It is possible to attract users on their e-commerce through an inbound strategy: publish a photo, tell a story anticipating the needs of users, also intercepting potential customers.
80% of Internet surfers on Mobile use the Smartphone to make purchasing decisions or to relate to the brands involved. 34% also use it to finalize the transaction. (Credit by SmartInsights)
Through the new shopping features, Instagram makes the shopping experience complete and fast.
The user is facilitated in the purchase because, after seeing the product in the picture no longer have to go and search in the browser and then go to e-commerce but you can go directly to the product sheet on the website and insert the product in the cart.
So Instagram accompanies the user virtually throughout the shopping experience with this new feature “Instagram Shopping”.
The posts „shopping” or „shoppable post” in fact provide a special tag that allows you to link the objects in the photo directly to the corresponding e-commerce.
The presence of the icon in the form of a shopping bag located in the image at the bottom left allows the user to recognize the post „shopping”: just tap the icon to activate the tags included in the image that provide details on price, available sizes and other information about the product both within the feed and through the key that refers to the company profile.
The app automatically sends to the corresponding product page on the official website where to put the item in the cart, complete the transaction and browse the rest of the catalog.
Keep in mind before starting
Before starting, set the goals you want to achieve on this social network. For example:
- Increase product sales
- Drive traffic to your website
- Increase brand awareness
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Identify and establish relationships with influencers
Your Instagram goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.
Don’t forget to take care of the username and your biography that gives you the possibility to enter the URL of your website.
Use your biography to explain what your business is about and what people can expect from your Instagram profile.
Your Instagram profile photo should probably be your company logo. Matching the other photos on your profile will help you with the discoverability, as people who follow you on Twitter or Facebook will immediately recognize your brand.
The image of your Instagram profile will be clipped into a circle in the app, so make sure you choose an image that looks good in that shape.
How to start
First, the Instagram account must be converted into a company profile and then you must ensure that you have installed the latest version of the Instagram app.
- The first step is to associate your Instagram business profile with your product catalog on Facebook, which can be created and managed by Business Manager.
- Secondly, it is necessary to request approval for shopping on Instagram.
Once obtained, after verification by the social network, it is possible to enable tags to the products.
- At the top of the Instagram profile a warning appears with the possibility to activate the function and at that point just click on „Get started” and select the catalog of products to be connected to the account.
- You can enter up to five products per image and up to twenty products for the carousel.
You can also add filters or captions.
Through the Link inserted in the call-to-action „Buy Now”, where the user can directly access the product page in e-commerce.
What you can do on Instagram. 11 tips
Instagram offers many opportunities for companies to share different types of interactive and engaging content.
The goal on Instagram is to build a cohesive and recognizable brand identity thanks to the visual impact of this social network.
- Create visual consistency
Always using the same filters, you can establish a style that will become recognizable to your followers. If your users immediately recognize your images it’s easier than recognizing that they interact with it through likes and comments.
- Inspire participation
- Create a hashtag for your products so that consumers can tag and you can organize posts about your products or your brand.
- Choose a tag that is short and specific.
- You can also geotag the photos you publish so that viewers do not forget where you are.
- Include cross-tags and use specific post and hashtag-specific themes.
- Create a photo gallery of the product
- Include a list of photos that tell the story of your product. Instagram has the ability to turn your photos into fun and lively images that entice viewers to act.
- Include photos that help potential customers understand how to make the most of your products.
- Link images and product pages
- Connect to product pages whenever a product is present in one of your posts.
- Also connected to other sites when you publish a relevant product to another retailer. Let people know where they can buy that product, even if it’s not in your store. This way you build your reputation and trust on any social network.
- Invite to share
Invite your customers to publish their photos using your product or service and then share them on your company’s Instagram account. This will give each user more visibility because it will be seen by their audience and also by yours.
- Repost
Whenever customers share images on Instagram, they republish images through the reposting on the Instagram page but also on other sites by tagging and thanking the person for sharing. In this way, the content can remain active for longer periods.
- Be inventive with captions
- Instagram can be focused on eye-catching visual content, but do not overlook the captions that accompany each photo: they represent a great opportunity for your business to tell a story.
- Instagram subtitles allow you to expand your image, give it context and even make your followers laugh. It can also tie an image to your business.
- Uses photo and video albums
You can add up to 10 photos and videos to a single Instagram post, giving users the ability to browse and see every single content. These albums offer companies a way to combine photos and videos to tell stories and convey information in a very engaging way.
- Risks with Instagram Stories
The disappearance of the contents and the live broadcast functions make Instagram Stories the perfect vehicle for companies to take creative risks and create photos and videos that capture the attention.
- Work with Influencer
Identify influential people on Instagram who is relevant to your brand or industry and start building a relationship.
Give them control of your account for one day for an acquisition, or be informed about providing content sponsored for your account.
Even small and medium-sized businesses can use this tactic by collaborating with local influencers.
- Sponsors the contents
If your goal is to develop brand awareness, get more visits to the website or increase downloads of your mobile app, Instagram ads can help you access a huge and involved audience.
Conclusion
Surely Instagram Shopping can be considered an effective conversion tool.
The Shopping tag allows the user to live an immersive experience, not just for sale.
The latest experimentation with Instagram is Instagram Payments, a payment option within the platform, which would allow the user to complete the purchase without leaving the application.
This is currently only an experimentation made possible for some users in the United States and highlights the strong connection of Instagram with the online shopping world, which the Social Network intends to strengthen.
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