Here are nine things you need to do to achieve the best results.
First, you should...
1. Identify your content pillars
Content pillars are a set of topics or categories for your Instagram posts. These are topics that will help you achieve your Instagram goals.
Some content pillars are:
- Education
- Inspiration
- Trust
- Promotion
So, when you use these pillars, you will have some content ideas under each one of them.
For example, education. The best posts for this pillar are educational carousel posts or industry news. While for building trust, you can share user-generated content or leverage influencer marketing.
If you want to entertain your audience by creating memes, you can do that, too, like McDonald's.
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The "Little Miss" memes have been trending in the past few weeks. And they made sure to join the fun!
The purpose of content pillars is to ensure your content is aligned with your goals and audience. Having them will also make content generation easier for you.
To see what others are doing, you can...
2. Analyze your competition
Analyzing your competitors also works on Instagram eCommerce marketing.
There's nothing wrong with checking your competitors' Instagram accounts. You're not going to copy their content, anyway. But you need to analyze what works and not on their Instagram accounts.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself when analyzing their pages:
- Which posts have a lot of engagements and which ones don't?
- How are they writing their captions?
- Why do they have a lot of followers?
- What are the types of content they're posting?
- How are they engaging with their audience?
- Are they running Instagram ads?
Doing so will help you create and strategize more compelling content that your target audience and existing followers will enjoy.
To distribute Instagram posts more efficiently, you need to...
3. Create a content calendar
Creating a content calendar will help you keep track of the distribution of your Instagram posts.
You can also consistently follow a schedule for your Instagram business account.
Here's how to create a calendar:
First, you need to choose a platform. It's important to note that your content calendar needs to be collaborative if you have a team.
You can use Google Sheets or any project management tool of your choice that has a calendar view.
Then choose the categories you need to fill in. The categories don't have to be really complicated. You can use the important ones, such as:
- A place or link to the images
- Caption
- Date of publication
- Channel of distribution
- Content category (to make sure you are distributing equal content pillars)
Once you have a content calendar, share it with your team. It will also be best to keep the link on easy access so you can check it daily.
By the way... content calendars can change. Even if you have scheduled some posts, there will be times when you'll need to switch up some content.
It can be because of the trends, relevance, or after you...
4. Learn from the experts
Suppose you're not working with social media marketers or consultants and running your own Instagram account... no worries! You don't have to do it all by yourself.
You can learn from the experts and listen to what they have to say. You can research, read blogs about Instagram marketing, watch marketing YouTube videos or courses, listen to eCommerce podcasts, and more.
After you do, evaluate your Instagram marketing strategy to apply what you learned from them.
And to reach more people, make sure to...
5. Use relevant hashtags
Hashtags can help you reach more people, especially if your target audiences are following the hashtags you're using.
Here are some ways to find what hashtags to use:
- Check your competitors' hashtags
- Search the hashtags volume
- See what hashtags your followers are following
Using the right hashtags will increase your chances of being seen and appearing on top posts of the hashtags.
Aside from hashtags, you need to...
6. Write an engaging and compelling copy
To keep your followers' attention, ensure your captions are well-written.
Writing sentences that will keep them hooked and wanting to scroll further to finish reading your posts is important.
Here are some things to remember when writing a copy:
- Stick to your brand voice. If you're a fun company, write an amusing caption that your audience will enjoy.
- Get straight to the point. Don't write many sentences that aren't easy on the eye and have nothing to do with the purpose of your post. If you're selling a new product, tell them.
- Include important details. Some potential customers don't have the time to go to your website or send you a message to inquire about your prices. Highlight all necessary information.
But don't get too carried away in writing because Instagram limits the captions up to 2,200 only, including the hashtags.
To make your posts even better...
7. Create consistent branding
Even if Instagram isn't a photo-centric app, visuals are still crucial in your Instagram marketing strategy.
Let me ask you this: Say you're buying a product and choosing between Store A and Store B.
Store A has a lovely Instagram feed, consistent branding, and engaging visuals. The posts can capture anyone's attention in just a few seconds. In contrast, Store B has not-so-nice photos and posters with no consistent branding.
Check out our Instagram Feed Widget to display your Instagram feed on your store's homepage and/or product pages.
Which one will you choose? Of course, the one that showcases the products you like to buy nicely.
Just like you... Customers want to see great product photos and promos to help them decide if they will purchase.
Let's see an example of Instagram accounts with consistent branding:
The one on the left is Crumbl Cookies. Their brand colors are black, pink, and white. And if you look at their feed, there is a consistent grid pattern.
Another one is Rise At Seven, which is a global search-first creative agency. Their Instagram feed showcases the branding of their clients. And you can also see there is a consistent grid pattern, which looks easy on the eye.
So, what can we learn from them?
- Use your brand colors. Sticking to your brand colors will make your Instagram feed cohesive.
- Upload high-quality images and graphics. Since Instagram is visual-centric, uploading images that look pleasant is important. But...
- Don't stress too much about the aesthetics! You don't need to have a perfect feed. You're on the right track as long as you are pushing out relevant and creative content that will achieve your goals.
Here are some tools you can use:
Quality content is not limited to perfect images and graphics. Just make sure your visuals can communicate your brand identity and message.
If you have more marketing budget to spend...
8. Utilize Instagram ads
Instagram ads will help you increase your reach.
There are three different types of ads you can use on Instagram: Story ads, In-feed ads, and Reels ads. And it's easy to create an ad.
You can go to Facebook Ads Manager and select the Create option. Then follow the next instructions and set your budget.
And if you already have an Instagram post that you want to boost, just click the "Boost Post" button, and you'll be redirected to the next steps. Identify your target audience and set a budget... then you're done.
But wait... it doesn't end here.
9. Try out different Instagram tactics
There are still many strategies you can try to achieve Instagram eCommerce success. But don't forget that your tactics should align with your goals.
Some Instagram marketing tactics you can try are:
- Engaging with your audience or potential customers
- Leveraging influencer marketing
- Creating short videos for Instagram stories and reels
- Using Instagram stories to interact with your followers
- Collaborating with other community members
- Asking questions to increase your engagement rate
... and more!
There are many Instagram tactics you can try. You need to be strategic and creative to find the ones that work.
If they don't, don't be afraid to adjust. You can see what strategies are working if you...
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