A Guide to: Instagram Influencer Marketing for eCommerce

In 2012, Instagram was acquired by Facebook. Since then, the platform has become a hub for advertising, communication and marketing; with over 25 million active business accounts on the platform by 2017. 

Since then, Instagram has fed the change in consumer behaviour with several features designed specifically for ecommerce, that allow users to do the following:

1. Create customisable business pages with online store functionality
2. Add product tags (with name and price) that makes Instagram content shoppable
3. Complete the entire ordering process without leaving the app
4. Sell products directly from influencer’s posts
5. Make live presentations of products and convert customers in real-time

There is no doubt that Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce has come a long way and if you are a business looking to cash in on its selling power, then this guide is just for you.

A good place to start is at understanding what ecommerce on Instagram actually is. SendPulse describe it as the following:

Instagram eCommerce is a combination of marketing, and selling products using this social network as a platform. Brands create their business profiles on Instagram, grow their follower bases, and promote products using various content and ad types.

Replace the business profiles with influencer profiles and you have yourself a case of Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce. 

But how exactly is an ecommerce campaign run and how are influencers incorporated to enhance its chances of success?

Setting up your ecommerce page 

Your ecommerce journey on Instagram will inevitably lead back to/be a result of how you choose to set up your page. Successful ecommerce activity includes wise and active use of content techniques, advertising, and shopping features. Mindfully incorporating these into the set up and running of your ecommerce page will prime your business for both immediate and ongoing success.

Here are some top, actionable tips to consider when running your ecommerce page on Instagram.

Connect with influencers

By this point, we must all be somewhat familiar with the concept of influencer marketing. If not, then check out our 2023 guide to utilising influencer marketing, here!

Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce would not be complete without influencers themselves. Their persuasive charm and expertise in their field presents them as the perfect salespeople to market your product or service to new customers. 

Allocate space on your page or within your Instagram stories to content created by your influencer partners for your brand as a way of driving traffic to your page from their followers who will notice them on there. 

Incentivise shopping

Add sales or promo code details to your posts to provide more incentive to tap through. Flash sales and time-restricted promotions are also a great way to stimulate impulsive buys from new consumers. Using influencers to promote these incentivising techniques is another great way to utilise Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce. 

Ensure that the details are clear and that the instructions are simple to follow and this will encourage more people to engage with your brand. 

Show your products in action

Use your page to highlight how practical and useful your products are to inspire customers to shop with you. When they click through to your website they will be able to check the details of the product’s quality and, from there, decide whether it is a good fit for their needs. 

Again, to utilise Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce, get your influencers to test these products on an Instagram live or on their stories for their followers to see. 

Leverage user-generated content

This is a great way for small businesses, with small budgets, to still market their products in a way that will optimise reach and adhere to consumer behaviour. 

Add user generated content to your feed and stories to add social proof from real customers and inspire new ones to shop with you. By tagging your followers in the content they have created for you, you will make communication even more friendly. 

Use Instagram insights

This may not seem as noteworthy as the other tips, but in order to utilise Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce to its full potential, checking your insights – and responding accordingly – is vital. 

With Instagram insights you can determine which types of content work best for your followers and monitor their behaviour on your page. 

Once your ecommerce page is all set up, you can begin to run ads in the following formats:

Image ad

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gucci Beauty Official (@guccibeauty)

Video ad

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by OLEHENRIKSEN (@olehenriksen)

Ad in Stories

Carousel ad

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ISAWITFIRST (@isawitfirst)

Gallery ad – Similar to an image ad, but a catalogue of relevant products with names and prices pops up when the user clicks on it.

Instagram explore page ad – This ad appears on the explore panel, where Instagram shows a gallery of images and videos based on users’ interests. 

These will help boost your brand’s page, specific products and services.

Just how effective is ecommerce on Instagram?

If you are looking to utilise Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce for the first time, it is natural to have concerns about whether or not it is worth your time and efforts. Here are a few statistics that we hope will provide you with some insight into whether this is the right direction to take your brand in:

1. 90% of users follow at least one business page on Instagram;
2. 130 million Instagram users tap at least one shopping post monthly;
3. 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile every day;
4. 87% of people admit that influencers have inspired them to purchase on Instagram;
5. 11% of the U.S. social media users shop on Instagram;
6. 75% of shopping mavens and 70% of shopping enthusiasts turn to Instagram monthly;
7. 60% percent of people claim they have discovered new products on Instagram;
8. 33% of the most-viewed Instagram Stories come from business accounts;
9. 75% of the U.S. companies are expected to use Instagram in 2020.

Above everything, people expect brands to be online nowadays; utilising social media platforms to promote their products/services. This is the main reason why you should consider joining over 25 million businesses on their Instagram influencer marketing for ecommerce journey!

FAQ’s

Is Instagram good for ecommerce?

With over 25 million active business accounts on the platform, Instagram has fast become one of the most successful social media platforms upon which to operate an ecommerce page.

How do you use ecommerce on Instagram?

1. Get approved for shopping on Instagram
2. Set up your business account 
3. Upload your product catalogue
4. Complete your account review
5. Turn on shopping
6. Start adding tags

Once this is complete you can begin to incorporate influencers and run ads to expand your reach to new customers. 

Our Influencer marketing agency and Social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to receive our industry insights, visit our Influencer Marketing & Social Media blog.

@ Socially Powerful

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