Online Stores: Instagram is the Gateway

Instagram marketing can be incredibly versatile, and has many possibilities and techniques for almost any audience out there, be it fashion, beauty, photography, art, modelling, nature… the list goes on and on! But let’s hone in a little bit, and talk about business: we are going to focus on virtual stores and how we can use Instagram successfully to amp up our sales. Many of our clients are working in the world of online business, and Instagram is one of, if not the principal, main channels for visibility and advertisement in this market. Followers are important, and that’s why we’re here to help! The more eyes you have on your page, the more chance you have of reeling in some new buyers. But more importantly– we need interaction, we need our followers engagement. Let’s talk about how we can use our virtual platform, Instagram, to really reach our followers in a meaningful way. After all, if we don’t drive results, we’re really not getting better! With an online store, we need to find a way to direct our followers to our actual site. Nowadays, with many different Instagram features, it’s easier; for example, you can use Instagram stories to directly link them to your content and things like that. But the main focus of Instagram is the page itself– our photos, and our live content that is projected to our followers. They should be able to immediately understand what your brand is all about just by looking at the series of photos you have on your Instagram. Each photo, you can use specific details to get them to your page. You can post item numbers, fun captions, hashtags, as well as incorporate offers or coupon codes once in a while. Not overusing them will generate interest from your followers, as they will keep an eye out for your offers. Another tip: Create a hashtag set that you always use for certain types of posts; pick a certain weekly trend that your followers can see consistently. Also, if someone looks for your hashtag, all the pics will come up. One often ignored tool that we have at our disposal is re-engaging! Many people shy away from this, as they don’t want to be seen as overdoing it or looking desperate. But part of engagement is shared, it goes both ways. Comment on photos you like! Tag your followers in responses. Interact with other accounts. It keeps your business very transparent, active, and helps you to appear more trustworthy.  Communicating effectively with your followers will really take you a long way, as people want to feel like they are communicating with a real person in this digital age of bots. In any case, many times finding your brand and what works is a lot of trial and error– and that’s okay! Test what your audience likes. Notice when you’re getting likes, and when you’re not. Edit your photos to perfection and make sure they always stay consistent with your brand and what it represents. Remember, even if you have one million followers, if your content isn’t relevant and well-designed, you won’t get the interaction you’re looking for.