How to Use Instagram Live to Boost Sales and Grow Your E-Commerce Business

Even though Instagram is not very e-commerce friendly, it is still a social media platform of choice for e-commerce marketers looking to boost awareness and generate more traffic for conversion and sales. With intense competition between marketers not leaving much scope for enduring advantages, marketers are constantly trying to figure out innovative methods of connecting with their target audiences. Instagram Live, despite having potential, remains underutilized by most marketers and this makes it the perfect vehicle to get ahead of the curve and grab eyeballs. What is the Best Time to Post on Instagram for YOU?

Why Users Love Instagram Live?

It is a well-established fact that videos are far more effective in communicating brand or product benefits that text or even images. This automatically sets up Instagram Live for success as the videos are streamed live to Instagram users who are online at that time. According to https://www.searchenginejournal.com, live videos can last for a maximum of one hour. One of the reasons for the high rate of engagement of Instagram Live is the exclusivity associated with it. Instagram Live allows them to see content in real-time that they would have never otherwise been able to access. Users also love the recognition that they get from the broadcasters when they call out their names when they make comments. Users also like the excitement of being on a live show and being able to interact with the sponsor. The exclusiveness of both the availability and the duration of the live streaming events also lend users a sense of bonhomie and make them feel like part of a small community that is very beneficial for brand loyalty. A look at some of the best practices for creating engaging Instagram Live events:

#1 Don’t Read from a Script

One of the ways of establishing a more natural connection with viewers is to speak freely in a seemingly unstructured manner as if you are not following a script. While you should not go into streaming videos without preparing a plan and structure of what you are going to cover, it can help not to use a script that compels you to read it out and sacrifice naturalness. By being yourself, your users will accept the experience as being more authentic even if you make mistakes along the way. The off-the-cuff storytelling with stutters and stammering can help to humanize the brand in a way users love. It can help a lot to prepare some speaker notes so that you can prevent yourself from going off-track but be ready to improvise if the situation calls for it. You can get Instagram live viewers free by planning the session right.

#2 Connect with Users on a Personal Level

Instagram Live has the advantage of being able to give businesses the opportunity of interacting with their users as the video content stream in real-time. The connection with users is therefore more intimate than other types of communication on Instagram. You can help viewers to connect with you more intimately by following established acting methods like making eye contact, speaking directly into the camera, and maintaining a relaxed facial expression. When you are starting, it can be difficult not to have stage fright but things improve very quickly with practice. It can help a lot to imagine you are conversing with a friend as then the experience will become less awkward and more authentic for everyone concerned.

#3 Tell a Story for Better Engagement 

Inexperienced broadcasters tend to make the mistake of directing the focus of the video on their business and brands trying to describe the business and its products and services through traditional questions like who they are, what do they do, how are the products different from the rest, and what value will customers find in them, etc. Unfortunately, the approach is familiar to all customers and they have heard it all before countless times and this leads to poor engagement and gives the impression that the interaction is scripted with the sole intent of pushing sales. To make the live streaming more compelling for viewers, it can help to focus on the audience, not the business. By explaining at the very outset why the audience should care for the brand, you can get the viewers adequately invested so that you can explain how they can benefit by using it. Be ready to answer questions from the customer’s point of view and you can’t go wrong.

Must Read: 5 Top Benefits of Using Instagram for Your Business

Conclusion 

To keep the level of the engagement high, it is important to keep the streaming sessions short and action-packed. It is vital to grab the attention of the audience very early by delivering key messages and benefits. Ideally, the live sessions should not last more than five minutes; however, you can maximize the impact by following a consistent and regular schedule. Rather than a sales pitch, you should try to make these videos storytelling sessions that are high on emotional connect for better authenticity.