At first glance, you may dismiss Instagram as a photo-sharing app. Nonetheless, it has one billion monthly active users as of this writing.
And what are the odds that 0.001% of those are willing to buy your products?
That would be a good thing. However, how can you entice them to buy the products you are promoting?
Here are eight ways you can successfully sell on Instagram:
Produce High-quality Product Images
They say that first impression matters, and the same thing is true for Instagram. Hence, it is imperative that you only post high-quality product images.
As far as e-commerce is concerned, “high-quality product images” could mean high-resolution photos from different angles. But in the case of Instagram marketing, that could mean a picture of a person using your product.
The addition of the human element in product photos gives your potential customers a sense that they can use your product, too.
Create a Shoppable Post
Instagram shoppable post allows you to tag your products on your IG update and is a great way to sell on Instagram. Meanwhile, this makes it easier for your followers to know what products you are featuring in your post. It also informs them immediately how much it costs.
An IG shoppable post also allows them to go straight to your product page. That way, they can proceed with the purchase. Simply put, this kind of Instagram content makes it easy for you to generate conversions and drive sales.
Pair it With a Witty Caption
Here’s the thing: Images are what attracts your followers’ attention. But your caption is what makes them stay.
And there are different ways to caption an IG post:
- Storytelling. This is one of the most common ways to caption a post. Aside from telling a story, it provides your followers with the context of what the image is all about.
- Minimalist. This is pretty much the opposite of storytelling. A minimalist caption is ideal if your image already speaks for itself.
- Behind-the-Scenes. One way to entice your followers to support your business is by showing how your products are made. This is where a behind-the-scene post could come in handy.
- Informative. An informative caption is similar to storytelling, although it is all about facts than invoking an emotion. When it comes to promoting a product, an informative caption is about sharing how your product can improve a customer’s standard of living
Whatever type of caption you chose to use, remember that it should be in line with your image. It would also be best if you add calls-to-action to your posts.
Take Advantage of Instagram Stories
It is estimated that Instagram Stories has 400 million daily users.
If it is possible that 0.001% of the monthly active users can be your potential customers, it can mean the same for Instagram Stories. So how can you take advantage of this feature?
- Highlight Stories. IG stories are only available for 24 hours. However, you can save them by creating a Highlights album, which appears beneath your IG profile bio. Doing so allows your followers to re-watch your IG stories.
- “Swipe Up” Feature. With the help of IG stories, sending your followers to your e-commerce store can be straightforward. This is because of the “Swipe Up” feature, wherein they need to swipe up, and they will be redirected to your online store.
- Promoted Stories. In a nutshell, Promoted Stories is an IG story ad placement. If you want to expand your views, consider running a Promoted Stories. This feature can help you cut through the noise and connect with your audience.
What’s cool about using IG stories is that it helps diversify your marketing mix. It can also increase your visibility since Instagram’s algorithm limits your post’s number of times to appear on your followers’ feed.
Use the Right Hashtags
Other than a witty caption, you can use hashtags in your posts.
Hashtags are a great way to categorize your content. It also allows you to expand your audience reach since hashtags are searchable. So if you use #OOTD in your post, anyone searching for an image using that hashtag can find your content.
The best part is that searching for a trending hashtag is pretty straightforward. When you search for a hashtag on Instagram, you can see how many posts are using it.
Moreover, you can invent a hashtag for your brand. Doing so allows you to promote your campaign.
Leverage User-generated Content
A great source of product images would be your existing customers. Hence, it would be best to monitor whether people are tagging your IG account on their posts. And then ask for their permission if you can repost their content.
The thing about leveraging user-generated content is that you are organic with your marketing approach. It also ensures that you will not run out of content to post on your feed.
Launch a Contest or Giveaways
One of the popular ways to expand your audience reach and sell on Instagram is to host a contest or giveaway.
If you are going to find Instagram giveaways, their usual format is tag-share-win. And you can do the same.
What’s cool about this giveaway format is that the more followers tag and share your post, the more Instagram users get to discover your brand.
Obviously, what you need to do is post an image that your followers can re-post. You can then ask them to add a caption and tag some of their friends to qualify.
From there, you can use a randomizer or your best judgment to select your winners.
Partner With Influencers
Aside from contests and giveaways, you can spread the word about your brand and sell on Instagram with influencers’ help. These are Instagram users with thousands of followers. They are also considered key opinion leaders in their respective niche.
That said, the key to finding the right influencers to work with is through the subject matters they advocate. That’s because it can dictate the kind of audience they cater to and whether they can be your customers.
For instance, a fashion influencer is likely to have fans who are also interested in fashion. So, if you sell clothes online, it would make sense to work with them.
Another thing to look at is whether an influencer engages with his or her followers. This is an excellent indicator that his or her followers are humans and not robots.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to encourage customers to keep coming back to your online store. And one of them is to sell on Instagram. So, pick a tip or two from this post and see how it will pan out for you.
Featured image credit: Unsplash.com
