In the past I’ve talked about how to get followers, convert new followers, find clients, but today I am just talking about wooing the ones you have.
First, if you feel like you suck a Instagram sales, don’t feel alone! It’s hard to get sales on there. Instagram really doesn’t want anyone leaving the app, they hope people stick around and are being entertained. They now are introducing “Instagram Store” which will hopefully help, but in the meantime here are 10 ways to combat that.
1) You have to understand your Ideal Client (your ICA). I know I say this over and over, but really this is step number one, if you haven’t done it yet, make sure to read “DEFINING YOUR ICA (IDEAL CLIENT AVATAR)” this will be the key for all your other steps. Even if you read before, check back in, your client will always be evolving as will you.
2) Have a Game Plan. Are you on Instagram just to be entertained, that’s fine, but if you want to make a sale, make a goal and game plan to get that goal! Make a calendar. Plan out content and interaction time, avoiding the doomsday scroll when you are on goal time. I’m not saying it’s easy, but having a game plan makes it easier and will get easier over time.
3) Share Your Story! Your “Hero’s Journey” Create a connection. Why someone would know you, believe you, trust you? What about your history got you to know the product or information you are selling? Think “Like, Know, Trust.”
4) Show Your Face in Stories may be the easiest. Show up in video, show your face! Talk about your day, behind the scenes, your story, your product…the list goes on. It gets easier the more you do it and it breeds trust.
5) Solving your ICA’s Problems. You need to know your ICA (step one). Selling and romanticizing what your product will offer them as a result of doing or buying this. In marketing terms, in your marketing message. in your bio is a great place to start. Keep repeating the message, most of the time your audience your client won’t even know they have this problem that needs to be solved until they get your message.
6) Create a Juicy Reason for them to leave Instagram. Like I was saying in the intro it’s hard to get people to leave IG. And in your bio IG only gives you one link spot so you really need to create a reason that it’s worth clicking and leaving that entertaining scrolling. “Come to my website and buy my product” is a lot to ask, give them a juicy freebie or a discount, a reason to leave.
7) Slide into their DM’s. That’s what direct messages are for. If you feel someone is engaging with you a lot and you feel like they are your ICA start a normal nice conversation, before starting the sale. If they don’t want the dm they won’t read or respond, that easy. You’re just connecting and opening a conversation first. Also, can use stories to create an opportunity to dm for a direct sale! (Lesson on DM selling to come.)
8) Share Testimonials! One of the easiest ways to create sales is by sharing testimonials. This is not just you talk about yourself, social proof is a great way to help sell. People will see someone like them and say, “Oh, it worked for so and so…so this should work for me to.”
9) Utilize Instagram Shopping. They are putting billions, I mean BILLIONS into this, utilize it. They take a portion, but when they raise their portion, I think 30% raise your prices, people will understand. They are even opening this option for people selling things that aren’t just product-based.
10) ASK FOR THE SALE! Call to Action. The basic sales 101. Reels, stories, feed posts, make sure to have that call to action.
If you noticed I didn’t mention the IG 10k swipe-up. That’s because I’ve seen on multiple profiles the stats for it and honestly it isn’t there. The other steps mean more, take the pressure off getting to that 10k. Plus, I’ve heard they are working on a link sticker for stories so who knows, you might not even need that 10k swipe up at some point.
As always if you have questions, feel free to ask! I’m here to help!
