Excited about never having to say “Click the link in our bio and learn more” again?
Though Instagram’s new shopping feature is not currently available to every business, it allows you to tag products in a post. So…yes! Your potential buyers have the option to click and directly read a product detail view without leaving the app.
Instagram’s latest feature is, without a doubt, a game-changer for B2C (marketers of business-to-consumer) brands. It basically transforms the social media platform into a marketplace.
Brands have seen up to a 1,416% increase in traffic to their website
But the shopping feature is not completely new. It was first launched at the end of 2016, but was initially only opened to a small group of U.S. companies, including designer handbag brand Kate Spade (RIP), eyewear manufacturer Warby Parker, and The Natori company, a women’s fashion designer and manufacturer.
According to Ken Natori, president of The Natori Company, the brand has seen a 100% increase in revenue from the channel and a massive 1,416% increase in Instagram referral traffic to their website with only 61 posts with tagged products.
Shoppable posts give customers a better opportunity to quickly see relevant information -such as product descriptions and pricing- with a single click.
But you know what else? Once your customers make the decision to purchase, shoppable posts immediately provide them with links to the corresponding product pages on your website so they can quickly “add to cart” and “check out.”
The math behind success
Due to the number of users, the platform is perfect for reaching your target audience. Consider the following:
- More than 800 million accounts are actively used worldwide in one month.
- 80% of all Instagram accounts follow at least one company.
- 60% of all users state that they get to know new products via the social media platform.
And last but not least: according to Instagram, 75% of users take an action after seeing a business post (i.e. visit a website, search, shop or even tell a friend).
Seven Simple Steps to Get You Started
- Make sure you update your app on your phone.
- Confirm that your product catalog is synced with Facebook Shop.
- Click the options tab on your Instagram business profile, scroll down to products and click.
- Authenticate your IG business account via your FB account.
- Upload your product photos.
- Tag your products.
- Hit share and voilá…your shoppable post is live!
Expert Advice: Instagram Shopping Best Practices
- Publish -at least- 9 shoppable posts:
Why? Because this is how you activate the ‘shopping button’ and let your audience know that your company allows purchases through Instagram.
- Make sure your content is as discoverable as possible:
Let me make this clear: nobody will buy from you if they don’t know you exist.
In order to get your brand and products to the eyes of your potential customers you must make the most of every resource you’ve got, such as hashtags and location stickers.
- Use Instagram Stories to Promote Your Content:
Users will love to be part of your process. Give them a behind-the-scenes look at your product to build certain excitement around it. You can even consider hosting a Q&A. Don’t forget to add a CTA to remind your viewers that they can buy the product through Instagram.
Take into consideration that though the feature was launched recently, there are already over 150 million daily Instagram Stories active users…so don’t underestimate this tool.
- Match your Instagram account to the look and feel of your Landing Page:
Well, the truth is users still have to leave the app when it is time to complete the purchase. Just make sure that the journey from the app to the landing page is as seamless and invisible as possible and you’ll increase the likelihood of a purchase.
- Experiment with styles and formats:
If there’s one thing almost all marketers agree on, it’s that experimentation is both necessary and useful. Does your audience prefer single images or the carousel feature? The only way to find out is to try them both. Every audience is a whole new world awaiting to be conquered (by your product).
The conclusion is simple
Instagram Shopping is here and nobody can deny it’s working.
Remember that the feature works best for those who have engaged Instagram audiences (Don’t worry! If your Instagram audiences aren’t engaged yet, you might want to schedule a free call with us).
Lastly, though it might sound obvious, I’ve heard awful stories, so please remember this last tip: proper linking and tagging make all the difference!