Instagram is an effective platform for online store owners, as it offers many different marketing options. All you have to do is use a smart Instagram marketing strategy that will allow you to significantly increase the visibility and sales of your online store.
Instagram has come a long way since Facebook bought it in the spring of 2012. Back then, the app had 50 million monthly active users, but now it’s surpassed one billion monthly active users, according to Statista.
With all these numbers in mind, allow us to share some Instagram marketing strategies that will not only increase your revenue but also allow you to build a community around your brand.
1. Content creation
Make sure all your content is of excellent quality. The higher the quality, the more engagement there will be from your target audience. Think before you post! Create content around hashtags that are relevant to your products.
Plan your content a month in advance to ensure your Instagram profile is full of quality content. Without a plan, it will be difficult to find time to post regularly.
It will also keep the attention of your target audience. However, publishing high-quality content is not enough. You also need to interact with your followers – respond to their comments, comment on others’ posts, etc. Be part of the community.
2. Growth Hacking
As an online store owner, you need to figure out what gets you the best results as soon as possible. There are two great tricks to increase your Instagram followers and brand awareness. First, engaging with relevant influencers. Second, organize contests and sweepstakes and provide great engagement with the types of posts below.
- Promotional Posts – Product posts or anything else related to your online store, products, or services.
- Engaging Post – Includes posts that inspire your followers to engage in conversations, like and share your posts. You can ask your followers a question or organize a prize draw.
- Sharing Post – Promote content with the help of your followers, bloggers, and influencers.
3. Product labeling
You can tag products in posts and simplify the buying process for customers. Instagram allows business accounts to tag products in their posts, just as profiles can tag people. Tagging is one of the best Instagram marketing tips for businesses looking to get their products out to a wider audience.
The process is simple and you can turn your Instagram into a sales channel in no time. The following simple steps will help you get started:
- Set up a shop section on your business Facebook page that you link to Instagram and add your products to it (you can automatically import products from your online store). Choose an option that allows customers to purchase from your e-commerce site instead of Facebook.
- Please wait until you receive a notification on your Instagram account to start tagging products (which can take up to a few days).
- When posting an image, select the “tag a product” option to see a list of all the products you’ve uploaded to your Facebook.
4. Hashtags
Hashtags on Instagram are a powerful tool. You can insert up to 30 hashtags in each post. They allow your content to be seen by a wider audience and help attract new potential customers. To save time on a daily basis, do proper hashtag research. When you’re done, create and save a list of hashtags you want to use.
For example, if you frequently post product shots, quotes, or lifestyle images, create a list of relevant hashtags for each. Popular hashtags can change quickly, so update your hashtag list regularly. Also, only use relevant hashtags.
You should always keep the user experience in mind for your Instagram hashtag strategy. Targeting new customers on Instagram takes time and patience, but it’s definitely worth it. Find hashtags that are relevant to your products so you can connect with customers who have similar interests.
5. Increase sales with giveaways and user-generated content
Selling directly from Instagram is possible, but it’s also important to show your followers that you care about them. Focus on building an engaging community with a variety of user-generated content. Create an artistic and inspiring resource for your target audience. We recommend the following two types of content that inspire high trust and drive high engagement on Instagram.
- Publish User Generated Content (UGC) – Want to promote a friendly and down-to-earth brand image? Then post pictures of customers showing off your products. User-generated content works like a charm. You will impress them if you introduce them.
- Run giveaways – Many Instagram users follow brands simply for the giveaways they offer and later grow into customers. To advertise your giveaways, use visually appealing graphics, useful prizes, and clear instructions for entering the giveaway.
6. Engagement
If you communicate with your target customers, they will often respond with likes and even start following your brand. Buying likes or followers should not be in your best interest. It may seem like a quick fix, but in the long run, you’ll be hurting your brand because your community will be made up of people who don’t really follow you and will never be your customers. At the same time, they will also engage less – liking and commenting on your posts, so Instagram will reduce the reach of your posts
7. Purchase
By now, you are sharing quality content and are also noticeably involved in the Instagram community. Congratulations on filling your target audience’s Instagram profile with value-added posts. But are your Instagram marketing efforts having a positive impact on your online store sales?
It’s great to have a large number of followers on Instagram. Additionally, higher engagement means better brand awareness, but if you want to achieve sustainable growth, you’ll need to facilitate your buyer’s journey.
Most Instagram traffic comes from mobile phones, so your landing page should be responsive and mobile-optimized. Also, most users do not make a purchase on their first visit to an online store, so it is very important to have remarketing kampanje in place for these visitors.
You can also take advantage of Instagram’s location feature – it’s a great way to get your online store sales from Instagram.
Presenting your products in an attractive way will generate a lot of demand, but don’t be the one who just sells your products on Instagram. This can destroy the integrity of your brand. However, if you are a little creative about it, it won’t cause much trouble – present your products through creative posts that will be interesting to users and bring them useful value.
8. Influencers
Research shows that one-third of consumers don’t trust traditional advertising and will refuse to follow or engage with your brand online. Influencers allow you to reach your niche audience in a relaxed and relevant way. Indeed, influencers have built their own audience that trusts their thoughts and opinions.
We see from practice that nano-influencers (2,000 to 5,000 followers) and micro-influencers (5,000-50,000 followers) can have a huge impact on driving brand awareness and sales and are worth investing in – as long as the level of engagement and reach is right. Of course, it is necessary to constantly monitor the results and make sure that the cooperation takes place in accordance with the agreements.
9. Analytics
The best Instagram marketing strategies always include a thorough review of analytics. In-app analytics provide you with useful information and you can use this information to increase engagement. Under the audience tab, you can see when your followers are most active on Instagram. Schedule your future posts around these times.
Pay attention to the photos that get the most likes. This will give you insight into what your audience is most interested in. With this information, you can post more of what they want and increase engagement.
10. Instagram Story
Instagram Stories have made it much easier for users to engage with their followers. If you want to create a trendy brand, be sure to use Instagram Stories and update them regularly.
It’s a fantastic way to engage with your passionate followers. Many companies are doing this now, and it’s a great way for your business to succeed in an increasingly competitive space.
Instagram stories don’t need to be professional – it’s great if they’re authentic, everyday posts.
11. Instagram Highlights
Standard Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours. What if there are some photos or videos that you want to keep for a longer period of time? It could be highlights from an event you sponsored, a customer testimonial, or maybe a new product you’re launching.
With Instagram Story Highlights, you can easily leave some of your most popular stories. Think of them as curated collections in your profile that will live forever.
To summarize!
There you have it – the best Instagram marketing strategies. The beauty of Instagram is that it doesn’t require a huge budget. You can easily increase your online store sales on Instagram if you follow the strategies and offer added value to customers through the methods written above. Instagram users enjoy shopping from popular brands, so immediately apply the aforementioned Instagram marketing tips. Also, keep measuring your performance. Within a month, you should have enough data about the sales you generated on Instagram.
