Imagine turning your Instagram feed into a thriving online boutique, where every post is an opportunity and every like is a potential sale.
Sounds exciting, right?
Well, you’re in for a treat because we’re about to unravel the secrets of launching your very own online boutique right on Instagram!
But first, you have to understand that starting an online boutique is more than just buying clothes and posting to your page.
And while Instagram has helped brands grow exponentially, using the app as your only source of sales is dangerous.
Why?
Because you don’t own anything on Instagram. And you can’t control when algorithms change, whether your organic reach drops or if all your followers even see what you share.
So it’s important to have your own website where you can drive your own traffic.
Instagram is a powerful tool but it is still just one of many things you can use to have a successful online boutique.
That being said, Instagram has grown from a simple photo sharing app into a major eCommerce platform in it’s own right.
Brands are going way beyond likes, comments and views. And now using Instagram to generate actual sales. So there’s a lot to be excited about!
Instagram has long been a discovery engine for new companies to make a big impact. Since it’s a visual platform, boutiques are able to share photos and videos of the clothing and accessories they have for sale. But the Instagram Shopping feature is revolutionizing the way boutiques can grow on Instagram.
“When we launched the feature, we experienced a 25 percent increase in traffic and an 8 percent increase in revenue attributable to shopping on Instagram.”
–Shari Lott, CEO of Spearmint Love discussing Instagram Shopping.
So why is an Instagram Shop important? And how can you use it to turn more of your fans and followers into paying customers?
How to Use Instagram Shop to Grow Your Online Boutique
Having a shoppable Instagram (now via Facebook Shops) is a massive opportunity for every online boutique owner.
One of the most important reasons is that your customers are likely on Instagram.
According to Statista, there are over 140 million users in the US alone as of 2021.That’s almost 40% of the entire population! And a survey from Pew Research Center showed that 63% of Americans check Instagram at least once a day.
So there’s a pretty good chance that someone wants to buy what you’re selling. You just have to make sure that you’ve curated a feed that would attract them.
Remember: Instagram is visual!
So having a well designed Instagram feed with shoppable images positions your boutique to reap the rewards.
You’re probably sharing photos of your products anyway so why not turn more of that attention into revenue?
And forget about the ‘click the link in bio’ in your caption! You can send people directly to the product they’re interested in. This creates a seamless experience from follower to customer.
The Benefits of Using Instagram Shop For Your Online Boutique
Each post you tag will have a little shopping bag icon on the top corner in your feed. And once you click on an image, you’ll see the tagged products.
Once you start tagging your posts with products, Instagram shares them to the Shop Explore tab.
If you haven’t noticed it, you can get to the Shop Explore tab by clicking little shopping bag icon across the bottom of your screen.
Now what makes this even more powerful is that the Shop Explore tab is curated based on the user’s previous activity. So your products will be in front of people who have engaged with similar posts. Which can mean an even higher intent to buy.
Imagine actually seeing more of what you like and care about?
That’s the experience Instagram is working to curate.
And it helps to keep more people on the app for longer periods of time. So why shouldn’t your online boutique benefit in the process?
Now that you know why having an Instagram Shop is so crucial to grow your online boutique, how do you set one up?
Setting Up Instagram Shop For Your Online Boutique
Setting up your Instagram Shop is pretty simple. First, you have to make sure you’re using the most updated version of the app.
Then you can sync your online store with Facebook (the integration is very easy when you use Shopify). This will pull your product catalog into Facebook Shops.
Once that’s done, make sure you have an Instagram Business profile. If you don’t, you can easily change your profile status in the settings menu.
Then you’ll follow the prompts to link your Facebook and Instagram Business accounts and then start pulling products into your shop.
Once everything is approved, then you’ll shift your focus to promoting your tagged posts.
Promoting Products on Instagram For Your Online Boutique
You can tag products in both new and existing posts. So if you have those products in stock, make sure to go back through your feed and tag all relevant posts. That’s a great way to increase visibility in the explore page. And it makes it even easier for your followers to know what items they can grab.
As you post new content on your Instagram feed, make sure you’re using the right hashtags that are relevant to your target customer.
And as always, your posts should feature high-quality, engaging images. Whether it’s a carousel that shows off the details of the latest accessories collection or an influencer wearing your new top, you want to capture attention that can lead to a click.
Using Instagram Shopping is a powerful way to grow your online boutique.
To review, make sure you:
- Turn your Instagram profile to a business profile (if it’s not one already) via your account settings.
- Link your Instagram business profile to your Facebook Page.
- Link your Shopify store to Facebook.
- Sync the products from your Shopify store to create a Facebook Shop.
- Link your Shopify store with your Instagram account by activating the sales channel in your settings.
- Get approval from Instagram.
Then you can start using Instagram Shopping to grow your online boutique!
