How Your Brand Can Boost Sales with an Instagram Shop

If you’re a brand that has products to sell, setting up an Instagram shop can be a valuable strategy to drive sales.

Approximately one billion monthly users have made visiting Instagram a part of their daily ritual. Following Facebook’s purchase in 2012, Instagram has quickly become a multipurpose tool serving both businesses and consumers. So it was only a matter of time that a shopping feature would be added.

A source of product discovery

According to Facebook for Business: “70% of shopping enthusiasts turn to Instagram for product discovery.” Their study of shoppers concluded: “When they were inspired by something they saw, they would take steps to find and buy it right away.”

An Instagram Shop can provide e-commerce brands with a number of ways to drive sales by using Instagram as a catalyst to connect people throughout the customer journey.

To get started, first ensure that you have an Instagram Business Account. Once that is set, you will be able to set up an Instagram Shop. 

Instagram Shop features

Once you’ve turned your Instagram profile into a storefront, you’ll be able to utilize a number of Instagram shopping features that will help you boost sales. The following allows people to shop directly from photos and videos regardless of where they are in the app:

• Shops: This is where you can customize your storefront so that people can shop from your business profile page. 
• Product Tags: These tags allow you to highlight products from your catalog both in Stories and in your feed.
• Instagram Shop: This can be found in-app and allows people to discover products and brands on Instagram.
• Collections: This allows you to customize your shop by curating products into themes.
• Product Detail Page: This page showcases all the relevant information about an item including pricing and description. 
• Ads with Product Tags: These ads can help you maximize the reach of your products by boosting shoppable posts. 
• Checkout On Instagram: This feature allows all eligible businesses and creators to sell their products directly on Instagram, and they can securely checkout within the app using Facebook Pay. 
• Shopping From Creators: This allows people to shop for the looks they want from the creators they love directly from the app. 
• Product Launches: This is a way for businesses to promote an upcoming product launch, share preview details, and set reminders for when the product will be available for purchase. 
• Live Shopping: This feature unlocks a channel for checkout-enabled businesses to sell their products through Instagram Live. 

Check out some great examples of Instagram posts that drive sales. 

Your storefront

Be sure to welcome customers to your storefront in your Instagram page bio and include a clear call-to-action so that people know that you are open for business. You may also want to include an email or phone number so that shoppers can connect with you should they have any questions. 

It’s also important to have a consistent brand message that embodies your company’s philosophy. Be sure that your images are representative of what your brand stands for.

Pro Tip: Find creative ways to tell a story with the images on your feed. UNUM can help you do just that with visually appealing storyboards.

When creating your shoppable posts, be sure to use branded hashtags. For example, if your company’s name is Floral Creations and you sell flowers, you do not want to use the hashtag #flowers, instead, you should use #FloralCreations to create brand recognition. 

Finally, with an Instagram Business account, you’ll be able to tag your products in your Instagram posts. You can even add your products via Shopify or use a shopping cart of your choice. Note: In order to be able to use this feature, you must be set up and approved for shopping on Instagram. 

Landing the sale 

Whatever your brand, an Instagram shop will most certainly help you drive sales and reach your business goals. It may take some trial and error to see what sales techniques work best for your products, but remember that consistency in posting is key.

With its visual appeal, Instagram is without a doubt prime real estate for sellers to reach potential customers. Instagram Shopping allows brands to tell their own unique story while catering to the wants and needs of their customers. When you make an emotional connection, you’ll make the sale, and ultimately turn Instagram followers into loyal customers. 

“Social media creates kinship between companies and customers, and kinship equals purchase intent.” ~ Jay Baer, host of podcast Social Pros and founder of Convince & Convert

Learn about the science behind great Instagram feeds.