How to Use Instagram Stories to Boost eCommerce Sales

Over 4 million businesses are using Instagram to advertise their business. It is mainly because of the potential of the platform. Among Gen Z users, the platform ranks the second most popular following YouTube.

Apart from the business potential of Instagram, the story feature of the platform is also very effective. According to Rival IQ, brands post up to 10 Instagram stories in a month. 

However, the top 25% of brands publish stories almost 16 times in a single month. However, on the other hand, posting a lot of story frames causes audience disengagement. So, it is crucial to decipher where the optimal posting frequency lies.

8 Tips to Use Instagram Stories for Your eCommerce Business

Your business can benefit from Instagram if you know what strikes the chords of your potential customers. However, businesses find it hard to strike a balance. Many companies go overboard with Instagram stories, which is negative for the brand image. On the other hand, some others post so rarely that they don’t achieve that top-of-the-mind position amongst customers.

Here are eight tips that will help you discover the magic formula to crack Instagram and benefit from each story you share:

1. Keep a Check on the Most Active Times

The first rule of Instagram: Always stay active when your audience is active. When you do this, it makes the Instagram algorithm display your stories because they are new. This way, you can get more engagement, which brings up your post for viewers shopping on inactive times.

You should keep checking in on your story insights for the traffic. If you post stories that engage the audience, like polls, shoppable ads, or links, notice the times when the audience is responding.

2. Don’t Go Overboard

Many businesses believe that posting a hundred images of their products will get them more reach and views. However, this is nothing but negative. If you keep bombarding your potential customers with repeated images, it’ll bring down your views and engagement levels in the long run. As the frames in your story increase, the views go down. You must find the optimal number of story frames that retain potential customer attention.

3. Maintain a Content Calendar

Stories are nothing but 24-hour posts. So, you need to plan for them just as you plan for Instagram and Facebook posts. Creating a content calendar for your stories ensures that the business is consistently on top of the customer’s mind.

A content calendar also allows the business to launch deals and discounts. The company can share interrelated stories. For example, the venture can share a countdown story a day or two after the discount is announced to create a sense of urgency amongst potential customers.

4. Add Links to Your Stories

To make your stories interactive and cash on the “impulse buying” urge of your customers, you can make your stories shoppable. Make sure that you are just sharing 1-2 HD quality images of the product and adding a “shop now” feature, which customers can swipe up to head to your website and purchase the product.

You can also add products in categories to Instagram highlights with links. This way, your customers can head onto your highlights if they delay the purchase decision for some reason.

5. Tell a “Story” with “Stories”

When you tell your brand or product’s story, you make the product feel personal to the customer. So, sharing the product journey from start to finish can propel your customers to buy the product. It also showcases that you are transparent with your product’s quality and manufacturing process, building trust with your customers.

For example, a leather product manufacturing brand can share the craftsmanship that goes into manufacturing each piece. How exquisite each product is makes the customer feel special when they purchase it.

6. Ask Your Customers to Create Content

If your product is something that customers use in public, they will always seek approval from people in their group. Recently, this phenomenon has evolved into the form of user-generated content.

Businesses could offer a 5% or 10% discount on the next purchase to customers who share a review for their product online. It is a great way to get genuine customer reviews as “social proof.” When you share reviews on your story, it will allow potential customers to trust the promise you are making.

7. Make Things “Happening”

Many eCommerce businesses don’t understand how essential it is to keep things “happening”. They cannot expect a lot of sales when they only post pictures of their products. Some tips for making things “happening” on Instagram stories are:

— Let an influencer take over the Instagram stories

— Ask customers to vote on polls for their favorite products on your website

— Add viral songs to your stories

— Add colors to your story – you can also choose selected brand colors

— Add stickers to frames

8. Share Your Product’s Use Cases

When you share use cases of your product, you give customers ideas on how differently they can use the same product. For example, if you are a fashion brand, you can share videos on the different ways to style one product. Or, if you are selling storage boxes, you could always share organizing videos that help customers see how useful the product is.

Adding an expert opinion is also a good strategy. You could shoot a video with a dermatologist about winter skincare if you are a skincare brand. It adds authenticity to the brand and makes the customer trust your products.

Final Words

A business will always have to evolve with consumer trends and behaviors. The young generation’s habits are quite different from the older generation. They shop for products when they are sure of the quality that they are getting. So, it is critical to assess what customers want and integrate it into the product’s features and marketing strategy.