For an ecommerce business, its website has traditionally been the ‘shop window’. As a business owner, you have probably spent many hours working on the design, navigation, and SEO to help bring in customers. Although that all drives sales, new avenues are opening to ecommerce businesses to allow them to get products in front of new audiences, and one is the rise of social-commerce.
Social-commerce is the shopping choices available on social media platforms like Instagram, and allows people to research products and make purchases while on the platform. Another benefit of using social-commerce for businesses is being able to build brand community. Here’s some top reasons why your ecommerce business needs an Instagram shop, now!
Instagram Shops – The Nuts and Bolts
Instagram shops make it easy for people to look for products to buy, directly from their Instagram menu. There are options for browsers to explore specific shops, collections or editor’s picks. Users can also create a wish-list of products they like and might buy at a later date.
Instagram also tailors shops and products for different users based on their history, providing shoppable products to appear on their newsfeed.
To create an Instagram shop, you need to connect your Facebook business page with your Instagram business account. You are then able to create your product catalogue. Once your shop has been approved by Instagram, you can then add relevant tags to products in your posts and stories, or use shopping posts as adverts.
Benefits of using Instagram for your Business
Instagram users are Sales Ready
According to the social media management platform Hootsuite, Instagram users are eager to buy from businesses. Being a visual platform, there is plenty to put users in a shopping frame of mind. Around 80% of users follow businesses on Instagram, and if they can buy your products at the click of a button, you could be enjoying significant sales.
Not only that, but a 2019 study carried out by Facebook, the company that owns Instagram, found that 83% of Instagrammers use the platform to find new products to buy, 81% use it for product research, while 80% use it to help them decide whether to purchase a product or service.
The survey also showed that after looking at a product or service, 46% of people went on to make a purchase! Those are stats that can’t be ignored!
Get to know your Customers
When you can communicate with your customers in an informal way on Instagram, as opposed to email, you get to know more about their likes and dislikes. You understand more about what they are looking for in a product or service, what problems they have and what is lacking in their lives. This puts you in the position of being able to solve those pain points, by tailoring your store to supply what they really need, rather than what you think they need.
Turn Fans into Shoppers
There’s nothing better than social proof that your brand and products are amazing. After all, it is not your business saying so, but people who have real experience of your brand. Engage with your community by holding giveaways in return for reviews, comment on posts by people that follow your business, and join in on relevant conversations. When you engage with Instagrammers, you turn them into fans. Your brand is visible and you are at the forefront of your followers’ minds when they are looking to make a purchase.
Influencers
On Instagram, it is easy to reach out to influencers who might like to try your products. An influencer is someone who has a large following, and a recommendation from them will boost your reach, bring more followers to your brand, and increase sales.
Having an Instagram shop allows your ecommerce business to merge seamlessly with social-commerce, a shopping trend that grows stronger by the day. More people use Instagram to research products or keep up with the latest trends, so having your brand visible plays a key part in driving sales and increasing growth.
If you are an ecommerce business owner who’s looking for help with setting up your Facebook/Instagram shop, social media, customer service, or perhaps you need some time-consuming tasks taking off your hands, a virtual assistant has the skills and expertise to get the job done. Contact us and book in a call!