Dropshippers don’t have to worry about holding inventory, shipping orders, or fulfilling them. Instead you can focus on your marketing strategy. To stay ahead of the competition in the eCommerce market you need to focus on reviewing the 5 C’s and adjusting your marketing strategy accordingly. It is crucial that you use the latest and most popular platforms and techniques to stay ahead of your competitors. This will help you differentiate your store and brand from the rest. This article will show you how to promote your dropshipping shop on Instagram.
Important facts about Instagram
Instagram is a well-known social media platform. It allows you to share visual content, such as images or videos, with your followers. In 2010, the company was established as an independent entity. However, Facebook acquired it in just over two years. This was a significant addition to Facebook’s portfolio. Instagram generated 36.9% in total Facebook revenue in 2020. Instagram’s user base is growing rapidly and it reached 1.4 billion in the second half 2021. Statistics show that 62.8% Instagram users are between 18 and 34 years old. Dropshipping Instagram is an excellent advertising tool for this age group.
Types of Instagram content
You should first be familiar with the content that you can post on Instagram and the benefits you will get from it. Continue reading to learn more about the different types of content you can include in your content mix.
Organic content
Organic content is any content you create and are not promoted in paid ads on social media. Users can search for keywords or hashtags to find this type of content. You will be noticed if you create high-quality, relevant organic content that is alwaysgreen and relevant to your audience. Instagram distinguishes three types of organic content:
- Content in your feed: This content can be anything, from photos to videos and galleries. These content will be displayed on the feeds of your followers or when a hashtag that you have created is searched in “Explore”.
- Stories: If you are looking to increase interest in your products or store, Instagram stories can be a great way to do so. 50% of people visited a website after reading a story, and 58% said they were more interested in a product after viewing it in a “story”.
- Reels: Dropshipping on Instagram is possible with Reels. You can create, record and edit 15-second long videos. These videos can be shared on both your Instagram and in the “Explore” section. These videos are often a compilation of prerecorded videos you can edit to make them more interesting for your audience.
Advertisement and paid content
Paid content is anything on Instagram that has been created by a company or in collaboration with an influencer, or brand advocate who shares content for the company. They can come in two formats:
- These posts can be shared on the influencer’s or brand’s pages, or both. To draw attention to your store , the goal is to leverage that influencer’s audience.
- Paid advertising: This is when you promote an organic post in order to increase its views and engagement. You can set up multiple parameters to target the audience when creating a paid advertisement. These parameters will be based on the people you want the post seen by. This is important because you want your targeted audience to be the same as the visitors that will visit your store.
Use Instagram to market your business
We now know the importance of Instagram, and the types of content that can be shared on it. This is why we are going to show you specific tools you can use to increase sales in your dropshipping eCommerce shop.
Optimize the bio section of your page
Your bio is the first thing that you should create when creating an Instagram account for your business. Your bio is a small piece of text that introduces you and your brand to your followers. To make your brand stand out from the rest, it is a good idea to highlight your unique selling points within your bio. Instagram is not like other social media platforms in that it allows you to embed a link into your bio. It is important to take advantage of this opportunity and link your store’s site here. Make sure you paste a link with UTM tracking parameters to see how much traffic flows into your website. This is especially important for your Instagram bio. You can update the link in your bio as often as you like, but it is recommended that you include relevant links according to advertising campaigns at any given time.
Use the appropriate hashtags
If you want to increase organic growth and get more interest from your followers, it is essential that you include hashtags in your comments or captions. This can be used to increase engagement and make you more visible. You can make high-quality content by using the right hashtags. Your posts will be more likely to appear in the “Discover” section of your target audience, and drive them to your store’s website. When you review your competitors’ marketing efforts, you should include this element in your competitor analysis.
Start your Instagram shop
Dropshipping via Instagram is a must. The Instagram Store was added in 2019, but Instagram has improved this feature to allow you to purchase products from your stories. If you’re looking to expand your business or dropship products in niches such as fashion, beauty, wellness, the Instagram store can be a great tool. A small shopping bag icon will appear at the bottom of every post that is “shoppable”. This will inform your followers that they can buy one or more items in your photo. They can tap on the image to see links that will take them to the product pages in the Instagram store. They can view the product on your website and add it as a purchase.
How to use your Instagram store to increase sales
This section contains useful tips to help you make the most out of Instagram’s shopping feature. Each point should be tailored to your target niche and brand image, but these guidelines can help you champion the Instagram dropshipping feature.
Upload high-quality images to your feed
Not only is it important to post high quality images on your website, but also on your social media platforms. Pictures that are professional and well-organized are more appealing to potential customers, especially on visual-oriented platforms such as Instagram. You must ensure that you don’t just post product images on your website. You can use Instagram to showcase your products in context. This will help you to reinforce your brand image. Be aware that displaying logos and brands directly in your shop may be against copyright laws. It is best to use images from your dropshipping supplier, and then add a generic description of the product without mentioning the brand name. This will avoid conflict.
After you have uploaded enough images to your Instagram account, you can check the analytics and the CTR for each image. You will then be able see the top performing images, and draw conclusions based on click-through and engagement rate. Once you’ve identified a commonality among your top-performing images, you can tailor your future content to reflect that. However, it is important to constantly monitor and test new ideas. This will enable you to create authentic, varied, and engaging content that will be shared with your followers, and will most likely increase sales.
Create outstanding product descriptions
Just like product descriptions in your store, the captions and product descriptions you post on Instagram are also important because most people will pay attention to them after reading a compelling post. Visitors will look at the product description before they make a purchase decision if the product looks appealing. If you want to dropship on Instagram, make sure your product descriptions and captions are direct investments in your sales efforts.
How to use Instagram Stories for Dropshipping
Stories have a great impact on potential customers. They also allow you to communicate less formally as they won’t stay on your profile indefinitely unless they are pinned. This tool can be used to communicate special offers and seasonal discounts. Visitors can also purchase products via posts. People’s attention spans are decreasing with social media, so it is important to limit the amount of stories you share per day. This tool can be used to promote your brand and products, and as a call to action opportunity.
How to use influencer Marketing for Dropshipping on Instagram
Social media advertising is a popular way to market your business. Influencer marketing is a powerful tool for both B2B as well as B2C companies. It is believed that the global influencer marketing market will reach 13.8 billion USD by 2021. This clearly indicates that it should be used if you want to grow your dropshipping company on Instagram. It is highly recommended that you involve influencers in the marketing strategy of your store once you are out of your initial phase. Your dropshipping business’ main selling point on Instagram is how you distinguish yourself from other businesses and how customers perceive you brand. You should definitely expand your reach and use influencer marketing. Reach out to the agencies to find the right influencer for your brand. There were more than 1360 influencer platforms in 2019, and the number continues to grow. Instagram users often look for growth tools as an easy option to grow. However, search carefully as tools like HypePlanner are not going to benefit you much in the long run.
To conclude
After you have established your business and set up dropshipping, it should be obvious that you can start dropshipping on Instagram. It’s not about whether you should use Instagram to promote your business or expand your customer base, but how. You can get a leg up on your competition and see your sales rise if you champion the platform.
