How to Increase Sales with Instagram?
Would you like to sell more of your goods or services on Instagram? Are you looking for ways to boost your sales?
You’ll learn how to create a shopper-friendly Instagram presence in this post.
1. Transform Your Instagram Profile into a Shop
Building a creative profile focused on capturing a shopper’s interest is the first step in converting your Instagram followers into buyers. Welcome customers to your store in your bio and add a clear call to action. It’s also a good idea to include a phone number so that customers may reach out to you if they have a question. You might also want to include a perk, such as free shipping.
Create highlight albums to feature your specials, new items, and more if you routinely post to Instagram Stories. Keep it simple with interesting covers for your highlight albums.
Use your Stories posts in the same way that a physical store’s windows are used. Show off your wares, give special deals, and so forth.
Pro Tip: Take a walk down the street to your nearest department store and look at the window displays for ideas. What draws your attention? How do the displays encourage customers to enter the store? Take note of the store’s visual gimmicks, special offers in the window, and signage that says “This just arrived!” Consider how these strategies could be applied to your Instagram company page.
2. Make Your Instagram Profile and Posts Recognizable
You should have a consistent brand message if you want to stand out from the crowd. Branding your Instagram profile is an important aspect of your Instagram presence.
Here are some ideas for branding your profile and content for easy identification.
Create a Signature Style for Your Photographs
Posting consistently recognizable images is one way to increase brand recognition. Because Instagram is a visual platform, it’s worth learning how to photograph your products or hiring a photographer to capture images of your products or services. (Some photographers charge $500 to $1,000 per day.) You can create enough content to last several months if you plan carefully.
Branded Color Scheme
Choose eye-catching colors to represent your Instagram profile when developing a visual style. For your posts, you could use a combination of colors that are similar to those in your logo. To add visual interest, try a checkerboard of color combinations. Blue tones are appropriate for B2B pages, while greens are appropriate for eco-friendly profiles. Experiment with various color combinations to see what works best for you.
Brand Elements in Your Instagram Content
Create a branded company culture to immerse your followers in the action. I recommend creating a storyboard based on a lifestyle scenario. Include branded elements that are unique to your company. Shake Shack’s imagery, for example, tells a story. The beautiful photography makes you want to eat a burger!
Select Hashtags That Represent Your Company
Hashtags bring people together and help your message reach a wider audience. Make a list of hashtags that represent your brand and then research their popularity on Instagram. Choose long-tail or combined hashtags that are less saturated (for example, #ShakeShackBurger rather than #Burger). These are aimed at a smaller, more specific audience.
In addition to finding the appropriate hashtags, choose branded hashtags. Use branded hashtags throughout your profile to drive your posts and raise company awareness and recognition. As users begin to recognize your products, the hashtags should gain traction.
If you’re not sure what branded hashtags to use, start with the name of your product and add a relevant term, such as #EcoFriendlyYourName or #YourCompanyShoes. Use hashtags that will help you be found when people search for your product or service on Instagram, such as #HairGroomingService or #BambooBrush.
3. Use Personable Instagram Content to Engage Shoppers
An Instagram content strategy and branded profile make it easier to connect with potential customers. Because shoppers are bombarded with so many different messages, you don’t have much time to capture their attention, let alone make them feel at ease. Why should they select your company over others?
Making a sale requires a strong relationship between your company and its customers. You want to make them feel at ease in order to establish rapport. Your Instagram content and reputation serve as your most effective sales tools.
Create a Distinctive Brand Voice
Create a personal voice for your brand in order to connect with your followers on a more personal level. Using emojis in your captions makes your brand more approachable and personable, similar to a salesperson in a store.
Share videos of people using your products as well. If customers can see themselves using your products, you will have more motivated buyers and a better chance of making a sale. GIFs and videos are compatible with all social media platforms. Instagram stories, on the other hand, add personality to your content.
Share Your Business Passion and Philosophy
What do you want your company to be known for? Find a meaning for your company and a reason to exist. Consider what motivates you to sell your products. Promote continuity or family tradition, for example, if you run a family business.
Doing good and giving back to the community are powerful ways to connect with customers. However, rather than commercializing a cause, choose something about which you are passionate. Do you have a soft spot for animals? Create Instagram posts centered on your feelings for them.
Display your products alongside pets and donate a portion of your sales to a local animal shelter. If you’re interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle, look for eco-friendly posts.
In other words, tailor your content to your preferred cause. Followers will be found based on common interests. They’ll be drawn to you because of what you stand for.
When you have a clear mission, it is easier to connect with your Instagram followers on a human level and build a relationship. Make use of your Instagram account to be that approachable salesperson.
Last but not least, avoid strong political statements and polarizing topics. Maintain a simple and welcoming atmosphere.
Encouragement and Reward Influential Brand Advocates
Flattery will get you far in life! Your brand advocates are essential in social selling because they are the ones who tell your story as they see and experience it. Reposting their content is an effective sales tool.
You are not only sharing customer endorsements for your products, but you are also expressing your gratitude by recognizing those customers on social media. It’s similar to a thank-you note for making a purchase.
Create realistic scenarios that will entice advocates to represent your brand and share their enthusiasm for your products. You can do so by assisting them, celebrating them, and providing them with perks and benefits.
Giving them gratitude and respect for who they are will get you far. It encourages them to not only embrace your brand, but also to share it with their own networks of followers.
4. Manage Your Instagram Shopping Experience
Here are some strategies for managing the shopping experience on Instagram in order to convert interest into a sale.
Include Product Tags in Your Instagram Posts
You can tag your products in your Instagram posts if you have a business account. Use this feature to its full potential by uploading all of your products to Instagram via Shopify or another shopping cart of your choice.
This allows your followers to easily see pricing and product details. It is important to note that in order to enable Instagram shopping, you must first set up and be approved for Instagram shopping.
Clicking the shopping bag icon in this Simple Kneads post reveals a mini-catalog of products. Customers do not have to go searching for product information because it is instantly available to them.
Close the Sale
How do you persuade customers to buy the item you’re selling on Instagram? So, the strategies outlined above will assist you in putting yourself in the best possible position for a sale. You must now complete the transaction.
Offering a product that is uniquely necessary to customers is the sweet spot. What is going on at this time of year? Look for seasonal ideas and make an effort to be useful. They’ll buy it if they need it!
If you’re selling a fashion item, such as shoes, suggest a way for customers to wear them and combine them with other items you sell. For a BBQ party or happy hour at the office, a summer dress can be paired with a purse and sandals.
Putting your buyer in the picture makes the transaction go more smoothly. If a customer can relate to the scenario and the product is useful, the sale will be a little easier to make.
Give Your Contact Information
When an Instagram follower purchases something, you must be available to answer any questions about the transaction. Give customers a way to contact you so they know you’ll be there for them if they have a problem.
5. Use Instagram Advertising to Promote Products
After you’ve created your Instagram content strategy, you’ll want to promote your store with Instagram ads. While it is possible to attract buyers organically, let’s face it: you have to pay to play!
Conclusion
Instagram’s visual appeal makes it a popular platform for sellers to reach out to potential customers. It’s also an excellent platform for telling your brand’s story in a compelling way.
To convert an Instagram follower into a loyal customer, create content that speaks to potential customers in your own distinct brand voice. And your products will be more appealing to customers if they can see themselves using them in their own lives.
Here’s a quick formula to keep in mind when creating your Instagram store:
Good Content + Trust + Ease of Purchase = Sale
Knowing your audience allows you to cater to their wants and needs, as well as make an emotional connection that is critical to closing the sale.
What are your thoughts? Which of these strategies will you implement to improve the shopper-friendliness of your Instagram presence? What methods have you found to be effective?
