Salesforce Guide to Instagram

The Role of Instagram in the Purchase Journey – and How Brands Can Start Managing This Key Channel More Effectively 

These days, there are countless factors that influence a consumer’s behavior throughout the purchase journey. Social media is high on the list – especially as e-commerce continues to grow.

Today, there are many different social media platforms used throughout the globe. But in this post, we’re zeroing in on one that’s particularly popular (and influential): Instagram.

Read on to explore the role of Instagram in the path to purchase, why proactive management is a must, and how brands can start more effectively engaging with shoppers on Instagram – without leaving Salesforce. 

Who Uses Instagram? 

Chances are, you’re quite familiar with Instagram. Maybe it’s already a key piece of your brand’s marketing strategy. You might find yourself using the platform in your own time, too.

Regardless, let’s set the stage by taking a look at the history of the platform – and who uses it.

Instagram – the photo and video sharing social media platform – was launched in October 2010. 

By mid-December of that year, Instagram had reached one million users. In 2012, Instagram was acquired by Facebook (which is now Meta).

The popularity of Instagram hasn’t waned. Today, the platform has 2 billion monthly active users. And as of January 2023, it’s tied as the third most popular social network. 

As of January 2023, Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users across the globe.

Source: Statista

Instagram is popular across the globe. However, it’s particularly prevalent in India. The country currently has 229.5 million Instagram users. 

The U.S. comes in at #2, with 149.35 million users. According to research from eMarketer, American adults spend just over 30 minutes each day on the platform. 

Instagram has appeal across all generations. However, it’s particularly popular with younger shoppers. Per Statista data, the platform sees the highest usage among consumers aged between 18 and 34. 

Consumers aged 18 to 34 are the heaviest users of Instagram.

Source: Statista

How Consumers Use Instagram Throughout the Purchase Journey

Of course, consumers use Instagram as a way to keep up with family, friends, and their favorite celebrities and influencers. But for many, this platform also plays an important role in the purchase journey – and has a significant influence on their behavior while browsing and buying. 

Instagram for Product Discovery

Consumers have their go-to products they turn to time and again. But many are open to learning about and purchasing new-to-them products, too. Increasingly, consumers use Instagram to discover and learn about new products.

Today, a staggering 90% of Instagram users follow a business. And 70% look to the platform for their next purchase. 

70% of Instagram users look to the platform for their next purchase. 

Source: Instagram 

Even consumers who aren’t actively looking for a product can get inspired to learn more. 

According to data from Instagram, 50% of users become more interested in a brand after they see an ad for it on Instagram.

During the discovery process, consumers use Instagram to ask questions and learn more about brands, products, and services. A recent 1440 survey found nearly half (48%) are already using (or open to using) Instagram Messenger as a way to communicate with brands. 45% are already using Instagram comments as a way to connect with brands – or they’re open to doing so in the future.

Consumers are Using Instagram to Connect with Brands

• 48% are already using or open to using Instagram Messenger to communicate with brands.
• 45% are already using or open to using Instagram comments to connect with brands. 

Source: 1440, Consumer Communication Preferences Survey 

It’s imperative to provide fast, accurate answers to customers’ questions via Instagram. By quickly removing purchase blockers, consumers are more likely to follow through with a purchase. 

Instagram for Buying

Once a shopper has determined a product fits their needs, they may be able to buy it directly from Instagram – a strategy called social commerce. 

Social commerce is gaining traction – and it’s expected to grow. According to Statista, in 2022, worldwide revenue of social commerce was valued at $724 billion. It’s expected to surpass $6 trillion by 2030.

Actively engaging with shoppers via Instagram messaging can be a powerful way to convert more browsers into buyers. 

Instagram for Service 

There may be times when a consumer needs to connect with a brand after making a purchase. 

Maybe it’s to check the status of a shipment. Perhaps it’s to learn more about using the product they’ve purchased. Or maybe something went wrong – and they need help fixing the situation.

Increasingly, consumers seek out post-purchase service via social media – specifically Instagram. In fact, Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels consumers use to seek customer service.

Brands must be equipped to provide timely service via Instagram. Doing so is key to restoring trust when something goes wrong – and increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. After all, 80% of consumers will forgive a company for its mistake after receiving great service. And over three-quarters of shoppers have made a purchase decision based on the quality of customer service. 

Instagram for Advocacy

When consumers have a positive experience with a brand or product, they aren’t afraid to talk about it And increasingly, they do so on social media channels like Instagram.

When one of your customers shares a positive experience with their Instagram following, it increases your reach – without any extra cost or effort on your part. Whenever possible, be sure to engage with these positive posts and stories. Doing so can go a long way in strengthening your relationship with the customer – and increasing their likelihood of making another purchase in the future. 

Timely Engagement on Instagram is a Must

Increasingly, consumers use Instagram to connect with brands throughout the purchase journey. Sure, they’re consuming the content brands put on via the platform. But in many cases, they’re initiating conversations with the brand, too.

Consumers who reach out via Instagram have high expectations for timely responses. Yet, most brands are failing to meet these expectations. 

In a recent study, 270 businesses were sent messages via Instagram Messenger. Over half (54.07%) never responded at all. Those brands are quite literally leaving money on the table. Failure to respond to an Instagram message is the equivalent of not answering your phone or not staffing your brick-and-mortar stores. 

Of those brands that did respond, a mere 22.22% did so within an hour. That leaves 77.78% that responded more slowly. 

At a time when experiences matter as much as products and services, brands must do better.

Brands must be equipped to provide timely responses via Instagram. Doing so is a key way to stand out from the competition – and increase conversion rates.

In an ideal world, a brand would respond to a consumer’s Instagram message in real time. After all, 83% of consumers expect immediate interaction when contacting a company. 

However, a one hour response time is a great benchmark – especially for those brands just getting started with social care and conversational commerce. 

Managing Instagram Messages in Salesforce

Instagram is becoming an increasingly important channel for brands looking to connect with customers throughout the purchase journey. Brands must take a proactive approach to managing it.

If your brand runs on Salesforce, this is also where you should be managing your social media presence. 

Of course, a big part of this is creating and posting engaging content (both organic and paid) and monitoring what’s being said about your brand and your products on Instagram. You might already be using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (or third party tool that integrates with Salesforce) to manage this aspect of Instagram management.

But what about the messaging component? 

As we’ve explored, consumers reach out to brands on Instagram at all stages of the purchase journey. And when they do, they expect fast responses. Failure to respond quickly (or at all) means you’re walking away from a potential sale.

Providing quick responses on Instagram seems simple enough. But in reality, it’s not.

Let’s say you’re monitoring your Instagram messages through the Instagram platform – or perhaps through a tool that consolidates all of your social media channels into a single location. A message comes through. But you’re knee-deep in Salesforce. So you don’t see the message come through right away. When you do, you manually create a case in Salesforce and then assign it to the right person or team responsible for responding. 

This might not seem terribly complicated. But multiply this by hundreds of messages, and you’re sinking a whole lot of time into managing Instagram engagement. And we’re willing to bet you don’t have much time to spare as it is.

That’s where 1440 comes in.

A growing number of brands are adopting Messaging Studio from 1440 to improve the way they manage messages with customers. With 1440, you can manage all your key messaging channels – without leaving Salesforce.

Let’s say a customer or prospect messages your brand through Instagram to ask a question about a product you recently showcased in a post. Initially, the shopper engages with a chatbot who gets more details about their need so it can properly route the message. The inquiry is beyond the scope of the chatbot, so a Salesforce case is automatically created from the message – and it’s assigned to the right customer care representative. The rep reads the customer’s message, pulls up their purchase history for context, and responds to the Instagram message within minutes. 

After engaging in a brief back-and-forth dialog, the customer purchases the product in question – as well as an additional item the rep recommended. The customer is satisfied with both the experience and the products they received, and they go on to make additional purchases in the future.

There are only so many minutes in the day (1440 to be exact). See firsthand how 1440 can empower your brand to deliver winning messaging experiences through Instagram – all without leaving Salesforce. Contact us today to schedule a live demo.