For anyone looking to find their footing in eCommerce, you have no doubt read about the importance of social media. With roughly every one and their mom having some sort of social media account, it makes sense to use this powerful tool to your advantage.
But, how can Instagram help your eCommerce business? What are the ways this social media platform with one billion users contribute to success?
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Taking Advantage of Shoppable Posts
Shoppable posts have been on Instagram for almost two years now and the trend has slowly caught on in the past few years.
These unique posts are just what they sound like. In the Instagram post or story, there will be a link to certain items of your store.
So if you sell athletic wear, your post could have a picture of a few people working out and when people tap on the photo, links come up to the shoes in the photo, the shorts, and the dry-fit shirt.
Once the user clicks on that link, they are taken to the page on your website with that exact item. It’s a way that consumers can easily purchase something without running around looking for the item they want.
Using Hashtags
Hashtags used to be an Instagram only thing, but now they’re just about everywhere. People will even verbally say the word “hashtag” now to make a point about something.
Even though they’re more ubiquitous than ever before, that doesn’t mean they’ve lost their importance. They still reign supreme on Instagram.
Studies have shown that posts with more than 11 hashtags have the highest interaction with their posts.
Take the time to develop unique hashtags that will drive people to your page but can also be used to spread the word through other people’s posts on Instagram.
Brand Establishment
Brand is something that all businesses focus on.
What is our brand?
What do we want to say to our customers?
How do our customers react to our brand?
Using Instagram allows you to establish a brand identity with your posts.
Take a look at Nike, the sportswear giant. Scrolling through their posts, you can notice a theme with everything that’s uploaded.
Posts are people-centric and motivational, not focusing on their new line of sneakers or running equipment. It’s pretty easy to see what Nike is about after just a few posts.
It always helps to have great photos, so consider hiring a professional photographer to help you plan out your posts and give a better look than regular stock images.
Timing Your Posts
Social media platforms already have various audiences. Pinterest is mainly young women whereas Facebook continues to grow for those that are over 40.
With your eCommerce business, you are probably targeting a specific audience. In order to best connect with them and make sure they’re seeing your posts, you need to schedule posts at the time they’ll be checking out Instagram.
For example, stay-at-home moms might check Instagram after dropping off their kids at school, so posting in the morning would be best.
This is going to require research at the beginning, to see when you’re getting the most likes and comments. But once you do, you can start to plan out your posts with a program like Buffer.
Connect with Influencers
Influencers come from all over but they can be vital to help grow your business. By connecting with influencers in your niche, you can spread the word about your products or online store.
By partnering with influencers, you’re also likely to gain more followers or at the very least, people looking through your pages and website.
Send them a message and see if they are willing to work with you and promote your products. You can even offer discounts to people who sign up through the influencer.
Allows You to Engage
Building your eCommerce website was one thing, but getting people to come to your website is another. In order to spread your website around, you have to work on backlinks, practice good SEO, and optimize your website. Those are all hard, but necessary, things you need to do.
With Instagram, it doesn’t take a lot to engage. You can comment on people’s posts, like photos, follow pages, respond to customer inquiries, and have more of an active voice.
It’s easier to get the word out about your page when you’re actively doing it and taking those steps.