Recently, I found myself driving happily on the highway en route to try new a restaurant in Burlingame, California, which is approximately 31 miles away from my home. Like most people dining at a restaurant for the very first time, to say that I was stoked to try this place would be a huge understatement.
If you’re a fellow foodie like myself, I’m sure you’d agree that a big part of the process when dining at a restaurant for the very first time, is anticipating how the food will taste leading up to actually arriving at the restaurant.
As I finally approached the last exit that my trusty Google Maps app directed me to take before arriving at the restaurant, I realized that I was extraordinarily excited to try this particular place (and if you’re wondering, no… it wasn’t because I was extra hungry at the time).
After taking a second to ponder just what it was that led to me being so eager about tasting the food from this restaurant, it dawned upon me that it was the same reason that initially inspired me to travel some 31 miles and cross the San Mateo bridge just to give the place a try in the first place.
It was because I had seen a local Bay Area food critic/influencer give the restaurant’s food such a rave review on Instagram—I just had to give it a try for myself to see if it was true.
Whether you’re a marketing professional like myself or not, everyone is susceptible to being enticed by great marketing. The following marketing tactics will help you capitalize off Instagram’s huge platform to entice consumers to purchase your products.
Provide proof of pre-selection
What's one thing that psychologists, dating coaches, and marketing professionals all have in common? It’s that they all make a living by specializing in human behavior. And if there’s anything that those working within all three professions could agree upon—it would be that pre-selection is tremendously powerful when it comes to the human psyche.
Pre-selection is a term often used by dating coaches to describe a cognitive shortcut which heightens a man's dating market value to women based on how many other women already covet him.
Essentially, pre-selection is when a woman sees that other women like a guy—so subconsciously, she believes that he must be a catch since other women want him.
Instagram is a perfect platform to analyze many different human behaviors; especially the power of pre-selection. But pre-selection is not only effective in dating—it’s also effective when it comes to product marketing. And Instagram is one of the best platforms to use the power of pre-selection to your advantage.
The way to do that is by validating your product to consumers by showing them how others are already enjoying it. These are a few ways to convey that on Instagram:
Incentivize influencers in your industry to review your products on their IG pages.
Use carousel posts showcasing your products being used by consumers within your target audience.
Encourage customers to post positive comments about your products on their Instagram pages.
Boost engagement for your product's Instagram posts by conducting challenges which allow customers an opportunity to receive rewards for their participation.
As author Marty Neumeier writes in his book, The Brand Gap, “Remember, a brand is what they say it is. Not what you say it is.” The same also applies towards your brand’s products. No matter how great you say that your products are, you’ll always have an easier time winning over consumers if they see their peers say the same.
Share visual stories
According to 2023 consumer surveys conducted by GoDaddy, a whopping 65% of respondents said that they are more likely to make a purchase from a business if they knew its personal story.
All great brands tell great stories about their brand. And as a result of those great stories, consumers find themselves being drawn in closer to the brand—which leads to them purchasing the brand’s products or services.
Utilize the power of Instagram to share visual stories about your products on the platform by posting cool stories about your products and just how they came to be. Those stories could consist of:
“Fun Fact” or “Did You Know” videos showcasing your products.
Giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at how your products are made.
Featured videos from experts on how your products could improve the lives of those that use it.
Let’s face it, we’re all addicted to great stories in one way or another. Captivate your audience’s attention on Instagram by sharing cool and compelling stories about your brand and its products.
Humanize your brand on the 'Gram'
An incredibly underrated, yet very effective way to bring consumers closer towards your brand and its products is by humanizing it. Although AI is a big topic of discussion these days, one thing that artificial intelligence could never compete with is the fact that humans will always relate to other human beings more so than they ever could relate to an entity.
Instagram Stories is an ideal medium to show your audience that your brand isn’t some faceless entity being run by mysterious figures. It’s an actual business being run by humans.
“Instagram Stories provide an intimate platform for showcasing your brand’s personality.” Writes Leo L. Willis, author of the book, How To Sell On Instagram: Mastering the Art of Selling Effectively Through Instagram.
Willis informs those selling products on Instagram to, “Use stories to share daily happenings, team members, and even mistakes. Humanizing your brand helps followers feel a deeper connection and affinity.”
Ready to take your brand to the next level?
Contact us today and schedule a client call so that we can devise a complete social media marketing strategy for your brand that will help take your business to heights that it’s never been before!
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