The best part of the sales process is getting to know your audience and building relationships. To do this, you need to use social media platforms like Instagram.
Steps on How to Use Instagram to Make Sales
If you don’t know how to use Instagram to make sales, here is the step-by-step guide you need to follow:
Step 1 – Know the Best Way to Connect with Prospects
Experts claim that joining a social network like Instagram can increase sales. Thus, you need to know your client base and be sure that they are on Instagram.
Step 2 – Create a Persona
It begins through spending quality time on the platform. Ensure that you develop a personable account that starts conversations and become familiar with the expectations and norms of the community. Without embellishing the facts, don’t forget to create a persona that is trustworthy and likeable within the community.
Step 3 – Have a Great Connection
Always make friends, follow or connect with people that have profiles that suit your clients. You can do this through conducting research in to what hashtags your target audience are using and then use this to search for people who are talking about your business’s interests.
Step 4 – Build Relationships
This is the most crucial thing a businessperson needs to follow. A good relationship always turns into leads. Most people share a lot of information and if you pay attention you will be able to engage in an important discussion with them.
Step 5 – Post Regularly
If you want to catch the attention of your followers and make money instantly, you need to post a stunning photo on your Instagram account. The more active you are, the more chance you have of getting connected with your audience.
Step 6 – Promote
Don’t be afraid to post images of your products, services special offers and promotions. Tell your audience that they are available and where they can purchase them. Search for relevant hashtags and use them to find users who are talking about subjects relevant to your industry. Introduce yourself, get involved in their conversations and comment on their posts. As soon as you are able and have built up a relationship, tell them about your products and services and direct them to your website. But be careful. You don’t want your business to look like it is spamming people on Instagram. Social selling is a process that takes time.
Step 7 – Follow Through
When a user asks you a question, you must respond immediately. When it is clear that they are interested in your products or services, don’t hesitate in directing them to your website.
Common Mistakes Made When Using Instagram
When using your Instagram account, you have to be careful with your actions. To give you some guides, here are the top common mistakes you need to avoid:
• Repost Professional Shots
One of the biggest sources of loathing on Instagram comes from companies that simply edit a press-shot and then post the same photograph. At present, fashion brands are infamously bad for this. However, some do get it spot on. People who opt to follow you want to see something unique and thus, your brand isn’t being helped by editing or copying from others.
• Over-brand People
As a businessperson, the last thing you should do is spam people with various retro photographs of your logo each day. As advised, don’t forget to balance the brand awareness with other images that do not push any kind of clear sales strategy.
• Ignore What Instagram Actually Is
Instagram is a photo-sharing website for people who dearly love photos. Thus, it is not for people who like to read occasional inspirational quotes. If people chose to be bombarded with text and quote, they will follow an account that specializes in that genre.
• Overload
Though they may be perfect images, never post five photos at once. As a guide, three posts at various times throughout the day would be best. I like to post an image at 9am, 3pm and 9pm. However, one image is enough to catch the attention of your followers each day.
Creative Instagram Ideas for Your Business Success
Do you know how Instagram improves your business operations?
Are you familiar with the different and creative Instagram ideas?
If not, then you are in the right place! This part lists and explains the different Instagram ideas you need to know:
Show Your Products
Everyone loves to upload their photos. With your Instagram account, you can share your new collection of products. To entice your followers, you can ask them some vital questions, for example, ‘what is the best style and color for the summer season?’
If you chose to do so, you can also share photos of the devices and supplies that play a role in the current services you offer. For instance, fitness trainers could display their favorite training aids while photographers could show off their most prized camera lens.
Show the Process of How Your Offered Product is Made
Every customer wants to know how your product is made. Through this, they will know if your product is of high quality or not. Like other business owners, you should add some manufacturing process photos and share them with your followers.
However, if the manufacturing process is quite long, try to consider making it a multi-part post. Thus, follow the process from planning and manufacturing to delivery.
Go Behind the Scenes
You have to think of Instagram as a way to provide all of your followers and friends an exclusive backstage pass. Are you having a photo shoot for an ad or catalog? Are you filming a commercial? Take heaps of behind-the-scenes photos and save them as a content bank to post on Instagram throughout the month.
Show What Makes Your Product Unique
With the use of your Instagram account, try to expose what your real product is. Tell your customers how your product helps them through showing its various benefits and features.
For example, if your business offers a service like hair styling, introduce your Instagram followers to your work by posting the before and after photos.
Introduce the Team
Sharing profiles of your team conveys a personal touch. Users feel more connected to your company when they meet the experts behind the scenes. For someone interested in working for you, this can be very useful. Don’t forget to invite prospective employees to a certain page and have them post photos on Instagram.