Grow your e-commerce business account on Instagram

Any online business will need a social media presence to connect and reach their target audience online, and Instagram marketing can be extremely beneficial and helpful in achieving this goal. Instagram is the fastest-growing social media platform, boasting over 500 million daily active users. These users are highly engaged and passionate about the visual platform. Many e-commerce businesses can attribute their success to Instagram. On this platform, brands have managed to build a loyal following of users who have successfully converted into paying customers. In this article, we'll discuss strategies you can adopt to build loyal customers for your online store. Whether you're just starting out with your Instagram business account or have been using one for a while, the goal is always to gain more followers and engagement. Now, let's dive right in and discuss what we can do to use Instagram correctly and build a huge following in no time:

1) Target a niche market

A niche market is a subset of a broader market category with specific needs and preferences. For example, when it comes to women's clothing, there are many different segments or niches within this broad category. On Instagram, users engage with content that aligns with their interests. For example, athletic women will follow brands and hashtags that offer activewear and content that promotes an active lifestyle. People on Instagram are looking for social media communities they can join, which is why niche accounts gain followers, likes, and engagement. Your target audience uses social media to fuel their interest, so having a niche account focused on their interests is a must. So, if you were to run an online store selling fitness apparel, you should use relevant fitness hashtags and post motivational images, videos, and gym-related tips on Instagram. If you can successfully build your Instagram e-commerce business account around a niche culture, you may find yourself building a community of followers who frequently show up to support your business because they find you relevant to their lifestyle and interests.

2) Publish consistently

Instagram and its users prefer accounts that post regularly and consistently. When someone follows your activity on Instagram, they follow you because they like what they see in your past posts and want to see more posts, stories, and content in the future. Letting your account appear more dead than alive will do no favors for any online business, nor for growing a community or even a following. We recommend scheduling your posts on the grid. For example, you could post quotes on Mondays, showcase a product on Wednesdays, and feature some video content or behind-the-scenes content on Fridays. It's best to create a posting schedule and post several times a week on a regular basis. You don't need to post every day; 3 to 4 times a week is a good and safe number to maintain your followers' engagement and acquire new ones.

3) Share quality images

Instagram is a visual platform where users follow creators and brands who share aesthetically pleasing photos. So, if you can maintain high-quality photography with similar and consistent themes, you'll increase the chances of people liking what they see and growing your brand's following. Images have the power to delight, attract, and inform your target consumers. The right images can help you energize and drive your marketing campaign agenda and help you gain more followers and customers. Ideally, your e-commerce Instagram profile should be populated with images in a consistent and unique visual style that will appeal to your target audience and build brand recognition among your consumers.

4) Publish at the right time

The level of engagement your posts get can vary dramatically depending on the day and even the time you post. If you don't post your content at the right time, fewer followers and potential followers will likely see it. So, when is the best time to post on Instagram? Here are some key statistics from a report on the best times to post on social media, particularly Instagram:

Best time: Wednesday 11:00 and Friday 10:00-11:00
Best day: Wednesday
Constant involvement: Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Worst day: Sunday

Engagement is highest in the middle of the day and mid-week, showing that weekdays are the safest and most effective days to post on social media.

5) Engage in trending topics

There are trending topics and hashtags used on social media every day. If you want to stay up-to-date and improve your discoverability and engagement, you can try aligning some of your posts with these trending topics whenever the opportunity arises. Keeping up with trends can be a great engagement strategy. For example, if it's Mother's Day, feel free to create a relevant post with the right hashtags to increase your engagement. You can also start planning your posts in advance to align with upcoming holidays and events, but be sure to also keep an eye on trending topics. Just make sure you contribute meaningfully to the topic online, and you might find other users joining in to engage with your posts.

6) Use hashtags

One of the best and most effective ways to grow your following and increase your reach on Instagram is to use hashtags. This is because hashtags help you appear in search results. They also increase the likelihood that your post will appear in your target audience's feed if they're following a particular hashtag you're using. You can conduct some hashtag research to find out which ones are currently most popular on Instagram and also look for the most relevant ones for your online business. Every time you post, make sure to include a certain number of hashtags to get more likes and followers over time. For example, if you run an online store selling plastic-free products, you can use hashtags like #plasticfree or #gogreen. Many businesses also create their own unique hashtags so that followers and fans can also use them and join the conversation. This is a great way to grow your Instagram community. It's important to note that you should also update your hashtag list from time to time to keep up with trending ones.

7) Use Instagram Stories

While Instagram may have started as a photo-sharing app, it has evolved to support other types of media, and one you should definitely be using is Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories are a feature that allows you to share a photo or video that disappears after 24 hours. Keeping your stories updated is a great way to keep your followers updated, and you can post multiple stories each day without becoming intrusive to your target audience. Instagram Stories can help you improve your engagement rate and visibility. You can also use them to promote events, products, and services, and they're a great way to boost your social media content. Additionally, Instagram now lets you choose Story Highlights and add them to your business page. These highlights won't disappear within 24 hours and can be viewed by your target audience at any time. This is a great place to promote your services and other highlights.

8) Optimize your bio

Never forget your Instagram bio or take it for granted. Your bio is one of the first things your target audience will notice when they first visit your Instagram profile. Your bio should include a brief description of what followers can expect from your account and a call to action. It should also include a link URL (Instagram will only allow one link at a time). You can use this feature to connect your followers to your e-commerce store. You can also include a hashtag and some contact information, such as an email address. When creating your bio, keep things short, sweet, and to the point.

9) Try advertising on Instagram

All the methods for growing your Instagram business account we've mentioned so far are free. However, if you want to achieve greater success, paid Instagram ads are ideal for expanding your reach and increasing the number of people exposed to your products and services. The ads appear in the feed, look completely native, and are specifically targeted to your target audience. Instagram offers five different ad formats in the form of:

Story Ads
Photographic ads
Video ads
Carousel ads
Collection announcements

Just like any other social advertising platform, Instagram advertising allows you to target specific demographics based on gender, age, location, behavior, and more. This helps ensure your ads reach the right audience.

Conclusion

In this post, we discussed some of the ways you can grow your Instagram business account for e-commerce. We discussed how to gain a targeted following that will help you grow your business so it can reach its full potential. Remember, you should focus on providing good content consistently and regularly and taking advantage of all the features available through the app. Many of the ways to grow your Instagram business account are free, but there are also paid methods to promote your brand and generate revenue for your store to truly grow your online business.

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