The fast-growing world of e-commerce offers benefits like convenience, sustained communication between buyers and sellers, and global reach. In tandem with optimizing your website design for conversions, one of the best ways to create brand awareness and bring in worldwide leads for your e-commerce business is through social media.
But not all social media channels are created equal. Among the most popular, Instagram is a top choice for business owners. With 500 million daily users and 90% of accounts following at least one business, it presents a massive opportunity for companies.
There are several ways you can use Instagram to grow your e-commerce business:
Instagram is a visual platform. So, the first step is to fill out a profile that attracts visitors.
Choose a username that reflects your business name or at least gives visitors an idea of what your page is all about.
A preferable profile picture would be your logo or an image of your brand name. Make sure the image is beautiful and attractive. If, for example, an assignment writing service account wants to stand out, it might need to have a visually appealing profile picture.
Your bio is an opportunity to sell your business. In a few words talk about your brand, what you're offering or what visitors should expect to see, and include a call to action (CTA). You want your CTA to lead to your landing page or store where prospective customers can see your products. If you have a brand hashtag, add it to your bio.
Good content attracts visitors and prospective buyers to your page. If you utilize storytelling and aim to be interesting, it's essential to create memorable content.
You might want to experiment with various content types, including videos and good product photography. A profile that concentrates on the custom papers niche can use an excellent tool like Canva for its image creation.
As a business, you can generate a variety of content to engage your prospects and customers. To ensure you never run out of content, create your posts in batches. You can make three videos and thirty images to last you a few weeks. Consider using a calendar to guide you, and schedule your content so that you have a consistent output.
Don't be afraid to use trends to attract people to your page and, ultimately, your e-commerce store.
Using a challenge like #fliptheswitch, a fashion brand might try out multiple outfits available in their store each time they flip the switch. Even better, they can encourage followers to buy their clothes and wear them during the challenge.
Of course, you get to post this user-generated content (UGC) on your page. It helps you engage with customers, markets your products, and create brand awareness.
Don’t limit UGCs to trends and challenges. Show images or videos of customers using your products for a range of activities.
Testimonials and positive reviews of your product from satisfied customers and influencers are also UGCs. This content is one of the best because it can transform your audience from prospects into paying customers. The reviews and testimonials on your page assure visitors of the authenticity and reliability of your product.
As you create content, don't forget to add a CTA. You've shown visitors the fabulous things your products can do. Now, direct them to your store.
Creating content, when you have other marketing commitments, isn’t easy. But you can outsource Instagram content creation for a low price at freelancing platforms. Above all, whether you create posts yourself or pay freelancers to do it, remember to be consistent.
Engaging posts create a community of loyal followers. You want to make your visitors feel like part of the brand. When you communicate with them on social media, they’ll know that their voice matters and that you listen to their suggestions about your product.
Respond to visitors’ questions and comments. Learn to address followers’ complaints and concerns promptly. When they tag you or your product, comment on their post. Don’t stop at engaging on your page, consider commenting on other pages too. This way, you expose yourself to a broader audience.
To boost engagement, use content that drives interaction. Ask followers how they use your products. Also, tell them to tag friends that might like your products.
Engaging on Instagram is a great way to grow your e-commerce following and business.
The difference between stories and posts are the duration and placement. Stories stay on your page for just 24 hours while the latter remain on your feed. Stories also appear at the top part of the page, but posts don't. Stories are perfect for promoting your e-commerce products because they attract attention faster since they have an advantageous placement.
As with posts, you can use images, videos, and testimonials. You can even run polls, ask questions, and use fancy stickers to boost engagement. While stories disappear within 24 hours, you can keep select stories by making them highlights on your page.
As an added tip, when you use stories, don't post all your content at once. Batch them by posting one or two every few hours. This way, your brand’s stories will continue being recent. It won’t get lost among similar content.
Hashtags categorize your post and can increase your content outreach. They also help you explore other e-commerce businesses. You can see what your competitors are doing, what your followers are engaging in, and you can adapt.
Your hashtag strategy should depend on the purpose of your post and the popularity of your e-commerce store.
If you have a small business, you should utilize as many hashtags as possible to expose your store to newer audiences. As you grow in the e-commerce industry, you may reduce the number.
If you run a fashion store, you have no business using a #cake tag. It's misleading and will attract users who are not your target audience. Instead, incorporate hashtags that are related to your product niche in your post.
Also, take note of banned hashtags and try to avoid them.
If your clothing store is called Sass, you can create a #Sasshouse brand tag. Also, when you create a challenge and try to get user-generated content, you may need to create a customized hashtag. Customers will use it to tell the story of your product and get featured. In this case, it may be #wearingsasshouse.
High-volume hashtags have more users, but it's challenging to get noticed with them. Using low-volume hashtags ensures that people who are specifically seeking your product can quickly identify your brand.
However, high-volume hashtags will increase your e-commerce outreach. So, combine both high and low-volume hashtags in every post.
Contests create visibility for your business. You can create a challenge where followers can win a product from your store if they participate in certain activities. While this free giveaway might not appeal to business owners, there is a lot to gain from them.
Social proof is vital if your e-commerce business is just starting out. Giving out your product to three people with the condition of feedback can generate the review that other potential customers want to see before they purchase your product.
You might think your product is satisfactory, but you can’t be so sure until it gets to the consumer. Giving out your products and getting feedback will inform you of the areas that need improvement.
When running contests, set the criteria for winning a prize. Encourage followers to tag people, repost, or like and comment several times to win. However, you choose to run your Instagram contest, ensure it directs more visitors to your e-commerce store.
Ads expose your business to a broader audience. Instagram explore ads promote your e-commerce business to people in different parts of the world. The explore page is visited by up to 50% of users daily. It may take a while for your business to get to the page, but explore ads can get you there faster.
What's more? It brings your e-commerce business to those who are actively seeking it. The explore page is a reflection of the users’ interest. Visitors discover and connect with companies and other people on it.
Using explore ads is a sure way to grow your e-commerce business.
With Instagram shopping, you can share your products through posts, stories, search, and explore. When people see your products, they can tap on it and find the name, image, description, price, and link to view the product on your website or store.
The shopping feature is excellent because there's no false hope for consumers who like a product but don't know if they can afford it.
Instagram is a powerful tool for growing your e-commerce business. As with every other strategy, you have to be intentional about your business growth. You also need to be patient and consistent to see gains in brand awareness, followers, and product purchases. The results, however, are massive and worth it.