Selling with #Hashtags: The Impact of Instagram on Ecommerce

Instagram is becoming increasingly competitive in the ecommerce space. In recent months, the platform has added dozens of new features. These include a shopping bag icon, the ability to book tables and buy movie tickets and a forthcoming Instagram shopping app.

If you’re looking to get ahead on social media, your first step is to embrace and understand how powerful Instagram has become, especially in the world of social commerce, and how you can use certain tools (like hashtags) to improve your effectiveness on the platform and enjoy a more productive experience.

Here’s what you need to know:

Instagram’s Conversion Rate

Wondering why Instagram is such an essential platform for you and your team? Here are a few statistics to keep in mind:

• 70% of Instagram hashtags are branded. 2018 is the year of the hashtag, and for good reason. Not only do hashtags allow social media users to categorize and organize content, but they’re also some of the most effective approaches to modern marketing.
• 71% of businesses use Instagram. In 2016, an estimated 48.8% of businesses use Instagram. Today, that number is much higher – up around 71% of US businesses.
• 80% of customers follow a business on Instagram. This is one of the primary purposes of hashtags, in fact! When a company uses hashtags reliably and routinely, it makes it easier for customers to locate and follow a business.
• Instagram mobile ad revenue is projected to hit $7 billion by the end of the year. This represents a massive $5 billion jump from numbers just two years ago, and is projected to rise even further in coming years.
• 25% of instagram ads are single videos. Video ads on the platform can be up to 60 seconds long, but may lose engagement if they go much longer than 30 seconds.
• In the second half of 2017, Instagram Ads increased by 28%. If you’re wondering about the overall functionality of Instagram advertising, it’s important to take some time to consider Instagram advertisements. From 2016 to 2017, the total number of ads increased by 85,000. This is almost double the amount of ads in a single year.
• Posts with a location earn 79% more engagement. If you geotag your post, you’ll earn 79x more engagement that if you didn’t. This is a great use of hashtags.

1. Use Hashtags on Instagram Stories

If you’re posting Instagram stories, use Instagram hashtags to take them one step further. This is a new Instagram feature and allows yet another way for users to have their content discovered.

This feature is unique because when you create hashtags and add them to an Instagram story, those hashtags become immediately searchable. This means that anyone who searches for the hashtag may see your story. This is a great way to expand the reach of your page and ensure your customer are interacting with your page in the way you want them to.

For the best results, use sales-specific hashtags on Instagram stories, or seasonal hashtags to drive interest toward your stories.

2. Branded Hashtags Matter

Remember that 70% of Instagram hashtags are branded. If you’re looking for a way to drive attention and promote brand awareness, hop onboard with this useful Instagram trend. Remember: branded hashtags are hashtags that are unique to your business.

They can be as simple as your company’s name, tagline or the name of one of your products or campaigns. A branded hashtag may also have nothing to do with your brand name and instead can focus on your brand identity. No matter what the case may be, branded hashtags can go a long way toward promoting your company’s mission or products.

3. Leverage Campaign Hashtags

One great tip for selling on Instagram is to use campaign hashtags for short-term turnaround efforts. Whereas branded and community hashtags are meant to support long-term goals, campaign hashtags are meant to be shorter-term and focused on marketing pushes that last a few days, a season or a year.

These campaign hashtags will promote a new product launch or partnership, or a new service that your company has begun to offer. The hashtag should last as long as the promotion does and stop once the campaign is over.

4. Track Hashtags with Post Insights

Assuming you’re using an Instagram business profile, you’ll be able to track your Instagram hashtag success. This will allow you to analyze how effective your hashtags are in getting more views or impressions to your post. Wondering how to access post insights? Open a post and tap the “view insights” text box below a picture. This will show you all of a post’s data, including reach, impressions and the source of people who view your post.

5. Make Stories Shoppable

Did you know that 60% of internet users seek out and discover new products on Instagram? Thanks to the launch of Instagram Shopping in February of 2018, brands can now tag products directly in posts, and take customer right to the items they want to purchase. By making your Instagram stories shoppable and using relevant hashtags to popularize them, you can create an environment for customers to find products and purchase them right in the app.

#Instagram & #Ecommerce

Ecommerce on Instagram is booming, and hashtags are some of the most effective tactics. By improving conversion rates, driving more engagement and encouraging people to take part in interacting with your products, instagram ecommerce (and hashtags, specifically) work wonders to help your brand reach its goals and enjoy a greater level of success.

Need even more info? We’ve got you covered with this infographic that helps you better understand social shopping trends for 2018.