Instagram has played a significant role in promoting pop culture in various countries, to the point where numerous individuals now make a career out of creating Instagram videos and reels. These influencers are instrumental in promoting brands and generating sales.
Additionally, Instagram has become an excellent tool for marketing and shopping, allowing businesses to convert followers into paying customers. In 2021, Instagram generated over $47.6 billion in revenue, accounting for nearly 50% of Facebook’s total revenue.
As the fourth most popular social app worldwide, it is a popular choice for converting followers into customers, particularly among young adults, as over 70% of its users are under 35 years of age. India has the highest number of active users, with over 300 million. While owning a website is essential for any brand, having an e-commerce presence on Instagram has become equally important.
An effective and convenient way to market your products is by setting up an Instagram store to transform your followers into paying customers.
Top 3 strategies to convert Instagram audience into customers
1. Consistent posting and interaction with your audience
Merely having an Instagram store is not enough; you must maintain a consistent posting schedule and present new products to your audience. Keeping your brand active and engaged increases the likelihood of converting your followers into paying clients. Additionally, social media provides an excellent opportunity to start conversations with your customers and build stronger relationships with them. It can be an effective tool for making sales and converting your followers into paying customers.
Glossier is a great example of a brand that managed to reach $1 billion through a strong Instagram marketing strategy. Glossier is a beauty brand that was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating a more inclusive and approachable beauty experience for consumers. The brand quickly gained a devoted following, in large part because of its savvy use of social media, particularly Instagram. They showcased their product in a way that provided authenticity and relatability to their target audience. Glossier actively engages with its followers on Instagram, responding to comments and direct messages and reposting user-generated content. This has helped to build a strong sense of community around the brand and has helped to turn its followers into loyal customers and brand advocates. The success of Glossier’s Instagram strategy can be seen in its impressive growth and revenue numbers.
2. Incorporate User Generated Content strategy
It is evident that consumers tend to trust other consumers more than brands. Incorporating User Generated Content (UGC) can effectively transform your followers into paying customers.
GoPro is one of the brands that excelled at incorporating the perfect UGC strategy. The company was founded in 2002, but it wasn’t until the rise of social media and UGC that the brand really took off. GoPro’s Instagram strategy was built around showcasing the amazing footage that its customers capture using their cameras. The brand encouraged its customers to share their footage on Instagram using the hashtag #GoPro and then repost the best content to its own feed. The success of GoPro’s UGC-focused Instagram strategy can be seen in the brand’s impressive growth and revenue numbers. By showcasing the amazing things that its cameras can do, the brand has been able to tap into the aspirational desires of its target audience and build a loyal following. Additionally, because real customers create the UGC, it feels authentic and trustworthy, which has helped to further build the brand’s credibility. By 2014, just 12 years after it was founded, GoPro had gone public and was valued at over $2 billion.
3. Incorporate contests and giveaways
Creating contests and giveaways is a well-established method to convert your followers into customers who make purchases. You may see a rise in repeat sales by enticing your audience with your products.
Daniel Wellington is a great example of a brand that leveraged contests and giveaways to upscale its social media presence. Daniel Wellington began as a small start-up in 2011 and quickly gained a following on social media. The brand’s Instagram account was particularly successful, and in 2013 it began running contests and giveaways as part of its social media strategy.
The contests were simple: users were asked to follow the Daniel Wellington Instagram account and tag a friend in the comments. In return, the brand gave away free watches to selected winners. The contests were promoted heavily on Instagram, and the brand encouraged users to share their own photos of their watches using the hashtag #DanielWellington.
The strategy was incredibly successful. By 2015, Daniel Wellington had become one of the fastest-growing watch brands in the world, with revenues of over $220 million. The brand’s Instagram account has over 3 million followers, and the #DanielWellington hashtag has been used over 1 million times.
Conclusion
To sum up, Instagram has become an essential tool for businesses aiming to turn their followers into paying customers, given its immense user base of over a billion active users. Nevertheless, more than having a mere presence on Instagram is needed to ensure success. To achieve their goals, businesses must adopt effective techniques to engage with their audience and persuade them to become loyal customers.
One of the most effective methods is to prioritize user-generated content, which showcases content created by actual customers and generates trust and authenticity among the audience. Furthermore, holding contests and giveaways can entice followers to buy products and lead to repeat purchases.
Having a clear and consistent brand message on Instagram is critical, and using Instagram’s shopping features makes it easier for followers to make purchases. Partnering with influencers can also be a potent approach to gaining new followers and boosting sales. Overall, businesses need a carefully planned and executed strategy to transform their Instagram audience into customers. Companies can successfully engage with their audience and drive sales by employing tactics such as user-generated content, contests and giveaways, a consistent brand message, shopping features, and influencer collaborations. Please contact Maction Consulting for your Market Survey and Data Analytics needs.
