Instagram is massive, there’s no doubting it. When Instagram launched about a decade ago, we all knew it as the photo-sharing app where users could click photographs with their smartphones and upload them to the internet for friends and family to see.
But little did we know about its potential back then, that it would go on to become a marketing sensation over the years.
To put into perspective, Meta (previously Facebook) acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion. By 2018, its valuation rose to $100 billion.
Instagram has grown to become more than the world’s largest social media network, with a worldwide user base predominantly made up of younger generations. Due to its current reach of over one billion active monthly users, it is also one of the world’s finest marketing channels. That is why a lot of brands rely on Instagram to promote their products and reach out to existing and future customers.
As a matter of fact, millions of businesses engage with customers across the globe with 90% of Instagrammers following at least 1 brand or business. What sets the platform apart is that it provides marketers with innovative methods to connect and interact with customers, in a visually appealing and engaging manner. According to Facebook, 80% of Instagrammers decide whether to buy a product and service based on what they see while browsing the app.
As we approach 2022, let’s see the predominant trends which can help a brand wow their customers and make their competitors envious, so buckle up your content strategy team and get to work. Here are 10 tips that can help you boost your Instagram sales.
1. Optimize your Instagram profile
…but first, switch to a business profile. This will open many doors for your business which you won’t be able to access if you have a regular user profile. Next, update the bio, content, and photos to let app users know what you do. Here’s how to go about it:
Profile Image
Select an image that defines your brand. A brand-logo would be the best bet for a profile pic.
Bio
As they say, first impression is the last impression. Ensure your bio is as short, crisp as possible. It is incredibly important that your bio defines your business or your brand identity and what it stands for. Do not forget to use emojis and tag your Instagram handle in the bio itself.
URL or Link in the Bio
This is one of the most crucial parts of your bio. Make sure you include a link that takes app users to your website. It is equally crucial to keep updating the link in your bio when you have something special to offer your followers.
For instance, if you are launching a fall-winter collection or offering a Christmas discount sale, link it to the corresponding landing page. This will aid in generating organic traffic to your website. It is important to create a unique URL for the bio as this will help you with insights as to what percentage of website visitors are from Instagram.
In case you do not have the time to do it yourself, get a social media manager on board to help you take your Instagram page to the next level.
2. Tell your Stories, Share Reels and Post Feeds
Tap the power of IG Stories
According to Instagram, more than 500 million users post stories every day, of which one-third of the most viewed stories are posted by businesses. It is immensely critical to harness the potential of IG stories.
Be it a new collection or a product launch, stories are the best way to get to the consumers as fast as possible. These of course are visible only for 24 hours.
But what’s even more fun is the option to highlight them to keep them in your bio page for customers to see. IG stories are one of the best ways to literally rivet your audience and drive business results with fun and engaging content by converting a follower into a customer.
Use polls and quizzes sometimes to gauge audience preferences from time to time.
Make Reels
Let’s admit it, reels are addictive. These allow brands to create short and engaging videos that do not disappear in a day. You can use its filters and other editing tools to create content that not only your followers, but anyone can see and engage with – yes, you’re sitting on a goldmine. There are brands that get millions of views on reels, thereby increasing brand awareness as well as conversions.
Post Feeds
But before that, create a calendar of what you would be posting. Then use the content prepared in advance to create fun and interactive posts by using the right description and hashtags. Try to post twice per day and time your posts well.
3. Create a product catalog
That’s crazy right! It’s like having your own e-commerce website within your Instagram app. Most businesses are leveraging this feature to sell their products online. From travel essentials to mobile and laptop accessories, jewelry, furniture, furnishings and home décor, every business is selling on Instagram.
Product catalogs are great means to ease the customer journey, making purchases as simple as they can get. Insta users can simply browse your catalog to check your collection, prices, and reviews. Once they’ve made up their mind, one single tap will lead them to your website for check-out. It’s that smooth.
Leveraging advanced sales strategies can complement your Instagram catalog, optimizing the path from discovery to purchase and maximizing your online sales potential.
4. Shoppable Posts and Clickable links
Tag your products on your posts. Is it possible? Yes. Can you do it on stories, reels, and posts? A big yes. This is a great way to not only show off your products on your posts but also engage with your audience who will be almost compelled to check those products out, leading to more organic traffic and purchases.
Be it your IG feeds, reels or even stories, tagging your products and offerings is a great way to develop a solid customer base. IG provides you an excellent avenue to engage with your target customers who can tap the post to view the product prices and then tap on them to be redirected to your product catalog.
5. Showcase Products
Brands like DJI that makes drones and GoPro that makes action cameras are some of the trailblazers of showcasing their products in action on IG. In fact, all of GoPro’s IG feeds consisting of photos and videos are taken using their action cameras.
This way, businesses can make Instagram their brand ambassador, reaching out to millions of app users worldwide. It’s nothing but showing the experience one can get while using your products. For instance, if you are an office furniture brand, you can showcase your top-selling chair in a home office set-up to give the customers a look and feel of the product if they keep it in their homes.
In case you do not have a product catalog, you can simply tag your website on the post which will lead your customers directly to the product page on your website. No frills whatsoever.
6. Befriend the Influencers
They would be your perfect brand ambassadors to promote your products and offerings to the target audience of your choice. Customers these days are smart and don’t often trust traditional ads.
This is why collaborations and sponsorships with influencers who have a well-established follower base, is on every brand’s social media marketing plans. A good Instagram influencer marketing strategist can always help your brand collaborate with top influencers, fetching you high traffic and follower base, enhanced customer engagement leading to higher conversions.
There are many ways to engage with a relevant influencer who can take your brand to a large target audience base. There are several ways you can collaborate with an influencer through paid partnerships. They can in turn make a paid partnership look natural and even if it’s sponsored, their followers don’t seem to mind.
Through this, an influencer can create an asset, be it video or photo, review your product and even add a link to your website on their bio with a discount code, bringing you more buyer traffic. Canadian furniture brand Article has amassed huge number of followers and customers by engaging with influencers who are into interior designing. Popular Instagrammers and YouTubers like Alexandra Gater and The Sorry Girls are engaged by Article from time to time by sponsoring their content and in turn get the attention of target customers who follow these influencers.
Similarly, hospitality firm Airbnb also uses the same method to captivate target customers. They usually collaborate with influential celebrities by inviting them to one of their offbeat and chic properties. Celebs like Mariah Carey, Martin Garrix, Lady Gaga and Wiz Khalifa who have millions of followers, post their pictures tagging Airbnb, leading to unprecedented popularity of the firm.
7. Share User-generated content
It is equally important for a brand to admire their target audience’s posts as it is to expect admiration from them. Nothing can beat word-of-mouth advertising and what could be easier than sharing some of the best feeds that users generate.
Smartphone manufacturers Apple and OnePlus use this trick every time, sharing the best pictures clicked by users from their iPhones or OnePlus devices tagging them.
By offering users, a chance to get featured on the official IG accounts, also helps promote your products or services to those customers as well as their followers. It also helps your brand be perceived as a friendly one, leading people to show more trust in you.
8. Invest in Insta Ads
If you are a new brand and want to take your business to targeted audience, then Instagram ads are worth investing into. This will not only increase your chances of being visible where you want to be but also reduce your cost per conversion rates by a great margin.
These can be in the form of photo ads, video ads, dynamic ads, and carousel ads, depending on your requirements and budgets. That’s the beauty of Instagram ads and you can certainly make a kill.
In case you find it daunting to wade through the dynamics of Instagram ads, seek help from a social media advertising expert, as engaging with an experienced digital team is always advisable.
9. Contests and Giveaways
These are essential to grab attention and engage with the target audience at regular intervals. If you want to spark engagement and in turn earn huge number of followers, then there’s nothing like running an Instagram contest or organizing giveaways. Brands from fashion to technology, automobile and even travel brands are seen to be running contests and giving away free merch and prizes to their followers.
It’s very simple to organize contests and host Instagram giveaways. Just ask your audience to like your posts and follow your Instagram page.
Then ask them to generate one post relevant to your business e.g., post your best ethnic outfit, in case you’re a fashion boutique. Then the users must tag your handle, put your contest hashtag and also tag a few of their friends to stand a chance to win the prizes. It’s that easy, yet a great way to tap into people’s creativity and give them a chance to showcase it to their friends and followers.
10. Follow the trends
Lastly, be where your customers are and most importantly, where the world is. Keep an ear to the ground and sense which way the winds are flowing. Latch on to the latest trends and you will attract more target audience than one can ever expect.
Community followership is key for an enhanced customer base. Seek advice from a social listening expert to find out how it can propel your business and help it remain relevant in future.
Final Thoughts on Boosting Instagram Sales
In case you want to indulge in a fool-proof strategy, here’s how you can hire a SaaS marketer for your business. Finding out how these tips would help your business on Instagram and putting them to use will take some amount of practice. Maybe some may work wonders for your business while some may not, however, these tips will help your brand stay clear of guesswork and uncertainty. It can be a little overwhelming at the beginning but once you get a hang of it, nothing can stop you from reaching out to millions of customers.