In 2018, Instagram introduced a new way to shop: Instagram posts that allowed consumers to purchase featured items directly from the Instagram app. Called shoppable posts, they boasted product tags that, when clicked, allowed consumers to buy the product without leaving Instagram.
Shoppable social media is still associated primarily with Instagram. However, the concept has spread elsewhere in the social media world as well. Facebook, for example, allows for some shoppable tags to be added to posts on its site.
Businesses would be wise to take advantage of this new trend in digital marketing. Shoppable posts aren't just convenient for consumers. They have advantages for businesses as well.
Shoppable posts reduce the steps needed for a conversion.
The ultimate goal of all digital marketing, of course, is the conversion. You raise brand awareness so people buy from you. You establish thought leadership in your field so people come to you for answers. You advertise your products and services in the hopes that people will be enticed to buy those products and services.
Shoppable posts make it easier than ever for businesses to earn those conversions by simplifying the buying process. Instead of needing to leave Instagram (or Facebook) to look up your brand, or buy your products, consumers simply have to click on the post or the tag. From there, they can make their purchase and go right back to enjoying their social media.
This streamlined approach reduces the time needed between thinking about a product and acting on that impulse. With less time to be distracted, consumers are more likely to go ahead and take advantage of your awesome products and services.
Shoppable social media allows you to use stories to sell.
Stories are powerful marketing tools. A narrative taps into one of the most deep-seated and natural ways our brains have of engaging with and remembering information. Storytelling allows listeners to remember up to 22 percent more than they would have remembered if they had been presented only with facts.
Shoppable social media is the perfect environment for storytelling. Instagram, for example, is set up to encourage the creation of image-based stories. Facebook is also largely driven by images and narratives.
In these story-based environments, businesses can link their products and services to a story. They can tell the story of their brand. They can visually set their products and services in context. They can engage and enthrall their audiences.
Then, they can sell. When consumers encounter their products and services in the midst of a narrative, they are far more likely to remember those products and services. They are also more likely to engage with those products and services since they are already engaged with the brand and its narrative. Within this environment, your digital marketing becomes more powerful and more productive than ever.
Shoppable social media reaches people who are ready to shop.
You might not immediately think of someone browsing social media as someone who is ready to make a purchase. However, those on Instagram, at least, are often looking for things to buy. In fact, 75 percent of people on Instagram act on advertisements they see on the social media platform.
Your business can take advantage of this purchase readiness by creating shoppable Instagram (and Facebook) posts. When you create these posts, you give your consumers a place to go to find and purchase the products and services they need.
If consumers find what they need on your shoppable posts often enough, they may begin to check out your social media first, before looking elsewhere for what they need. With carefully chosen images and products, you can build a following that enjoys and takes advantage of your specific brand offerings.
Shoppable posts allow businesses to gather more data.
Data drives many digital marketing decisions. The more data you have as a business, the better marketing choices you can make. Shoppable posts benefit businesses because they provide another source of information regarding those companies' target audiences.
For example, when you create shoppable social media posts, you can see which consumers click through and make purchases. You can evaluate the click-through rates of your posts and of your specific products. You can see which products are most popular. You can evaluate which images and narratives are most effective at attracting consumers.
You can then use the data you gather to create an even better social media post. For example, if you find that certain products are most popular, you can create more shoppable social media posts about those types of items. Over time, you can create a social media presence that is focused on the images and products that speak most powerfully to your audiences.
You can also use the data you gather to inform your other digital marketing efforts. For example, if you find that people from one geographic area are purchasing a certain item frequently, you might consider increasing your marketing in that city or town.
Shoppable social media posts can become an important part of your digital marketing campaign. They reduce the number of steps consumers need to take to convert. They use stories to help you sell your products. They reach people who are ready to shop. They allow you to gather more data.
If you want to learn more about shoppable posts, reach out to Distinct Web Design. We can help you understand and implement the digital marketing techniques you need to help your business thrive online.
