Increase Clickthroughs and Drive Revenue on Instagram!
Online sales tools like Shopify and BigCommerce have changed the way we buy and sell stuff and in doing so have created countless new industries and opportunities.
But man, online retail can be tough.
With new competitors entering the market every week and a hungry customer base screaming for newer, better products how do you keep up? Let’s talk about how Instagram can help grow your customer base and increase revenue.
By Allowing People to Shop Directly
Social media has traditionally been looked at as a referral tool. Your customers see your posts, think they’re pretty cool and then visit your website or get in touch via email or direct messaging. Now, those clever cats at Instagram have decided to reduce the required clicks and just let you sell stuff from the initial post.
The transaction now looks like this –
1. That looks cool.
2. I’ll buy it.
To set up Instagram shopping, you need to start at Facebook. Bring over your inventory to your Facebook page and within a few weeks, you should see a new ‘tag products’ button appear on Instagram. Then, erm….tag your products and you’re off and racing.
Importantly, this means your images can directly impact sales, so invest in high quality, well thought out imagery to get your Instagram sales pumping. Read the comments, take on feedback from your audience and measure the results of certain styles of photography, the types of products that sell well on Instagram and where you’re getting the most ‘buzz’ from.
By Helping People Discover You
Of course, we love referral traffic. There’s nothing better than having someone scroll through Instagram, see your post and love it enough to make the effort to learn more about you.
But many brands focus too much on vanity metrics and posts that offer little value.
Think about an Instagram grid that you love. Why do you keep going back? Why do you jump on their new posts straight away and get excited when they reply to your comments?
A lot of the time it’s because their grid, website and most likely the product itself was created with you in mind.
Well…not you exactly, but someone like you.
Make sure, when planning your grid that you have your target persona in mind. What do they love, what would they want to see and what would give them positive feelings? Put yourself in their shoes, or – even better – talk to someone who fits into the persona and ask their opinion.
Remember, an amazing image that doesn’t excite or engage your target persona probably isn’t the one you want to use – take your time, and build something that is beautiful from the standpoint of your most important audience member.
Instagram is a powerful tool and with a bit of effort, it can become an amazing engagement and sales channel for your brand.
