What is Instagram to a person?

If it is something like “a platform to share selfies” or “something kids use,” then you might be missing some exciting marketing opportunities for your business.

The facts stands that more small businesses using Instagram for marketing than ever before. And the best part of it is easy when first beginning to utiliz it.

All that is needed is a mobile phone and a strategy – and we can help with the strategy part.

Many people don’t realize that Instagram has some very cool features that local businesses can use to connect with their existing customers and attract new ones. Here are the in and out’s that could be useful towards any business social media.

Instagram Has Millions of Users  Insert Millions of people

Instagram isn’t as big as Facebook – but so what? As of 2018, there were more than 77 million active Instagram users in the United States, and one billion users worldwide.

That’s a lot of potential customers.

And while the temptation to dismiss Instagram as being too young for a target audience, keep in mind that 35% of all adults in the United States have an Instagram account, and ignoring a third of the adult population will prevent reaching a good portion of your audience.

Of course, there are some businesses that are better suited to Instagram marketing than others. Service providers may not find the same value in Instagram as businesses that sell photographable products. But, if there is a product that people may want to buy online, then it’s worth it to give Instagram marketing a try.

Shoppable Posts

In the past, the only way to sell products on Instagram was to include a link in a bio. Understandably, online retailers weren’t thrilled with that option. It required the user to click on a profile pic to be redirected to the bio, and then click again to be redirected to a sales page. Not ideal.

Now, that’s all changed. Instagram has recently added a Shoppable Posts option that allows small business to link directly to a sales page from a post. In other words, if a picture is taken of a product, it can post it to Instagram and include a direct link to where the product can be purchased on the website.

Big change, right?

Here’s the big thing to know to get going with Shoppable Posts.

First, Shoppable Posts are only applicable to organic posts. That means
a Shoppable Post cannot be promoted. To get more traffic on posts, applying judicious use of hashtags to make sure that potential customers can find specific content will push towards more viewers.

Before taking advantage of Shoppable Posts, however, there are important steps that can be followed are:

  1. First, create an Instagram business profile if you haven’t already done so.
  2. Read both Instagram’s merchant agreement and their commerce policy to make sure that you understand them. You’ll need to stay in compliance at all times.
  3. Create a Facebook product catalog using one of the following:
    1. Your Facebook business page
    1. Your Facebook business manager account
    1. Your Shopify account
    1. Your BigCommerce account

If a product has country or age restrictions, it won’t be able to sell on Instagram. Of course, that might change in the future, but as of today, it’s not possible.

Once these steps are taken, Instagram will review the account and if those criteria are met, access will be granted to Instagram Shopping features. Expect the review to take several days, but in some cases, it can take longer if the account requires additional review.

When approved, a notification will follow. At that time, being able to activate product tagging in the account settings will be permitted.

Tips for Using Shoppable Posts

One of the commonly favored things about Shoppable Posts is that users can tag multiple products on each post. Here’s how it works.

On an individual photograph, it can tag up to five products. To do it, simply click on the product wanting to tag. A search box will appear where the name of the product wishing to be tagged will be entered. (The menu is linked to the Facebook product catalog.)

Once all products are tagged, the post will be updated. People who view the photograph will see a link with the name of the product. When they click on it, they’ll be taken to the sales page where they can buy the product directly.

Even better, up to 20 products in a carousel can be tagged! If there is a new line of products to feature, a user can tag a bunch of them in one carousel.

One of the most important things needed to do when creating a Shoppable Post is to choose the right hashtags. Up to 30 can be added to each post. Make sure to include:

  • The brand name
  • The name of the product
  • The category of the product
  • Key uses of the product
  • Key benefits of the product

It may require some trial and error to get it right. Adding new hashtags may help if the post isn’t getting the amount of traffic expected.

The final thing to know is that once nine Shoppable Posts have been posted, a shopping icon that will show up on the bio. The products will also be added to the Instagram Store, where users who are interested in shopping can view any products along with others that are available on Instagram.

As seen, Shoppable Posts are easy to create once a user has gone through the initial sign-up process. They’re a simple way to attract new customers.

What are you waiting for?

Head over to Instagram, create your business account, and get started on the verification process. Your products will be seen by a whole new audience – and you’ll be able to attract new customers, increase your sales and – most importantly – add to your profits!