With 800 million monthly active users, Instagram has a built-in audience for e-commerce companies. The social media network only sits behind Facebook and YouTube when it comes to monthly users, and it only trails Facebook in daily users.
Instagram users don’t just look at pictures. Many have deep pockets, and they are more than willing to spend that money. Sixty percent of Instagram users find new products on the site. That’s no surprise when you consider that Instagram has the highest follower interaction rate of any social media network.
The statistics are promising, but how can you convert followers? How can you take your e-commerce company to the next level by driving sales on the site?
Mastering e-commerce on Instagram is easier than you think.
Make It Easy for People to Make Purchases
You would be surprised by the number of people who make it hard for people to buy from them. These brands share amazing content, and they engage with their followers. They have all the attention in the world, but they make it difficult to buy from them, so they don’t make any sales.
Avoid this problem by creating a landing page just for Instagram. Then, take that link and put it in your bio. Add reasons to click on the link in your bio, and direct people to your bio when posting photos of your products.
People aren’t going to hunt for your website. However, if you direct them to it, they’ll click and do some shopping.
Post Creative Product Photos
Don’t just take pictures of your products and expect them to fly off the virtual shelves. Creative product photos get the most attention, so step outside of the box a bit.
Converse provides an excellent example of this. The brand posted a photo of its iconic shoes, but instead of stopping there, it included 3-D-printed lace art. This lace art grabbed people’s attention and made them interested in buying their own pair of Converse.
You can also showcase photos of your products in action. If you sell shoes, upload pics of people running and jumping in the shoes. If you sell sunglasses, include your product as a fun accessory in a photo. There are lots of unique and interesting ways you can showcase your products. Just don’t make the mistake of snapping a few photos of your products and calling it a day. People don’t go to Instagram to look at pictures of products. You need to be creative to generate interest in your online store.
Connect with Your Followers
You want people to connect to your brand. That will make them emotionally invested in your brand, which means they’ll be more likely to buy.
You can form that connection by including behind-the-scenes photos. For instance, if you make your own products, show how it’s done. You can also show images of your team brainstorming new product ideas and invite users to comment on what they like.
In addition, include some exclusive photos that only Instagram followers get to see. This will make people feel special, and that can translate into sales.
Team Up with Influencers
Influencers are immensely popular on Instagram. Collaborate with influencers to promote your products. Influencers then upload photos of them using the product or to tell their followers about it. This legitimizes your e-commerce company, and it also puts it in front of lots of people. This is a quick and easy way to boost your sales.
You don’t need a top-level influencer for this to work. Mid-level influencers often have more pull over their followers since they interact with them more. Find an influencer, choose a compensation plan, and let him or her get to work for you.
Grow Your Instagram Presence Today
You don’t need to be a marketing genius to win at e-commerce on Instagram. You just need to follow these tips, and you will be well on your way to boosting your sales. Once you start making sales, it will be easy to get on a roll. Soon, you will be the king or queen of Instagram. At that point, you will have an extremely popular e-commerce business.
