16 Jan
Instagram has evolved from a fun photo-sharing app to a powerful ecommerce platform. Nearly 60% of people say they discover new products on Instagram. So if you run a retail business, you simply can’t ignore this huge opportunity to boost sales. But where do you start? And how do you sell effectively on Instagram?
Make Your Profile Shoppable
Add buttons that make buying seamless. This way, when people discover your products, they can easily purchase them without leaving Instagram.
Here’s how:
- Add a shop tab – This creates a tab on your profile where people can browse products. Toggle on this feature in settings.
- List products in your bio – Drive traffic to your online store by linking top products in your Instagram bio.
- Tag products in posts – Use Instagram’s product tagging feature whenever you post a product photo. This adds a little tag icon people can tap to see your product details and purchase.
- Create shoppable posts – Make any post shoppable using the “Add product” sticker when creating it. People can tap to view prices and variants and then buy from Instagram.
Making shoppable profiles is table stakes for using Instagram to sell now. After all, you want to remove all friction when converting interested visitors into paying customers.
Also Read: Choose the right social media platform for your business
Tell Your Brand’s Story
While ecommerce features turn Instagram into a catalog for purchases, that isn’t enough. To stand out and use Instagram to sell and boost sales, you need an authentic brand story that resonates.
Ask yourself:
- Why did you start this business?
- What makes your products special?
- What do customers love about them?
Crafting a compelling story arc gives people reasons to care about you. If you know the best way to post to Instagram it can build an emotional connection that mass retailers lack.
A few types of posts on Instagram that help tell your brand story:
- Behind-the-scenes – Show your products being made to showcase quality and care.
- Spotlights on materials – Zoom into special fabrics or ingredients that set you apart.
- Staff profiles – Let the amazing people behind your brand shine.
- Customer testimonials – Have loyal customers share what they love. Their words hold more weight.
Storytelling helps shift people’s views of you from simply another company…to one they feel invested in seeing succeed.
Also Read: Social Media Tools Retailers Can Use to Boost Influence and Sales
Run Targeted Ads
Once your Instagram presence is polished, paid ads can skyrocket growth. They show your products to tons of targeted people at low costs.
For retail, focus ads on:
- Your best-selling products
- Promote winning products likely to sell more. This maximizes ROI from ads.
- Lookalike Audiences
- Upload customer email lists to Facebook (Instagram’s parent company). Their advertising tools then identify new people with similar interests to show your ads to.
- Engaged visitors
- Remarket ads target people who’ve visited your website or social channels. They already showed interest, so there are hot leads to reconnect with.
With smart narrow targeting, Instagram ads drive conversions while keeping costs in check.
Partner With Influencers
Influencer marketing collaborations align your brand with creators who influence their engaged audiences.
The key is finding influencers in your niche whose content and personality authentically align with your products.
But how much do Instagram influencers even cost?
While mega-influencers like Kylie Jenner charge over $1 million per post, micro-influencers with smaller (but highly engaged) audiences of under 100k followers charge a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars.
Focus on working with micro-influencers in your product niche. A few strategically chosen brand collaborations drive conversions while keeping costs reasonable.
Best practices
- Give a free product (instead of paying upfront) in return for an honest review to build trust
- Suggest general post themes but let influencers craft the narrative
- Develop ongoing partnerships for maximum impact over time
Influencer marketing can feel daunting but yet, when you find that ideal brand-creator fit, it pays dividends.
As you gear up for social commerce using the above rules for selling on Instagram, be sure you also have the right retail POS system powering operations behind the scenes. Hana Retail offers a system designed specifically for omni-channel retail.
With capabilities like:
- Seamless integrations across all sales channels
- Centralized inventory and order management
- Robust analytics and reporting
Hana Retail provides flexibility, insight, and marketing for retail stores across in-person and digital storefronts. Sign up FREE today!
