Social media has numerous benefits for business owners, including driving to your website and increasing sales. Over the years, numerous social media platfoms have come and gone but year after year, Instagram increases in popularity. With over 800 million monthly users on the platform, Instagram is known for beautiful images, giving the opportunity to connect and engage with users (and potential customers) from all over the world, and promoting goods and services. With numerous updates over the last 6-12 months, including Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, and Instagram Ads, the platform is extremely beneficial to businesses trying to improve sales. Not sure where to start? Give some of these tactics a try:
1. Embrace Calls to Action
Your website is filled with calls to action, so why wouldn’t you have them on your social media accounts as well? To help drive people to your website, purchase a specific good or service, or take advtange of a sale/discount code, it’s important to incorporate calls to action to these places throughout your account and most importantly in your profile’s bio. Include a direct link to the page on your website that you want people to visit to limit confusion. Taking advantage of the caption when posting a new image is also valuable to driving sales.
2. Complete Your Bio
There are very few areas on Instagram that allow you to have clickable links, email addresses, and phone numbers – take advantage of the areas that you do have! If you set up a regular profile you’ll be able to add your website’s URL that will be clickable for users. If you set up a business Instagram account (connects to the business Facebook page), you’ll be able to have a clickable link to your website, for users to call and email you, as well as a get directions button. Be sure to fill out your bio with a quick blurb about you business, the address, business hours, and other information that users will benefit from.
3. Utilize Instagram Stories & Instagram Live
Both Instagram stories and live will let you share an inside look at your business, share sales and new products, and more information about your services to your followers. If you have a business Instagram account, you’ll also be able to link directly in your stories so that viewers can easily swipe up to get to the link you want them to visit making it easier for them to convert to customers.
4. Integrate Shopify with Your Account
Instagram has recently launched a new feature that allows you to connect your Shopify account with your Instagram account to create shoppable images. This allows users to shop eCommerce accounts directly from the image by simply clicking on the tag to the product, bringing them to the page to complete their purchase.
5. Instagram Ads
Since Facebook acquired Instagram, it is easier than ever to advertise on the social media platform. Take advantage of the the advertising portion of the platform to help get in front of more users to promote the goods and services you provide, upcoming/current sales, and new products.