How To Boost E-Commerce Revenue Using Instagram Product Tags
September 28, 2018
By
Sylvia Ogweng
It has never been easier to monetize Instagram thanks to Instagram product tagging.If you’re an E-commerce brand, why not give your customers the ability to purchase products in just a few taps?With 62% of smartphone users making purchases via mobile devices, and Instagram finally bridging the gap between product discovery and checking out, the network has never been more primed to generate big sales.Whether potential customers happen to discover you on Instagram, or loyal followers continue to purchase your products, Instagram is now a holistic sales channel that e-commerce brands can no longer ignore.After introducing product tagging (in your feed and Story) to all in September, it’s time for brands to get their products seen on Instagram.But with content planning, scheduling and publishing taking up so much of your time already, it’s difficult to integrate an additional layer into your Instagram workflow. The struggle to keep up with Instagram is overwhelming for us all.But it’s especially difficult for brands with small marketing budgets and limited resources.That’s why a full-featured Instagram scheduling tool that integrates Instagram product tagging into your existing workflow seamlessly is essential.Luckily, there are several Instagram scheduling tools to choose from. But users looking to simplify optimize their posts and workflow should look no further than Sked (formerly Schedugram).Sked saves you 100 hours per year, and frees up time for you to focus on the quality of your content—and the products themselves!
If you’re still unsure about Instagram product tagging, here are a few more reasons to jump on the growing trend.
Enhanced User Experience
With many brands achieving success by implementing user-centric experiences, it is essential to understand that an invisible user experience is often the best user experience.Reducing friction throughout your customer’s purchase journey eliminates conversion barriers and increases your revenue. In fact, 46% of people say they avoid purchasing from a brand again if they experience a disconnected mobile experience!Instagram product tagging plays an essential role in minimizing barriers to purchase by sending customers directly to your product pages natively, within the Instagram app.
Built-In Shopping Reminders
“Show, don’t tell,” as the old saying goes.When using Instagram product tagging, a shopping bag icon appears in the lower-left corner of your posts.This small, but mighty icon, reminds your followers of a shopping opportunity without having to remind them to “tap the link in bio.” This allows your brand to focus on crafting a story that sells itself.Users can automatically see the price of the featured item and click on the shopping tag for more information.
This additional screen displays even more pictures of your products. Show them off as best as possible by including different angles, while also offering a detailed description of the item.
Shop ‘Til They Drop With Related Items
What’s more, the native Instagram product page features even “more” shoppable posts at the bottom of the product page—nine to be exact!Plus! There’s also a “See All” button that links to all of your shoppable posts at the very bottom of every product page too. Now what e-commerce brand wouldn’t want that?
IG Shopping Made Easy
Users who love shopping via Instagram can now access all your shoppable posts via a “Shop” button located directly below your highlights/bio. This button lives next to other call-to-action buttons such as “Email” or “Call”.The “Shop” feature allows users with the highest level of purchase intent to browse through all of your shoppable posts, making it even easier to “tap” into their inner shopaholic.
Capture Mobile Users
Mobile is outpacing desktop purchases, and Instagram product tagging allows e-commerce brands the opportunity to capture more and more shoppers who are always on the go.In addition to apps and mobile-optimized websites—both unthinkable oversights in 2018—the shoppable Instagram feed is quickly picking up in popularity as users realize just how fun and simple shopping can be.
Showcase Sales
Featuring your sales and promotions has never been easier. After tapping on Instagram product tags, your followers can see whether the product is on sale.Watch company Skagen have done so beautifully below with an older sale style.
Discoverability Meets Sales
Not taking advantage of hashtags and locations?Never has discoverability—meaning hashtagging, user and location tagging—been more linked to revenue now that Instagram product tagging is available for your feed and your Story.You can bump up the discoverability on your shopping posts another notch by creating your content at a location that’s popular with your shoppers. When it’s time to post your final images, include your product and location tags and add some relevant hashtags too.
Instagram’s Shopping Channel
Instagram’s “Shopping” channel debuted last week and can be found next to other Topic Channels in Explore. When users are in the mood to browse, they can simply tap on the Shopping Channel for a personalized feed that includes shoppable posts from the brands they follow.Instagram is expanding the release of the channel in the coming weeks.
2. How To Create The Ultimate Shopping Experience with Instagram Product Tagging
If you’re a frequent reader of the Sked blog, you’ve definitely heard us hammer home the importance of a consistent feed. And it goes without saying, that the same basic principles apply to your feed’s shopping experience.The biggest brands in the world, whether it be Starbucks, IKEA or Nike, achieved their mega-success through consistent branding and shopping experiences.Putting their customers first and making it as easy as possible for them to complete their purchases encourages them to return time and time again.By eliminating checkout obstacles and communicating clearly, brands can pounce on their buyer’s purchase intent when it’s at its highest.Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when drafting your Instagram product tagging strategy.
Leverage Instagram Stories
Over 300 million users view Instagram Stories daily, making the new sub-channel an optimal purchase channel as well. Users can implement Instagram product tagging within their Stories using shoppable stickers.Initially rolled out to verified brands with over 10,000 followers, and now available to all approved users, the feature allows users to discover and purchase physical products and view product names, details and prices.Instagram now allows all approved users to tag their products within their stories.Three types of shopping stickers are currently available to users: a shopping bag icon, a sticker with the product name in rainbow or grey, and a translucent text option.
Translate Your Paper/PDF To Your Feed
If you’re a brand that releases a creative seasonal catalog, extend the life of your marketing collateral by transforming your images into shoppable posts?Simply turn pages of your catalog into posts or carousels and tag all of the products located within the images.
Show, Don’t Tell
Turn your feed into an effortless selling machine.Instagram product tagging makes it easier than ever to sell your products online without that link-in-bio mention that always kills your conversions.Follow in the footsteps of luxury bag startup Senreve and feature your products using eye-catching imagery and a caption that follows their brand aesthetic.
Another great content idea involves showing your products (ie. lipgloss or blush) in action instead of showing the physical product.Leading makeup brand Nars does this beautifully by creating impactful content that catches the eye in a crowded feed. Below, you’ll see that their Instagram product tag pops against this red lip.
Combining UGC & Product Tagging
Combine the power of user-generated content (UGC) with Instagram product tagging for the ultimate converting content!You can entice users to share their purchases by creating a hashtag campaign for user-generated content and then reposting the images to your feed.Finally, don’t forget to tag the products in your reposted UGC!
Cross-promote your Stores
Don’t hesitate to highlight your best-selling Instagram items on your website too. Shoppers love to see what’s #Trending, and look to the most-liked photos as indicators for standout products that are sure to garner daily compliments.
3. Instagram Product Tagging How-To: Getting Your Products Approved For Sale
Before we begin with Instagram product tagging it’s important to note that this feature is only available to 46 countries at the moment. View the complete list here.1. Ensure you’re running the latest version of Instagram iOS or Android by updating your app.2. To take advantage of Instagram product tagging, start by converting your profile to a business account. To do so, follow our step-by-step guide here.3. The next step involves gaining approval for shopping on Instagram. Your store must sell physical items that adhere to Facebook’s Merchant Agreement and commerce policies.It is highly recommended to thoroughly review Facebook regulations before proceeding.6. Finally, connect your business profile to your Facebook product catalog. A Facebook catalog is a listing of all the products you sell. There are several ways to do so and these depend largely on how you process sales.There are three ways to do so: adding a shop section to your Facebook page, implement a catalog on business manager, or use integrated features via Shopify, or BigCommerce.Follow Instagram’s Instructions to set up a shop or catalog on Facebook here.If your store is hosted on Shopify or BigCommerce, refer to their instructions.
4. The Future of Instagram Shopping
What’s next in the realm of Instagram product tagging, you ask?According to Adweek, Instagram is introducing a native payment option that allows users to register debit or credit cards on their profiles.Once live, checking out directly via Instagram will be even faster than it is today!And so by establishing your shopping presence now, your followers will already be primed to pick up their favorites via your Instagram feed.If you're looking to carve out hours in your social media workflow, sign up for Sked’s 7-day trial. Our all-in-one Instagram scheduler allows you to automatically post images, carousels, Stories, videos and more. Tag locations, users and products and manage all your hashtags in one place to save 5+ hours every week.
Collaborate effortlessly, save time and spend less
Why settle for a lackluster social media management tool when you could be using Sked Social? With unlimited collaborator access, streamlined approvals and advanced auto-post technology that lets you schedule to all major platforms, Sked Social offers everything you need.
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