We all know that social media is pretty much vital as a business, but just how important is Instagram for a product based business?
Any social media channel is useful to have for a business, as customers tend to search online to find what they want or need. In fact different ones have different purposes – click here for a short video on this!
But when it comes to a product-based business specifically, Instagram provides perhaps the best visual offerings of all the social media platforms.
How important is Instagram in showcasing products?
Instagram is practically a digital magazine, so we’d say it’s a necessity!
By this, we mean that it’s something you can essentially ‘flick through’ and browse easily as a consumer, with our attention being captured by beautiful images and interesting videos.
Instagram is important because its a place people can connect with you and your business very easily, by simply liking and commenting on a post. It’s also a place your customers can follow your journey, via Stories as much as posts. And ultimately, it’s a brilliant visual draw.
You automatically have separate ‘grids’ for your static photographs / carousels, and a grid just for Reels (videos), so it’s super easy to connect with your audience in multiple ways, by hooking them in with your imagery.
Don’t forget that there’s always a place for the classic ‘Instagram aesthetic’ too, and just because you’re posting a lot of short videos doesn’t mean you can’t make your grids look appealing too. Reel covers can go a long way, and merge with your static photos to remain on-brand.
One great example of a Pedddle stallholder who does this is Emily Harvey Art, who utilises the colour lilac (her favourite colour), pulling it through both her branding, products and Instagram page, to make her brand and products instantly recognisable. When you see one of her posts pop up on your Instagram feed, you’ll definitely recognise it! Click here to view her Instagram.
Things to remember when posting on Instagram
To be successful on Insta, here are some things to remember:
- Be relatable i.e. something your customers can relate to, feel part of, feel connects to them and their lifestyle, and enjoy.
- Make it relevant to you – your potential customers want to connect with you as a person and as a business owner. You can show your personality on Instagram in so many ways – share a funny meme, talk on your stories, and so on.
- Keep it relevant to your products – don’t be posting about your personal life too much! A little insight is great, as we said above, it’s good to show your personality. But remember your audience is there to BUY stuff – they don’t need to see photos of your cats every day (unless you’re selling cat-related products!), but they DO need to see your products and know about the things that make them great, which will in turn make them want to purchase!
- Utilise your bio. Make sure you pop a link in your Insta bio to your website and shopping channels. Make sure you add your name, business name, and say explicitly what you offer/sell in your bio and title too. If people DM you, they might feel more comfortable using your name, or even use this to find you in the search bar if they’ve met you a market and suchlike.
These things will all help you to eventually convert your social media audience into paying customers who buy your lovely products!
We recently created a YouTube video on this topic too – click here to watch it.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with your Instagram page!
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