With the advance of social media with the likes of Instagram and Twitter, businesses have taken a new face and you no longer need to have a physical location to sell goods or services effectively. It is now vital to have good brand visibility which would, in turn, boost patronage by the numerous interested people online.

One of the most popular marketplaces for business owners is Instagram. Not only is it a fun social network, but the platform has also proven to have many potential customers of various goods and services. According to Facebook, 81% of Instagram users research products and services on Instagram. Based on these numbers, a good number of people are open to buying goods and services through Instagram. So as a business owner, you must have an active account and take clear steps to hone your business through Instagram.

However, many vendors and service providers find it challenging to make sales hence the need to figure out what discourages prospective customers. Here are three reasons why making sales on Instagram may be difficult:

Reason #1 – You don’t have the essential Instagram features

Instagram has several features specifically for brands, and using those features will offer you a better chance to reach more customers.

For most people, after completing the account setup, they pretty much start focusing on posting. However, you need these features to reflect your brand. For effective marketing on Instagram, you need to optimise these features so that customers can get through to you and vice versa.

For example, you can link your business account to a Facebook account of the same name and add contact buttons to your profile. These contact buttons make it easier for customers to contact you across platforms.

Reason #2 – Your Instagram content is unrelatable

No matter what you sell, you need to curate your content having your target audience and location in mind. For example, using pictures of white models to advertise clothes on your Instagram might not be the best decision in a predominantly black country like Nigeria or Ghana.

Prospective customers will doubt the legitimacy and availability of your products if they cannot relate to the content you use.

Reason #3 – Your account lacks personality

It is easy to take an impersonal approach with your business account when you lack time to connect with your followers but this eventually becomes a barrier between you and your customers. So when curating content for your brand, consider what your audience wants to know and what your audience has to know, then highlight the concerns or problems that your brand could help them solve.

Also, try new content ideas to keep your customers excited about you and your business. It could be a video of yourself telling your business story or you organising giveaways. By using well-tailored content strategies for your brand, you will stay connected to your customers and keep them coming back for more.