Engage with shoppers

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Getting business through Instagram is all about engaging with your customers, says Wilson, who has alerts set up on her phone to let her know if someone likes a picture or posts a comment.

“If a shopper asks a question, get back to them immediately,” Wilson says. “Even if a shopper leaves a message that says, ‘That’s cool’ you should respond to it. You’d be surprised how many times a simple response results in a sale or a shopper coming into your store.”

When Wilson posted a picture of an elephant pillow, a shopper left a message saying, “Oh, I covet this.” Wilson replied quickly with, “You’re in luck, it’s for sale.” The customer told Wilson she’d stop by her store and check it out.





Make it easy for shoppers
If a shopper is ready to buy, be as accommodating as you can. Wilson tells her long distance customers they can pay through PayPal and she’ll ship the item to them. She uses Instagram to tell the customer when the item shipped. She’s even offered to deliver larger pieces of furniture to local customers.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to sell items,” she says. “I want my customers to be happy because they’re more likely to come back to our Instagram site or our store when they need something in the future.”

Reward your customers
Any time a shopper tags another friend in a post, reward them with a gift card, uruguay whatsapp number database Wilson suggests.

When a shopper tagged her friend in a picture of a vintage dress form on the Hinge Instagram site, Wilson left a public message thanking the shopper and gave her a $5 gift card to use on her next purchase.

“If a shopper tags a friend, they are exposing another new customer to your store,” Wilson says. “That deserves a public thank you. Plus, others see that you’re willing to give gift cards for tagging friends and it catches on.”





Commitment is a must
Wilson updates her Instagram site every three to six hours. It’s a time investment, but one that will pay off, she says.

She estimates sales have increased by 20 percent and foot traffic in her store has gone up 30 percent, all because of Instagram.

“People will come in and show me an Instagram picture I posted of a particular product and ask me if it’s still available,” she says. “Plus, I sell at least two or three items to long distance customers through Instagram each week. That’s all the proof I need to keep investing my time on Instagram.”

Looking for more tips to boost your Instagram knowledge, check out Get Snappy, Gain Engagement – 8 Instagram Tips For Your Biz.

This post contributed by guest author, Lisa Furgison. Furgison is a media maven with ten years of journalism experience and a passion for creating top-notch content.