One of the great things about using Instagram as a business is the ability for companies to generate sales directly on the platform. Here, we look at various ways that companies can use Instagram for sales.
Discounts
Providing potential customers with a discount is a great way for companies to incentivize potential customers that are still on the fence and haven't decided whether or not they should make a purchase. Most of the time, companies tend to develop landing pages with different types of promo codes, discounts, or coupons for seasonal events, or specifically for email newsletter subscribers. However, what many companies end up overlooking is the fact that they can share the same promo codes or discounts with the followers on their Instagram accounts, by linking to the landing pages inside the Link section of the company's account. Then, in the bio section, companies can add a short call to action that is going to highlight the link for any potential consumers that visit the company's profile on the platform. Right now, the platform is also testing out an option for accounts to start adding multiple links to this section of the bio, which means if a company has access to that new feature, companies can link both to their promotional offers, as well as any other resources that they're promoting at any point in time.
Action button
Another great way for companies in certain industries to generate more sales through Instagram is by adding an action button to their accounts. Currently, Instagram is only offering this through third party partners and for certain CTAs including “Book Now”, “Reserve” and “Order Now” which applies to businesses in the Health & Beauty space, Dining and food delivery – however it greatly reduces the purchasing journey for customers in those spaces, and is a good tool businesses in those industries should use when optimizing their profiles. To add an action button, companies must go to their business account profile and choose the type of action button that is right for them. Then, companies can create custom lead forms that will allow them to select the types of contact information that they want to collect from their potential customers while adding personalized questions for their audiences.
In-app purchasing
Finally, companies can also promote their discounts and promo codes with their Instagram Shop, where companies can show potential customers the code that they can use to get a discount while making a purchase. Companies can use the same code inside the app as well as on their websites which will help companies track the results of different types of promotions or discounts that they are running.
