Welcome to the next article in the series, in which we show how to use social media to support sales and the image of your eCommerce. This time we present the possibilities of Instagram.
Instagram eCommerce
Social commerce activities on Instagram offer a number of opportunities. The sales potential of this platform is confirmed by the numbers: 62% of Instagram users discover new products through Instagram Stories, 130 million people click on posts with tagged products every month. According to the predictions of Deutsche Bank analysts - revenues from purchases on Instagram in 2021 will reach $10 billion. So there is a lot to fight for and for whom.
From store to shopping live streaming
What opportunities does this platform offer? First of all - a store on Instagram. A feature strongly linked to the Facebook store. To create your own, connect your Instagram business account with your Facebook account. This configuration will take you less than 30 minutes.
As a company profile, you can tag the products you display in your photos. With this feature, a user will see immediately how much the product costs. He is also be able to go directly to the sales page.
Instagram is constantly evolving. The milestone in building its sales potential has become Instagram Checkout. With this functionality, users can buy products directly in the app. The payment process is very simplified - all you need to make a purchase is your name email address, billing information, and shipping address. For the eCommerce industry, Instagram Checkout is a huge opportunity - it guarantees speed of purchase and security. Moreover, the entire purchase process from the users' perspective is seamless and intuitive.
The beginning of the pandemic caused most sales to migrate to the online world. However, customers still appreciated face-to-face contact with each other - sellers. Although today stationary stores function normally, live shopping still offers many opportunities for eCommerce industry. In the era of social distance, Mark Zuckenberg reported that 800 million people participate in live video on Facebook and Instagram every day. Live shopping combines the in-store shopping experience (participants can ask questions in comments, they see the product from a more real perspective than in a photo).
Thinking about the possibilities of Instagram in the context of eCommerce development, we cannot overlook Stories, which are one of the first points of contact between potential customers and brand. It is the Stories that have great sales potential. They allow you to tag products and link directly to your page.
Finally, Instagram is one of the most important platforms to develop influencer marketing. Wise collaborations with creators can not only help increase sales, but also increase customer trust in the brand.
All the activities described above are organic. When creating an account for your brand on Instagram, do not forget about paid campaigns and choosing an adequate goal - reach, brand awareness, traffic, app installations or conversions. The goal is closely related to the advertising format, content and location of the ad.
Don't make these mistakes
It's best to learn from other people's mistakes, so observe brands (not just competitors), user reactions and learn from them.
Among the most common mistakes that brands duplicate is the way they communicate - not adapted to the medium or duplicated from other social media channels. Remember that every medium has its own rules. While taking care of the consistency of your brand image, remember about different groups of recipients who follow you in selected channels.
The second issue is technical basics like product tagging, engaging your audience through CTAs, or product images that are inappropriate for the style and message of your content.
Instagram is a visual medium - make sure your photos are consistent, appealing, and create continuity in your content, making you more memorable to potential customers.
