How Stationery Designers Can Get More Inquiries from Instagram

If you’re ready to throw in the towel on social media marketing, we get it. Trying to unlock the secrets of the algorithms can make you want to quit altogether. But we’re here to encourage you to keep on going! Your future customers are using their social platforms as a way to search for their next stationery purchases, and that could be from your business! Today, we’re talking about Instagram marketing for stationery designers. We want to see you get past the frustration and land more inquiries so you can succeed.

A recent study by Rise at Seven found that over 60% of search discoveries are done on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. ¹ That means that your future customers are looking for stationery like yours on Instagram.

We sat down with Julia Casolo, Founder and Creative Director of Julia Kay Design, to get the scoop on the success behind her Instagram inquiries for her business.

How to Get More Instagram Inquiries

Instagram can seem pretty elusive, right? No matter what algorithm rules you follow or how much time you spend perfecting your posts, you just can’t seem to turn your followers into actual leads. We get it, it’s frustrating. But there are some simple shifts in how you utilize your Instagram marketing plan that will help you gain more customers over time. “The missing piece is usually guidance,” said Julia. “Your content needs to occasionally direct people toward the next step.”

The Client Journey

Remember, the more easily you help your future customers get to the next step of their client journey, the more inquiries you’ll receive. Julia explained that a client journey consists of four distinct steps:

1. Discovery (this is when they find you)
2. Exploration (the time spent exploring your business and the stationery you have to offer)
3. Trust Building (the essential period of time that helps you show them the value of what you’re offering and speaks to their consumer needs)
4. Inquiry (when they reach out to you or make a purchase)

It’s essential to view your Instagram profile with the client journey in mind. To get a fresh perspective, it’s helpful to conduct personal audits on your social media profiles to get a better understanding of your business from a new follower’s perspective.

Conduct an Instagram Profile Audit

One of the biggest mistakes stationers make when it comes to their Instagram profiles is not utilizing the power of the call to action. When you post randomly and without guidance for your followers, they’re left to consume your content instead of doing something with it (making an inquiry). The best way to tell if you’re making that mistake is by doing regular Instagram audits.

Let’s take a fresh look at your profile. Get out some of your stationery and a pen, and get ready to take notes. Here are a few questions to help you get started:

What do you see when you first open your profile?

• • What are the patterns you see?
  • Does your profile look fun and interesting or messy and random?
  • Is the content compelling and interesting?
  • Do you feel engaged as you read each post?
  • Are you called to a specific action? Where are you leading them to?
  • Is it engaging?

Now, click through your posts, stories, and reels.

A client’s journey through the marketing funnel should always be active. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be a quick journey for every single person. Sometimes, they can work through the funnel quickly (within minutes) or very slowly (within months). You won’t always see an inquiry pop up when someone first hits your profile. That’s why you’ve got to focus on building engaging content that will draw them in and show them that your stationery will be the answer to the problem they’re currently experiencing.

Content That Converts

Like we said earlier, the more interesting, compelling, and engaging your content is, the more people will want to engage with what you’re selling and sharing.

Focus on creating these types of content, and you’ll be sure to see an uptick in the number of Instagram inquiries you receive.

Behind-The-Scenes

When your new followers are in the discovery or exploration phase, behind-the-scenes content is essential in helping them learn who you are, what kind of stationery you offer, and what makes your products different from everyone else’s. Creating behind-the-scenes content offers an in-depth view into your design process, the quality of your stationery, and the care and detail you put into your stationery.

Storytelling

“Stories help people imagine what it’s like working with you,” shared Julia. “When someone can picture themselves having that experience, they become much more likely to inquire.”

Storytelling elevates a simple post into a guided post, creating emotion and intrigue, and ultimately guides your followers to the next step of the journey (the call to action).

Calls to Action

One of the biggest reasons your followers aren’t inquiring about your stationery is that you’re missing the call to action. You may have nailed the behind-the-scenes content, and your storytelling is top-notch. But if you’re not telling your Instagram followers what to do with it, you’re missing the mark. Always give your followers a next step!

Utilize Automation to Help You Engage with Followers

One of the hardest things about marketing with social media as a small stationery business is that it often feels like a full-time job in itself. Maybe you’ve built an impressive following for your stationery business, but you never feel like you have the time to engage with people’s questions.

ManyChat is a great automation tool that helps you respond to customer inquiries when you receive them. If any of your content goes viral, utilizing automation helps you engage instantly with every inquiry or conversation instead of letting them fall to the wayside.

You’ve Got This!

Now that you know the type of content that helps carry your followers through their client journey adventure, you can start implementing it in your own way. Just remember, there’s no perfect way to do it. Just be yourself, showcase your beautiful designs, and have fun along the way. And in the meantime, you can watch your Instagram inquiries start coming in!

Ready to work with a printing partner that cares about the success of your business? We’d love to work with you. PrintsWell has been printing high-quality stationery for stationers just like you for over 30 years. In fact, we’ve set the standard for the industry. Learn more about The PrintsWell Standard here. And if you’re ready to work with us, fill out an application and let’s get started.