An online store on Instagram from scratch: how to shoot Stories, what to post in the feed, and how to work with customers

You can create an online store on Instagram as a standalone platform or as an add-on to your main website to expand your audience. According to statistics, 43% of social network users log into the application more than three times a day, 57% of users at least once a day. Keep in mind that at least one business profile is visited by 200 million people every day. Also, statistics show that advertising campaigns on Instagram are 9 times more effective than on other social networks.

What niches are trending on Instagram?

• Cosmetics are decorative, therapeutic and care products for professional or everyday use. Please note that 70% of the market is occupied by products from Korean manufacturers. To increase demand and attract customers, such online stores on Instagram cooperate with professional doctors (for example, dermatologists or trichologists), offering free expert consultations.
• Food, cooking blogs, delivery services. Food and cooking are the trending topics on Instagram in 2020, and this trend will continue in 2021. Simplified food systems are also popular. These are common products available to many people. Exotics are only gaining momentum.
• Everyday goods. Household products (dishes, cleaning products, tools), home textiles, inexpensive decorative items.
• Children's products. This niche is always in demand and is expanding every year. This growth is due to the fact that "you cannot save on children".
• Clothing and accessories. This niche is 100% filled, but anyone who offers a new product tailored to the interests of the social network's target audience can take their place and grow their business. The main thing is to have a competent promotion strategy.

How to identify and find your target audience on Instagram?

When analyzing the target audience (TA) of a social network, focus on the parameters:

• Gender. Take into account various nuances in your analysis. For example, if you sell children's products, then in 90% of cases, address your message to women.
• Geography. It plays a role if the store does not ship abroad or if the business has a limited scope: delivery, catering, costume rental, photography or design services.
• Age.
• Hobbies.

Also, determine social status and marital status. When launching your own Instagram store, learn from the experience of your competitors. You can find a description of potential customers in the followers of a competing company, and then analyze the characteristics of future customers.

How to find your target audience

When registering on a social network, 80% of users indicate their real age, gender, location, and fill in the interests and preferences section. The target audience is selected based on criteria:

• Hashtags. These are keywords that describe a state or action and make it easier to find. For example, #sport #club #leisure #clothes.
• Location. When posting photo or video content, users indicate their location. The profile header also indicates the hometown or current place of residence of the account owner.
• Followers. When you find competitors' pages, avoid bots, identify live and active users and subscribe to them. This step will interest the user and he will definitely review your offers, because he is already subscribed to a competitor, which means that he is interested in such goods or services. What if your offer is more profitable?

The disadvantage of such searches is that collecting data manually is a chore and takes time. To facilitate and speed up this process, you can use special services (parsers) that collect and filter the database, weeding out bots, and exclude closed accounts from the collected data. There are paid and free services that may also offer trial periods.

Pay attention to the Popsters service, which will help you to indicate what content your target audience likes. It analyzes the pages of competing companies, finds fresh ideas for publications, filters which posts attract the audience (sorts by the format and volume of text, content of publications).

Requirements for an Instagram account

When creating a business account on Instagram, choose the Business category. Then follow the instructions and fill out all the forms. Think about the name of your account, upload a photo, and create a description. Make the description short and meaningful by adding 2-3 key phrases. Experts recommend seeking help from professional designers who will create a store logo and photographers or content managers who will describe goods or services.

• Don't just put an assortment of products on your profile. It's a bonus if the products are visually interesting and professional photos are taken. Then users will be more interested in seeing spam photos in the feed. For example, photo wallpapers, clothes, custom portraits. However, when a store sells home appliances, electrical or plumbing, it is unlikely that subscribers are interested in constantly watching such products in the feed. Therefore, it is recommended to involve out-of-the-box photographers and content managers in the content of the page, who will create a coherent and interesting story in photos or videos.
• Create two accounts. One serves as a catalog and price list. Fill this page with photos, product descriptions, and a list of services, and provide contact information. The second account is personal, where you will tell the story of the brand, show production details, inform about news and achievements, and show your lifestyle. In the header of the second profile, provide a link to the first.

How to communicate with Instagram followers?

An online store needs to become an opinion leader. This is the only way people will want to buy from you and listen to your advice, follow the course of events.

• The main trump card is honesty. For example, you have created an online clothing store of your own production. The assortment includes products that are classified as mass market, as well as exclusive products. The prices are different. Tell users why. For example, if we are talking about a mass-market dress, it is clear that the product is made of cheaper fabric, while an exclusive outfit took more time to create and the materials purchased are twice as expensive. Please note that honesty has become a feature of popular bloggers, who repeatedly emphasize in Stories that they do not advertise products whose quality they do not like and would not use themselves.
• Be open. Show your followers the details of production, talk about difficulties, funny stories with customers. Such accounts are interesting to follow.
• It is not recommended to hide the pricing of products. Tell us about labor costs, the cost of materials, rent of premises or a workshop, delivery, and the taxation system.
• If you're not ready to talk about pricing, tell us who is involved in manufacturing the products, how you come up with the design, and where you get inspiration for unique new products.
• Share the process of taking pictures of goods, as well as photos of friends and partners, employees of the online store, tell Stories about interesting habits, hobbies, and business ideas.

Working with customers

Be proactive, but if you don't have time, hire a person who will respond to user requests in Direct and comments within 10 minutes.

Build a loyal audience:

• Don't be afraid to block negative comments as well as advertising messages. There is a category of dissatisfied users who criticize constantly. Add them to your "blacklist". Don't make your subscribers and potential customers dig through this dirt, try not to associate negativity with your store.
• Don't block everyone. Respond adequately to the comments of those who have purchased a product or service but are not satisfied. If a user has left a negative review, find out the details of the order and clarify the issue. Learn to recognize mistakes, because no one works perfectly. If the customer is dissatisfied due to the store's fault, compensate for the lost time and money by giving them a discount coupon, for example. Tell your subscribers about such situations, show them how you fixed the mistake, and present everything in a positive light.
• Thank users for their feedback, comments, and reactions, share them, show appropriate comments, and discuss Stories.

Content for an online store on Instagram

• Product description. Write briefly. Add interesting facts or share your personal experience, tell about the history of the product's appearance in the store. You can tell and show examples of how people solve problems with the help of goods and services. The main goal is to evoke emotions and discussion. Imagine that you are talking to a customer sitting across from you.
• Tell us about the purpose of the products. Describe the emotional benefits of the products. For example, if you sell sundresses and skirts made of linen, add that these things will be comfortable even at a temperature of +40. After you have attracted attention, indicate the price, link to the website or profile. Try to keep the name of the store or brand in front of the customer's eyes at all times.
• Create an editorial policy, draw up terms of reference (TOR) for Instagram posts.
• You can introduce interesting sections related to sales - product of the day or week, pay 100% attention to this product, tell why it should be bought.
• Content for subscribers - regularly publish reviews and photos of people with the product.
• Promise a discount or gifts to those who post the products purchased in your store on their account or Stories.

How to shoot Stories correctly

The more you shoot, the higher the reach of your publications and the number of impressions. Also, conduct live broadcasts for subscribers. Make your stories unique and interesting by following the guidelines:

• Share facts about the brand and the niche in general.
• Tell us about your personal life.
• Announce new products, encouraging users to subscribe to updates.
• Talk to your subscribers, ask for their opinions, and regularly ask what customers want to know about the store or about you personally.
• Make live broadcasts with experts.
• Share the life or work moments of your employees.
• Tell us about life hacks using products.
• Answer subscribers' questions regularly, organize separate sections, as bloggers do.
• Publish unboxing of goods.

Please note that a live broadcast lasts 20-60 minutes. However, the main thing is not time, but the activity and interest of the viewers, so talk to the point. Create a separate content plan for both Stories and live broadcasts.

Latest on Instagram

These are pinned Stories that are organized into groups. Topical ones leave useful information for subscribers:

• Assortment to the store.
• Customer reviews.
• Brand description, benefits, achievements.
• Data on discounts.
• New products.
• Answers to common questions.

Design the Current in a consistent style. This improves brand recognition and customer loyalty.

How to promote an online store on Instagram

• Targeted advertising. It is set up through the Facebook advertising account and then appears in users' news feeds. This is a paid promotion, but money is deducted from the account only for clicks or transitions on the advertisement. If you do not understand this issue, use the services of specialists.
• Advertising on bloggers is paid or bartered. Keep in mind that the blogger's target audience should be similar to the audience of your online store. Pay attention to what the blogger advertises, look at the activity of followers. Ask to have advertising materials sent to you for approval in advance. Bloggers' audience is already ready to buy, so your task is to create a unique offer. Create a technical task, indicating what exactly you want to see in the advertisement.

What does successful promotion on Instagram look like (based on the example of Torgsoft client stores)?

• Miraton.ua. Don't be afraid to take unusual and stylish photos at the same time. Proof of this is the online shoe and accessories store Miraton.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Miraton.ua (@miraton.ua)

• KRISSTEL - is a Ukrainian business clothing brand for women. The Instagram page demonstrates confidence, conciseness, and diversity at the same time.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от KRISSTEL (@krisstel_ua)

• The situation is similar with the well-known Ukrainian brand Red and Dog, which focuses on quality, originality, and win-win.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Red and Dog (@redanddog)