When it comes to online shopping, there’s no doubt that the more convenient it is for the shopper, the more likely the seller is to make sales. So how can you make shopping convenient for your audience? Since Instagram is a huge social media platform, it only makes sense that a newer shopping feature has been integrated to help brands and companies sell directly on the platform.
Instagram Live is one of the most popular platforms for brands, companies, and influencers to connect with their audiences in real-time. With the new Instagram Live shopping feature, Instagram users can now buy products and services right from their favorite influencers or brands without even leaving the app. Think of the TV shopping networks that used to be much more popular years ago, before the internet took off. Now that people are spending more time on social media than they are watching TV, it only makes sense to meet your potential customers where they are.
Looking at all of the benefits that instagram live shopping can offer for sellers and dropshippers, it is clear that this new tool can be an invaluable resource for businesses looking to expand their reach and increase sales.
If you are just getting familiar with the idea of selling live on Instagram, we’ve put together a detailed guide on how to use Instagram Live shopping to boost your sales, connect with customers, and grow your business.
What is Instagram Live Shopping?
Instagram Live shopping is a new feature that allows businesses to sell products and services directly through Instagram Live. This means that brands can now show their products to viewers in real-time while interacting with their audience and answering questions, and viewers can purchase the products featured during an Instagram live without leaving the app.
Instagram Live shopping is a great way to connect with customers, as it allows you to take the shopping experience from a one-way conversation to an interactive conversation with your audience. By offering Instagram live shopping, brands can establish stronger connections and relationships with customers, which can help improve customer loyalty, raise brand awareness, and boost sales.
Who Can Use Instagram Live Shopping?
Instagram Live shopping is a relatively new feature that has been designed specifically to help businesses of all sizes on Instagram connect with their customers and increase sales. Whether you are a small seller or a large ecommerce company, Instagram live shopping can provide numerous benefits for your business.
Instagram live shopping helps sellers connect with their customers in real-time, which can create a more personal connection and build trust between the buyer and seller. This is an excellent way for online sellers of all kinds to build trust, amplify interest, and bring new people into their audiences while also making sales.
However, there are some criteria that must be met to be eligible to utilize Instagram live shopping. To use Instagram Live shopping, you must:
- Be located in the United States
- Have a business Instagram account
- Be eligible to use Instagram checkout and have it set up
- Have products added to your Instagram shop that you can link to in your Instagram Live sale
As long as you meet all of the above criteria, you’re eligible to try out Instagram live shopping on your Instagram account.
Benefits Of Instagram Live Shopping
Now that you know what Instagram Live shopping is and have figured out if your account is eligible to participate, you may be wondering “Is Instagram Live shopping worth it”? Although it’s a relatively new concept that not all brands or companies are taking advantage of yet, there are many benefits of using Instagram Live shopping for your business. In fact, adopting this new way of selling before a lot of others jump in may be a smart move. Below you’ll find just a few of the reasons you might want to give it a try for your business.
Sell your products
Of course, the main benefit of Instagram live shopping is to sell your products. With this feature, you can sell your products directly to your followers and create a seamless shopping experience for them. Not only are you selling your products, but you’re also doing it while interacting with them in real-time. This means you can educate them on your brand’s products, answer questions as they come up, and really sell your audience on the products that you’re promoting. This is much more interactive and engaging for your customers, which can lead to better sales.
Build relationships in real time
Social media is supposed to be social and what better way to socialize with your potential customers than to hop on a live stream and promote your products while interacting with them in real-time. This allows you to build relationships with your customers and followers in a way that is not possible with most other social media platforms. When you’re engaging live, you can easily answer questions, offer advice, and really connect with your audience on a personal level while promoting your products.
The fact that your audience can interact with real people from your company adds to the know, like, and trust factors for your brand and gives it a more personal, human side. This type of authenticity can create customer loyalty and help you to stand out from the competition.
Increase interest quickly
When you’re using Instagram Live shopping, you’re not only promoting your products, you’re also promoting your brand. Most Instagram users follow brands they buy from or may be interested in buying from in the future. Seeing posts by brands they follow can genuinely encourage them to take action, whether that’s a simple engagement or actually heading to your store to buy a product.
However, by interacting and selling to your customers in a live format, you’re more likely to capture the attention of your viewers and really pique their interest. When people tune in, you will have their undivided attention and be able to capture their interest in a way that a simple post may not be able to.
Streamlined shopping
When it comes to selling products, the more convenient and streamlined the process is, the better your chances of making more sales. People enjoy convenience and products being presented to them on an app they’re already frequenting is as convenient as it gets. Luckily, Instagram live shopping makes it easy for your customers to buy from you. By using the Instagram checkout feature during your live stream, buyers can complete their purchase without ever leaving the app. This creates a seamless and easy buying experience that not only will increase your sales during the live but can also make it more likely for customers to buy from you again in the future because of their positive experience shopping with you.
Increase sales
Obviously, the goal of Instagram live shopping is to convert potential buyers into actual customers and boost sales. By promoting your products in a live setting, you’re able to provide a lot more detail and truly sell your product to your audience in a way that you can’t with a simple product page. Using Instagram’s checkout feature during your Instagram live sale, you can allow customers to make purchases quickly and easily. This increases your chances of making a sale as well as boosting your conversion rate.
Instagram live shopping is also great for impulse buys because customers can buy products they see right then and there without having to think too much about it. It creates a bit of urgency and the convenience factor can lead to more sales and profit for your business.
These are just a few of the many benefits of using Instagram Live shopping for your own business. If you’re not already using this powerful tool, now is the time to give it a try.
How To Set Up Instagram Live Shopping
It’s pretty evident that if you want to take your sales to the next level, Instagram Live shopping may be an excellent next step for your business. However, you may be wondering exactly how to use Instagram live shopping. Figuring out how to get it all set up and ready to go for your first Instagram Live shopping experience can be a little tricky if you’re unfamiliar with the platform. If you’re interested in using Instagram Live shopping to sell your products, here is a step-by-step guide to set up.
Step 1: Set up your shop and enable checkout
The first thing you’ll need to do is set up your Instagram Shop and enable checkout. To do this, visit the Facebook Commerce Manager and start the process of creating your shop. There are a few steps to follow to get set up and then submit your shop to Instagram for approval, so make sure to do this sooner than later.
Step 2: Add products to your catalog
You’ll need products to link to within your Instagram Live shopping experience, so ensure that you have items added to your shop/catalog well before the sale. If you don’t add any products, you won’t be able to pin them to your Instagram live and allow people to buy in the app.
Step 3: Open Instagram Live
Once you’re in Instagram, tap the “Your Story” icon at the top left of your feed. From there you’ll have to swipe left to toggle over to the “Live” option.
Step 4: Add your products to the live
On the Instagram Live screen, you should see a shopping bag on the left side. Once you tap this, you will be able to add the products from your catalog that you want to make available during your store’s Instagram Live sale.
Step 5: Go live
When you’re ready to start, you can tap the “Live” button to go live. Before you do this, ensure you have everything you need and give your audience a few minutes after you go live to show up before you start selling.
Step 6: Pin products
During your live, when it’s time to promote a product you can pin products to the screen for viewers to learn more about or buy. You can only pin one product at a time, so take your time to promote the product, answer any questions, and encourage people to hit the button to buy it before moving onto the next product.
That’s it! The hardest part is getting everything set up in the beginning, but once you do, you can have regular Instagram Live shopping days that you regularly promote on your account to help you make more sales for your business.
Instagram Live Shopping Sales Tips
Now that you know how to set up Instagram Live for shopping, it’s time to start making sales! If you want to make the most out of your Instagram Live shopping experiences and make more sales, here are some tips to help you out.
Outline your live
While creating a whole script isn’t necessary and can come off a little stale, it’s still a good idea to outline everything you want to cover in your Instagram live beforehand. In your outline, make sure to write down what you’ll be selling during your Instagram Live shop, what you want to say about each product, and more. This will really help you in the moment so you don’t lose your train of thought and forget to mention important information about a product.
Keep it professional
While it’s important to be personable on social media, you also want to make sure that you come across as professional. This is especially important during an Instagram Live shopping experience because people are there to buy products from you so they need to be able to trust you. Make sure you’re well-spoken, you have a clean background, and you look presentable as well.
Create hype with new products
If you have any new products that you’ll be debuting during your Instagram Live shop, make sure to create some hype around them beforehand. This can be done by talking about the product on your other social media platforms, doing a little sneak peek live before the actual event in your stories or regular Instagram feed, and more. By creating hype, you’ll get people excited about the product and encourage them to come to your Instagram Live sales event to check it out.
Show some tutorials
Depending on the types of products you’re selling, it may be smart to consider doing a mini-tutorial during your Instagram Live shopping experience. This can really help people feel more confident about using the product and it will also show off all of the features and benefits of the product in a live setting. There is a huge difference between seeing a photo of a product and actually seeing it in use. This type of engaging content can help encourage your customer to make a purchase because they can see everything for themselves.
Be engaging
Try to avoid just talking to the camera as if you were recording a video and not engaging with your audience. The whole point of social media is to be social, so make sure you’re engaging with your viewers during your Instagram Live shopping experience. Take the time to answer questions that people have about the products, chat with them, and just generally be personable. By doing this, you’ll create a more enjoyable experience for people watching, leading them to stick around longer and possibly buy your products.
Don’t be too salesy
While it’s important to promote your products and services during an Instagram Live shopping experience, you don’t want to come off as too salesy. This can turn off viewers and make them feel pressured into buying something they may not want or need. Instead, try being personable and encouraging, but still somewhat subtle with your selling. Keeping the atmosphere light, helpful, and engaging is the best way to create a successful Instagram Live shopping experience for your audience.
End with a Q&A session
Ending your Instagram Live shopping experience with a Q&A session is a great way to engage with your audience one last time, answer any final questions people may have, and get feedback about your products or services. This is also a great opportunity to do a little bit of self-promotion and let people know where they can find you online. With a good Q&A session, you’ll be able to cultivate positive relationships with your customers and encourage them to return again in the future. Even if they don’t buy during your Instagram Live shopping event, they will leave knowing a bit more about your brand and products and have a higher chance of coming back to buy later.
Have a set schedule
While you may not want to have an Instagram live sale daily, it can be beneficial to have them regularly so that your customers know what to expect and may even add them to their routines. Having a weekly or even a monthly sale can boost sales for your online store and keep your audience coming back for more. Even those who don’t necessarily make purchases each time may come just to engage and support your brand. Just make sure that you’re giving yourself enough time between sales so you’re always putting out quality content during your Instagram live sales so that people will continue to come back again and again.
With these tips in mind, you are sure to have successful Instagram live shopping experiences every time! Whether you’re just starting or are a seasoned entrepreneur, Instagram live shopping can be a great, new way to engage with your audience and make more sales for your online store.
Conclusion
Now that you know a little more about how to use Instagram Live shopping, do you think it is a good fit for your business? It’s certainly worth a try as this is the direction that online sales are going, so if you want to try it out, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice! By following the steps we outlined above to get set up and the tips to have a successful Instagram live sale, you’ll be able to create an engaging and helpful live shopping experience that will help convert viewers into buyers.
