Instagram is quickly becoming the preferred platform for online goods sales. Within the last two years, Instagram has introduced a number of significant e-commerce features, including as the ability to tag products in feed posts and shop with Instagram Reels.

There is an Instagram function that can help you increase sales and accomplish your business objectives, regardless of your brand or company. Are you prepared to increase sales for your company? The best 8 Instagram features to increase clicks and conversions are as follows:

1. Instagram Shop

Instagram Shop offers a way for businesses to showcase their product catalog and reach new customers on Instagram. By setting up an Instagram Shop, brands can curate a list of shoppable products that are directly accessible through the “View Shop” button on their Instagram profile page.

But that’s not all. Businesses with Instagram Shop can also be featured on the Instagram Shop tab — a shopping destination accessible from Instagram’s main navigation menu.

Here, shoppers can browse categories, see “Editors’ Picks,” and more:

Through this new feed, Instagram has found a way to show users more of what they’re highly likely to buy — all based on previous engagement and the posts and brands people follow.

By clicking on a suggested product, users can see more images featuring the product, pricing information, and other products from the same retailer, and follow the route to purchase.

For US-based customers, the route to purchase is even more streamlined with Instagram Checkout, which allows users to pay for a product and provide their shipping details without ever leaving the Instagram app.

2. Link in Bio

The link in your Instagram bio is easy to find and readily clickable, making it one of the most valuable traffic drivers on your Instagram profile. However, there’s only so much you can do with just one link — unless you use a third-party tool to capitalize on this opportunity.

With Linkin.bio by Later, you can create a clickable version of your Instagram feed and add it to the link in your bio.

For every post on your feed, you can link to your specific product pages on your website, making is simple for people to shop the products they discover through your posts.

3. Instagram Feed Post Shopping

Instagram has always been a great place for users to discover new products, but Instagram Shopping makes it easier than ever to go from inspiration to conversion.

With Instagram Shopping, businesses can tag products (listed in their Instagram Shop) directly in feed posts, Instagram Stories, Reels, Guides, and Live broadcasts (more to come on these later).

Showcasing products in feed posts provide valuable context, such as sizing, fit, or styling inspiration — so adding a direct route to the shop closes the retail loop.

Read Also: What Are Some of The Best Known Social Commerce Businesses?

With Product Tags, users can tap to discover product details, visit a brand’s website, or make a purchase directly within the app with Instagram Checkout.

Plus, by regularly using Instagram Shopping, businesses stand a greater chance of being featured on the Instagram Shop discovery tab.

4. Instagram Guides

Instagram Guides let you share tip and recommendation round-ups on Instagram, and they’re perfectly optimized for e-commerce. Guides offer a unique way to package existing content with fresh commentary, and are currently available in 3 formats:

• Places: Recommend places in your city and beyond
• Products: Recommend your favorite products
• Posts: Recommend posts you created or saved

Product Guides, as you may have guessed, are a fantastic way to promote products. Brands can either create a curated list of products themselves, or partner with influencers to reach an even wider network.

For the best results, consider curated edits that will resonate with your target audience, such as  “Gifts under $20,” or “Skincare Favorites.”

5. Instagram Stories Shopping

Instagram Stories provide a huge opportunity for brands to connect with their followers on a more personal level — which is great for building trust, increasing engagement, and creating community.

But that’s not all. There are also several ways to make stories shoppable!

Businesses with Instagram Shopping can add shoppable product stickers that followers can tap to shop. Or, they can simply use the link sticker to drive viewers directly to their website’s product page.

6. Instagram Reels Shopping

Instagram Reels Shopping is a great way to highlight and sell products through video content on Instagram. Viewers can now select the “View Products” button to either buy or learn more about the featured products in Reels.

Creators can also tag products from partner brands in Reels — building on Instagram’s Shopping from Creators offering.

7. Community Product Tagging

Earlier this year, Instagram rolled out product tagging to all users in the US, opening up a new opportunity for brands to sell on the app. Previously, only creators could tag products from businesses in their posts.

Now, anyone from your audience can generate sales on your behalf.

8. Instagram Live Shopping

Instagram Live Shopping lets brands and creators sell products during an Instagram Live broadcast. Accounts with access to Instagram Checkout can tag up to 30 products from their Facebook Shop or catalog before going live.

During the broadcast, the host can pin one product at a time to the screen — providing a new, contextualized way to shop during an Instagram Live.

This fully integrated experience is great for brands who want to drive sales, and makes it easier for viewers to shop featured products. As you can see, there are tons of different features to drive sales on Instagram.

Finding the right ones for you might take a little trial and error, but with a consistent strategy, you’ll see real results sooner than you may think.

How do I Drive More Sales on Instagram?

Instagram is a great tool to develop an online community, establish your brand, and increase revenue, with over two billion users. However, in order to fully realize this potential, you must adhere to specific tactics. There is no quick fix for increasing your Instagram following. You must continually engage and produce high-quality material.

Continue reading for more instances of tried-and-true strategies for boosting Instagram sales and developing a recognizable brand.

1. Post unique high-quality photos 

Increasing sales on Instagram starts with catching the attention of your potential customers.

Your product needs to be visually pleasing on your social feed. Learn how to take good product photographs using only your phone. This is the best way to stand out, build a strong presence on Instagram, and make more sales. Get creative and let customers see how attractive your products are.

2. Nail your captions

Yes, Instagram users still read captions. Use the caption to give more details about your product and mention how someone interested can make a purchase. Nudge your followers to take action. Ask them to:

• Check out your online store from the link in the bio
• Tag a friend in the comments
• DM for more details

You can use these call to actions (CTAs) according to its relevance. The captions are also a good place to engage your followers and make them interested in your brand.

3. Customer photos and reviews

You see a brand for the first time. You like their product. But, something is preventing you from making the purchase: is this business legit?

To build trust among your audience, include testimonials and customer stories as part of your content. In fact, many successful brands re-post content by customers (User-Generated Content).

A study by Business Wire reveals that 85% more buyers are influenced by UGC. So, to get more sales on Instagram, let your audience know how your customers love you. Here are some ways to promote UGC on your Instagram business page:

• Screenshots of positive customer messages
• Screenshots of reviews on your online store
• Ask customers to tag you on their posts and re-share it

Reviews are especially important when you are a new business and have less number of followers. You can post UGC as various content formats – stories, static posts, reels, and videos.

4. Use Instagram stories to actually tell a story

Use Instagram stories to consistently show up on the platform and let your audience know about your brand. How can you use Instagram Stories to increase sales?

Create one Story that leads to another, and another, and another — tell a story, hook your audience, and then get them to make a purchase.

The Last Story will then have a call to action and lead back to your online store. For this, you will need to create an online store.

5. Put coupons and offers on Stories

Coupons and discounts are the way to your followers’ hearts and convert them into customers. Occasionally post Instagram Stories with a discount code, especially during festive seasons.  Make it a limited-time offer, and then link to the product page on your online store through your Instagram Stories.

With an Instamojo online store, you can easily create promotional coupons, share them on Instagram, and get more customers.

6. Post new or featured products

Apart from behind the scenes content, talk more about your products on Stories. Highlight your most popular products and let them know about how to use it.

Pro tip: Posting Instagram Stories regularly is a great way to beat the Instagram algorithm. It helps your account stay at the top of Instagram users’ feeds.

7. Create ‘shoppable’ Instagram stories

If you’ve got an Instagram Shop set up, you can create shoppable Instagram Stories. To do this, all you need to do is add your product tags to your Instagram Stories.

When Instagram users see your Stories, they can tap on the product and be directed straight to your store. From here they can purchase the product without even leaving the app. This is a great way to leverage Instagram stories to directly boost your sales.

8. Use relevant product-related hashtags  

Using hashtags is an excellent way to reach a wider audience who will be interested in making a purchase from your business. To find the hashtags suitable for your business, check out the hashtags your competitors use. Here’s an example from the Souled Store:

There are mainly two kinds of hashtags: local hashtags and product related hashtags. To find local hashtags, look up posts from other local businesses or local business publications. Use them to drive engagement to your posts and get sales.

Pro tip: Just because a hashtag is popular, it doesn’t mean that it is going to be helpful to you. Sometimes a trending hashtag may not be suitable for your brand image.

9. Create a branded hashtag

To increase sales from Instagram, using an interactive brand hashtag helps. Every time someone posts a photo using the tag, they’re exposing your brand to more users.

If you already have a popular brand slogan or phrase, consider making that your branded hashtag. For example, the feminine hygiene brand Nua woman successfully accomplished this with their hashtag, #GoWithYourFlow.

10. Respond to comments

As a small business looking to grow its following and get more sales, respond to every (real) comment you get. This will help you build personal relationships with both potential and existing customers.

Genuine comments make your brand feel more personal and connect you more strongly with your target audience. And building connections make all the difference when it comes to making a sale online. So, make sure to reply to new and old comments on your post.

11. Get the conversation going

Never forget the social element when it comes to growing your business on Instagram: engagement.

Responding to questions and comments is great; getting out there and starting conversations of your own on other posts and pages is even better. Find pages that have the same topics and themes as yours and engage with it. Eventually, you’ll get noticed and people will start buying from your brand. Leave genuine comments on other people’s posts

12. Host contests on Instagram 

Contests with attractive prizes or discounts can draw attention to your brand and products. Big and small brands alike run contests on Instagram, the most popular one being giveaways.

The idea is to reach more potential customers with the help of your existing customers. here are some popular Instagram contests that can help you increase overall sales:

• Like and comment to win.
• Tag friends
• Photo caption contest
• Trivia contest

13. Create an online store

Eventually, the best way to lead customers to make a purchase is through an online store.

According to a survey by ICRIER, small business owners claim that they get more repeat customers through online stores. This means that an eCommerce website will help you stand out from other brands on Instagram and make you appear more legit.