Are you using Instagram to grow your customer base? If you answered no, then you’re leaving plenty of money on the table. It may come as a surprise to many, but Instagram is the best online platform in terms of engagement rate. Yes, it beats search traffic, email, and YouTube. But just because Instagram users spend more time on the platform than other marketing channels doesn’t mean you’ll always have a smooth journey. Here are five tips to help you avoid common pitfalls and get more sales on Instagram.
1) Learn how to take high-quality photos.
Instagram is a photo-sharing social media site. You can’t expect users to fall head over heels when browsing your profile unless you put out high-quality images. Now, this doesn’t mean getting an expensive camera and becoming a Photoshop professional. Just try to always take better shots and make simple edits. You only have to pick a couple of images, so make sure they’re perfect before posting. Also, it helps to come up with a theme and stick to it.
2) Respond to comments quickly.
Regardless of the social media platform you use, you will notice that posts always get more likes than comments. This is why you shouldn’t take a single comment for granted. Try to respond to user feedback as soon as you can. This shows that you value what other people have to say. If you want even more engagement, then leave comments on other people’s posts as well. You can do this yourself or use an Internet marketing service like The Millennial Marketers to help you save time.
3) Hold contests.
Did you know that profiles that run contests grow 70% faster? A lot of marketers agree that this is one of the best ways to boost sales on Instagram. Many brands simply ask followers to like a photo and then select one winner. But a better approach is to encourage user-generated content. You can ask followers to submit a photo with a relevant hashtag. This is an excellent way to beef up your content portfolio while effectively gaining the attention of both existing and potential customers.
4) Upload more videos and stories.
While Instagram is largely about pictures, the platform has also become an excellent place to share videos. Online video marketing has seen an astronomical growth over the years, and it’s not far-fetched for Instagram to amass billions of views per day. Try to offer something unique such as a behind-the-scenes footage. You can even let your followers share videos of them with your products in action.
5) Tap influencers for growth opportunities.
Influencers are individuals or brands with a massive following on Instagram. You can form a partnership with them to get a share of their targeted followers. But accounts with millions of followers can cost you quite a lot, so you may want to consider micro influencers. They may not have celebrity status, but you can mobilize them at a fraction of the cost. Just be careful when inspecting their profile to ensure that the likes and comments they get are not generated by bots.
