Selling on Instagram – A Few Essential Tips to Follow
Recently, Instagram achieved its mark of one billion monthly users. Hence, it goes without saying that it's a popular platform, and its expansion trajectory doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Needless, to say that attracts many brands and businesses to use this platform as a sales device.
Today, many brands and start-up businesses want to use Instagram as a sales machine. But they probably don't know where to start? Here are few tips that will come in handy.
- Shift to Instagram business profile
Today, the majority of small business owners want to sell their services and products on Instagram. But they fail to take an easy step. Instead, it is to move from the standard profile to a business profile, which will provide them with varied reporting and selling options. Here’s how to make the shift:
- Log in and opt-in for the button located top right of the dashboard
- Click on settings
- Scroll down to “Switch to Business Profile”
And it's done! Also, if later you wish to shift back, you need to follow the same process and shift to your personal account.
- Add value to organic campaigns using hashtag research
Today, the business owners on Instagram are eager to connect to people but they don’t know how to go about it. At times, serious business owners think of the hashtag option as something frivolous and don’t use it. However, the truth is that hashtags are the best way to impact organic Instagram campaigns positively. When you shift to a business profile, it allows you to check every post, and the impressions come through hashtags. In addition, you can check the accounts that you managed to reach who weren't following you. When you use hashtags smartly, your follower count will increase.
The phrase “hashtag research” might sound a bit ostentatious, but it sounds perfect to a client. It's also a good practice. The real process is very simple. First, you need to go to Discover, then Search and then Tags. Here you can search for your niche terms and you will get to see the posts using the hashtag. As you use hashtags in the post, it gets added to the Discover domain.
Business owners want to use a blend of hashtags that has both low and high posting volume. It’s because the less posting volume might make your post reach out to a high-intend crowd and help you to sell better. Hence, you need to research and assess and make a judgment call here.
- Start to run ads
Most businesses say that they have a limited budget and that they want to leverage the same. Many of them think that having a lesser budget wouldn’t allow them to run Instagram ads. It is far away from the truth! The truth is this – if you plan and implement effectively, you can get more for the cash by running the paid low-budget Instagram campaigns than running the organic campaigns. And this is where most businesses think that unless they pay someone to do it for them, isn't an organic campaign free? It is, yes! However, Instagram ads come with the scope for big ROI. Hence, if you get the process correct, you will get the capital back with much interest.
Do you want to get more from your cash? If yes, you need to stop using the “Promote” option. Your demographic targeting and interest will be very limited. Also, you don’t have to have access to Custom Audiences, that you can use to remarket to Instagram users taking specific actions on your website and urge them to purchase something which they never bought. It would help if you ran the ads in parallel to Facebook ads or you can edit the placements to run it on Instagram specifically. You should also devote time and create campaigns in Ads Manager.
- Make use of Instagram shopping for shifting physical products
Instagram shopping is fantastic. The only trick is that if you are selling a service, you can't use it. However, if you happen to be an eCommerce vendor, then Instagram shopping is the best tool for you. First, you need to know the way it works and how you can set it up. The shopping costs appear like organic posts. However, there is one exception. The moment the users “tap to view products,” the price and product names are shown. Also, when users click on tags that come up, they are directed to a page with product details comprising product descriptions and a CTA (Call to Action). And from there, they can get to the landing page.
The set-up is all about ensuring that your product catalog is ready to get used in Facebook to allow product tagging. Then, when you opt-in for Instagram shopping posts as the ads, you automatically equip yourself with Facebook's sophisticated audience targeting and Goggle Shopping’s intent-wrangling capacity.
Most brands on Instagram want to do business, sell and earn profits. The tips mentioned above will help them to accomplish their objective.
