Let’s face it – if your products are not Instagram-worthy, your E-commerce business is unlikely to reap any significant profit.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that Instagram has become one of the most frequently used social media platform worldwide. In fact, Statista has noted a giant pool of 1 billion active users on Instagram since June 2018.
If you are new to Instagram, here is how it works in a nutshell:
- First, a user will upload and edit photos of square and rectangular sizes
- Second, he will choose a catchy caption for the photo
- Third, he can use hashtags, a tagged location, and tag friends in his post
Bonus: Instagram users can also film Instagram ‘Stories’ that are short clips or pictures that will disappear from your profile after 24 hours. They can also see whats trending on Instagram at any given point in time.
Not only does Instagram allow users to capture special moments, it also functions as a platform for social media marketing and e-commerce. Influencers and companies use short but catchy Instagram captions to market their products across a wide range of followers and Instagram users. In fact, modern companies have begun turning to Instagram to promote their brands and market their e-commerce products. You can find just about anything on Instagram.
Still not convinced? We’ve listed 7 unexpected ways Instagram can be used to boost your e-commerce sales below.
1. Edit your professionally taken pictures so that they look even better
Never underestimate the impact of a fetching picture. Dull and poorly-lit images won’t sell, period. Instagram has limitless editing options to beautify your photos. Adjust the brightness and contrast or even add a filter to beautify your pictures to make your products stand out even more.
One example that caught our eyes is Urban Decay Cosmetics’ Aphrodisiac Eyeshadow Palette. The rich colours make this eyeshadow palette stand out from the rest of their images. In fact, the picture has over 77.6 thousand likes!
2. ‘Trend’ by using Hashtags
Hashtags typically look like this: #cupcakes #bakery #cakeart.
Adding a hashtag to your Instagram caption not only makes your posts more searchable, it also connects you to similar posts. It is a key element that helps your post stay relevant and shareable. Using hashtags also helps you check out the competition and observe what’s trending in the market!
Alternatively, hashtags could also be used for contests! Get your participants to use the same hashtag so that you can easily source for their submissions.
For instance, uniqlo’s use of hashtags for their tapered ankle pants is subtle but still effective. Their hashtags help them stay relevant and in the loop of trends.
For a comprehensive explanation of how hashtags work, check out Crazyegg’s article here.
3. Engage with your potential customers
Instagram allows for comments to be posted on every photo. You can easily connect with potential customers and answer to any queries instantly. Not only does this show your customers excellent customer service, engaging with your customers also keeps you updated with feedback and customer preferences.
Furthermore, Instagram Stories’ recent update with a Question sticker that allows all story-watchers to submit answers or feedback. You can easily get customer feedback using this option!
4. Expand your reach by posting at optimal timings
Yes, you read that right. The timing of your posts is relevant! Oberlo Singapore has recently studied and discovered that the best times to post your Instagram photos.
To save you the trouble of reading through Oberlo’s lengthy but comprehensive post, we’ve summarized their findings for you: the most optimal timings to post on Instagram are 11 am to 1 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Be sure to post your updates at those timings to make your e-commerce products more shoppable!
5. Critique your posts your reach using Instagram Analytics
Did you know that you can also choose to have an Instagram Business Account?
Instagram business accounts are more customer-friendly compared to normal accounts. You can actually link your company contact number, address and also get assess to cool analytic tools on Instagram Insights.
Instagram Insights is similar to Google Analytics. You can check the impressions, Instagram reach percentage as well as engagements. Check out Hootsuite’s article for a comprehensive explanation of each analytical tool. Instagram insights can help you keep track of popular posts on your feed. In essence, you can see what preferences Instagram users have!
6. Repost posts from popular Influencers
Similar to retweets on twitter, reposting is an overlooked but useful function on Instagram. Not only can you showcase your products on popular influencers’ Instagram profiles, you can easily build your own portfolio on Instagram through reposting.
One of our clients, Misty Daydream has taken advantage of this feature. Misty Daydream recently catered party supplies to local actress Cheryl Wee’s son’s 100-Day Celebration. Cheryl was so pleased with the services that she even posted multiple pictures at her son’s celebration!