Over one billion users log on to Instagram every month, and 50% of those utilize the popular image app every single day. With the addition of shoppable posts and stories on Instagram, those 500 million users can now easily become your customers.
As per the Facebook study, nearly 70% of Instagram users find new products using the Instagram App, and over 130 million visitors click on shoppable posts each month.
Not using Instagram to sell your products? It might be a lot easier than you think.
Do you have the following three tools?
- Instagram business account
- Facebook business account and product catalog
- Physical products to sell in your Builderfly store
If so, then you already have what you need to successfully market and sell products right from the Instagram Mobile App. In this doc, Builderfly shows you how to easily set up Shopping on Instagram.
Here’s a quick rundown of some fundamental questions and strategies to help grow your Builderfly business on Instagram.
What Are Shoppable Posts?
Shoppable posts are just like regular Instagram posts, however they add a shopping bag icon or minimum of five product tags directly on the image.
When shoppable posts were first introduced, the posts listed the price and description of products on the images, which tarnished the photographs and made them look like ads. Now, the subtle white shopping bag looks similar to other tags that your Instagram customers are already familiar with, like video, Instagram TV, and carousel posts.
When a user clicks on the shopping bag icon, they’ll be able to view the product’s description and pricing, and then click the link to the store’s website where they can purchase the product.
Because 75% of Instagram users take some kind of action, like visiting a website or viewing ads, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to make a purchase.
Your small number of shoppable posts will stand out among your other posts far more than if you just filled up your account with shoppable posts all selling products on your feed. Build the relationship before you monetize it.
Make Your Brand Stand Out by Optimizing your Business Profile
Your Instagram Business Profile ought to represent your company culture and attract customers. With an Instagram business profile, you can have a direct contact link, whereas in a personal profile you have to bury contact information and links in your bio. You can also specify your type of business, such as retail, beauty, or dining, which makes it easier for shoppers to find you.
By promoting or boosting posts, you can increase your brand awareness as you reach more potential customers interested in similar products.
According to Facebook, 70% of online shoppers go to Instagram to discover new products and 36% of Instagram users actively shop on Instagram.
What Kind of Photographs work best for Shoppable Posts?
Photographs should be attractive and compelling. Use these 3 tips to ensure you’re using the most effective photographs for your posts and stories to engage your customers.
Use different angles for your products
You can easily add multiple photos to the same post by clicking on the carousel icon. Especially for new visitors who may not be familiar with your products, displaying different angles will show off your products better than a single photograph.
Make your user-generated fan photos shoppable
People tend to trust other customers more than the brand. This is why testimonials and referrals are so powerful. User-generated content, preferably with the customer and your product in the picture, will increase trust in your brand far more quickly than your content.
Take behind-the-scenes photos
Not all of your photos ought to feature your products. Your company is made of people. And, customers like to connect with the human side of your business. Post pictures of your employees working from home or even relaxing. Give your customers a sneak peek into the production of a new product. Post yourself in the community.
Run Ads to Engage New Customers to Your Instagram Store
One of the easiest ways to advertise your business and products on Instagram is by promoting posts you’ve already shared. Select the post and hit “Promote”. Your post will be shown to users who are similar to your existing followers. That way, you are attracting users who are more likely to be interested in the products you share.
You can choose your budget and the number of days to advertise, and easily track your results through Insights. The ad should be a simple message that tells the customer exactly what you want them to do – like, “Shop Now.”
This is also a great way to advertise Instagram-Only promotions to increase traffic.
Partner with an Influencer
Celebrities sell products. Kim Kardashian West has over 143M Instagram followers. If she wears one of your products and posts it with good Instagram captions for all her followers, that’s a massive load of free advertising exposure for your product. If only 1% of her followers click on the picture, that’s still 1.43M potential customers.
Now, if you don’t have the budget for a celebrity endorser, find a smaller influencer who might exchange your product for exposure to their 10,000 followers, or even 1000. Remember those followers have their followers. A well-placed photograph that’s attractive and compelling can go viral quickly through social media formats like Instagram.
If your influencer or one of their followers posts a photo of themselves wearing or using your product, don’t forget to comment and share the post to your Instagram Story.
Use Hashtags to Gain New Followers
Hashtags make your posts more discoverable, and they can add new followers for your brand if you use hashtags that are heavily searched.
But you also want your hashtags to be specific and relevant to your post. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. You don’t want to appear spammy by overusing them. However, if you strategically use relevant hashtags based on your audience, you will attract new followers.
Instagram Shopping is the Wave of the Future
With all the advancements made to Instagram and with many more to come, Instagram is becoming one of the very popular ways for a customer to shop.
As an ecommerce owner with products to sell, now is the time to get your Instagram store running.
With Builderfly, it’s easy to set up your Instagram and Facebook business profiles and link them to your online store.
