How to sell on Instagram: 8 Instagram tips that actually work

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How to sell on Instagram: 8 Instagram tips that actually work

Selling products and services on Instagram is no more a guessing game. Instagram is a massive platform that hosts over 1 billion users daily. Not only this, over 500 million users watch Instagram Stories every day to check the whereabouts of their favorite brands.

Out of which, 72% have actually purchased the products displayed in the Instagram Stories. Therefore, any brand that aims to lead the competition should know the basics of selling on Instagram. Here the top 8 Instagram selling tips for such brands to follow.

1. Switch to Business Profile

The prime motive of brands should be to sell products by boosting brand awareness and brand loyalty. The first step to achieve it is by switching to a Business Profile. What happens when a brand converts its standard Instagram profile into a professional Business Profile?

It allows them access to several indispensable selling options. Moreover, marketers can also align their Insta account to the brand’s Facebook account. There are multiple features available on Instagram’s Business account that help brands in attracting consumers and initiating sales.

Last but not the least, brands can anytime switch back to their personal Instagram accounts. Here are some tips to optimize the Business Profile:

• Choose a profile picture that includes the brand logo
• Add a captivating bio
• Create a unique URL to the website

2. Using hashtags to buoy the organic campaigns

Brands that wish to sell on Instagram need to get smart with Hashtags. You see, hashtags are a great way to make an impact on organic Instagram campaigns. They make a brand’s Instagram posts instantly discoverable on the platform.

Apart from this, it also encourages audience interaction and gives a clue about what is trending in the market. Instagram allows the usage of 30 hashtags in a post. Here are the major categories of hashtags for marketers to choose from:

• Industry and community-specific hashtags
• Branded hashtags
• General hashtags

3. Selling through Instagram Stories Ads

Another promising way to sell on Instagram is through Instagram Stories. Around 83% of the users have responded that Instagram helped them in discovering a new product. It means that a major section of the consumers is waiting to hear from their favorite brands.

Instagram Stories Ads allow the brands to provide information about a product launch that customers have been waiting for. Releasing behind-the-scenes or backstage footage is also a great way to keep the target audience engaged for a longer time.

Moreover, marketers get a golden opportunity to interact with users and understand their expectations from the brand. They can refer to InVideo to create some of the best Instagram Stories Ads. Brands can keep their audiences engaged through:

• Hashtags
• Polls
• GIFs
• Mentions

4. Using Instagram’s Shoppable Posts for direct selling

Do you know that over 71% of Instagram users around the world are in the age group of 18 to 35 years? Brands that aim to target this age bracket can sell directly through Instagram’s Shoppable Posts. It allows marketers to drive traffic to their websites and initiate sales. Some simple things to keep in mind while using Shoppable Posts to sell products on Instagram:

• Brands must tag at least two eye-catching products in a single post
• Marketers should experiment with versatile post formats available on Instagram
• Ensuring that every tag hits the right product can prove to be a gamechanger

5. Preview upcoming offers

Loyal customers will always appreciate the brands that keep them informed about the upcoming products. Therefore, brands who want to create buzz around the new product launch should go for an exclusive sneak peek for its customers.

Moreover, it is also a great idea to tap the platform’s potential advertising reach of over 849 million users.  Here are some ideas for marketers to cement their customer’s loyalty:

• They can release a unique promo code in their story copy or post
• Ensure that only engaged and loyal customers have access to an early sale
• Using high-quality images is crucial to attracting maximum buyers
• Using countdown stickers is a great way to entice consumers
• Creating hashtags exclusively for product launch

6. High-quality shots and signature style

You see, over 77% of the users judge a brand through its pictures and shots. Therefore, the brands must release supreme-quality product pictures and videos that are on par with the market standards.

Marketers should also come up with a Brand’s signature style that is followed in every post. It will help in creating a long-term relationship with the customers. Here are some tips and tricks for the brands:

• Create photos that tell the brand story to the consumers
• Shots should reflect the personality of the brand
• Using different colors, graphics, or filters will also churn out high-quality shots

7. Partnering with influencers

Influencers enjoy a massive fan following from the users that fall in the age groups of 18 to 25 years. Similarly, over 89% of the brands have also agreed that Instagram has been one of the most crucial platforms for influencer marketing. Therefore, partnering with influencers is a great way to boost brand awareness and increase conversions.

Experienced Instagram influencers know the in-and-out of the platform. They know very well how to entice the audience towards a particular brand or product. It is the reason why 69% of the companies plan to spend a significant portion of their budget on Instagram influencer marketing in 2020.

8. Nail the caption

Do you know that, on average, a user spends 53 minutes browsing on Instagram? They hardly spare a couple of seconds on the news feeds displayed on their page. The only way to get their attention is through a captivating caption. A caption has the power to make or break the purpose of the post.

An eye-catching picture with a weak caption might not fetch the desired results. Therefore, brands must ensure that their caption relates to the audience effortlessly and convince them to explore the product range. A well-thought caption will boost product sales and vice versa.

Bottom line

Understanding how to sell on Instagramis not rocket science. However, brands need to invest some time to figure out what works best for them. Marketers should follow these 8 tips to smoothen the process and eliminate the guesswork. Offering what the audience expects is the key to success here. Once the brands get a hold of the basics, things will be a lot easier thereafter.

References:

• https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/
• https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics/#10-most-important-influencer-marketing-statistics-for-2020