Instagram is a great way to promote your Etsy shop and, although, no two shops will have the same Instagram strategy, there are some “don’ts” that every shop needs to heed.
1. Don’t Combine Your Personal and Business Accounts
Not only will your friends and family appreciate not being spammed by your products, but a business account also gives you access to analytics and promotional tools. You also want customers to focus on your products instead of being distracted by personal photos. It’s hard enough fighting for attention from other accounts without your personal posts competing against your product posts.
2. Don’t Fake it Till You Make It
Besides being a waste of money, buying followers, likes, comments, etc. is not a good return on your investment. It may look like your account is highly active but fake followers don’t equal real sales. Instagram users are pretty savvy, as well, and can spot fake accounts which will only lead them to mistrust your brand. If the Instagram account still doesn’t raise any flags, the lack of reviews and sales in your Etsy shop will tip them off. Don’t ruin your brand and reputation to appear popular. You also run the risk of users submitting negative comments under your posts which is as bad as receiving negative reviews.
3. Don’t be Stingy with Captions
Your awesome images are going to attract customers but your captions can create fans. Etsy is known for its unique and customized products and your Instagram account can take that a little further and allow potential customers to be invested in the brand. Writing captions that are thought-provoking and encourage a discussion is one of the key ways in which to engage customers. Conversing with users builds a relationship and will turn them from just following your account to buying your product.
4. Don’t Sporadically Post
Consistency is key in keeping your account current and your presence alive on your followers’ feeds. Post multiple times in a week every week. If you know you’re going to have to take a break, schedule your posts ahead of time using the numerous third-party tools available to all business Instagram accounts. Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes posts and accounts that have high engagement rates. If you stop posting, your engagement rate will fall which means you’ll have landed where you initially started: at the beginning. All the work you’ve put into increasing traffic will be for nothing.
Social media is one of the most effective tools you have in your toolbox. It allows you to find new customers and keep the ones you already have. The returns may take some time to appear but nothing worth having comes easy.
