With the growth of online technologies and the outbreak of COVID-19, when more and more people choose to buy products online, it’s no surprise that eCommerce sales are predicted to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars in 2022.
Simply put, the eCommerce industry is growing fast and therefore it attracts more and more business owners.
If you have an idea to start an eCommerce business, you should also think about effective ways to promote it among your target audience and stand out from your competitors. Although there are many ways to use various marketing channels, having an Instagram presence can be a good way to boost eCommerce sales if you know how to do it the right way.
Why Boost Ecommerce Sales with Instagram Marketing
As a marketer, you must know about the importance of social media marketing. Since more and more people spend a lot of time on social media and Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram marketing helps to boost eCommerce sales for the main three reasons:
- Instagram is a visual tool to show off products: When it comes to online shopping, most customers pay close attention to visuals that help them make the right purchase decision. As a visual app, Instagram is a great tool to show off your products and therefore spark customers’ interest in your company.
- People discover and research products on Instagram: It’s easier for people to buy on platforms they use often. As a result, more and more customers buy on Instagram. According to one report, 83% of users discover products on the platform and 80% of them decide whether to buy a product after seeing it on Instagram.
- The platform has features to help customers make in-app purchases: Instagram shopping is taking the world by storm, so this platform constantly rolls out features that help to improve online shopping. From product stickers and clickable links to the in-app checkout, there are many ways to make it easier for users and brands to make shopping easier and faster.
In short, Instagram can be a great marketing tool for eCommerce businesses. But if you don’t have time to do market research and find out what works best for your company, keep on reading this blog post to read about eight effective ways to boost eCommerce sales with Instagram marketing.
8 Effective Ways to Boost eCommerce Sales with Instagram Marketing
- Set Up Instagram Shopping
The number of people who discover and buy products on the platform is growing fast, so it’s no wonder that Instagram shopping is one of the most popular Instagram trends. When you set up Instagram shopping, you make it easier for your customers to learn more about your products and buy on impulse as they don’t have to leave the app.
With Instagram shopping, you can open an e-store on Instagram and upload a product catalog that helps to show off products and include product information like descriptions and prices. Plus, Instagram shopping allows consumers to make in-app purchases that improve customer experience and therefore encourage more people to buy from you. All in all, it helps to boost eCommerce sales.
- Market Your Products on Instagram
The more people know about your products, the more potential customers you can acquire. During the discovery phase, when people do product research on Instagram, people pay attention to products, so every eCommerce business should market products on Instagram.
You can also display your Shoppable feed on your WordPress websites for a better marketing approach.
The easiest yet most effective way to market your products on Instagram is to upload images of them to your feed. G-Star Raw always uploads stunning photos and videos of its products to give followers a sneak peek of its cool design and increase their interest in a product variety.
To turn your profile into a storefront, it’s important to create a cohesive Instagram feed, so you should plan your feed and schedule Instagram posts in advance so that they create a beautiful image while reflecting your social media calendar.
- Use Instagram Stories and Reels
To boost eCommerce sales, it’s a good idea to encourage your potential customers to make a purchase decision faster. Thus, it’s important to create a sense of urgency, and using short-lived and engaging content like Instagram Stories or Reels is a great solution.
Moreover, Instagram Stories have over 500 million monthly active users which means your potential customers consume this content type. When you tell your viewers about products with Stories or Reels, not only can you spark their interest in your products, but you can also motivate them to make a purchase.
Why? Stories have in-built features like shopping stickers and clickable links that allow you to tell more about your products without redirecting customers to your website.
- Show Your Satisfied Customers
The modern market offers a great number of similar products, so it can be daunting for customers to choose your product from competitors. Today, customer loyalty plays a key role when it comes to making a purchase decision, so businesses of all sizes should invest time and effort into increasing loyalty. How? Show your satisfied customers.
When you show satisfied customers who constantly choose your company, you hint potential customers at the quality of your products. Simply put, it serves as social proof that gives a solid reason to buy from you. Moreover, people often create fan-made content and it goes viral among social media users.
Here’s an example of this tactic:
- Give Away Branded Freebies
It’s no secret that social media giveaways are popular among users who want to win something by taking simple steps. For participants, this means an opportunity to get valuable prizes. For eCommerce companies, this means an opportunity to achieve business goals and boost user engagement.
If you want to boost eCommerce sales, holding an Instagram contest can be a good idea, too. Why? You can give away branded freebies or gift cards to help your winners test out your products. Being satisfied with the quality of your products can motivate them to buy from you in the future.
- Endorse your Brand with Influencers
Living in the era of social media opinion leaders, when people trust online influencers as much as their real-life friends, influencer marketing has become one of the most effective marketing tactics for businesses of all sizes and niches. When an Instagram influencer promotes your product in front of his or her following, your company grabs the attention of potential followers who can become paying customers.
Look:
Dwayne Johnson, also known as the Rock, is one of the most influential opinion leaders on Instagram. With 278 million followers, asking Johnson to spread the word about your product and company is a great way to reach a wider audience of potential customers. Check out an example of brand endorsements from this actor:
Obviously, not every business owner can afford to collaborate with one of the most popular influencers. However, you can still get wonderful results when working with small or medium influencers who have loyal followers.
- Run Instagram Ad Campaigns
Running paid ad campaigns is the fastest way to reach your target audience on the platform.
When it comes to Instagram ads, the platform has a great number of tools that help businesses achieve their goals fast. For example, eCommerce companies can choose the right objective to turn their viewers into customers– or you can offer a time-limited discount to speed up the process.
Ad campaigns can also help to get more leads with Instagram which means you can provide interested people with more information about your products and therefore encourage them to become your customers. All in all, Instagram ad campaigns lead to more eCommerce sales.
- Share Exclusive Offers and Discounts
Today, customers want to get exclusive offers and discounts from brands as they allow people to feel special and provide them with an opportunity to save money. Offering discounts is an effective part of eCommerce marketing that gives wonderful results.
To boost ecommerce sales on Instagram, it’s important to share exclusive offers and discounts that reward your followers for their loyalty and motivate them to buy from you. Here’s how it can look like in action:
The Bottom Line
More and more businesses give Instagram marketing a try. With the growing popularity of this network, when people use Instagram for product discovery, there are many effective ways to market your ecommerce business in front of your audience and boost ecommerce sales.
