Jared Atchison — July 31, 2019 — July 31, 2019
If you’re an ecommerce store looking to boost your sales, Instagram just might be the solution for you. If you aren’t already leveraging the platform to reach your goals, you should be. There are more than one billion active users on Instagram every month, so if you’re going to reach your target audience and get your brand where it needs to be, it’s time to get to work.
Social media marketing is nothing new; however, the ways in which we use social media are constantly changing and therefore, it’s important to keep up with the trends and apply them to ecommerce too. Social media allows brands to put a face to a name and create personalized experiences where there were none before.
If you want to boost sales using Instagram, here are a few ways to get started.
Leverage influencers
Out of all the popular social platforms out there, Instagram is most well-known for brands using influencer marketing to reach their goals. If you’re an Instagram user, you’ve probably seen popular influencers you follow endorsing products like Sugar Bear Hair and Flat Tummy Tea. These are both examples of influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing happens when brands pay a well-known social media user with a large following to promote their products. This strategy works because the influencer’s followers are loyal to the influencer and trust what they say. Another reason is that the influencer’s target market is the same as that brand’s, which means their marketing message caters to their needs and piques their interest.
When UWheels was a brand new company, they used well-known social media users and celebrities to endorse their product and spread the word. As a result, the brand generated more than $ 1.2 million dollars in revenue.
To find success with influencer marketing, seek out influencers who share the same target audience as your brand so you have better chances of boosting conversions. Look at how your competitors are using influencers in their strategies to promote their products and grow their following.
Go live
Don’t underestimate how much users love live streams from their favorite brands. In fact, 82 percent of people prefer live video over static posts, and if your audience sees this kind of content from you instead of just strictly photos, they’ll enjoy it too.
When businesses run live streams, they put a face to a brand name and make the experience more personal. Humanizing your brand has positive effects that make your audience feel like they know you on a deeper level and connect with you. Offering inside looks into your warehouse or running a contest through live stream are great ways to invite your customers to know your brand better while keeping it fun.
Vintage retailer ModCloth went live on Instagram to promote their latest in-store clothing items which boosted interest in their store and gave customers a look into what they could expect next:
To run a successful live stream for your brand, test it out beforehand. This will prepare you for any potential audio or visual issues. Make sure you have a sound internet connection so you don’t cut off halfway through, and respond to user comments and questions to improve overall engagement.
Showcase user-generated content
Because 83 percent of people trust the opinions of friends and family rather than brands, it’s wise to include real customers into your Instagram marketing strategy. A great way to build credibility is by showcasing user-generated content (UGC). This is content created by consumers that’s posted on social media. Its authenticity encourages users to trust brands because someone they know recommended it.
Airbnb’s Instagram thrives off of user-generated content as it features the homes of people who rent out their spaces to strangers:
They even encourage users to share their content with them by tagging them in their bio:
To encourage UGC for your brand, encourage your audience to post something and tag you in it. Beyond that, create a branded hashtag people can add to their post so you have all of them in one place and be sure to make it unique and relevant to your brand. Sift through all the content and post the best ones to your Instagram page. Remember to tag the user whose content you’re posting in the description so they get their credit.
Run a contest
Who doesn’t love the thrill of entering a contest to see if they’ve won stuff for free? There’s something about running contests and giveaways that entices people. It’s tough to turn the chance of winning something down and it always feels good to win, which is probably why contests are a good way to boost sales.
You have to give away something your audience actually wants. This is important because you want as many people to enter as possible so you can get their attention and move them through the sales funnel. You can set the guidelines however you’d like, whether that’s having them submit UGC, like or comment on a post, follow you, etc.
Create a hashtag that’s specific to your contest to create brand recognition, stay organized, and follow along with what users are doing. It should be short, easy to remember, and relevant to the contest itself.
Mint created the hashtag #MyMintMoment for their contest which was catchy and reflected what they wanted their audience to do:
Instagram is a versatile platform that ecommerce businesses can use to increase sales and encourage engagement. You can showcase UGC, create a contest, go live, and use influencer marketing to boost your social media strategy and reach your goals. How will you use Instagram marketing to your benefit?
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