13 Instagram Hacks for eCommerce Brands to Sell More in 2021

Consumer shopping behavior is constantly changing. For a variety of reasons, online shopping is more convenient than shopping at a retail location. What’s more, 54% of modern customers discover and buy products on social media platforms, mostly on Instagram.

In the last few years, Instagram has become one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for modern online shoppers. Instagram is not just a visual platform where businesses can showcase their products. It’s also a great eCommerce platform because it has shopping features such as product tags and in-app checkout to better consumer shopping experiences.

Instagram shopping is taking the world by storm. Let the numbers speak for themselves.

Source: Facebook for Business

More and more people discover and research products on Instagram and opt for their shops instead of regular brand platforms. So, it’s no wonder that eCommerce companies set up their Instagram brands to gain more visibility, promote products, and increase sales.

Let’s explore an interesting case. When Barbour started using Instagram shopping,  sales increased by 42%, and traffic to their website from Instagram skyrocketed to 98%.

Simply put, Instagram shopping has great sales potential for eCommerce companies that want to get more sales from Instagram. In this post, we’ll be looking at 13 little-known Instagram hacks that online retailers can start using today, in order to increase sales.

1. Turn Your Instagram into a Storefront 

It’s no secret that 65% of people are visual learners, which means they perceive information through visual content. When it comes to online shopping, photography influences consumer behavior and even more people rely on visual perception before making a purchase.

Instagram handles visuals, and that makes it the perfect place to turn your Instagram brand profile into a storefront. Not only can you create an Instagram store to showcase your products, but you can also add product tags and set up in-app checkout. This way, curious consumers are more likely to become customers in just a few clicks.

Let’s take a look at Furla.

The company uses its Instagram profile to showcase a  variety of products, therefore, sparking interest in their bags. What’s more, Furla has an Instagram store where users can find information on selected products (description, prices, and more):

Since most online shoppers make purchase decisions on impulse, setting up an Instagram shop is a great way to provide them with product information and, therefore, convince potential customers to make a faster purchase. All in all, having an Instagram storefront leads to more sales.

2. Showcase Your Products in Detail with Carousel Posts

Online shoppers have many doubts because they can’t physically touch or try out selected items. Thus, it’s important to show off products in detail, and publishing a carousel post is a great decision.

With a carousel post, brands can upload up to 10 images or videos within one post, and it helps to boost eCommerce brand sales.

Why? One guide by Boosted explains that carousel posts help businesses tell more about their products while increasing audience engagement as well. “Carousel posts are also great for promoting products because they can walk your audience through everything there is to know about it, while displaying the products via eye-catching visuals,” the guide says. “In fact, carousel posts are known to receive anywhere between 3 and 5 times more likes than a standard image post.” 

Here’s how Adidas Originals uses a carousel post to show its product in detail.

3. Announce a New Product

Most people follow your Instagram brand account to know what’s coming next. If you tell your followers about the variety of products your brand has to offer, that’s great. But if you market your new products in advance to create buzz, that’s even better.

The more people know about your product launch, the more potential customers you can acquire. Having an Instagram presence, it’s important to announce a new product launch in advance.

Want to know how it works? In honor of its Spring/Summer 2021 collection, Michael Kors created an ad campaign and posted it on Instagram to create buzz around its product line launch.

Here are several eCommerce Instagram hacks to spread the word about your product launch and turn followers into customers:

• Announce your product launch in advance with a series of Instagram posts
• Create an Instagram Story countdown sticker so that followers sign up and receive a reminder on launch day
• Run an Instagram ad campaign dedicated to a product launch and reach a wider audience of potential customers
• Adjust your Instagram branding according to new product designs
  

4. Create the FOMO effect

Have you ever experienced the FOMO (fear of missing out) effect? It’s one of the most effective strategies for encouraging customers to buy something. In fact, 60% of people make purchases because of FOMO, mostly within 24 hours.

As an eCommerce marketer, it’s important to know about the power of the FOMO effect. To get more sales on Instagram, utilize this tactic. Whether you have Black Friday deals or plan to run a seasonal sale campaign, you can promote your limited-time offer on Instagram, just like ASOS does.

500 million people watch Instagram Stories daily, in order to avoid missing out on something important. It’s the perfect place to create the FOMO effect if you design Instagram Stories.

You can also group your best IG Stories into Highlight albums. This will serve as navigation at the top of your profile.

PS. To create similar eye-catching Instagram Story Highlight covers, use Crello. This graphic design tool has 25,000 pre-made templates so that every business can find something that suits their wants and needs by creating visuals with ease.

5. Create an Instagram AR Filter

When it comes to Instagram shopping, customers can’t try out products. However, the popularity of Instagram AR filters makes it easier for eCommerce brands to help their customers preview products on themselves.

In fact, 76% of consumers who have tried AR for eCommerce say that it improves purchase confidence. This means you can create an Instagram AR filter that shows off your products, or provides potential customers with a real-time glimpse of what the product looks like, just like Louis Vuitton did.

6. Evoke Emotion with Background Music in Videos

Video marketing has its benefits in the eCommerce industry. Not only can videos showcase products from different angles, but they also encourage customers to buy featured products. According to one data, people who watch product videos are 64% more likely to make a purchase.

If you use Instagram video marketing and post in-feed videos, IGTV films, short-lived video Stories, or go live, then that’s great. If you want to elevate your business to the next level, consider the importance of evoking customer emotions. Selecting the right background music for your videos can do just that.

Check out this example from H&M.

The company knows that music is memorable, it sets the right mood, and it persuades customers to buy from you, as it creates an emotional bond with your followers and visitors. If you’re not a video marketer, the secret is simple: choose music for videos with stock audio files.

7. Engage Followers in a Meaningful Conversation

With the number of products on the market, modern customers try to buy from brands they know and trust. One of the best ways to increase brand awareness and trust is to communicate with your potential customers and listen to their thoughts. Moreover, young audiences crave brand communication, and 53% of all internet users aged between 18 and 29 years use Instagram.

Once you’re able to start a meaningful conversation with your followers, you can demonstrate an interest in customers, understand them better, and make them consider purchasing from you.

When done right, engaging in conversation with followers helps with market research, as you get a better understanding of their preferences.. The research will come in handy by allowing you to improve your Instagram branding. Here’s how Cluse did it.

8. Provide Instagram Customer Care

When it comes to online shopping, not only do customers research products on social media, but they also ask questions or share their stories on social media channels.

According to GetVoIP research, 45% of customers share their bad experiences on social media, and 37% of people who use social media to complain or question brands expect to get a response in under 30 minutes.

The importance of customer service is on its rise, and modern customers crave social media customer care. To ease the worried minds of your consumers and convince them to make purchase decisions faster, it’s important to monitor their requests on Instagram and interact with them. Moreover, it shows them that you care, and they’ll be more open to purchasing from you.

When people are curious about product prices, they expect to hear back from your brand. Thus, it’s important to learn from Pinko and satisfy your customers’ needs.

9. Sponsor an Instagram Giveaway

Instagram giveaways are extremely popular among users and businesses. As specified in the report, Instagram accounts that hold giveaways grow 70% faster, and these posts generate 3.5x more likes and 64x more comments.

However, there’s no need to host an Instagram giveaway to attract more followers or customers to your profile. Sponsoring an Instagram giveaway is a great way to engage with an already-established community, reach a wider audience, and spark interest in your products. Check out how Away teamed up with Fabletics to promote its products with an Instagram giveaway.

This tactic works best if you’re a small eCommerce business on Instagram. If you want a giveaway to increase your sales, you can give away brand freebies, products, or gift cards as prizes, as it helps to attract potential customers who are interested in your business.

10. Leverage the Power of Influencer Marketing

Living in the era of paid aids, people start trusting peer recommendations more than anything. Since modern users trust influencer opinions as much as their friends, Instagram influencer marketing works well for eCommerce companies.

Here are several ideas on how to work with Instagram influencers and therefore generate sales:

• Invite niche Instagram influencers to become brand ambassadors
• Send influencers products for review and give them a personalized discount for their followers
• Ask macro-influencers (10k+ followers) to show off your products in Stories and add a clickable Story link
• Feature influencer photos with products on your Instagram profile

Even world-famous fashion brands like Dior turn to Instagram influencers to spread the word about their products.

11. Promote a Referral Program

Online shoppers look for word-of-mouth recommendations before making a purchase decision. It’s psychologically proven that people trust their friends and family, so referral marketing works great.

To turn your loyal customers into brand advocates who can help you acquire more clients, it’s important to set up a referral program that can give incentives, like discounts or brand freebies for both parties.

To promote your company and turn your Instagram followers into promoters, it’s important to mention your referral program on your profile, just like in the example below.

Not only do you show your customers the benefits of buying from you, but you also motivate your followers to refer their friends in exchange for good incentives.

12. Use Social Proof on Instagram 

Today, it doesn’t take much time or effort to do online research and find out whether a product can satisfy your needs or not. One of the best ways to use Instagram for business is to provide followers with customer reviews on your page.

By having an Instagram presence, not only can you promote your products, but you can also ease the worried minds of potential customers by providing social proof.

Let’s take a look at J&CO Jewellery. The company has an Instagram Story Highlight album with customer reviews, user-generated content, and they motivate customers to tag their photos/videos for a chance to win a gift card.

Here are several types of content that provide Instagrammers with social proof, therefore turning them into customers:

• Customer reviews
• User-generated content
• Influencer endorsements
• Case studies
• Video customer testimonials

13. Set up Retargeting Ads

With 25 million businesses on Instagram, it can be daunting for eCommerce companies to stand out and reach their customer potential on the platform. However, Instagram advertising has advanced features for businesses that want to reach the right audience in-app.

For example, you can set up retargeting shop ads and show your campaigns to those who have shown interest in your company: website visits, previous purchases, product tag clicks, etc.

When Hollister decided to increase their reach and boost sales, the company set up retargeting and tested ads with product tags. within just one week, the campaign resulted in a 13% increase in click-through rate, a 34% lower cost per impression, and a 42% lower cost per click.

The Bottom Line

In the last decade, Instagram has transformed from a simple photo-sharing app into a powerful marketing tool. More and more people use Instagram to discover, research, and buy products, which means eCommerce brands can reach their potential customers on Instagram and convince them to make purchase decisions.

The number of eCommerce companies that promote their products on Instagram is growing, so it’s important to use little-known Instagram hacks that help stand out. This is why you’re welcome to use the above-mentioned hacks to find out what works best for your eCommerce business and to increase sales.