What started as a simple photo-sharing app in 2010 has skyrocketed into a business worth an estimated value of $102 billion. Now Instagram is synonymous with celebrity influencers, memes, and digital marketing for eCommerce. Influencers like actor Dwayne Johnson earn a whopping $1,015 000 per sponsored post, and that’s just one person.
In 2020, 69% of America’s marketers planned to spend most of their influencer budget on Instagram. In fact, some businesses are referred to as Instagram-first brands, meaning they spend all their marketing budget on the platform. The average cost-per-click on Instagram is relatively inexpensive, between $0.50 – $3.50. As a global-reaching marketing tool, Instagram offers several capabilities to promote brands and products.
From IGTV to reels and stories, let’s explore eCommerce Instagram advertisement opportunities.
Instagram TV (IGTV) is a standalone video application for Android and iOS smartphones that allows users to share long-form video content of up to 10 minutes for regular business accounts and 60 minutes for verified users. It can be utilized as a standalone app or with Instagram. Like YouTube, it provides creators with more airtime.
IGTV can drive sales in multiple ways through influencer marketing, how-to videos, and branded series content. Unlike stories, IGTV videos don’t disappear after 24 hours, allowing brands to build long-term channels. For example, institutions and brands like NASA and Later Media utilize IGTV completely differently, but their videos still amass thousands of views.
500 million people use Instagram Stories every day, and the average person devotes at least 30 minutes to the platform. Stories allow eCommerce businesses to share multiple videos and photos throughout the day, with doodle and sticker overlays. Together, these images and videos form a slideshow that disappears after 24 hours and can be saved as a highlight on your profile.
Branded Instagram stories allow eCommerce stores to advertise sales and discounts, educate customers about topics related to what they sell, and reshare other users’ posts about their products, which is essentially free marketing.
This feature lets you broadcast video to your followers in real-time as part of Instagram Stories. The key difference between Instagram’s Livestreams and Facebook’s, for example, is that they are ephemeral and disappear as soon as the broadcast ends. They add a new spin on eCommerce video marketing by creating a sense of exclusivity.
Instagram Live isn’t the strongest way to drive sales, but it offers direct engagement with customers. Live events, product reviews and releases, Q&As, and how-to Livestreams are suited to this feature. Viewers can also interact directly with the person broadcasting the Livestream by commenting and asking questions.
Even with its exciting new capabilities, Instagram still makes the eCommerce video marketing provision to upload traditional videos. Videos uploaded to your feed cannot exceed one minute; however, you can upload up to ten videos to a single post.
This method has less capability than the platform’s other features but works well for sharing traditional commercials. While the platform supports landscape video formats, studies indicate that square or vertical video formats are more likely to capture viewers’ attention as they scroll down their feeds.
Thought to be Instagram’s answer to TikTok and attempting to reach Gen Z, this latest offering allows users to record 15-30 second clips set to music. In general, reels are less formal and more entertaining. For example, the jewelry brand Created by Carly effectively uses reels to share their creative process and alert customers to sales.
Reels are easy to make and a great way to reach a larger audience, especially if brands follow trending hashtags or challenges and create related content. While most are fun and silly, it is possible to be innovative, go viral, and broadcast to a larger audience.
73% of consumers who come across desirable products on Instagram Stories make purchases. Digital marketing for eCommerce allows brands to implement a ‘swipe up’ link that leads your viewers directly to your website so that they can make a purchase.
Like all social media platforms, Instagram has algorithms. Following a regular schedule grows your reach and improves the likelihood of your content being seen, especially if you want to increase your organic reach.
90% of customers read online reviews before purchasing. Instagram stories are perfect for sharing customer testimonials. You can even compile a permanent testimonial highlight on your profile for customers to watch at any time.
Most consumers scroll through Instagram at least once a day. In 2021, every digital marketing plan should have an eCommerce video marketing strategy on Instagram. At Catapult Revenue, we specialize in helping eCommerce businesses optimize their reach through result-proven digital marketing. If you want professional assistance with your Instagram marketing plan, contact us here. We’ll do a free consultation to assess how best to generate leads on Instagram.
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