Do you want to make the most of social networks not only to support the popularity of your brand but also to increase sales? Find out how Instagram Shopping works and how to use it to increase sales and conversions of your e-commerce!
In 2021 Instagram reached 1 billion users worldwide, the growth of the platform has been exponential despite competition from other social media such as Tik Tok.
Instagram has thus become an excellent marketing channel above all thanks to the implementation of specific functions that can be used to promote and sell the products of your e-commerce.
With Instagram Shopping, today it has also become easier for e-commerce to improve both the presence on social networks and the possibility of increasing product sales thanks to an improved shopping experience.
The functionality offered by Instagram is certainly essential for anyone who has e-commerce as the spread of the company is more and more constant and allows you to get in touch with an audience of users in target broader and more immediately.
With Instagram Shopping, you have the opportunity to create an additional showcase for your shop and have an opportunity to increase product sales!
Instagram Shopping: a resource for e-commerce
With Instagram Shopping it is possible to create a direct link from the social network to your Insurance blog through the feed or the stories.
During the visit, users can view products, explore the showcase and the catalog, make direct purchases on the dedicated product page, without wasting time or having excessive tasks.
Thanks to the product catalog uploaded in the Shop section of Instagram it is, therefore, possible to bring users inside the store, without having to exit the application and give them the possibility to make their purchases in a simpler and faster way.
Users can thus experience a new shopping experience directly while browsing social networks with a direct link to the e-commerce page from where they can conclude the transaction, without having to enter the home page and search for the product they had seen. on the social page.
The shop collections and catalog allows e-commerce companies to better customize products and improve the shopping experience for their users by organizing the store according to their marketing strategy.
How to implement the shop function on Instagram
The implementation of the Instagram shop function, therefore, allows users to access the product catalog directly through the social network and make their purchases.
Through Instagram Shopping, the user who has seen the story or an interesting post and wants to buy that particular product, will not need to exit the application and go to the e-commerce home page but will be able to buy it thanks to the link directly in the catalog uploaded in the Shop section.
But how to activate the Instagram Shopping tag? Let’s see in detail the requirements and how to create the product catalog.
Requirements
The first step to using Instagram Shopping for e-commerce is having the right requirements.
The e-commerce company must be located in one of the markets in which the service is supported, that is the USA, Europe, or in the countries of the APAC area (such as Australia, Bangladesh, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, etc … ).
The second requirement is that the shop on Instagram is only open for the sale of physical products, so this function is not valid for the sale of services.
In addition, some rules prevent the sale of products considered “unsuitable” by Instagram.
The third requirement is the opening, activation, or ownership of a company profile. If you have a company profile there will be no need to create one. Otherwise, it is possible to change your private profile into a business one.
Finally, the fourth requirement requires (if you haven’t already) the connection of the Instagram and Facebook accounts.
How to create the Instagram Shopping product catalog
After carrying out all the steps illustrated to activate Instagram Shopping, you need to create the product catalog with the Business Manager.
The creation of the shop window through the Business Manager can take place in total autonomy by following the appropriate procedure for inserting products including image, product name, price, and e-commerce link.
You can choose to upload the products manually to the catalog or you can opt for other faster solutions such as:
- Adding products to the catalog through a CSV file to be exported from your database
- Adding products with data lists by directly connecting your e-commerce platform (among those supported are: Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce ).
- Adding e-commerce products by linking to a Facebook pixel
Once the product catalog has been created, just wait for the Instagram Shopping activation request to be approved to start logging into your new account and selling the products through your e-commerce.
How to increase sales and conversions with Instagram Shopping
We have seen how Instagram Shopping is quite simple to implement to be able to start selling better through this social network by creating direct links and an interesting product showcase that facilitates the conversions of the users who follow you.
But let’s see in detail 4 useful tips that will allow you to increase sales and conversions with Instagram Shopping.
Make the most of product tags
By activating Instagram Shopping, you can start tagging products when you create a post for your Instagram profile.
When you create the post you simply have to click on the option to tag the products and you can make a tag for up to 5 products for each video or image you publish. In the case of posts with multiple images, you can enter the tag for 20 products.
With the tag, you can show users directly: the name and the price. By clicking on it, users will have access to a page with more details on the product with the possibility of easily visiting the online shop.
With Instagram Shopping, you can not only tag products in photos or videos but also within Stories through a sticker with a direct link to the product.
Also read: Instagram tests the Shopping tag in the post caption
Once you have made the tag of 8 products you will be able to see the active TAB in the profile that will allow users to directly consult all the tagged products.
If you have old posts published before the activation of Google Shopping you don’t have to worry you can go and edit them and add the tags in there too to increase your opportunities for sales and conversions.
At the moment, in Italy, the tags refer directly to the product page on the e-commerce from where it is possible for the user to quickly conclude the purchase.
In the USA, on the other hand, the option that allows you to make a purchase directly from Instagram without leaving the platform and entering e-commerce is already active.
At the moment, this option is not available in our country, but it could be released soon as soon as the tests on the function in the USA have concluded.
Always keep your catalog updated
In addition to being able to best use the product tags on posts, videos, and stories on Instagram to increase the sales and conversions of your e-commerce, you will also need to have an always updated catalog.
Think from the user side: he sees the feed in one of the posts, touches the image and then the product is no longer available or is sold out.
To be able to avoid these problems you must always keep your catalog updated.
Not only do you have to remember to modify it so that the user who accesses the shop section of Instagram directly can find the most sought-after products at a given time.
For example, during the Christmas period, the Bulgari Shop section on Instagram includes a selection of products and the use of images that are suitable for choosing Christmas gifts.
In fact, among the various sections of the shop, you can also find those ” Gift for her ” and ” Gift for him”. Then a catalog with selected products and suggestions for gifts dedicated to women or men.
Thus taking advantage of the Instagram shop channel not only to show the products of your online store but also to provide advice that helps the user make a purchase.
For your catalog and showcase on Instagram the advice is to:
- Enter the names of the products in a way that is coincident and consistent with those present on your e-commerce
- Enter product descriptions in detail
- Make the price visible
- Insert engaging images and videos that allow you to fully capture all the details of the proposed product
Create engaging and usable content
To be able to bring more users to your Instagram profile, you need to create posts that are as engaging and usable as possible.
The regular creation of content about your products through posts, videos, and stories helps you to amplify your awareness and build a better purchase path that increases conversions on your e-commerce.
To create ideal content to convert users and bring them to visit the Instagram shop or directly to the purchase of products through the tags you must:
- Create posts with calls to action that are clear and inform consumers about how to buy products from the shop or Instagram tag
- Update your Instagram profile to be able to reach users more easily and lead them to purchase your posts
- Create innovative posts that speak the best of your brand and can be positively received by your target users
- Use professional images and videos
- Harnessing the power of stories by creating them ad hoc and with a good weekly frequency
Plan your posts carefully in advance
As you may already know, users are more receptive at specific times of the day, and based on your target you can choose and verify through the data at your disposal which are the best times and days to publish a post or a story.
Thanks to data analysis you can plan your posts managing to keep several posts scheduled overtime to never interrupt your presence on Instagram.
It also identifies the moments and events that may be most relevant to your brand and your target audience, creating content that is relevant and more easily conducive to conversion.
Thanks to the right planning of posts with the correct tags on the products, you will not only be able to obtain advantages in terms of conversions but you will also be able to be more present on social networks managing to establish a better emotional connection with your customers, building trust and affinity. towards your brand.
Conclusion
Social networks are increasingly becoming a hub for e-commerce sales and conversions.
Thanks to the integrated functions, such as Instagram Shopping, users are getting used to make purchases directly through the catalog and the showcase created on the social network or by clicking on the tags present in posts and stories.
If you have not yet integrated the Instagram Shopping function on your e-commerce profile, you must certainly consider this strategy as it is ideal for increasing conversions and bypassing the use of social networks only as a branding tool, using your profile. Instagram is also a real sales channel.
The implementation of Instagram Shopping will allow you to expand your sales skills and will help you reach a greater number of interested users and that you can build loyalty thanks to the right content, interesting posts, and stories able to connect emotionally with them.