The truth is that whenever someone mentions a brand to us or it comes up in conversation, our instinct is to look it up on Instagram first, even before Google. As curious people and consumers, we turn to this network to check out and identify business profiles.
Having your brand on the platform means more reach, but also thorough, constant work. Not only will you need to keep creating content, you’ll also need to stay up to date. It’ll demand updates, daily monitoring and direct communication with your audience. It’s undoubtedly an extremely valuable channel for driving traffic to your shop and building a bigger social media presence, but fame comes at a price and you have to work at it. Sometimes, the shortcut simply isn’t the best route.
While it’s true that you need to keep your business profile active and appealing, don’t make the mistake of bombarding your audience with products and offers.
In 2022, the share of e-commerce sales coming from social media was just 5%. In light of these figures, Meta decided not to push live shopping. The priority now is users’ comfort and giving Instagram back its value as a social network, which means keeping e-commerce to a minimum.
The Shop tab has gone: all that matters now is engaging photos and videos, captivating content with the right return. DON’T SELL ON INSTAGRAM. Focus on building and maintaining an authentic brand voice, key to reinforcing your company’s character on social media. Remember, don’t cross the red line: INSTAGRAM IS NOT A SHOP! Don’t focus on selling, making offers or announcing discounts.
So what strategy should you follow to sell without selling?
You need to get across much more credible and relevant messages. We recommend getting into video marketing, the most cost-effective way for businesses to promote their products, services and brand philosophy on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Quality videos that persuade customers without telling them directly to buy. When optimising videos, it’s important to tailor them to the platform you’ll launch them on.
Use Instagram’s algorithms to grow your audience:
- Set up a BUSINESS PROFILE (forget personal accounts!) with an attractive, recognisable design. Put real effort into your bio so users know where they are after a quick read, with a link to your shop
- Use ALL THE FORMATS the network offers: posts, videos and story highlights
- Make the most of CAROUSELS
- Use EYE-CATCHING HEADLINES that spark curiosity
- Go for SIMPLE CONTENT that’s direct and useful. To do that, you first need to understand your followers’ needs, concerns and circumstances.
- Avoid overwhelming your audience and share the RIGHT AMOUNT OF CONTENT: one post a day.
- Use your audience’s comments to ENCOURAGE INTERACTION and BUILD ALLIANCES
- EXPLORE to get inspired and find new contacts
- LOOK AFTER THE QUALITY of your videos and use trending audio.
But above all, believe in your idea and your project. Never throw in the towel, be consistent and convince your followers of both the value and the uniqueness of your brand. At Conecta we can help you manage your social media. If you let us, we’ll give your brand a voice and image to make it more competitive.
