How this Scandinavian Aromatherapy Company Earned $20K On Instagram in 1 Month

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If ever there was a time for relaxing scents to become really popular, it was in May 2020 – in the midst of a global pandemic. Thankfully, that’s when Daniel Hoftun took the plunge and founded Volant Aroma – an aromatherapy Ecommerce business – from his Norway apartment.

Daniel grew up surrounded by a natural lifestyle in Norway’s countryside, and that experience followed him to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and beyond.

“My deep interest for optimising everyday life through aroma, combined with my chemistry and computer science background, led to volant – the company I had to start.”

-Daniel Hoftun

In fact, he built the first collection of Volant products from that apartment we mentioned, as well as packed every order and hand-delivered them on a bike. 

Now, just a short year later, Volant Aroma is based out of headquarters in Oslo, armed with a team, a warehouse, and a mission to “create products that bring people together across borders and origins.”

Building the Volant Aroma Marketing Strategy

One thing the Volant team identified early on was that the essential oil market was not nearly as saturated in Norway as it is in the United States. Without a huge presence in the country, that meant that one really important marketing opportunity was education.

In order to begin educating customers on the benefits and uses of aromatherapy, Daniel and the team identified the platforms where educational content would thrive. These were the blog, the email newsletter, and social media – specifically, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

“As a Direct-to-Customer company a lot of our ‘product’ is the story we tell [about our products], and that story is definitely being told through Instagram. It’s Instagram and email that are the drivers of that.” – Tobias Nervik

The team at Volant set out to build educational resources on their site and share tips, tricks, how-tos, and recipes on their social media channels. In spring 2021, Volant brought on a social media manager to begin developing those channels in earnest.

A common thread was developing as the team spoke to freelance social media managers, looking for the right fit. More than a few of those freelancers recommended Tailwind – including their eventual hire!

Growing the Volant Aroma Instagram Account (With Tailwind!)

In April 2021, Volant signed up for Tailwind with both an Instagram and a Pinterest account, looking to grow their organic social channels. With a lot of ground to cover, they created a packed schedule of content, including 50-70 Pins a week on Pinterest and 14 Facebook and Instagram posts a week (2 per day).

Things happened quickly. From April to mid-July (time of this interview), their 2,000 organic Instagram followers tripled to 6,800 and are still growing.

How did they do it?

Posting Regularly – As we mentioned before, the social team at Volant posts at least twice a day on Instagram, with a healthy content mix of Reels, feed posts, and Stories. This steady stream of fresh content on their feed means that they’re constantly top of mind (and top of feed) for their followers, and always offering a new piece to engage with.

Relevant Hashtags – The social team at Volant uses Tailwinds Hashtag Finder to search out relevant hashtags to their images.

For example, not only does this caption contain oil diffuser-related hashtags, but it also contains design inspiration and decor-related hashtags relating to the context of the photo!

User-Generated Content – Not only does Volant’s feed contain quotes, Reels, and how-to graphics, but it’s also peppered with curated content from influencers and customers featuring the product.

This definitely makes content curation and planning much easier, but it also creates trust and authority. When customers see real people using your products (and liking them!) they’re more inclined to make a purchase themselves.

Easily Digestible Education – Volant shares recipes for oil blends in simple graphics, as well as other useful tidbits that can help customers (or essential oil enthusiasts!) learn something new.

In fact, this content is one of the things shouted out positively to the team all the time in web reviews!

Influencers – Volant works with a lot of influencers in a brilliant way, if you ask us. Rather than partnering with essential oil educators or gurus, Volant uses influencers to tell a broader story about environments and restful homes.

If you look at Volant’s feed, you’ll notice a ton of influencer content from interior decorators and designers who incorporate Volan’ts sleek diffusers into the room scapes they create.  

Engaging Directly – Volant avoids the hard sell on their Instagram page. Instead, they focus on a lot of Stories and feed posts with questions and conversation starters.

If potential customers want to learn more, they’re directed to the link in their bio! Instead, Volant prizes community building. 

“Building a community around our existing user base is definitely something we’re trying to do. And that’s something we’re trying to do through organic social media and email -and Tailwind runs the organic social media for us.”

-Tobias Nervik

The community-building aspects of the business are what Volant Aroma credits as the most profitable.

“In percentage, it is very profitable to grow organically or get sales through email… having that in the backend is what gonna help us succeed in the long run.

It’s building that lifetime customer value and keep getting those repeat purchases.”

-Tobias Nervik

But we know what you might be thinking – followers don’t necessarily translate to sales, especially on Instagram!

Well, remember that link in their Instagram bio? In June 2021, Volant saw $20,000 in sales from that link alone!

Increasing Volant’s Revenue 80% From Instagram

Although Volant also has a presence on Pinterest and Facebook and even runs Paid ads on Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest, they see more returns from their organic Instagram profile link than any other platform.

In fact, a lot of sales come specifically from their Instagram profile link!

June’s $20,000 numbers were an 80% increase month over month from Mays ($5,500). And it’s important to note that those link in bio visits were not from Instagram ads – those were from visits to the Instagram profile itself!

Clearly, Volant’s Instagram marketing strategy is paying off – especially in a time where the Instagram algorithm can make it difficult for sustained growth.

What Can You Learn from Volant’s Strategy?

Volant Aroma has only been in business for a year, which makes their success on Instagram – in spite of the algorithm – pretty impressive. There are tons of tips, tricks, and tactics you can learn from their journey to growth on the platform, like:

  • Posting regularly on Instagram Stories, the Instagram feed and Instagram Reels with Tailwinds SmartSchedule
  • Using Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder to find relevant hashtags for all their posts
  • Curating User-Generated content to help tell their brand and product story
  • Creating easily digestible education on their Instagram Feed and Stories
  • Finding influencers in a space that helps your product shine naturally
  • Avoiding salesy tactics and instead focusing on community building

But perhaps the most important and most interesting is how they’ve positioned their product on Instagram.

Instead of filling their feed with one-off shots of their product, Volant has embraced identifying a core desire of their audience – to have a restful, tasteful living environment. Their content doesn’t focus on only their diffusers, but rather their diffusers positioned in environments that their audience love and want to recreate themselves.

That’s what it means to know and speak to your audience’s lifestyle, and when done correctly, you will see a big payoff. 

And just like Volant, you can take care of managing your community and content on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook with Tailwind while you dream up new ways to inspire your audiences! Try out a free trial of Tailwind, no credit card required!

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Volant Aroma started in a pandemic, but their sales from Instagram show no signs of slowing down. See how they grew revenue from social in just one year!

How to Use Social Media to Promote a Local Business

Pinterest and Instagram are marketing gold mines for local travel and hospitality brands. Using these social media platforms, it is easier than ever to reach and engage future guests. 

But sometimes small businesses with limited marketing budgets overlook the importance of social media marketing beyond Facebook. Sadly, they miss out on opportunities to connect with potential guests early in their vacation planning process.

The good news is with a little planning and creativity, you can draw people to your brand and eventually to your local attraction!

The highly visual and aspirational culture makes these social media platforms ideal for brands offering that rely on travelers or offer unique experiences.

Why? People use Instagram and Pinterest when planning their next vacation. The aspirational nature makes Pinterest and Instagram vital parts of your promotion strategy, whether you run a small B&B inn, an independent hotel, or a local tourist attraction. 

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Looking Ahead From 2020 (for Local Businesses!)

It’s no secret that 2020 was a difficult year for the travel industry. However, people are craving new experiences, travel, and adventure as vaccines become more widely available.

According to Think With Google, 57% of consumers are looking forward to traveling once “the pandemic is over.” Search trends indicate that Millenial and Gen Z consumers, in particular, are most eager to travel, showing in their Google searches.

These consumers seek authentic experiences, are internet savvy, and are open to new experiences. 

This interest extends beyond Google to their social media channels like Instagram and Pinterest!

“There’s pent-up demand, and people can’t wait to get out again. It’s clear that when people feel ready to travel again, they’ll make it a priority.

On Pinterest, travel engagement is at an all-time high—even when you look at the year before COVID.”

Pinterest

Why Use Pinterest and Instagram?

Both Pinterest and Instagram are highly visual social media platforms. If you are in the travel and hospitality field or own a brick-and-mortar business, you already know the value of stunning photographs and images. You may already invest in professional photography, video production, and design. 

Visual media like Instagram and Pinterest offer the opportunity to repurpose your visual assets in fresh and engaging ways. Active users share ideas, dreams, aspirations, and inspiration. 

Harness the Positivity of Pinterest 

If you think Pinterest is only for brides and DIY crafters, think again. While most active “Pinners” are affluent females with creative interests, the platform increasingly attracts people of all walks of life who are making plans and saving inspiring content. 

Pinterest is both a social media platform and a content discovery tool. In some ways, it is similar to a visual Google and has the potential to drive traffic to your website or direct booking platform. 

Nine out of ten users said Pinterest is “filled with positivity” The overall culture is aspirational and inspirational. Many use it as a combination of a vision board, search engine, and planning tool.

Pinterest users also happen to be shoppers. Omnicore digital marketing agency found that 87% admitted to trying a new product or brand after seeing Pinterest. Around 64% of active users indicated they use Pinterest to find ideas, inspiration, products, or services.

Pinterest identified a 2021 trend they refer to as “hypothetical sabbatical.” Users search for and Pin content covering topics relating to their dream vacation, camping or adventure destinations, and niche experiences specific to their hobbies and interests. 

Engage With Travelers on Instagram

Instagram also attracts consumers, in fact, 81% of Instagram users said they use it to research services and products, according to Instagram. This may be one reason influencers shine on Instagram. 

Users share moments and experiences with friends in a way that is candid and often carefully curated.

Images and video engage users especially when supported by compelling copy.

Since Instagram is part of the Facebook family, it shares its advertising interface while offering platform-specific options like story ads. 

Start With the Fundamentals

It all starts with your profile. Optimize all your social media profiles in order to a) appear in relevant searches on platforms and b) showcase who you are, what you do, and why visitors should visit your local business. Strategically use your social media bio to reference local landmarks or quickly describe what you offer. 

If you haven’t already, convert your Instagram profile to a business profile. You should convert your Pinterest profile to a business profile, too! Doing this gives you access to analytics, new publishing options, and the ability to advertise.  

When optimizing your Instagram profile, consider the following:

Camber Brewing Instagram profile
  • You need to associate your Instagram Business account with a Facebook Business page. The two share an advertising platform, Creator Studio, and other resources. 
  • Your Instagram bio link is precious real estate. Some brands and Creators refer to a special landing page like Tailwind’s Smart.bio or LinkTree to help followers access their best content, subscribe to their newsletter, or find them on other platforms like Pinterest.
  • Remember to tag your location in both your profile and in your posts.

Optimizing your Pinterest profile is a little more involved; check out this guide to Pinterest for Business for more details on setting up and optimizing your Pinterest profile. 

As much as possible, plan for a consistent theme and visual branding to make it easy for your followers to recognize you. Also, develop a consistent publishing schedule to keep your presence fresh and engaging.

Social Media Marketing with Pinterest and Instagram 

Each social media platform has a unique culture and purpose. While you want to coordinate your branding, you may tailor the content for each audience as much as possible. For example, Pinterest offers the opportunity to drive traffic to your website, so you may want to pin your most compelling content and any local media features.

On the other hand, Instagram is a high-engagement visual platform to showcase your most compelling images and share special moments.  

Content Ideas for Pinterest

Curate a mix of compelling photographs, videos, infographics, and links to your other online content on Pinterest. Pins typically have a longer shelf-life than more ephemeral social media content such as tweets or Instagram stories. 

Use Pinterest boards to share themed collections of Pins, including your own content and other content that may interest your ideal customer. For example, a Board can feature helpful resources like local hiking trails, the best vintage shopping, or unique attractions in your community.

Keep the following ideas in mind while planning your Pinterest content:

  • Offer fresh ideas catering to creating a unique experience.
  • Create helpful content and share practical tips.
  • Curate recommendations for other activities, re-pin content featuring other local activities, recommendations, and attractions.
  • Be creative with your board themes. This is the ideal opportunity to create resources for travelers with particular niche interests. For example, you may create a guide for vegetarians visiting  your city or a board featuring the ideal “Sunday Funday.” 
  • Consider creating high-value lifestyle content exclusively for your Pinterest audience. For example, a B&B may share easy brunch recipes or packing tips in the form of an infographic. 
  • Check out Pinterest’s business resources, including “Pinterest Trends” for ideas and inspiration you can adapt to create engaging content promoting your own brand.

Content Ideas for Instagram

Instagram is a great platform to share photographs, infographics, memes, and videos. While the platform is visually oriented, don’t overlook the value of engaging copy to offer context. 

Consider making use of content options beyond a post. For example, Instagram Guides offer the opportunity to feature places, products, or existing Instagram posts in a curated guide. The guides are an attractive way to share local recommendations, itineraries, tips, fun facts, and ideas.

Other content options include Stories and IGTV for longer-form videos. Have fun while experimenting with the content that best engages your clientele.

Finally, remember to use hashtags and location tags to make it easier for users to find your posts. When you mention local influencers, brands, restaurants, or attractions, be sure to tag them as well. Tagging other accounts may help increase your reach, engagement, and following.

Take a moment to brainstorm ideas for your Instagram content. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Attractive photos of your hotel or venue along with a witty or upbeat description. You may use one image or multiple images.
  • Photos of yourself or your team members along with a mini-feature of each person.
  • Fun photos of your guests enjoying their time with you, along with a short story about their experience. 
  • Videos and demonstrations. For example, if you run a B&B, your chef may demonstrate how to poach an egg, or a member of your housekeeping team may demonstrate how to fluff a pillow. 
  • Share positive reviews from prior guests. 
  • Recipes, tips, trivia, and life hacks in the form of a video, infographic, or “photo slide show.” 
  • Anything else that may entertain, inspire, inform or attract your future guests. 

Creating an Efficient Workflow

This may sound overwhelming since you are busy running your business. Keep in mind that you don’t need to incorporate every idea or rock every platform. You may also recruit help from your team, your guests, local influencers or hire a freelance social media manager. 

Use a social media scheduling tool like Tailwind to bulk schedule your posts. You or your social media manager can create and schedule a week or even a month’s worth of content in a single afternoon. These tools also offer their own analytics to help optimize your publishing schedule and to help efficiently repurpose content. 

Finally, don’t forget to be social! Many influencers and thought leaders build their Instagram following through a combination of publishing great content and engaging with other users. 

Follow complementary accounts and take a few minutes a day to scroll your feed and like or make meaningful comments on other people or brand’s posts. Avoid spamming, simply engage. This may attract new followers who are interested in what you have to offer. 

Finally, take a moment to respond when a follower sends you a message, asks a question, or makes a comment. You never know when that follower will turn into a prospect and eventually a guest.

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Curious if you can use social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook to promote a local business? Absolutely! Find out how in this guide.

5 Steps for Selling Your Products on Instagram

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The days when Instagram was just an app for sharing photos with your nearest and dearest friends are over. Nowadays, the platform is a powerful tool for small businesses hoping to sell products on Instagram!

Just look at the numbers from this 2019 Facebook survey:

  • 83% of users say Instagram helps them discover brand new products and services
  • 81% say they research products or services on Instagram
  • 80% ultimately decide whether to buy a product or service with Instagram’s help
Results on a facebook survey about selling products on instagram

Not only do these stats highlight how important Instagram is for buying products, but also the importance of figuring out how to use it to sell your products!

And make no mistake, these users are taking action. After seeing a product on Instagram, users took the following steps:

  • 79% searched for more information
  • 65% visited the brand’s website or app
  • 46% made a purchase online or offline
  • 37% visited a retail store
  • 31% followed the brands account online
  • 29% talked to someone about it
79% searched for more information
65% visited the brand’s website or app
46% made a purchase online or offline
37% visited a retail store
31% followed the brands account online
29% talked to someone about it

So whether you’re brand new to selling on Instagram or are just looking for tips, tricks, and tools to fine-tune your strategy, the following five steps will help!

Ready to stop puzzling and start profiting? Let’s get to it!

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5 Steps for Selling Your Products on Instagram

Ready to fine-tune your selling strategy and make sales on Instagram?

It’s easier than you think. Before we dive into the five steps behind how to sell products on Instagram, there are some things you need to do before you begin!

Set-up Step: Convert to an Instagram Business Account

With the craze around Instagram’s Creator accounts, you may be a little torn on what kind of Instagram account you need. We strongly recommend you switch to an Instagram business account.

Not only do business profiles give you access to in-depth Insights and Instagram Analytics about your audience in the new Instagram Professional Dashboard, but they also enable you to use the following:

And if you use an Instagram planning tool like Tailwind, you can enable Auto-Posting on your Instagram feed! Plan days, weeks, and months’ worth of Instagram content and publish at the best possible times for your audience to see it. 

Think more hustle, less time! Curious to try it out? Get a [sc name=’free-trial-of-tailwind-for-instagram’] today!

Attach Your Instagram Business Account to a Facebook Business Page

If you plan to take advantage of new Instagram and Facebook Shops or want to begin dabbling in Instagram advertising, don’t forget to attach your business account to your Facebook page.

This will give you access to important tools and features, like Facebook + Instagram Ads Manager!

Now that we’ve taken care of those important to-do’s, it’s time to get to the strategy you’ve been waiting for. You’ll be figuring out how to sell stuff on Instagram in no time with these five tips!

1. Use Hashtags to Improve Product Visibility on Instagram

When used correctly, hashtags put your Instagram posts (and products) on Explore pages where people are looking for them! 

This is even more important now that Instagram has introduced a Shop tab, so if you haven’t perfected your hashtag strategy now is the time.

Instagram hashtag explore page for #planner

When you pick relevant hashtags for your product posts and Stories, you have a chance to appear to brand new Instagram accounts who follow that hashtag, use it, or simply search for it often!

Plus, if your post or Story lands in a coveted top spot for a hashtag, it’s likely to be seen by even more Instagram users who could easily become customers.

That’s why hashtag research is so important!

You’ll need to sift through all the available hashtagged keywords that relate to your product or service.

You’ll also want to look for hashtags that relate to people and interests that might go with your product and note how popular they are (and how much traffic they get in search).

Sound like a lot of work? It can be, unless you have an amazing hashtag planning tool like Tailwind! 

Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder tool allows Instagram users to save time on the drudgework of hashtag research and get back to doing what they love – connecting with people on Instagram!

Just upload your photo and begin typing your caption.

Suggested hashtags based on your text will appear next to your caption, color-coded by their competitive level!

You can select up to 30 hashtags and even save them in labeled Hashtag Lists to use again on a similar post!

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Want to try Hashtag Finder, Hashtag Lists, AND our Hashtags In First Comment Feature for yourself?

Get a [sc name=”free trial of Tailwind for Instagram”] – no credit card required!

2. Highlight Product Details in Posts and Stories

We now know that 79% of Instagram users who see a product on Instagram go to find more information about it.

You can boost the likelihood of closing a sale if you leave that handy information about your product within easy reach!

Instagram Stories and post captions are a great place to start. Here are some ways to use them to educate your followers on your products!

Use Stories to Highlight Your Product

Instagram Stories is the perfect place for quick, easy-to-digest content featuring your products, building brand awareness, and driving sales. Here are some ideas on how to use Stories for increasing sales on Instagram:

  • Film yourself talking about product benefits. Keep in mind that Instagram will divide your video into 10-second segments, and you’ll cap out at 1 minute – so keep it short, sweet, and actionable!
  • Repost user-generated content like product reviews, pictures with your product, and content that your previous customers have posted.
  • Include a swipe-up Link or directions to your Link in Bio – You can link to your product page (if you have 10,000 Instagram followers!). If you don’t have 10K Instagram followers just yet, tag your profile and direct viewers to the link in your Instagram bio.
  • Post a frame-by-frame explanation of key benefits – Check out the example below from Biossance! They introduce their product, explain key ingredients, use, and how it works.
Example of story from Biossance introducing their product
Instagram Story product explainer of Biossance rose oil
Story image from biossance with product explainer and swipe up link for selling on instagram

Show a Behind-the-Scenes Look Into Your Brand and Products

When highlighting your products on Instagram, give your followers a behind-the-scenes look into all the time and love that goes into creating your products. When creating posts and stories, here are some ideas for showing off your products in a unique way (without giving too much away!):

  • Give your followers a sneak peek into new products 
  • Tell your brand’s story and why you started your business
  • Show how your products are made
  • Invite your followers to vote on new products, designs, and patterns

Use Instagram Captions to Highlight Products

Having a good Instagram caption is just as important as having a great image when selling on Instagram. Plus, you have plenty of space to highlight important product information like:

  • Key benefits
  • Product uses and instructions
  • What’s included
  • Pricing information

The perfect caption supports your efforts to sell products on Instagram by artfully explaining exactly why they should purchase your product.

More importantly – it should explain how they can purchase your product!

Tailwind’s caption formatting can help you make a winning impression with several easy-to-use tools, such as the Emoji Picker to add engaging emojis to your Instagram captions.

Plus, you can easily add line breaks to your Instagram caption, different Instagram fonts and hide your hashtags in the first comment to keep your caption looking beautiful. 

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Sell Your Products on Instagram with a Call-To-Action (CTA)

A whopping 87% of users said they took action after seeing product or service information on Instagram. That’s amazing, right? To keep that momentum going, help users take the next steps.

When they finish reading your caption, do they know what to do next? Make it really simple by adding a quick CTA! Examples of straightforward and effective CTAs are:

  • “click the link in our bio”
  • “watch our Instagram story for more details”
  • “swipe up”
  • “leave a comment below”
  • “double tap if you agree!”

You can use a CTA to get more engagement or direct your users to where they can find more information or buy the product. Usually, that’s your website and product pages!

3. Be Strategic About Product Links

As of now, Instagram does not allow links in captions. That means to figure out how to sell things on Instagram, you need to find another way to direct your audiences to checkout!

You have several options, like Link in Stories. However, the most customization and ability to link to multiple products and resources is your link in bio!

Include a Link in Your Instagram Bio

link in bio highlighted in instagram bio to make selling on instagram easier

Adding a link to your Instagram profile bio is an easy way to get people clicking over to your sales page!

One link rarely cuts it, which is why a link in bio tool to house multiple URLs is so handy!

Smart.bio is a free, easy-to-use dynamic landing page for all your featured products. You can also include links you want to feature for a long time (like your website, email lists signup, and blog posts).

When you set up your smart.bio, you can create a branded URL with your company name or website. It looks like smart.bio/yourusernamehere!

Wellness for Womanhood smart.bio - an easy way to sell products on instagram/ selling on instagram

If you’ve ever seen or used another link in bio tool before, you know that you usually have to choose static button links OR Instagram post images to link all your content. With Smart.bio, you can choose both!

“This is simply PHENOMENAL. You guys have truly outdone yourselves. I’m convinced this is the best bio tool out there.

It combines the best features of all the ones I’ve seen, and the setup was effortless. Easiest and best thing I’ve done for my social media marketing so far. ❤️”

@shavonnemorrison, Wellness Blogger

Your static links will appear at the top of your landing page, while you can link individual product pages in the posts that talk about them. When you add a link to your Instagram post, it’ll automatically appear on your smart.bio landing page!

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Your link in bio tool makes all the difference in driving traffic from your Instagram posts to your website.

4. Sell Products Directly On Instagram with Shoppable Posts and Stickers

Shopping on Instagram is now global, and it’s easier than ever to set up product tags on Instagram posts so your customers can complete their buying journey in-app!

To nab this feature for yourself, you do need to meet some eligibility requirements:

  • 1. You must be in one of the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, or Australia
  • 2. You need an Instagram business account
  • 3. You must be on the latest version of the Instagram app
  • 4. You must sell physical items that comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies.
  • 5. Your business profile must be connected to a Facebook catalog. This is managed on your business’s Page on Facebook, or through an approved third party!

You can find all the steps to setting up Shopping on Instagram in our guide!

If you are selling products through BigCommerce and or Shopify, you can set up product tags simply via their Instagram integrations.

5. Build Engagement on Instagram with Potential Customers

Growing your following will help you in selling your products on Instagram. Simply put, with more followers, you’re increasing the number of potential customers on Instagram who are regularly viewing your products!

In order to do that, you need to increase follower engagement as much as possible – in other words, the likes and comments you receive!

The key to unlocking engagement lies in developing a deep understanding of your audience, what they like to see and what is going to make them slow their scroll when they see your latest post in their feed!

Review Your Past Content To See What Resonates Most

You can start getting some valuable clues about what your followers are already responding to by visiting Tailwind’s Post Inspector in your dashboard.

sell your products on instagram by monitoring posts with high engagement - Tailwind's post inspector

Post Inspector allows you to view and sort your past posts by the number of comments, likes, type of image and even the filter you used!

Using these insights, you can determine what type of content your followers like the most and the types they’re scrolling past. That’ll help you make a strategy around producing content that your followers will engage with – and help you sell your products on Instagram!

Feature Reviews, Testimonials, and UGC from Customers

If customers are raving about your products on Instagram, make sure to feature them on your profile as a way to say thank you and to promote your products! Reposting your customers’ posts and stories is a great way to engage with your audience while also increasing social proof for your products.

By featuring your customers’ honest options on your products, you can increase your brand’s credibility on Instagram. This can help increase sales — especially for your most loved products. Here are some ideas for engaging with your customers on Instagram:

  • Repost stories and posts from customers featuring your products
  • Comment on posts reviewing your products
  • Encourage your followers to tag your brand in Instagram stories and posts

Use Attractive Images to Entice Your Followers to Engage

According to AdEspresso, there are several types of Instagram images that are performing well on Instagram, and the trend is likely to extend into 2021. These 9 types of images are:

  • User-generated content
  • Behind-the-scenes photos
  • DIY and how-to content
  • Artfully composed images
  • Content from Instagram influencers
  • Motivational pictures and quotes
  • Contest and giveaway promotions
  • Seasonal or on-trend images

You have a lot of flexibility and room to get creative – it’s simply important to note that grainy, poorly lit, or low-quality images won’t elicit as much engagement as high quality or artfully composed shots will!

In fact, a study devoted to the image qualities that can help increase engagement revealed the recipe for an engaging picture on Instagram:

  • lots of background space
  • one dominant color/hue (blues and cold shades often fare better!)
  • low saturation
  • texture (such as shadows or ridges)
  • increased brightness

Try experimenting with different styles of imagery to create excellent product photos, to see what appeals to your audience and receives higher engagement!

When creating posts for your brand accounts, you can use social media templates to easily create beautiful, eye-catching posts. By automating content creation and scheduling, you can save time and help grow your brand’s social presence.

Our Top Tips for Selling on Instagram

With Instagram users 25% more likely to be in the top income quartile, businesses and brands like you are trying to figure out new ways to capture the attention of their audience and perfect selling on Instagram!

With our five-step strategy (and Tailwind for Instagram’s time-saving features), increasing your sales is totally achievable! Let’s recap the plan:

  1. Grab more visibility for your products with the right hashtags – Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder makes research a breeze!
  2. Provide product information in your Instagram Stories and captions so curious shoppers don’t have to wander far to find out what they need to know
  3. Showcase your website and post links with Tailwind’s free advanced link in bio tool – Smart.Bio!
  4. Apply for Shoppable Posts with Instagram to make selling your products on Instagram easier than ever
  5. Prioritize engagement on Instagram so that you always stay top of mind (and top of feed!) for potential customers

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Use our complete guide to learn how to sell on Instagram, and how you can gain reach and visibility for your products!

Do you sell products through your Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Get Approved for Shopping on Instagram

how to get approved for shopping on instagram - header image with glasses plant and pencil and ipad on white background

This article has been updated with the new Instagram Commerce Eligibility Requirements introduced on July 9, 2020.


Selling your products on Instagram can take your business to a new level. By expanding your reach, it’s you can gain new customers and grow your business!

You might want to know how to get approved for shopping on Instagram for the first time or are appealing a rejected app.

Whichever it is, this guide will help you increase your chances of bringing your customers a shopping experience on Instagram.

How to Get Approved for Instagram Shopping: What You Need

If you’ve been wondering how to get approved for Instagram shoppingthis is a great place to startTo get accepted your Instagram business profile must meet Instagram’s criteria.

In June, Instagram announced new Commerce Eligibility Requirements to help more businesses and Creators sell on Instagram. As of July 9, 2020, here’s what you’ll need before you can sell on Instagram:

  • Products available to direct purchase from your website or Instagram Checkout. If you’re selling from your website, you’ll need to provide it to Instagram – and you may be asked to verify your domain.
  • Location in a country where Instagram Shopping is available
  • Demonstrate trustworthiness – your Instagram account must have an authentic, established presence. This also includes maintaining a base follower account (although the exact number hasn’t been clarified.)
Current markets where Instagram Shopping is supported

  • Provide accurate information and follow best practices – Your products should not have misleading pricing or availability information. Refund and return policies must be clearly displayed and easily accessible on either your website or on Instagram.

Signing Up For Instagram Shopping Step-by-Step

After you have navigated how to get Instagram approved and you have the green light to sell, it’s time to set up shop. Follow this short list of steps to sign up for Instagram shopping.

  1. Open Instagram app on your phone and navigate to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu in the right-hand corner.
  3. Tap ‘Settings’.
  4. Tap ‘Business’.
  5. Tap ‘Sign Up for Shopping‘.
  6. Follow the prompts.

How Long Does It Take For Instagram to Approve Shopping?

Since time is money, many users wonder how long does it take for Instagram to approve shopping.

Overall, it takes between 1 day to 2 weeks for Instagram to give shopping approval. The good news is that the average is somewhere in between this time bracket, which means that you might not need to wait two weeks.

In the best-case scenario, you can get approved even by the next day!

How Do I Know If I’ve Been Approved For Instagram Shopping?

If you’ve been pursuing how to approve shopping on Instagram for a while, the minutes can feel like hours!

In the latest update to the Instagram Shopping application, you’ll receive a notification as soon as you’re approved. You’ll see a banner on top of your business profile that prompts you to “Start Tagging Now“.

If you aren’t approved, the new Instagram Shopping update will now give you a clear reason so that you can correct the issue.

Your Account Was Not Approved For Instagram Shopping (What to Do Next)

If your account was not approved for Instagram shopping, don’t give up. There are a few steps you can take to develop a new strategy and create a better application! After fixing your account, you can apply again.

Step One: Review Instagram’s Policies

Most accounts that are not approved for Instagram shopping go against Instagram commerce policies.

Knowing the rules gives you an edge in your next application.

Review these major points from the commerce policies and see if your account complies with these regulations. Note that this list covers the basics and you’ll need to read both the community standards and commerce policies thoroughly to be fully informed!

  • Your account doesn’t abide by community standards: Instagram’s vision is to remain “an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression”. Anything in your account that goes against these values can be a reason for rejection. Therefore, make sure your store is overall legal, useful, safe, and respectful to others
  • Your inventory contains prohibited products: If your inventory contains prohibited items, then your business will not be approved. Prohibited products include any commerce listings that violate community standards, such as adult products, knockoffs, alcohol, animals, digital media and electronic devices, legal documents, hazardous substances, and more. Facebook’s commerce policies flesh out the full details of each prohibited item. 
  • You don’t sell physical goods: If your inventory is empty, your account will not be approved. Your Instagram merchant account must have physical goods for sale. 
  • There’s discrimination in your store: If there’s evidence of discrimination anywhere in your listings, your business can be rejected for Instagram shopping. Make sure your products don’t discriminate against anyone’s “race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, marital status, disability, or medical or genetic condition”  

Step Two: Make Sure Your Facebook Business Page and Catalog Are Set Up Correctly

Sometimes an issue with your Facebook business page and catalog manager can trigger the message “Instagram shopping account not approved“. Here are a few things you should check to make sure that these pages are set up correctly for Instagram Shopping:

  • Connect Accounts: Check to see if your Facebook Business Manager account is attached to your Instagram profile. If these accounts are not connected, Instagram can’t see the connection between your product listings and Instagram account. 
  • Make sure you’re using the Facebook Business Page Shopping Template: Without this Facebook page setting, Instagram will not recognize your business as selling goods.
  • Add physical products and descriptions to your catalog: If your store is empty or has no descriptions for products, Instagram can deny your approval. Give as much information as possible to make the best case to be approved. 
  • Make sure all your products abide by community guidelines: A product may look good to you, but it can violate some rules. Double-check the commerce policies and comb through your listings. Remove anything questionable.

Step Three: Appeal Instagram’s Decision to Not Approve Your Instagram Shopping Account

If your application was denied, don’t give up. A good number of users who asked themselves “how to appeal Instagram shopping if I wasn’t approved” have tried again and succeeded.

After you check your Instagram account and Facebook Business Page for all the possible reasons for rejection, fix the problems, and request verification again.

Prior to the update, the process for appeals wasn’t clear on Instagram and didn’t follow the same process as Facebook.

Therefore, users used several channels to make successful appeals. Those who have had success used Facebook support tickets, Ad review request forms, or marketplace item request forms. Some have also contacted Instagram support with good results.

Thankfully, Instagram is streamlining the appeals process in the new Instagram Shopping update!

Check your Business Manager page and catalog to ensure that all the necessary details are included before you resubmit. Taking these steps will decrease the chances of you being not approved for Instagram shopping appeal!

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Wondering how to get approved for shopping on Instagram and product tags? Here are all the steps - and what to do if your account isn't approved!

Sell More With the New Facebook + Instagram Shops Feature!

Create a free digital store on social media with Instagram Shops

On May 19th, Facebook and Instagram announced a new game-changing feature: “Shops”!

On the heels of new small business-friendly features like food delivery and gift card stickers on Instagram and the Support Small Business Sticker, Shops appears to be the next important feature for sellers!

If you’re already selling products, or if your retail business has been severely impacted by COVID-19, you’re going to want to pay attention to this FREE feature.

Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops are seamlessly integrated with each other, so you can use your shiny new storefront on your Instagram page AND sell on Facebook at the same time!

I’m talking about how to use Instagram Shop, who has access right now, and everything we know about the features being added over the next few months.

And most importantly, how you can use it to sell more on Instagram than ever before!

“With Shops, we’re adding a new way for businesses to sell directly.”

Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook

What Is the New Shopping Feature on Instagram?

“Shops” is a FREE feature for Instagram (and Facebook) that allows retailers to build digital storefronts right on their social networks.

Indulge your Insta followers in a full shopping experience without ever leaving the app!

The new feature is brought in partnership with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, Woo, Channel Advisor and more.

“Facebook Shops allows Shopify merchants to get control over customization and merchandising for their storefronts inside Facebook and Instagram, while managing their products, inventory, orders, and fulfillment directly from within Shopify.”

Shopify

This means that Instagram e-commerce accounts will be able to use their preferred platform to manage Shops and Shop ads.

“The basic idea here is that any small business can easily start a shop across our apps to sell things directly.

If you visit someone’s shop, you’re going to be able to see that small businesses story, you’re going to see their featured products and even check out and buy their items right there.”

Mark Zuckerberg

Who Can Use the New Shops Feature on Instagram?

Facebook and Instagram Shops on phone - View Shop, and Product Detail View.

Access to Shops is rolling out in waves – so you may not be able to see them just yet!

Shops rolled out to the U.S. first, with more countries being added in the coming weeks.

Over 1 million business accounts are currently involved in testing online stores, including:

Have one or both already set up? Keep your eyes peeled for an email from Facebook telling you that your Instagram Shop is ready!

#TailwindTip: Get a Facebook Page Shop or Approved for Shopping on Instagram ASAP

Since e-commerce businesses already using these features are getting first dibs at the Shops rollout, chances are adding them to your profile will speed up the process!

Why not create a Facebook Shop, or get approved for Shopping on Instagram in the meantime to hedge your bets?

How to Increase Sales From Instagram Shops

Shopping on the Instagram app just got a whole lot easier, for everyone involved! Here’s how it all comes together.

First, let’s talk about what Instagram app users experience when visiting an Instagram shop.

Once you’ve set up your Shop, uploaded products, cover photos, and added the “View Shop” button to your Instagram profile, the magic begins!

Instagram accounts will be able to visit your Shops storefront, learn more about your business, and even browse curated shop sections.

When they see a product image that catches their eye, they have a few options from the product description page:

  • Add to Bag: This adds the item to their shopping bag. They can continue to browse or check out!
  • Save to Wishlist: Potential customers may not pull the trigger on a purchase right away. Clicking the Save icon will add your product to their wish list.

You’ve still got a great chance to make a sale when this happens.

Product View in Instagram Shops - Save to Wishlist

The item will be saved to a Shoppable wish list in Saved posts. Just visit this folder anytime, click on the item, and be taken back to the “Add to Bag” option!

Second, Instagram will also nudge users with empty shopping bags to add their Wish List items!

Instagram shoppable Wish List in Saved folder
The “Wish List” saved folder is shoppable
Prompt to add wish list items to your Instagram shopping bag
Instagram keeps Wish List items top of mind.

Now, let’s talk about promoting your products from Instagram Shops. There are tools to get your products in full view on all Instagram channels!

Tag Products in Instagram Posts and Stories

Like Shoppable posts on Instagram, you’ll be able to tag products directly in your Instagram social media posts.

Here’s how to use those Product publishing tools on Stories:

  • Select a photo or video to upload to your Story
  • Open the Sticker menu and select ” Product
  • Select a product from your catalog

Presto! A sticker with the name of your product that you can place anywhere on your Story.

Shoppable Stories Tag products in Instagram Stories

Viewers tapping this sticker are taken to the product listing in your Shop.

You can also create a shopping post on Instagram with product tags!

Just select the photo or video you’ve chosen for your posts and pen your best Instagram caption.

Then, tag the products in the photo. Type the product names of the in the search box, and select!

It’s as easy as that – your shoppable Instagram post is ready to share.

Instagram shopping post - product tag from Facebook Shops catalog

What’s Next For Instagram Shops?

I can barely get over my excitement over the possibilities with Shops – but the good news isn’t over yet! Here’s everything we know about Facebook is planning over the next few months:

Loyalty Programs

Facebook is testing ways to connect loyalty programs to your account. You’ll earn rewards with your favorite brands from Instagram by shopping in-app!

The Instagram Shop Experience

Instagram is slating another feature launch this summer, which allows users to browse products directly from the Explore page!

The next phase of this will be shopping possibilities right from Instagram app’s main navigation tab.

Live Sales on Instagram

Soon, you’ll be able to link and start selling specific products from your Facebook Shop during Live videos!

This opens up a ton of possibilities for special sales and events for your most loyal followers.

Extended DM and Chat Support

The Instagram shopping experience isn’t complete without being able to ask for help! With Shops, users will be able to ask questions, track deliveries, and get support in DMs.

Further down the line, users will be able to see an Instagram Shop and make purchases via DM!


I can’t wait for all these features to roll out on Instagram. How about you – which feature are you most excited to check out?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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How to Add the Buy Tickets Button on Instagram

blue and purple tickets on a blue background - how to add the buy tickets button on Instagram header image

Got tickets for an upcoming event to sell? There’s a button for that: the buy tickets button on Instagram!

Instagram business buttons partner with popular platforms to provide easy calls to action – right on your profile!

The Get Tickets button on Instagram comes from a partnership with Eventbrite. (Head to their partner website to learn more!)

If you set your event up for sales on the site, you can add this Instagram action button to make it even easier for your audience to join in!

Below, we’re covering how to add the Buy Tickets button on Instagram and how it all works to help boost your sales.

How to Sell Tickets on Instagram in 3 Simple Steps

Let’s take some time to cover partners before we get further.

Eventbrite is the only ticket-selling partner Instagram has at this time. Instagram will continue to expand the partner list over time, but right now you have one option!

So, if you’re wondering how to sell tickets on Instagram, you’ll need to set up an Eventbrite account and create your event on the platform!

Let’s tackle the set-up first.

Step One: Set Up Your Event on Eventbrite

First, you’ll need to head over to Eventbrite and create your event. If you don’t have an account, we recommend you sign up with your Facebook business profile.

Why? You’ll need your Facebook Business profile connected to Eventbrite, and your Instagram Business account connected to that Facebook page for the get tickets button on Instagram to work!

Step Two: Add the Get Tickets Button to Your Instagram Profile

Once you have your Eventbrite event all set up, published, and synced to your Facebook business profile (linked to your existing account on Instagram) you can now display the Get Tickets button.

Remember, you need to have an Instagram business account to add this action button to your business profile!

Here’s how to set it up:

  • Navigate to your Instagram profile and tap Edit Profile
  • Tap Contact Options, then Add an Action Button
  • Scroll the list of partners to select Eventbrite
  • Copy and paste your event link
  • Select Done

Step Three: Promote Your Event on Instagram

Now that you have the “Get Tickets” button live on your Instagram profile, it’s time to spread the word!

Here are some ideas to help you promote your new event on social media with the purchase tickets button:

  • Post to your Instagram feed about your event and include a call to action for your followers to click the ‘Get Tickets’ Button.

  • Make an Instagram Stories post about your event! If you have over 10K followers or are verified on Instagram, include a swipe-up link to your event.
    If you don’t have the Swipe Up feature in yet, here’s a handy Instagram Stories trick: tag yourself in your IG Story! When people click the tag, they’ll be taken to your profile where they can buy tickets on Instagram. This creates a makeshift call to action button!

  • Tap co-hosts, loyal followers, and influencers in your niche to share your Story or post and put the word out!

  • Create a giveaway or Instagram contest to promote your event and grab more attention!

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The buy tickets button on Instagram is a great way to manage event ticket sales on your social media. This guide explains how to set up and use the button.

Food Delivery + Gift Card Stickers on Instagram (How-To + Tips!)

new food delivery & gift card stickers on Instagram

Instagram just released a new feature to make it easier for small businesses to weather closures and stay-at-home restrictions – food delivery & gift card stickers!

Whether you’re a small business looking for ways to keep income steady right now, or just want to promote a business you love on social media (it tastes good AND feels good!), these Instagram Stories stickers could be your answer.

Below, we’re explaining each sticker and how to use them.

Plus we’ve sprinkled in helpful tips to get the most out of food delivery & gift card stickers on Instagram!

food delivery & gift card stickers on Instagram are a new addition at the top of the custom stickers menu in Instagram Stories

Who Can Use Instagram Food Delivery & Gift Card Stickers?

Instagram Business accounts and Creator accounts in the US and Canada can access this Instagram feature. A global rollout is planned in the next few weeks, so just hang tight if you don’t see it quite yet!

How to Use the Instagram Food Delivery Sticker 

Setting up and using the Instagram delivery sticker is simple – it works just like the other Instagram custom stickers! When your followers tap it, they’ll be taken to a website to complete their order.

Here’s what to do:

  • Choose an appetizing food pic from your camera roll
  • Upload your photo to Instagram Stories
  • Tap the Sticker icon and select ” Food Orders”
  • Choose your delivery partner site (common choices are Postmates, UberEats, and DoorDash)
  • Publish your Story!
Melissa demonstrates what an Instagram delivery sticker looks like - it contains an order button and the delivery partner you've chosen to make placing an order for Instagram and food delivery even easier

Tailwind Tip: Instagram and Food Delivery Work Best with the Right Delivery Service!

An important thing to keep in mind when setting up your delivery sticker is choosing the right delivery service for your area. For the most opportunity, take a quick spin through the available delivery service options and double-check which deliver in the widest range around your business or zip code!

This is especially true in rural areas and small towns (for example, food and drink delivery is only available during certain days and times in my town when Postmates are in the area. DoorDash isn’t available, and UberEats – forget about it!)

Here’s what you should do:

  • Do some recon on which services most restaurants in your area partner with
  • Look into the key times and days that delivery services are most busy in your area – this could influence when you post stickers in Stories!

How to Use the Instagram Gift Card Sticker

Setting up the Instagram gift card system takes a little legwork on the back end, but once you have it live, it’s easy to operate and add with Instagram stickers! Here’s how:

how to share a gift card on instagram - you'll need to partner with one of four vendors to set up your Instagram gift card. Kabbage, Raise, Yiftee and Square can all integrate with Instagram gift card stickers.
  • Set up your gift card partner link with Kabbage, Raise, Yiftee, or Square.
  • Open Your Stories and select your backdrop photo or video
  • Tap the Sticker button to add stickers and select “Gift Cards”
  • Select your gift card partner and enter your partner link
  • Publish your Story!

Tailwind Tip: Ask Your Followers to Share the Instagram Card Sticker

For more reach and sales of business gift cards, shares and shoutouts are crucial to spread the word! You may have to share your partner link with them so they can figure out how to send a gift card on Instagram to their Stories or ask them to direct those who are curious to your Instagram profile.

Some ideas to get engagement and more Instagram card shares:

  • Ask other business owners and influencers in your niche to cross-promote
  • Ask your followers to share gift cards and shout outs
  • Check with local Chambers of Commerce and visitors boards to find out if they’d be willing to share
  • Host a gift card giveaway or Instagram contest to get more eyes on your Instagram card opportunity!

Add Delivery, Gift Cards, and Fundraiser Buttons to Your Instagram Profile

You can also add food delivery & gift card Action buttons directly to your Instagram profile.

Like call, email and booking action buttons, you can add an Action button that appears right under your Instagram bio. By tapping it, your followers are taken to the linked website to buy a gift card, order food for delivery.. or they can donate to a fundraiser!

Have you used any of these stickers yet? Let us know how it’s gone in the comments below, or if you have any lingering questions!

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Instagram just rolled out food delivery & gift card stickers. Here you'll find all the details on how to use the new feature and amp up your IG sales.

Boost Ecommerce Sales on Instagram with Four Proven Strategies

There’s no doubt about it – Instagram is the place to be if you want to drive ecommerce and capture sales. There are over 1 billion active accounts on the platform, and 800 MILLION of these accounts follow at least one business on Instagram. That’s a HUGE potential audience, making ecommerce sales on Instagram a powerful tool for retail businesses.

In fact, Instagram drives one of the highest average order values among social media networks, according to a study from ecommerce platform Nosto.

Nearly seventy percent of US marketers use Instagram for marketing purposes – and many use it to promote an ecommerce store. To make Instagram ecommerce even easier, the platform has regularly added features like shoppable posts and is testing out Instagram checkout.  

To help you maximize your existing Instagram sales strategy, or even provide a jumping-off point if you’re looking to break into ecommerce on Instagram, here are four proven, powerful strategies to know.

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1. Make Your Instagram Posts Shoppable

Prior to launching Shoppable posts, Instagram retailers had to rely on a strong CTA in their caption to drive shoppers to the link in their bio and eventually, their website.

An example is this post from Madewell…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwPKmuLl9fl/

As you can see, they included the call to action ‘shop the new collection-link in bio’. This means that people need to go to the profile and search for the post in question (which, by the time they see it could be pretty far down in the list), click on the URL in the bio to view the product. The extra steps can discourage some people from following through on a purchase . ☹️

If you’re simply changing your profile URL to promote another product, it then makes it difficult for people who are just now seeing your old post to find that product on your site. Frustrating!

Now with shoppable posts, you can tag products right in your Instagram post. People can click on the tagged product, learn more about it, and go to the direct page on your website.

One brand taking advantage of this feature is Magnolia Boutique. Since implementing Instagram shoppable posts their traffic and sales from Instagram increased by 4% and 20% respectively.

When you see their posts in the feed, a bag sign will appear in the bottom left corner of the post indicating that products have been tagged in the post.

Their followers just tap on the photo once to see all the tagged products.

They can click on the tags to learn more about the products. And they can click on the ‘View on Website’ button to go to the product’s landing page.

How do I Set Up Shoppable Posts on Instagram?

Magnolia Boutique were able to set up shoppable posts as their site runs on BigCommerce. You can also take advantage of this feature by setting up your ecommerce store with BigCommerce and or Shopify. Once you get it set up, tagging products is simple. You can tag products in both photos and videos… and even in your Instagram Stories!

2. Creat Shoppable Instagram Stories

Since their introduction, Instagram Stories have become very popular. 500 million users use Instagram Stories every day and 50% of Instagram business accounts share at least one Story a month. You can also tag products in your Stories just like you do in shoppable posts.

Using Instagram Shoppable Stories

The best way ecommerce stores can make use of shoppable Stories is by promoting offers. As Stories last for 24 hours only, they can work very well for limited time offers.

So, take a top quality photo or video of your product in action, upload it as a Story to Instagram and then tag products in the photo by using the product sticker. For this sticker/shoppable Story option to be available, you should have already set up your store and online catalogue using a platform such as BigCommerce.

You can also add a countdown sticker along with the product sticker to make your Story more engaging. People can subscribe to the countdown timer and it will notify them when the time is up. So, you could set the timer to end 1 hour before the offer ends. That’s scarcity in action!

3. Nurture Followers with Blog and Email Content

Only a small percentage of your Instagram followers will purchase from you as soon as they discover your account. Most will want to buy from you later. This could either be because they don’t need the product immediately or because they don’t trust you or your brand enough to close the deal just yet.

Creating long-term loyalty will make capturing sales much easier. One way you can do this is by nurturing an ongoing relationship with your followers through email and blog readership.

You can convert some of the traffic you receive into email subscribers and nurture them even more. And eventually convert them into customers. When you nurture people through blog content, email, and Instagram together, you will gain their trust more quickly than if you utilize only one. A company that does this well is Cape Clasp.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw7XSB4AQXd/

Cape Clasp is an online store that sells jewelery like bracelets and necklaces with sea creature pendants. They also donate a percentage of their profits for marine conservation. Hence, they publish posts related to sea creatures and the dangers they face on their blog. And then publish photos like the above one and ask people to visit their blog to read the post.

On their blog they have optin forms like this one, which helps convert site traffic into email subscribers.

You should optimize your blogs for email conversion, then publish posts like these on your blog and promote them on Instagram. Make sure you use a top-quality photo in your Instagram post to generate maximum attention. You can easily purchase one for from a site like Depositphotos.

When you publish the post on Instagram, don’t forget to update link in your bio and add a call to action that asks people to click on it to read the post.

4. Invest in Influencer Marketing Instead of Ads

When businesses want quick results from social media, they usually turn to ads. But a more affordable (and effective!) option could be influencer marketing. Working with an influencer generates $6.50 for every $1 spent, where as ads only generate $2.65 for every $1.

The best part is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money or work with the biggest influencers to see results. Micro influencers, or influencers with 2,000 to 50,000 followers, can generate 30% better ROI than macro influencers (social media personalities with 50,000 to 300,000 followers.

Youfoodz has built a ton of success using micro-influencer marketing. They teamed with several Instagram micro influencers to publish 167 pieces of content on Instagram. Here’s one from thedailymark!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV0TGD3FZeH/

This resulted in 69,938 direct engagements, 507,909 impressions and a social reach of 1,457,142.

To find affordable Instagram influencers to work with, you can use Shoutcart. You simply sign up for an account and select options like category, post type, and demographics and it will display thousands of relevant influencers.

Metrics such as the success rate and engagement score of the influencer are displayed right on their profiles to make it easy for you to find legit influencers.

Now Use These Strategies to Get More Ecommerce Sales on Instagram

That’s it! If you’re feeling a little unsure as to where to begin, here’s a roadmap for implementing these four strategies in your own ecommerce strategy on Instagram:

  • Set up your Shoppable posts
  • Set up your Shoppable Stories
  • Optimize your blog and email content to build customer relationships,
  • And begin connecting with influencers for a solid marketing strategy!

Presto! By implementing these tricks, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your ecommerce sales on Instagram.

Do you use Instagram to promote your ecommerce store? Which strategies have worked best for you? Please leave your comments below.

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