In the digital era, the primary way all individuals shop is online, most commonly on Instagram. What does an Instagram investment mean for you?
Instagram investment means you need to put your best foot forward when creating your website and social media because, more than likely, you'll never have a store, or if you do, it won't be/shouldn't be the bulk of your sales (unless you're a food business or in-person service, in which case the information in this blog won't all apply- SORRY!)
Gone are the days when we subscribe to copious magazines littered with ads and cable channels are covered in commercials. Now, we can often scrub forward when ads come on to our streaming platforms or pay to be ad-free. However, we cannot pay to be ad-free on social media, therefore, as businesses, we must take advantage of this!
According to Sprout Social, when looking at internal Instagram data, 70% of shoppers look to Instagram for their next purchase- meaning this is where people go to find purchase inspiration and discover new products.
A little over 25% of what we see through social media or more qualifies as an ad- that is someone had to pay for you to see it and potentially pay for it to be created.
What was once a feed of accounts individuals followed by choice has morphed into a feed of accounts that are paying Instagram. These posts must be consciously created and posted to fit into an algorithm so that you will see them. However, due to this algorithm, we are now able to discover new products and businesses we would have never seen otherwise. It's GREAT for consumers and expensive for companies- but it can also bring you a ton of new business and repeat customers.
If you choose not to pay for your images and videos to be distributed across social channels, you can go the route of influencer- but that still costs money and is in its way, an ad.
A Breakdown Of Instagram Boosts Vs. Paid Ads
Did you know there is a difference between boosting a post and creating an ad in Meta Suite? When you boost a post, you have to choose from something you've already posted, and if it's a video, it has to be something with original music that doesn't infringe on copyright laws. However, if you go through Meta, you can make a variety of dimensions (based on the platform it will appear on) and custom-create a message for that ad. It also won't appear on your feed, which is nice because you want your feed to appear more relatable and less salesman.
Check out our recent blog on how to test ads and see what's best for your target market here!
Now, let's chat about your website!
If you sell products online, I recommend you build your site on Shopify or integrate a Shopify plugin. Shopify is the ideal platform for e-commerce and is already linked to Instagram shopping. What does this mean? This means that in a few simple steps, you can transition all the product images from your website onto your Instagram store and, with it, have the ability to purchase products directly from Instagram via your Shopify account. You can organize your products into different collections and put effort into making your Instagram shopping look great. You can even allow for users to tag your products and attach them to your shopping platform if they are nice images.
If you DO have a brick and mortar, having a good website and social media is the surest way to get people to come in. It's a way to showcase your brand image, your values, and your style. It's a way to converse with your audience and to attract those who would not usually walk by your physical location. If your physical location is small, having a great website allows you to sell additional inventory and provide valuable messaging through a blog.
Lastly, investing in your website and social media, at least for an American business or a business in any major Western city, is a way to show legitimacy. It's a way to show you care about your product offering and are investing in yourself and your business.
Ready to invest in your business website? Contact us today to chat with our web designer!
Have a great website but your content in lacking on both your website and social- we offer website content packages or social media content packages, depending on your need.
We have new content package services starting in 2024, but now is the perfect time to start that conversation, allocate your budget, and develop a strategy with our team!
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