Learning the art of Instagram can be complex – there are many aspects that you have to keep in mind in order to run a successful Instagram page, and it can be overwhelming if you’re new to social media. But no matter how familiar you are to Instagram, there’s one goal all business owners have in common: to boost sales.
With the rise of Instagram in the past decade, it is being used for more than the original intention of simply sharing images and videos with friends. Brands can utilize this platform to not only get discovered through hashtags, geotags and influencers, but also communicate with customers, reveal company updates and even fulfill orders.
Ensure each profile visit is worthwhile by providing key information about your product or service.
Comprise Your Feed of Appealing Images
You’ll want to get started by figuring out an identity for your Instagram page. Think about why users land on your page – is it because they’ve heard of your brand and want to learn more, or maybe they’ve discovered you through the explore feature. Learn who your followers are, so that you can cultivate a relatable Instagram feed to ultimately influence buying behavior.
Ensure each profile visit is worthwhile by providing key information about your product or service. You can highlight how your business makes home projects easy – whether it’s through an experienced team, transparent pricing, or even a knowledgeable sales team. If you want to translate users into customers, you’ll have to be memorable and make a solid pitch.
So, how does this all translate to what images you are posting on your feed? Make sure you are posting images that are clear, original and represent your business. Stray away from stock images, as they are seen as inauthentic and generic, as well as over pixelated images. You won’t want to use too many drastic filters on your images, as this can be overwhelming and messy. Most successful instagram pages maintain one common theme – white space, minimalist images and one filter amongst the feed. Users don’t want to be overwhelmed when they visit a page – they want clean, appealing images that they can connect to. Keep this in mind when your selecting images and videos for your feed to encourage higher retention rates.
Provide a Clear Way to Purchase
Once you have a visually appealing instagram feed, users may want to take the next step and learn how they can purchase a product, or learn more about a specific service. You want to make this step as easy as possible – users won’t want to go digging, and you could easily lose them if this step is not straightforward.
You may be aware that you can only have one link in your bio – but there are ways around this. Use a third-party platform like LinkTree or Lnk.Bio to get more out of your Instagram link. These resources allow you to include unlimited links within one single link. You’ll be able to feature more links to products or services pages, blog, contact and about pages. You can also view analytics within both platforms, which will help you learn the most popular links. Utilizing either of these platforms is simple, free (unless you choose to upgrade) and can help you gain more website views by hosting more links within one link.
Another way around the single-link feature, is to create your own landing page on your website. This will help improve your SEO score, and boost website views. All you have to do is create a page within your website, and create buttons with links of your choice.
Testimonials and UGC
If a user has never heard of your brand, they may be hesitant to make their first purchase. If a user have discovered your brand through a web search, the odds are is that they are also scouting out brands similar to yours.
Give your brand a boost in the right direction by having reviews readily available, and incorporate these reviews in your social feed as well. You can even have an Instagram highlight featuring customer testimonials – this way, potential customers can gain insight on why your brand has worked for others to further increase the odds of them making their first purchase.
In addition to testimonials, UGC is a great, authentic way for your brand to pick up on some positive word-of-mouth marketing. If an influencer posts about your brand, this is a great opportunity to reshare on your company’s social pages, either through Instagram stories or posts. You can increase your network of followers, and grow your presence in the digital world. There are many companies that owe Instagram their success – don’t underestimate Instagrams ability to help grow your brand!
Pro Tip: Make sure you are posting images that are clear, original and represent your business.
Contests
Similar to UGC and testimonials, contests help grow your digital footprint and reach more social users. Launch any sort of campaign where users can either receive a free trial of your product, receive free products, or any sort of prize. This will spark buzz and encourage users to engage with your social page. You can determine a winner based on a random selection of who has followed your page, and interacted with a specific post – whether it be comments, likes, shares, or even all three! After all, people love freebies and will eagerly complete the tasks needed to win.
Connect through Influencers, Hashtags and Geotags
Instagram has two features that are relatively simple to use – hashtags and geotags. You can easily add these to your Instagram post or story to connect with thousands of Instagram users. Another dimension of Instagram is influencers. The world of social media influencers can be complex, but it doesn’t always have to be. You can partner with a small to midsize influencer, and negotiate a contract – whether this be an Instagram post, story and blog post, or just one of the three. Influencer collaborations can help you reach your target audience, increase exposure and encourage trust within the social community.
Shops On Instagram
Shops allow Instagram users to buy from brands without ever needing to leave Instagram. After you place your first order, your name, email address, shipping and billing information will be saved for the next transaction, through any business active on Shops. Users will receive notifications through Instagram regarding their order, including shipping and delivery updates.
This Instagram tool allows for users to make a purchase without needing to navigate to a new page, and with their information conveniently securely saved through Instagram, it’ll only take a matter of seconds to place their next order. This tool has innovatively tuned into what Instagram users are looking for – shopping with ease, reliability and excitement.
Brands are only able to sell on Instagram if they have a business page and offer physical products (services are not included in Shops). Your products also have to comply with Instagram’s commerce policies, which, in short is nothing that is illegal or prohibited.
The most crucial part of being able to sell on Instagram, is having your profile connected to a Facebook product catalog. This catalog is generated through Business Manager, Shopify, BigCommerce, or directly through your page’s shop section. The Shops feature can only be accessed through the Instagram mobile app, through participating brands.
Looking to give your social media pages a boost? Connect with an marketing specialist to learn how social media can help give your brand more exposure, sales and growth.
