Shoppable posts are one of the hottest tools to emerge on Instagram this year. Chances are, you’ve already jumped on the trend bandwagon and have either put shoppable posts to the test or you’ve at least considered introducing them into your social strategy. Shoppable posts truly benefit everyone involved: from facilitating your followers’ shopping and discovering experiences to optimizing reach for your business.
So, what is a shoppable post?
Shoppable posts are the newest way to fast-track your followers’ in-app shopping experience. Essentially, any product that you feature in your posts can be tagged with a shoppable sticker which is linked to that specific item in your product catalogue. Think of it as a more natural way to engage with your customers than adding the ol’ tired “link in bio” every time you want to link back to a product.
Shoppable posts are best identified by the little white shopping bag icon that appears in the bottom left hand corner of a post within your feed, or in the top right hand corner of a post thumbnail when you visit a page’s Instagram grid.
With the holidays fast approaching, consumers are looking to cross those last gifts off their shopping lists. What better way to cater to that niche than to introduce shoppable posts into your own Instagram game?
Read on for tips on how to best use shoppable posts!
Keep It On-Brand
No one likes to feel like they’re being sold to; the ideal scenario is one in which the consumer believes that they’re making a conscious decision when choosing to purchase a product… even if the entire marketing strategy was to get consumers to think exactly that.
The best way to achieve this? Keep the look of your shoppable posts relevant to your overall brand aesthetic. If you stay true to your brand’s roots, your followers will be more drawn to tap on the shopping icon and venture to your website.
Promote Multiple Products Per Post
The best way to optimize shoppable posts is to incorporate shopping tags for each product featured. Brands like Urban Outfitters do this regularly, and I don’t know about you, but that strategy sure gets me tapping on the product stickers to find out more about them.
Use Captivating Captions & Hashtags
This is perhaps the cardinal rule of social marketing – but it’s always worth emphasizing. Your captions and hashtags are key in connecting with your followers and can potentially make all the difference between converting a follower into a customer.
Be creative and engaging in your caption copy, while using simple and relevant hashtags that will broaden the reach on your post!
Post UGC, Show Your Followers Some Love!
If your followers have tagged you in any posts showcasing your products/services, make sure to share that UGC (user generated content!) on your feed. This will show your products in a new light that perhaps may speak to other followers than your brand’s typical posts do. Also, it shows that you appreciate the support from your followers!
Make sure to make the shared post a shoppable one by tagging whichever products are featured.
Keep It To A Minimum
As great as shoppable posts are, your followers don’t want to feel like they are constantly being pitched to purchase your products. Basically, it’s just as important to not always add a shoppable element as it is to strategically and periodically use shoppable stickers. Spread out your shoppable posts accordingly so that your feed maintains its natural flow that you’ve worked so hard to establish!
Want more tips ‘n tricks on how to make your social shoppable on Instagram? Read more here!
Michelle ✨
@serotinamedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
