April 1, 2023
e-commerce sales with Instagram

If you are an e-commerce salesperson who intends to use Instagram to grow your business, it is essential to have a clear idea of ​​which strategies are conducive to sales and which ones do not. 

 this feature was born to provide companies with the right resources to “connect with customers in a new and engaging way, making shopping less selling and more feasible.” 

And considering that 80% of users on Instagram already follow a company’s profile, all you have to do is find the right way to grab their attention. And today, I’m here to tell you how.

The Topic Of This Post

  • 1 How to set up a Shoppable account
  • 2 How to create winning posts
  • 3 How to Create Winning Stories
  • 4 How to show products in the Explore section
  • 5 Extra Promotions for Posts

How to set up a Shoppable account

First of all, to set up a Shoppable account, you must verify that your company has the proper requirements to do so. There are two criteria to be respected. First, the company profile must be in an available market. Second, the Instagram account and the company must respond to a set of precise rules:

  • Respect Instagram’s sales agreement and commercial policies
  • Be a business account.
  • Be connected to a Facebook Shop page that has a payment option other than “Send a message to purchase.”
  • We are selling mainly material goods.
  • Be connected to a Facebook catalog.

If you meet all of these conditions, you can submit your profile for review by the platform. It will take about a couple of days, and once your account is approved, Instagram will send you a confirmation notification.

How to create winning posts

Has your account been confirmed? Now you can finally commence using Instagram Shoppable. If you are not accustomed to using the platform, creating winning posts will not be easy for you right away. Yet, even if you are not a social media strategist, you can still understand the elements that make a post successful and propose them on your profile. Here are five valuable tips for your strategy.

  1. Tag the products

Tagging products is essential to ensure one conversion web marketing, and conversion means when a user takes a specific – measurable – action that is important to your business. Examples are access to the site, the visit of …real of your posts. The tags allow users to view the details of a product and direct them towards the purchase path. For example, if a user likes a product you have published, click on the tag to know the name, and the price is the amount of money required for a product or service. In a broad sense, the price is the sum of all …. And if he wants to buy it, he will only need one click to do it.

  1. Add hashtags

Like you do with your Instagram posts, you must use hashtags .hashtag to label words or phrases typical of social networks. Help others interested in a topic quickly find content on that topic …to increase the visibility of your products. You have to choose them carefully, but if you are not sure which to use, then try to enter only hashtags related to the brand Brand is an identification symbol, trademark, logo, name, word, and phrase that companies use to distinguish their product from others. A combination … and the product.

But if you want to get good exposure, you’ll have to choose a popular hashtag group and a more niche group. The idea of ​​choosing the most popular ones makes sense, but you have to consider the high competition you are going to face.

Therefore, it will be easier for you to dominate niche hashtags, allowing you to impose yourself in the sector. And beyond that, don’t forget to use a hashtag for your brand.

As for the number of hashtags for each post, we can open a rather broad discussion here. I’ll try to be as clear and concise as possible, though. Remember, therefore, that the principle of “less is more” applies in this case, so do not insert a disproportionate number of hashtags because you will end up making your content spam.

So what is the perfect number? According to research conducted by Track Maven,  nine hashtags encourage the maximum engagement, from the English “involvement,” which indicates the level of involvement of users for a company or brand, often used in the field of Social Media Marketing. Finally, there is … for each post. However, all of these things clearly remember that experimenting is the best way to understand what works with your audience.

  1. Include test posts using influencers

In the past, celebrities drove customers to purchase. However, they are the influencer. An influencer is anyone who has the power to influence the purchasing decisions of others due to his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with the… This explains why collaborating with profiles with a good following is essential to strengthen your brand’s visibility and generate contacts.

Not all influencers are the same, so you will need to carefully choose the right one to achieve your business goals.

  1. Use high-quality images.

When it comes to online shopping, it is clear that users cannot physically interact with the products. Images and videos then become fundamental in this context. The importance of posting high-quality images cannot be overstated.

Choosing grainy, poorly edited, or unprofessional photos will end up discouraging your audience and losing money. You will therefore have to resort to a professional photographer if you want to do well. Because, remember, on a platform like Instagram, aesthetics are everything.

  1. Reshare the content posted by the user

Re-sharing user-generated content is one of the least used solutions for creating winning posts, yet it works. In addition, this will allow you to increase sales because it provides absolute proof of a user’s experience.

On the other hand, on Instagram, you will find a source of inspiration everywhere. So, if someone presents your product positively, why not use that content for advertising you? Just make sure you have the person’s permission before you reshare any of their content.

How to create winning Stories

I’ll tell you a secret: creating successful Stories is pretty easy once you know a few little secrets. So let’s see what it is.

  1. Use product stickers

Like the hashtags, the stickers of the Stories within the Stories allow users to get more information about the product in question and then buy it. Nothing difficult then. Once you understand the mechanism, it will not be difficult at all to be able to use the stickers that best suit your interests.

  1. Save Highlighted Stories

We all know, Instagram Stories last for 24 hours. But if you don’t want your users to forget them, then we suggest you include them in the “Featured Stories.” These will appear in your profile, in the section below your bio, so that the public can see them even before your posts. In this way, you will have the possibility to leave your products in evidence, clearly visible for your audience.

How to show products in the Explore section

Many companies try to appear with their content in the Explore section, and it is certainly not difficult to understand why. This allows the brand to increase its visibility and conversions as well. But if you want to be present in this section, you will have to follow some particular precautions.

  1. Use hashtags for localization.

We explain here why it is so important to use hashtags. In short, because these allow you to enter the Explore section.

Beyond these, it is also essential to use localization hashtags to have your content in Explore. For example, by adding your location to Product Stories, you will appear in that section before users who have tagged themselves in the same area as you.

Easy to use and value for your success, why not use them then?

  1. Post at the right time

Are you new to Instagram? Then I’m sure you will publish when you feel like it. Maybe five posts a day, and then you’ll forget to open your account for a whole week. It may also be an acceptable methodology, but this may not be enough if you want to appear in the Explore section.

You will need to publish your content at the right time for your brand. But what is it? I’ll tell you a secret: the right time is the combination of when users see your content and when it is generally active on the platform. An analysis conducted by Social Buddy showed that these are some of the best times:

  • early morning
  • lunchtime on weekdays (11/13)
  • the afternoon after working hours (17/20)
  • weekend afternoon
  1. Interact with followers and be authentic

Interacting with the public is a fundamental action to be able to appear in the Explore section. The algorithm that selects posts to show to users primarily chooses content that is relevant to them.

This means that the more you interact with followers, the more you have the chance to appear in Explore. It’s not just how many times you interact with them that’s important, but how. Users know that brands are often intent on a relationship with them only for monetization, so you will have to show that you are interested in relating.

How to do it then? First, try asking interesting questions to your followers to have answers that identify their character. Or respond to their comments to create a relationship directly with those who follow you. Be authentic, therefore, and show yourself curious to know who you are in front of.

Extra promotions for posts

We got this far, and we created winning posts … and now? We need to start promoting them. Let’s see how.

  1. Use Instagram advertising

Advertising on Instagram is essential, let’s face it. But, of course, often the problem is that the scarce budget is an estimate of income and expenses over a specified period in the future and is usually compiled and re-evaluated periodically. THE…that you have available, but this is a fundamental tool to make your brand known. In particular, you can choose to sponsor four types of posts: photos, videos, carousels, and Stories. You decide which is the most suitable for your audience and try to get all the visibility you want.

  1. Organize a contest

Have you ever wondered why so many companies organize contests on Instagram? The answer is simple. These grab the attention of followers and invite new users to follow your brand. On the other hand, who is not interested in obtaining products for free? A recent study has shown that the profiles that organize competitions grow 70% faster than the others. You will have to give away something exciting to attract the attention of as many users as possible.

3 Contact influencers and micro-influencers

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating. In users’ eyes, the influencer is the natural and tangible proof of the validity of the product you offer. This is why it is crucial to open up to collaborations of this type. Where your budget is tight, then consider collaborating by offering free products to influencers.

Another idea may be to work with micro-influencers, increasingly requested by companies with e-commerce. These are profiles with a following ranging from 10 thousand to 50 thousand followers, which entails modest costs for collaboration and the possibility of achieving your goals in the best possible way.

For example, if you want to win over women who lead everyday lives, it will be easier for you to do it through people who prove themselves than by partnering with Instagram stars with millions of followers.

Having clarified all this, there will be nothing left to do but start taking the first steps with Instagram Shoppable. An easy and practical tool to use will ensure considerable insurance success, especially if you manage e-commerce platforms.