Category: Customer engagement

Boost Your Sales With Instagram Stories

Online brands have had some great success with Instagram Stories and Instagram Advertising. This compelling way to consume media is taking the platform by storm. Users are more focused on creating content for Instagram Stories than they are for their own feed. Users are just as passionate about watching other users stories on Instagram. Now is the right time for your brand to be apart of Instagram Stories.

Instagram on laptop display

Source: Pexels

Instagram Stories is ideal for established brands who wish to lead Instagram users to their website. Instagram blocks website links throughout most of its content. The only way you can post links to your website is on your profile page, ads, and Instagram Stories.

However, You will require a business profile with more than ten thousand followers before you can post links. Before you get started on your Instagram Stories journey, there are a few key factors that you should consider to market your brand successfully on Instagram Stories.

Locate Your Target Audience

This is one of the most crucial factor in regards to generating leads through Instagram stories. You will need to first determine if your target audience is, in fact, part of the Instagram platform. This is entirely dependent on your product, services, and brand.

Instagram does cater to a younger audience, most of which are in their twenties. There is a decent portion of thirty-year-olds on the platform, but the figures drop drastically after the forty year mark. If your brand’s products are aimed towards people over the age of fifty, then Instagram may not be for you.

 

Instagram Male vs Female User Demographic -2018

Source: Statista

If your brand wishes to market itself to a younger audience who visit their Instagram feed regularly, then you should consider creating content that suits this audience. Remember, Instagram has recently hit a billion users, making them one of the largest social media platforms in the world. Getting into that market is a no-brainer.

 

Instagram Users Worldwide -2013 to 2018

Source: Statista

Prepare Your Website For Instagram Traffic

One of the primary purposes of marketing on Instagram Stories is to be able to lead traffic back to your website. If done correctly, then you would have discovered a great way to direct relevant traffic to your brand for free.

The thing is, all your efforts will not be justified if your website is not optimized for Instagram visitors. This is why you should spend some time and effort first on building a website and a sales process that is geared towards converting visitors from your Instagram marketing campaign.

People who view your Instagram story will swipe up to go to your website. Your actual site will open up natively within the Instagram mobile app. The mobile app is the best way to experience Instagram. This is why most users will see your stories on their mobile phone.

Because of this, you should ensure that your website is mobile friendly and that all your call to actions and navigation options are apparent on a mobile device. If you are using Instagram to sell your product, then chances are your customers will purchase your product on their mobile device.

 

Crafting a Great Landing Page and Sales Process.

So, to recap, the entire process is as follows:-

  • An Instagram user sees your story post.
  • They swipe up to be redirected to your website (in most cases, within the mobile Instagram app).
  • They view the landing page for your product which has clear call-to-action buttons like “buy now” or “sign up.”
  • They are directed to check out or sign up process that requires further input from them
  • Purchase/sign up complete! This can be an opportunity to say thank you as well.

As a website owner, it is up to you to make the above process as enjoyable and as easy as possible for the customer. As far as enjoyability goes, mobile optimization and design are crucial. Having your website open up within the Instagram app is brilliant as the customer will not need to leave the app to reach your online store.

This means that they can either exit your website to go back to browse more stories, or complete the sales process and purchase your product. This is your opportunity to deliver a powerful message that will keep them invested in the sales journey. Your landing page has to try and keep them on your website and lead them to a sale before they decide to go back to the app.

 

Sales Process of Landing Page

Easy Does It!

Concerning ease of use, it is actually a great idea to allow users to buy without signing up. In general. People prefer as little steps as possible in regards to purchasing items online. The signup process can be a hassle as it requires to fill in an extra form.

Allowing customers to purchase without signup means that they can jump to your website within Instagram and then just buy. There’s a considerable chance that even your stores registered users will not even be logged into your store when accessing it through the Instagram app. Even these users will appreciate purchasing without registering or logging in.

It is also a great idea to customize the content on your website for Instagram users. This is because Instagram users will be viewing this content through the Instagram app. Include Instagram related words or sayings in your copy.

Create Your Story

Anything goes here really. However, including content that will make people shy away from your stories is a common mistake. Regularly sales pitching and even product pushing are some examples.

Your story has to be intriguing and engaging. You have to tell a story that will make the viewer take action, and the effect is to swipe up. Video works really well here as you are able to speak out directly to your audience.

As far as pictures go, brands are beginning to do some awe-inspiring work with images. Instead of uploading a single picture, they are uploading multiple photos that combine to tell an entire story. Each picture is but a part of the story which comes to a climactic end that requires you to swipe up to find out more on the story.

It is almost like the end of an episode of your favorite drama series or soap opera. You felt so compelled and exhilarated that you need to watch the next episode right now!

Instagram Stories is undoubtedly a hot commodity at the moment. However, it is important to note that because your stories only last for 24 hours, the number of people who view your stories may vary. This is why you must post stories at relevant times and consistently grow your followers if you wish to reach out to more people through Instagram Stories.

How To Increase Customer Engagement For Your Online Business

Traditional businesses rely on sales and management staff to properly engage with their customers. If there are any queries on products then a sales representative will be more than happy to explain. Product issues are also taken care off in the customer service department. This scenario isn’t quite the same in the world of e-commerce. Since everything is online, store owners will have to improvise, as well as use technology to engage and assist their customers.

Customer engagement is one of the most proven methods of successful online stores. Allowing customers to interact directly with a store will give them a sense of control whilst establishing trust with them. If done correctly, customers will be able to feel right at home when browsing an online store’s pages. Trust isn’t gained overnight. This is something that store owners will have to focus on in order to enjoy a loyal following of customers. So where can you start? Try chatting

customer engagementLive Chat

No matter how much information a store can have in a products description, it still isn’t enough. Customers will always want to know more about a product or service that they intend on purchasing. The information they require could be warranty related, or it could just be some further reassurance on the quality of the product. Whatever the case may be, you need to try and get in there and close the deal. For e-commerce stores, online chat within the store is the way to go.

Ideally, a customer will have to call you for more information on a particular product. Most shoppers online don’t tend to seek information from calling stores. They would rather move to another website for more details on the product or initiate an online chat. Starting a chat with an online store doesn’t cost anything and in most cases, the store clerk (chat agent) will successfully serve the customer with answers relevant to their needs.

Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular with e-commerce websites. A chatbot can engage with a customer immediately at any given time or moment. Chatbots will ask customers a series of questions in order to serve them with the most relevant answer. If the query is complex, then the chatbot will forward the customer to a human agent for further troubleshooting. This is perfect for after-hours chat as well as chatting globally with consumers from different time zones.

Another chat feature worth mentioning is Facebook Messenger. More online megastores today are taking proper advantage of this platform. In doing so, stores are now able to chat directly with prospective customers on Facebook. This makes communication convenient for those who don’t wish to leave Facebook.

Comments Section

Accepting comments and reviews for your products is an excellent way to create consumer engagement on an online store. This can possibly be the start of interaction that can take place between a single customer and other potential buyers. The owner of the store can also reply with positive comments by leaving a “thank you” comment as a token of appreciation. This will indicate to customers that the store is paying attention to their needs. A gesture like this can assist the store in gaining trust with its customers.

Customer engagement

Online comments sections can also be the source for many heated debates and arguments. People who run websites tend to have much difficulty dealing with hate comments. When it does come down to a situation like this, its best not to blow things out of proportion by responding inappropriately.

A stores response will be scrutinized to the fullest. It’s best to handle hate comments on a store product in the most decent and helpful way possible. Try to get the upset customers details so that you can contact them in private in order to resolve the issue. Future visitors can still go through these older comments and will be satisfied to know that this particular store handles problems efficiently and with care.

Working with Comments outside a store

Some unsatisfied customers will go beyond a stores comments section. They can choose to post negative reviews of your products onto sites like Google and Yelp. It isn’t easy trying to get these comments taken down. Instead, respond to the customer’s needs and try and resolve the complaint. It is very possible that a complaining customer will come back and buy more goods.

Social media can be a great place to strip away some of the formal interactions and replace it with a casual and light-hearted approach. Many companies have stuck to likeable online personas that truly represent their brand. But overdosing it can sometimes lead to poor taste. Distasteful tweets and posts are taken very seriously by the public and can cause more of a negative impact on your companies engagement with its customers.

Offer Rewards

Loyalty programs and incentives are a great way to express appreciation towards customer engagement. Freebies such as free trials and e-books can do the trick. You can still take things further by implementing a proper rewards program that awards faithful customers with points which can be converted to discount or free shipping.

Points can be allocated to customers not only through purchases made but through them engaging in various activities across the website. Activities such as reviewing and commenting on products, social shares, getting friends to register, and filling out questionnaires. Offering new customers with free items early on is a great way to start a loyal and engaging relationship with them.

Another great tactic is to reward the best customers with further special rewards. These customers are usually worth the most to the businesses. Making a small investment in keeping them happy can go a long way in terms of word of mouth marketing. Stores can take part in further promotions with these top-tier customers by featuring them in reviews on the website.

Directly engaging with online shoppers is the future of e-commerce. Being able to connect with potential buyers in a meaningful way has the potential to increase an online stores conversion rate. Consistently pushing engagement in a positive way can also lead to customer loyalty. This means consistent repeat business, which is what all business strives for.