topics to consider.

11. Your Profile Must Carry On What Your Post Has Started.

Someone viewed a beneficial reel from your profile. Now, they are visiting your profile to find out more. But your biography is vague, and your recent posts are not relevant. There is no proof, your website link is broken, and there is no means of contacting you. Your post has done its part, but your profile has not continued what you have started. Your Instagram profile must continue the discussion initiated by your post. The potential client must be able to know who you are, what you do, whom you serve, why they should select you, what they get from you, and how to take the next step. Treat your reel like an assistant that connects with the client, and your profile as a manager that educates the client.

FAQ

Are likes not important for businesses?

No, because likes may indicate that content is being liked by people. However, they become less valued when viewed as the sole metric of business success.

What kind of content on Instagram can help attract leads?

Content solving problems, demonstrating the product, using customer proof, giving case studies, comparing different things, educating people, answering FAQs and offering something relevant might be useful.

Do all posts require a sales CTA?

They do not, since the ever-growing need to buy can be viewed as being too promotional. There should be those who will create awareness only and educate people, while others should be inspirational.

How do I know that my content is reaching out to my potential customers?

There are other factors that you may look at, such as profile visits, clicks on the website, direct messaging, inquiries, calls, bookings and purchases. Also, you need to check if these people belong to the target audience.

Can a small audience give me leads?

Yes. Even though the audience is small, it may contain potential leads. It does not matter how many people are in the audience as long as they fit well in the offer and intentions of the customer.

Should I go either for Reels or Carousels?

No. You need to try both formats depending on the behavioural traits of the audience and goals of the post.

Conclusion

An Instagram business profile does not need to publish posts everyone would like to see. It needs to provide the content for its audience that will help them move one step forward towards the decision. Content that will get them engaged. Content that will give answers to their questions. Content that will demonstrate knowledge and experience. Content that will show proof. Content that will offer something. And all of them together make up a journey. This is what the difference between liked and lead-generating content is.

A very liked post will give your analytics dashboard an impressive look. A carefully created post will initiate a conversation with a person who is in need of your product. The next time you have a popular post, apart from asking how many people liked it, ask whether this was the right person. Whether this made him interested in what you offer. Whether this brought him closer to reaching out to you. What can be learned from those who reacted. This will be the moment when Instagram becomes an integral part of your marketing process.