If you’re unsure about what to post on Instagram in order to expand your business and increase sales, simply posting excellent images is a good initial step. However, if you truly want to attract numerous paying customers, you’ll require something additional.
In this article, we will be sharing the most effective types of Instagram posts that have been proven to boost sales for your business.
What type of content works best on Instagram
We have discovered various Instagram post types that can effectively draw in potential customers and enhance the loyalty of existing customers to your brand. Now, let’s delve into each type and examine them closely.
1. Product placement Instagram posts
Product placements are another type of Instagram post that can be highly effective in driving sales. This refers to influencers sharing a photo featuring a product, without making the placement too obvious.
Product placement posts are effective because they depend on social proof. Considering that consumers heavily rely on what influencers endorse, this form of post has the potential to attract a fresh set of potential customers.
2. Testimonials and product review posts
If you are a business that does not have physical products to display, there is no need to worry! Testimonial posts on Instagram can be equally effective in generating sales. Give it a try by featuring feedback from your service customers in an Instagram post along with your own thoughts and insights.
Product review posts can generate the same positive influence. By showcasing that you value customers’ feedback and opinions, it not only indicates your attentiveness but also builds trust in your business. Moreover, witnessing the satisfaction of other customers with your offerings can convincingly sway others to make a purchase.
To boost sales and decrease cart abandonment, consider incorporating a personalized Instagram feed showcasing testimonials and reviews on your sales page.
3. Sneak peek posts
To effectively use Instagram for business and boost sales, building anticipation for a product is highly recommended. This strategy is particularly successful for fresh offerings as individuals are enthusiastic about gaining additional insights. On Instagram, you can create a fervor for newly launched products by sharing glimpses and teaser posts. Moreover, divulging incremental details through a series of teasers can also be an effective approach.
By presenting bite-sized information that leaves them wanting more, this style of Instagram post generates anticipation and excitement. When you finally launch your product, your audience will already be eagerly waiting to purchase it immediately.
A helpful suggestion is to create a personalized Instagram feed by combining your teaser posts. This will make it more convenient for your website visitors to locate and engage with your content.
4. Instagram poll posts
Polling your Instagram audience is an excellent way for almost all brands to gather crucial feedback about what their target audience wants. By utilizing the polls feature on Instagram stories, you can ask questions and receive ideas regarding what your audience likes and dislikes.
By following a sequential thought process, can you rephrase the text below without altering its meaning: “Employ a step-by-step approach by posing a question to your audience and offering them two options. Once the poll concludes, analyze the results to effectively customize your promotional strategies to address people’s concerns. Consequently, you will be able to serve your customers better and achieve increased sales.”
5. Instagram contests
Instagram contests are equally effective at attracting large numbers of new customers, as previously mentioned in regards to the power of giveaways.
Giveaways are similar to prize-draws as they require little effort for people to enter, while contests usually demand more effort to qualify. The increased effort in contests leads to participants being more invested in the outcome.
Instagram contests can be utilized as an effective method for acquiring user-generated content (UGC) from your audience, enabling you to endorse your brand. There are several approaches you can adopt to gather UGC through Instagram contests and consequently enhance sales.
- Run a photo contest asking users to upload a photo of them using your product to enter.
- Ask participants to share a video saying why they should win.
- Get entrants to upload a picture of your product in unusual situations.
- Ask people to share stories of how your brand had an impact on their lives.
- Challenge people to submit custom designs of your product.
6. Limited time sales
To maximize your sales as a business, it is advantageous to exploit the fear of missing out (FOMO) that individuals often experience when they are confronted with exciting opportunities. A method to generate a sense of urgency within your target audience is by offering time-limited discounts or flash sales, which effectively attract attention and motivate potential buyers to make a purchase immediately for fear of losing out on the special offer.
To ensure clear instructions for followers, run promotions for a limited duration. However, avoid the error of incessantly sharing sales posts, as your audience will anticipate them constantly. Instead, strategically space out discount posts to give the impression that purchasing now offers a valuable opportunity.
7. Influencer-featured posts
In terms of effectiveness, influencer featured posts rank the highest among all types of content on Instagram. These posts, which can come in the form of images, videos, and stories, have the potential to benefit all four categories of content on your profile.
Image and videos
The most effective way to generate brand engagement on Instagram is by featuring influencer posts. These posts are uncomplicated, only requiring a reciprocal backlink for the influencer. It is as straightforward as that.
By featuring posts from influencers, you can quickly increase the number of views on your profile. Nevertheless, featuring too many influencer posts offers no benefit. The aim of your Instagram profile should not be to attract viewers, but to cultivate a loyal group of followers. In order to achieve this, it is important to keep your association with influencers to a minimum.
If your company relies heavily on influencer marketing, it is advisable to plan the timing of your posts. Follow the guideline of limiting the number of influencer tags to two per post.
Stories
When it comes to managing content, stories are more convenient. The majority of brands utilize stories as a means to advertise upcoming events, promotions, and so on. Going the extra mile, you can also include mentions of influencers in your stories. In turn, these influencers can reciprocate, ultimately increasing visibility for your brands.
8. Behind-the-scenes(BtS)
Behind-the-Scenes content is applicable to any type of business, but it is especially advantageous for businesses operating in outdoor settings. Any form of content can be used to share these behind-the-scenes posts, yielding a similar impact. The objective of such content is to add a human touch to your brand’s profile.
The most well-known brands across various industries often utilize hidden clicks and footage for an unconventional post. These behind-the-scenes (BtS) posts are highly impactful on Instagram, generating an astonishing level of engagement that highlights their remarkable effectiveness.
To create a BtS post, you simply require your employees, infrastructure, and work culture. Just select a random click and proceed with posting. Although obtaining consent from your employees is important, it is not a problem. Keep in mind that BtS posts on Instagram have a greater potential to go viral than you may realize.
9. Motivational posts
The #MondayMotivation, #TuesdayThoughts, etc threads sparked the trend of being obsessed with hashtags. It is crucial to diligently follow a few of these threads. Motivational posts hold significant power on Instagram and are effortless to create.
Although you have the option to incorporate motivational posts into your regular profile using a picture or quote, or even share a brief video depicting an inspiring journey, my personal suggestion would be to restrict motivational posts solely to stories.
The rationale behind it is as follows: Your Instagram profile serves as a representation of your brand. It is of greater importance to have posts that pertain to your product/service. Additionally, incorporating motivational photos and videos detracts from the visually cohesive aesthetic of your Instagram.
10. Educational posts
Educational posts are typically confined to one-minute videos and are appropriate for businesses with user-friendly products/services. Instagram is commonly used by recipe brands to share educational posts featuring their simple recipes.
Newsjacking
The term “newsjacking” was introduced in 2011 as a relatively new marketing concept. It involves leveraging popular and current topics to promote one’s brand, also known as piggybacking.
When it comes to Instagram, it is more advisable to concentrate on Instagram trends for newsjacking. There is no prescribed formula for newsjacking, and the level of success depends on the ingenuity, imagination, and implementation of a brand’s marketing team. By examining top marketing brands, one can grasp the concept of newsjacking.
By thinking step by step, rewrite the given text without adding or removing any information, while keeping the same meaning: Newsjacking possesses an immense advantage as it brings a human touch to a brand, thereby aiding in the creation of a loyal group of followers.
11. Product/Giveaway/Offers posts
Businesses on Instagram often choose to create product/giveaway posts. These posts are intended for all types of content and are promoted after being published. They can be categorized into two sections.
Product posts
Product posts are simple demonstrations of the products that you sell, showcasing them in action or through visually appealing photographs. If you explore the Instagram accounts of Product-based brands, you’ll come across numerous examples of such posts.
Giveaway/Offer Posts
Both giveaway posts and offer posts are executed in a similar manner on Instagram, although their objectives differ slightly. Giveaway posts are specifically created for the purpose of giveaways, typically available for a restricted number of followers. Conversely, offer posts are shared to showcase special promotional offers to all clients and customers.
