Do you want to create a buzz about your online business? Reach millions of people around the world and convert browsers into shoppers? Undoubtedly, with more than 1 billion million monthly users, Instagram is the best sales channel to take your eCommerce business to the next level. Then you should know how to set up an Instagram shop!
Instagrammers are generally shoppers. Putting the right image with the right approach can boost your sales without hard sales pitches, which is exactly what this guide will help you do.
What will you learn in this article?
1. What is an Instagram Shop?
2. How can Instagram benefit your eCommerce business?
3. How to set up an Instagram Shop
a) Set up and optimize a business account
b) Post creative and professional images that drive sales
c) Find the feature that best converts for you
4. Conclusion
What is an Instagram Shop?
Instagram Shopping is the functionality that Instagram offers so that business accounts can integrate the product catalog with their IG profile. In turn, it allows users to tag and promote their products through posts, stories, and in a special shop tab on their profiles.
How can Instagram benefit your eCommerce business?
- Provides customers with an easy, mobile access online shopping experience
- Attracts a large audience to expand your reach to users with a high purchase intent
- Improves brand positioning
- Enhances engagement
How to set up an Instagram Shop
1. Set up and optimize your business account
a) Switch a personal account into a business one by following the 3 steps below:
- Go to your IG account settings and click on “Switch to Business Profile.”
- Log into your Facebook account from the IG app and select the Facebook page to connect with your IG business account.
- Enter at least 1 contact information for your IG business page. It could be a phone number or an email address.
b) Add a link to your online shop or landing page in the Instagram Bio to boost traffic. It is the only clickable place. You can find it under your name and description.
c) Choose an Instagram name that is the same as your business or related to it, and make sure to stay consistent, recognizable, and professional.
d) Add an informative bio to convince the audience of the value you will add to their feed and hook them to hit the Follow button. Avoid being sales-y and instead craft a unique and appealing bio. If you are planning to run a hashtag campaign, it will help to include the hashtag in your bio as well.
e) Create a Shopify store and link it with your Facebook page.
f) Create on Shopify, a Facebook shop, and sync your products to it.
g) Link your Shopify with your Instagram account.
We all know how important Shopify is for an eCommerce store. This is why we also came up with a guide on how to increase Shopify sales.
At this point, you are done with the technical stuff. Sit tight, it’s downhill from here!
2) Post creative and professional images that drive sales
We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture is worth much more than that on Instagram. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, which are processed 60,000X faster than text.
It is essential to post sales-boosting images of your products, but without screaming how great they are. Do not pressure the audience and make them make their own decisions.
In recent years, Instagram has expanded its shopping features, making it easier to advertise products and further engage their customer base.
3. Find the feature that best converts for you
Create shoppable posts
You can highlight a single product or tag multiple products per post, in the form of a single image or carousel. With mobile shopping becoming increasingly popular, shoppable posts offer Instagram users an easy way to follow a brand, discover new products, and buy them directly from their phones.
Use Swipe Up feature in Instagram Stories
Business accounts with over 10,000 followers can add a link to their IG stories and encourage viewers to “swipe up” and be directed to the linked page.
If leveraged correctly, this can be a “natural” way to encourage viewers and boost sales. Use this feature to do more storytelling or show how your products look in real life, showcase features and function, and answer frequently asked questions.
Ban.do is a brand that found success with this feature, and they even created their own branded “swipe up” GIF as a call-to-action.
Add shopping sticker in stories
You can also add a shopping sticker in stories. This will allow your followers to see shopping details about your product.
Right after you have chosen an image for your story follow the below instructions before posting:
- Tap the sticker icon in the top right corner
- Select the product sticker from the sticker tray
- Select the product from your catalog that you want to feature
- Move the product sticker to where you would like it to appear on your story
- Change the text color of the product sticker by tapping the sticker
- Share your story
Add a shoppable link in the bio
Even if a shoppable IG story works well for you, many users may still want to see other products. In this case, a bio link can make it easier for them to find exactly what they’re looking for. For MeUndies, they’ve discovered that bio links work great for them and boost their sales.
Driving traffic from a bio link is possible and can be very useful only if the website linked is well optimized for mobile traffic.
Use hashtag research
Supporting your IG posts with relevant hashtags is a goal to keep in mind. Appropriate hashtags can skyrocket your content to your target audience. In contrast, inappropriate ones can negatively impact your whole strategy.
Besides, hashtags make your account easier to discover across other social media platforms, increasing your conversion rates.
Post user-generated content
Encouraging customers to create content for you by taking pictures showing their products can positively impact your sales. It is a social proof as well as other users can get inspired and encouraged to purchase from you.
Use paid ads
Instagram ads can help introduce more people to your brand or product and help you reach a new audience through photos, videos, and carousels. But, make sure to keep the message direct, brief, and impactful.
Discover influencers outreach
Influencers posting about your products work the same way as word-of-mouth. This powerful technique allows you to reach people from all niches, globally. Collaborating with influencers enhances the brand image. Their followers take them more seriously and rely on their product recommendations, which can help brands improve conversions and boost sales.
Here are the best practices to make the best out of influencer marketing for your business:
- Get an in-depth understanding of market trends by analyzing how your competitors are using influencer marketing.
- Allow influencers to choose what content to post; they know better how to keep their audience hooked.
- Choose influencers from relevant niches with high engaging profiles. They don’t need to have a big following; many people prefer micro-influencers’ recommendations and consider them more genuine.
- Post the influencers’ content on your product page.
The bottom line
There’s no best feature for boosting sales on Instagram. What do you have to do?
You need to experiment! Always keep in mind that it’s not only about the feature you choose, but the strategy behind it.
