There is no doubt that Instagram is an exposure powerhouse. In March of this year, Facebook bragged that Instagram had reached 1 million active monthly advertisers. And users? April’s tally put Instagram at 700 million active monthly users. For any size eCommerce store, Instagram is becoming a vital component of content marketing plans which, if used correctly, can bring in traffic galore.
Instagram requires something a little different than other social platforms. To win on Instagram, online stores need to diversify their content, be consistent and engaging with posts and followers, and above all, be authentic and human. Three things that even the biggest brands, like Instagram giant Starbucks, need to do to crush Instagram —
Here are my five golden Intagram rules:
- UGC is king – involve your customers
- Speak your target audience’s language
- Sell the lifestyle, not the product
- Show off your brand’s human side
- Keep your content fresh, clean and pretty
To explain further, here are six online businesses crushing it on Instagram.
Fit Girls Takes Instagram UGC to the MAX
If you’re looking for customer engagement inspiration, then Fit Girls show us how it’s done, having five times more followers than eCommerce giant, Amazon. Getting your customers and followers engaged with content can do wonders for growing your account, building brand trust and maximizing exposure – which leads to more traffic to your site. There are a few UGC tools you can use to encourage user posts that you can engage with and share on your brand’s account, including owning hashtags. For these and other juice UGC tips, check out our 5 Tools to Increase UGC post.
Just look at the awesome engagement their regramed posts bring!
Brands that Speak Their Customers’ Lingo
If you are looking for a brand example that really knows how to connect to their target audience, then geeky-heaven store Loot Crate is it. They know what their audience loves: they know how to be just the right kind of quirky that appeals to potential customers, and it shows. Their Instagram is a reflection of this and their down-to-earth geek-lover-to-geek-lover approach is on the money.
Another brand that knows how to speak the language is Budgie Smuggler.
They are one of those brands that you’re either going to love (if you’re in the their target market) or despise. They are on target with their content and UGC engagement – highlighting their unique product base in (if you will excuse the pun) a cheeky way.
Orange Mud Sells More than a Product
Red Bull was one of the first BIG brands to understand that people were buying into a lifestyle, not just a product. This has never been more true for all eCommerce brands on Instagram. To really succeed on Instagram you need to sell more than a product – you need to follow Orange Mud’s suit and sell the lifestyle.
They know exactly what they need to emotionally drive their customers. They also understand the lifestyle and niche they are selling in and are fully represent it in every post.
Birchbox’s Content is Pure Eye-Candy
Taking product display to the next level, Birchbox’s feed is pure eye candy. Fresh, pretty and visually appealing, they use their posts to entice their potential audience.
Another clever account trick they do, which is definitely worth a mention, is their “Shop our feed” link. Instead of sending Instagrammers to their homepage, they send them to a landing page where you can click on any of their Instagram posts to go directly to that specific product page. Super smart!
Bonus: Gilt’s Instagram Competition Inspiration
Gilt is winning in a big way with their Instagram content and competition. An online store aimed at getting shoppers designer gear for retail prices, their Instagram is the perfect destination for style trends. Their content and captions, even in the competitions, are always on brand.
We’re giving you and a friend the chance to each win a pair of Céline sunnies (Because it’s June 1st, and you need a new pair…). Here’s how to enter: 1) Comment below and tag your friend 2) You must BOTH FOLLOW @Gilt to be eligible to win 3) Check your DMs. We’ll message the winners directly! #LinkInBio for the Official Rules.
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Being an Instagram superstar is about keeping it real. If you want to increase traffic, then corporate, stuffy, hard sell pitches have no place on this platform. Speak to your customers in their language and appeal to their interests, and you can’t go wrong – something Amazon knows all about…
Crushing eCommerce Instagram? Share your account link in the comments below!
Nicole is a content writer at StoreYa with over sixteen years experience and flair for storytelling. She runs on a healthy dose of caffeine and enthusiasm. When she's not researching the next content trend or creating informative small business content, she's an avid beachgoer, coffee shop junkie and hangs out on LinkedIn.
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