Instagram has a wealth of marketing and selling tools to help you boost your business. Use these strategies to grow your audience and drive traffic and conversions.
Before you start, review Instagram’s Commerce Eligibility Requirements to ensure your products comply with policies and guidelines. Then, check that you are located in a supported market.
1. Link in Bio
A popular way to entice new followers to check out your Instagram is by linking to a landing page in your bio.
With this feature, you can showcase your top-selling items or collections suitable for a specific group of people.
The link in bio feature is available to every account type on Instagram, from brands and businesses to personal accounts and creators.
It is important to optimize this space, as Instagram limits you to just one clickable link that lives in your profile.
Link-in bio tools are useful for social media influencers and businesses that want to pique the interest of potential customers with their product links or to highlight new content like podcast episodes, blog posts, or newsletter signups.
These tools also allow you to track analytics to determine which links are performing well. Both offer free and paid plans with robust features, making them a great choice for small to mid-sized businesses.
2. Shoppable Posts
For e-commerce brands, Instagram’s shopping feature is one of the most effective ways to reach new audiences organically and generate profits on Instagram.
The platform enables marketers to include product tags in their posts, which, when clicked, direct viewers to the business’s website to complete their purchases.
To use this marketing tool, businesses must have an Instagram business or creator account and sell physical products that comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies. Instagram also charges a 5% selling fee per transaction.
Marketers can tag up to five products in a single post or 20 in a carousel, and they must make sure each product’s label matches its corresponding product image to avoid confusion.
The platform allows shoppers to view the product in a lifestyle context and click through to purchase. This reduces the steps needed to convert, making it an invaluable tool for e-commerce retailers.
It’s also a great way for brands to tease product launches and encourage fans to add items to their cart before the official launch.
3. Shoppable Stories
Brands can now easily tag products in their Instagram Stories and allow customers to purchase directly from within the app.
This is a huge boost to the platform, making shopping on Instagram more seamless and enjoyable for consumers.
The feature is a great way to drive sales, turn content into conversions, and maximize profits. Please note that this feature only applies to businesses that sell the products they are promoting directly.
The new shoppable stories feature will greatly boost any brand looking to expand its e-commerce operations.
For example, jewelry brand Missomma saw a 45% increase in orders after running an Instagram Story campaign.
And health and beauty brand ella+mila experienced a 50% increase in nail color sales after using the shopping feature in their Instagram Stories.
Abusing this feature with organic content and influencer marketing can help grow your e-commerce business even more. And the best part is, it’s free!
4. Instagram Checkout
Instagram’s Checkout feature lets followers purchase products directly from posts and stories. Building anticipation and excitement around product launches is a fantastic strategy.
It also helps you connect with customers by allowing them to preview details and set reminders to purchase upon launch.
The checkout experience is seamless and fast. Users must only enter their name, email address, billing information and shipping address once to purchase. Once a purchase is complete, Instagram will notify the user about shipment and delivery.
Final Words
Small businesses with weak websites can benefit greatly, as it levels the playing field with bigger brands with a strong online presence. Instagram also offers a waived selling fee on purchases using the checkout feature through 2020.
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