Building a following on Instagram isn’t easy. But, if approached strategically, driving sales on Instagram can be.
The visual nature of the feed and power of influence among the channel’s power users makes it prime for bringing products (and your brand) to life. 130 million users tapping on Instagram shopping posts every month also doesn’t hurt.
As you explore social media for boosting ecommerce sales, consider these revenue-building tactics specific to Instagram.
Make Your Feed Shoppable
Remember those aforementioned 130 million users? They’re all interacting with features made possible by Instagram Shopping.
If you have a business or creator account, you’re able to engage with your followers and convert them all within the same platform. It essentially takes the extra step of pushing shoppers to your mobile website out of the equation.
To get started, you’ll upload your product catalog (integrations with Shopify and BigCommerce are also available) and submit your account for review. Once verified, you can then turn on Shopping features and insert products into organic feed posts. You’ll also be able to add a shopping sticker in Stories.
Partner With Micro-Influencers and Brands to Build Awareness
Driving business on Instagram is directly related to your ability to build awareness. The more people that discover your content and follow your profile, the wider your sales net becomes.
Beyond posting organic content, one way to get in front of more eyeballs is to work with other accounts that cater to similar audiences. For example, research relevant micro-influencers.
These are accounts that typically boast anywhere from 10,000 – 50,000 followers. Unlike their larger influencer counterparts, those in the micro space tend to be more niche, which allows you to be more targeted in your approach.
Start following those you’re most interested in, engage thoughtfully with their content to help build a relationship, and reach out via a direct message to get the conversation going. Go in with a plan for what you’re looking for and what you’d be willing to provide them with in return (e.g., free product, cross-promotion, payment).
Additionally, look to tangential brands for partnership potential. Organize a joint giveaway to tap into different audiences and build awareness around your product or service.
Experiment With Instagram Ads
More often than not, organic social strategy should work hand in hand with paid. On Instagram, you can more directly target or retarget audiences through the use of Instagram Ads.
They offer a variety of formats to create for (e.g., video, photo, carousel, Stories) and interest-based targeting options to experiment with. If you’re working with a handful of influencers, you can also test out Branded Content Ads for creative that’s more polished and natural in feel.
For more “how-to’s” on using Instagram to grow your business, register for our free webinar on September 13. From content creation to advertising, we’ll dive deeper into everything you need to know for growing an audience and making more sale