Ecommerce: It’s time to Conquer Instagram!

Faced with changing expectations and consumer habits, online retailers have started turning to new sales channels: marketplaces, comparison shopping engines and social networks. In fact, recently we have been seeing the rise of the social commerce trend.

According to KPMG’s 2015 Oxatis study, 83% of ecommerce sites have used social networks. Thanks to the various features available: the “Buy” button, the launch of Facebook canvas, bots, etc., they are becoming increasingly attractive and therefore indispensable to marketing strategies. Last year, almost all (92%) online retailers were present on Facebook, far ahead Twitter and Google+. And yet recently, a new contender has entered the race, a potential game changer: Instagram!

500 million users per month

Acquired by Facebook in 2012, and regularly launching new features (multi-account, view counter and 60 second videos), Instagram is growing quickly, allowing it to establish itself as a major actor in the social network sector. An Emarketer study shows that its user base is expected to grow by 15.1% in 2016, which is significantly more than other social networks. Despite its success, Instagram is still looking for ways to satisfy and increase its user-base. A few weeks ago, the platform announced launch of the business profile and a statistics feature. These new products will be initially implemented in the US, New Zealand, Australia and in other parts of the world by the end of 2016.

Business Profile and Statistics

In early June, Instagram formalised its business profile feature. Similar to the Facebook business pages, you can now put your contact details on Instagram, so customers can contact you easily from your page. This new type of profile will also allow you to access your account statistics. This means you will get more information about your community, so you can identify the publications which work the best. Evaluating the results of your actions will allow you to adjust publications based on expected goals. Moreover, like Facebook, Instagram will offer you the opportunity to boost your publications.

Why take the step?

Before launching your brand on Instagram, make sure you set clear goals, to analyse if these are in line with the opportunities offered by the platform.

Creating an Instagram profile is a unique opportunity to reach a new target audience and expand your customer base. Mainly aimed at a female audience aged between 20 and 35, it may actually help you to diversify your community. Furthermore, the platform is an excellent traffic acquisition lever. You can use the platform to communicate your brand, reach a qualified target audience and draw them to your online store. Moreover, thanks to the comments and email, Instagram generates more engagement than any other social network, and therefore acts as a true interaction booster. The use of photos is also an efficient way to promote your brand, your products and your business’s personality. However, be sure to avoid too much advertising, focus instead on creatively staging your posts and product quality. Feel free to invite your customers to take to the stage, making them the true ambassadors of your brand.

Daniel Wellington, a 100% Instagram strategy

Watch specialists, Daniel Wellington, has managed to stand out from the competition with its Instagram communication strategy. Absent from traditional mediums, the brand has established itself with a massive presence on social network, especially on Instagram. The company no counts 2.2 million subscribers on Instagram, compared to 25,600 on Twitter and 460,000 on Facebook. To feed its Instagram profil, the brand exclusively “re-grams” photos from fans, making them brand representatives. A simple, inexpensive solution which has proven extremely mobilising, uniting and strengthening, both in terms of its community and boosting sales.

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