Instagram has been around for a while. And a lot of people think it's just a photo-sharing app, but they couldn't be more wrong. Instagram has become such a big marketplace in recent years that the platform now sees over 200 million businesses join the wagon to spread their business and make good money.
In fact, that number is growing every day! With about a billion monthly active users, this remarkable platform brings sellers to the doorstep of consumers, who can find just about anything they're looking for here.
So, are you an entrepreneur who wants to get your business on the map? We urge you to take part in this ever-changing online community that continues to impress us with its fast-paced ability for businesses.
If you're already on the platform and want to know the latest tricks big Instagram accounts are using to make more sales, you're in the right place. Here, we will show you seven effective tricks that'll help skyrocket your brand's sales on Instagram.
Making Your Instagram Profile a Business Account
Before we talk about the tricks for skyrocketing your sales, there's one thing you need to do: make your Instagram account a business account.
On Instagram, you can create an account as either an ordinary user or as a business. If you plan to do any selling through your Instagram, choose the business option.
The Instagram business account was designed to cater to the needs of business owners. And it comes with many perks.
For example, the business account will help you understand your business engagements through the Insight feature. You'll also have access to the professional dashboard. This will let you track your performance and utilize professional tools.
If you already have an ordinary user account, you can easily switch the account to a business one. Here's how to do it.
How to switch to a business account?
Follow these quick steps to make your profile a business account:
● Go to your profile.
● Click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
● Tap Settings.
Note: some accounts have the "Switch to professional account" option listed directly under Settings. So you may not have to follow the next few steps.
● After settings, click "Account."
● Now, tap "Switch to a professional account."
● Tap "Continue."
● Choose a category for your business and click Done.
● Tap "OK" to confirm.
● Then press "Business."
● Tap Next.
● Add contact details and tap Next. (Or tap Don't use my contact info to skip this step.)
● Click on X in the top-right corner to return to your screen.
The Benefits of an Instagram Business Account
1. You get wider coverage: Not everyone in the country will get to see the signpost planted in front of your hair salon. Instagram opens your business to people far and wide. And you know, wider coverage can easily translate to more customers.
2. Brand building: Instagram will help you build your brand. Your Customers will not struggle to define what your company is about because it's all out on your profile.
3. Better customer relationship: You get the chance to interact better with your audience and find out their needs.
4. Skyrocket sales: If your Instagram business is well built to cater to your niche audience, then the chances are that your sales will increase.
While it's important to know the benefits Instagram business features bring, it's more important to fully understand and take actions that will actualize these benefits.
Below are simple tips and tricks used by successful brands. These tips will guide you through maximizing Instagram business and help skyrocket your sales.
Instagram Marketing Tips & Tricks That Brands Use.
#1. Build an Interesting Business Bio and Profile
Your bio gives you an opportunity to tell your audience in a few words what your brand is about. As such, your writing should be descriptive enough, allowing the reader to grasp the key points of your business at first glance. Here are a few extra tips for creating your bio.
● Describe your business and the services you provide. Use simple terms and make it short.
● Provide all contact information like phone numbers, address, etc.
● Include a Call-to-action like a link to your website for your audience to engage.
Besides optimizing your bio, you also want your Instagram business page to be visually pleasing and have cohesive aesthetics. You can do this by following these tips:
● Choose your brand colors and stick to them
● Use an Instagram planner like Planoly and Later to arrange and preview your feed posts.
● Edit photos before you post them. Use similar filters for uniformity.
● Plan your posts so that you can easily maintain a consistent theme.
Note that there are great social media tools that will help you create the aesthetic of your dreams. Such tools include Prequel, Lightroom, Filmm, VSCO, Unfold, Facetune 2 etc. Choose whichever works best for you.
#2. Post Photos and Videos of Your Products
Instagram, being a photo-sharing platform, already gives businesses an advantage. How? We know how important it is for businesses to showcase products and services. After all, seeing is believing.
People like to see things for themselves. By posting high-quality snaps of your products for your audience to see, you convince them more to buy.
Here are some tips that'll help:
● Your photos and videos should be of high quality and properly show details of your products.
● Make your photos visually enticing by adding props to make your product stand out. If you sell flowers, post photos showing what your flowers will look like in a sitting room.
● Videos will give more detail in a short time. Use them to show your products. Use pleasing audio and subtitles to make them more accessible.
#3. Take Advantage of Instagram Ads
Instagram ads are posts that business owners pay for to promote their services and products.
In 2021, the annual Instagram advertising revenue was around $26.46 billion. Ads produce results, and that's why many businesses use them.
These ads will appear in feeds, stories, reels, explore, etc. They usually have links and product catalogs attached to them.
Types of Instagram ads
There are different types of Instagram ads available depending on what you want and where you want your ads. They include:
● Image ads
● Stories ads
● Explore ads
● Reels ads
● Video ads
● Carousel ads
● IGTV ads
● Collection ads
● Shopping ads
#4. Collaborate With Influencers
Nowadays, Influencers are like the salt of social media. Businesses use them to help make things more well, influential and alluring to potential buyers. 87 percent of Instagram users say that influencers have motivated them to make a purchase.
When you use influencers to spread information about your projects, you automatically increase the chances of new leads coming into your profile or website.
Image source: Instagram | Khaby00
You can work with influencers and leverage their already established audience. These influencers already have the Instagram algorithm going well for them. They also already have real Instagram likes, comments, and views.
Your potential customers will most likely patronize you if they hear from someone they trust about your good services.
For more effective results when you work with an Influencer, do the following:
● Employ Influencers in your niche. If you own a fashion brand, an influencer in the fashion industry will be the best choice.
● Give influencers a discount code, free trials, or promo link for their followers. This will encourage people and boost sales.
● Work with micro-influencers, not just the big names. You can work with many micro-influencers on a smaller budget instead of just working with one macro-influencer. Moreover, micro-influencers have a closer relationship with their audience because they engage more with them.
#5. Use the Instagram Shopping
Instagram shopping is a feature that lets you share a catalog of your products. It's like bringing a shopping mall right to your Instagram corridors. Your customers can shop directly from your profile.
This makes shopping much easier for your customers. After all, lying on your couch, sipping a drink, and shopping on Instagram is doing life an easy way, isn't it?
Some Instagram shopping features are:
● Shopping Tags: use this to link your products in your posts to the catalog.
● Collections: You get to put together a set of products for easy viewing, e.g. clothing collections.
● Product Details Page: This page carries all information about a particular product.
● Checkout: Your customers don't have to leave the Instagram page to an external site to complete a purchase. They can still do it within the app using the Checkout.
● Shop Discovery Tab: This allows non-followers to discover your page and go through your shop.
#6. Interact With Your Audience
Sure, the goal is to make sales, so why do you need to bother interacting with your audience? Well, Instagram is about connecting with people. The more you engage with your audience, the more they'll trust you and buy from you.
Here are some ways you can interact with your audience:
● Respond to messages: You will constantly receive messages about the services you offer. Always check your messages and respond to them.
● Ask for customers' reviews: Create avenues for your customers to leave reviews. Your Instagram stories are a good place to start. Ask them questions about the services you offer and what they would like for a change.
● Giveaways and Discounts: People love freebies. So, be generous to your followers. Occasionally offer free services or discounts, many will be back after enjoying freebies.
● Use User-generated content (UGC): UGC is content created by people who have used your products or services. Sometimes your followers will tag or @mention you in a post about your product. When they do this, always repost, like, and comment. It shows that you see your customers. Also, use UGCs that align with your aesthetics on your feed. Remember to ask for permission to use such content and also tag the original poster.
●Create and use branded hashtags: Besides increasing your brand exposure, hashtags encourage audience interaction. Create simple hashtags so that your audience can easily use them.
#7. Share Your Brands' Vision, Mission, and Values.
It is easier for people to support your brand when they know what you stand for. Sharing your vision as a company will attract like-minds and create possibilities for collaborations.
By letting your audience know your vision and core values and following through with them, you can build an authentic brand. People will always patronize an authentic and credible brand.
A Toast to More Sales!
Instagram has given us great opportunities to make more money and steer off empty wallets.
The aim of doing business is to take home bread. If your business on Instagram is not doing that, then take quick lessons from these tips and skyrocket your sales.
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