How To Use Instagram to Increase Sales

CREATE HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS

Photos are the heart of Instagram and its main fuel. They’re the very reason the platform was created in the first place and remain at its core. Somewhere around 80 million photos are posted on Instagram every day. Therefore, each and every sales campaign should naturally start with great photos. Make sure to post consistently and use only the best photos.

To start taking great photos, you’ll need a good camera and some great ideas. First, pick the theme or a general style for your photos and stick to it. Remember that you’re building both your company and product’s image through your photos. If you’re struggling with the design of your images, you can use Canva. It’s free and easy to use.

USE INSTAGRAM ADVERTISING

Instagram advertising is probably your best bet if you want to boost sales. It is a powerful tool and needs to be used carefully. First, research the demographic you want to reach and tailor your posts accordingly. Second, aim for consistency in both the post quality and quantity. Third, use the results to further tweak the content of your ads and their frequency.

Hashtags are another thing to consider here. They are searchable, just like your Instagram Username and Name. But unless you’re a major brand and already have a ton of followers, it’s not so easy to increase the reach of your product and hashtags organically. This is where Instagram ads can give you a leg up.

When choosing business-related hashtags, make sure you pick tags which reflect your company’s philosophy and mission. If you have an official slogan, that would be a great place to start. You should also add some simple tags that are related to the photo’s content, but be careful not to overdo it.

REACH OUT TO YOUR FOLLOWERS

Creating a strong presence for your brand on Instagram will also include direct contact with your followers and customers. Regular contact with your audience will bring more long-term benefits to your brand and product than marketing ever could. There are several ways for you to engage with your followers.

• Reply to comment on your posts. If your followers are commenting on your posts, you should take time to show your appreciation and respond. It is not only about manners, it also shows you care about your product and potential customers. Also, you should try to be prompt when responding.
• Comment on their posts. Instead of focusing strictly on your posts, take a look at what other people are doing. Comment, like, and share posts that you find attractive and make yourself visible outside your channel.
• Share their posts about your product. Showing some appreciation for people who like your product goes a long way. So, make sure you infuse your channel with a healthy dose of your fans’ posts.

CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS

Contests and giveaways are among the most efficient sales boosters available to Instagram users. They come in many shapes and forms, with the most popular being “Like to Win/Get Free…”, “Comment to Win/Get Free…”, and “Post a Photo with this hashtag to Win/Get Free…”.

• “Like to Win” contests are the simplest and easiest to create. Also, these contests require the least amount of effort from your followers.
• “Comment to Win” contests work in a similar fashion, only they require the followers to leave a comment on the photo to enter the contest.
• Finally, the “Post a Photo” contest will require your followers to post a photo of their own and use a certain hashtag of your choice. While the first two contest types are good for boosting engagement on your profile, this one also increases your visibility through the hashtag.

CONNECT WITH INFLUENCERS

The last tip on our list is to reach out to influencers. Find the ones who have already built a strong following among the audience relevant to your product. Having your product promoted by the right influencer at the right time can bring a significant boost to your sales. However, be careful to avoid those fake influencers with bought followers.

For starters, you could offer discounts for their followers or free products in exchange for exposure. You could also ask them for an honest review, where they’ll openly talk about the pros and cons of your product.

CONCLUSION

With its 800 million users, Instagram offers endless possibilities for marketing and promotion. These tips, while not an exhaustive guide to Instagram marketing by any stretch, should give you a good understanding of how things work.