Six Ways to Optimize Your Instagram Profile to Get More Followers, Fans & Clients

If your Instagram isn’t doing some of the heavy lifting for you and your brand, chances are you’re missing out on sales (like, a LOT of sales)…

 

But we can fix that – EASILY.

 

Read on to learn the six *ESSENTIAL* things you should do when optimizing your Instagram profile to help ensure you’re capturing your ideal clients’ attention QUICKLY (and keeping it).

 

1️⃣ Review your Instagram username and profile photo.

 

Ideally, your Instagram username should either be your name OR point directly to what you do (possibly even both). Your username should also be professional and clean – in other words, don’t use tons of underscores or a bunch of random numbers.

 

Keep in mind that your username may be your ONLY opportunity to introduce someone new to you and your brand, so it’s DEFINITELY important!

 

When it comes to your profile photo, I HIGHLY recommend choosing a clear, unobscured image of your face – NEVER a logo or a graphic! Why? People are far more likely to connect with you and your brand if they can actually see YOU.

 

2️⃣ Make your name and title searchable on Instagram.

 

It’s simple: If someone is looking for a fitness coach and *you* are a fitness coach, you have a WAY better chance of getting found if you have “fitness coach” somewhere in your title (that’s the bold part directly underneath your profile photo).

 

For example, my title on Instagram is Business Coach for Health & Fitness Coaches because that’s EXACTLY what my ideal clients are looking for – and it’s what they’re probably typing into the search bar.

 

Sounds basic, I know, but a lot of people aren’t doing this – or they’re using fluffy words that aren’t clear and direct (and, as a result, their ideal clients may never find them).

 

3️⃣ Include an “I help” statement in your Instagram bio.

 

An “I help” statement = a POSITIONING STATEMENT that tells people what you offer and who it’s for. (for reference, my bio says, “I help health + fitness coaches go full-time online”)

 

Yes, it may repel people who are NOT your ideal clients – but it will also tell those who ARE perfect fits for your offers that YOU CAN HELP THEM! Remember, you aren’t aiming to appeal to everyone – an impossible task, anyway – instead, you want to align with YOUR people.

 

BONUS: Add something that speaks to your authority or expertise into your bio. For example, have you coached 100+ women? Include that. Have you been featured on CNN or in Forbes? Yep, put it in there. Accolades, experience and education can help set you apart from your competitors while also boosting your credibility.

 

4️⃣ Give people an easy way to learn more about you.

 

This is where the link in your Instagram bio comes into play. It could be your website, a freebie, a sales page, your client application, etc. – or even a combination of these things – but the idea is to point your audience to another way to engage with you and/or get more clarification on your offers.

 

If you have a Linktree that includes multiple links, make sure you’re not giving your audience too many options because when people get overwhelmed, they usually bail and do NOTHING.

 

On my Linktree, for example, I have 4 links:

 

• FCBA (Fitness Coaching Business Accelerator) – my program for new and aspiring online wellness coaches
• WCM (The Wellness CEO Mastermind) – my program for full-time wellness coaches looking to scale to 6 figures 
• The Best Coach Ever Podcast on Spotify
• The Best Coach Ever Podcast on Apple Podcasts

 

In short: The goal of your Instagram link in bio is to give people a *few* different options to learn more about you and what you’re all about – don’t overdo it!

 

5️⃣ Create info-packed Instagram Story highlights.

 

Give your new (or potential) followers an easy way to binge your content and get to know you and your brand by creating Instagram Story highlights.

 

Ideas for highlights:

 

• My Coaching: This is where you can share and explain your philosophy or methodology, discuss your programs or services, etc., and give people an idea of your coaching style and what it might be like to work with you.

 

• About Me: Yes, people want to know you’re a great coach, but they also want to see your personality as they try to determine if they’ll ~vibe~ with you.

 

• Testimonials and Client Wins: Including highlights of client screenshots and before and after photos are effective ways to enhance your authority and credibility, helping prove that you’re a trustworthy coach who gets people REAL results.

 

Of course, there are MANY other options for highlights – it just depends on what your audience is most interested in. Example: If you’re a macro coach, you could create a highlight of ordering macro-friendly meals at restaurants.

 

6️⃣ Curate a compelling, attractive Instagram feed.

 

When your ideal client sees your Instagram feed, they need to QUICKLY recognize that you’re providing value with your posts – otherwise, they’re likely to scroll away without a second thought.

 

To help ensure your ideal clients stick around, use clear, easy-to-read headlines on your Reels and carousel posts that will capture your ideal clients’ attention and make them want to consume the content.

 

It’s also a good idea to commit to a color palette and use the same font to create a more curated look –  like it or not, aesthetics matter. Taking the extra time to make your Instagram feed pleasing to the eye is VERY worth it, especially if you’re serious about landing new clients.

 

Want more?

 

I’m sharing even more on this topic on ⚡️The Best Coach Ever Podcast!⚡️

 

🎙 Listen to Episode 94: How to Optimize Your Instagram Profile to Get More Followers, Fans & Clients wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts – I would love to hear from you! 💜

 

For more tips, strategies and tactics to grow your online coaching business, follow me on Instagram @lynettemarieh and join my private FB group, Coaching With Impact!