So you’re a business and you’re looking to use the power of social media to help boost your sales. You use your Instagram haphazardly and deep down you know you could be doing a lot more to strategically drives sales for your business. Does this sound familiar?
If you want to learn more about how you can sell with Instagram and the amazing benefits that come with this powerful tool, then read on.
Why You Should Use Instagram for Selling
Instagram is a great tool for selling as it lets you build trust with your audience. Over time, as you develop your unique voice, you can use each image you post as an opportunity to give visitors a look into your brand, your values, exclusive looks behind the scenes, and anything else that conveys who you are and what you’re all about.
Overall, Instagram gives you the opportunity to tell a story, and if you’re able to snap a photo and accompany it with a captivating caption, then you will be able to build up trust with your audience which is indispensable.
How to Build Your Following
It’s no secret that Instagram’s ever changing algorithms will have an affect on who sees your content (even if you’re doing all the right things). Visibility in the feed is dependent on having followers who are engaged and who interact with your page by commenting, liking and sharing your posts. That’s why it’s much more important to build up a following with an audience that really cares about your profile. Avoid buying followers or collecting any random followers just to make your numbers look more impressive.
Although it might take a while to build up your audience, it’s best done by figuring out the type of person that you are trying to engage. A few things to keep in mind include:
● Their likes/dislikes
● Preferred tone/how to best communicate to them
● Age, sex, location, etc.
At the end of the day, what you need to do is provide your Instagram audience with enough value that they will want to stick around for the long term. Creating value will engage your current followers and give you a good way to increase your follower base in a way that is sustainable.
How to Get Started Selling on Instagram
Above all, make sure you optimize your Instagram profile to make sure you are ready for sales.
To begin, use your bio area as a way to tell new visitors exactly what you do and what you have to offer. Missing a link to your website? This is also the perfect place to add it so new visitors can easily click and access your site.
Since Instagram is especially visual, you want to pay attention to the images you are posting. Focus on naturally lit, clear photos, and try to go for a theme or color scheme that works for your brand. Try to avoid collages, dark images, and overall busy photos which make your feed look cluttered. These images won’t perform as well and won’t help you grab the attention of your audience.
Another thing to remember is the use of hashtags. You can use up to 30, and the more relevant (yet not overly competitive), the better chance you will have of being noticed. It’s best to use a diverse set of hashtags that will attract your ideal follower or potential customer.
Finally, don’t forget about boosting your posts and running a few ads. The analytics you can get are pretty powerful and you will definitely get more noticed than an organic post. Make sure to convey your value by focusing on the problem you will solve for your customer, as opposed to sending someone to buy something right away. Take time to think of the caption that will really solve their issue in a meaningful way, and you’re on the right track.
A Final Note
The last thing to keep in mind is to be authentic and consistent. Find a schedule that works best for your followers and stick to it. You don't want to appear to be annoying to your customers so even if it is just posting once per day, make sure the post is valuable and you’ll win at Instagram.
Good luck!
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