How to sell with Instagram shopping video ads

With one billion monthly active users and a potential reach of approximately 849.3 million, Instagram gives you an amazing opportunity to promote your brand and sell your product. Instead of directing customers to your website, Instagram shopping allows them to tap and buy products easily from the app. You’d be crazy to miss out on this video marketing opportunity to promote your brand, product or service in such a fun and engaging way. 

Shopping on Instagram has become even more important in recent times as many businesses have had to change and evolve their ways of connecting with their customers in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, which lead many brands to not only survive but thrive as online and Instagram shopping retailers. 

Selling your product on Instagram lets people experience the joy of shopping instead of the chore of buying. By creating video content, you’re one step closer to creating that joy for your customers. 

In this blog we’ll cover:

• What are shoppable videos?

• Instagram shopping tags

• Why use product video over a shoppable image post?

• Why should Instagram shopping video ads be a part of your business’s video marketing strategy?

• How to use shoppable videos to increase sales?

• Step-by-step guide to creating Instagram shopping video ads 

What are shoppable videos?

Shoppable videos take a user from watching a product video in their feed to making a purchase. We already know how impacting video can be, combine that with the power of social media and a perfect storm is created in your Instagram video ad by reducing the time between things your customers ‘likes’ and them making a purchase. 

Instagram shopping tags

Tags are the crucial step to selling. When you post a video ad and add a shoppable sticker to your video, you can enhance the customer experience and speed up that conversion time to check out in the Instagram shopping cart.

You can choose from a range of ‘stickers’ to create a shoppable video: a shopping bag icon, a sticker with the product name in rainbow or grey, and translucent text. Once a customer clicks on the sticker, they are directed to another page with product details and purchase options.

Why use product video over a shoppable image post? 

Videos get better engagement than photo ads because consumers prefer watching videos on Instagram. In fact, 18 percent of the posts on the app are in video format, and they generate over three times more engagement compared to sponsored photos. 

Why should Instagram shopping video ads be a part of your business’s video marketing strategy?

Great question! But we think the real question is why wouldn’t they?

When customers interact with a brand, they’re looking for an emotional connection that subconsciously helps them evaluate the product’s value. Because shoppable videos are interactive, they allow for that level of fun, creativity and engagement which helps tell your brand story and connect with your customer and their values. 

And in a world where we can swipe to purchase in an instance, having an Instagram shopping video ad not only shortens the sales journey—it strengthens sales, increases conversions and helps build brand loyalty. 

How to use shoppable videos to increase sales?

1. Use eye-catching visuals 

Instagram is founded on visuals! Make your videos high-quality and professional while also having fun and showing your brand’s personality with striking scenes. 

Check out Hollister Co’s fun Instagram shopping video. Make sure to view it from mobile so you can see their use of the shopping links. 

Instagram 1

2. Make them organic

Being authentic is key to letting your brand’s voice shine through. Consumers can sniff out a hard sell instantly and keep on scrolling! Give your shopping video ad a natural feel—it should still be high quality, but it shouldn’t glaringly stand out as a sales post next to your other posts. 

3. Short but effective 

Time is everything; use Clipchamp’s video editing techniques to trim your video ad to length and be sure to position all your best branding and imagery in the beginning. Tip: why not show your product in action! 

Revlon makes a simple shoppable video ad of a product in use

Instagram 2

4. Thumbnails on point

Because users can disable auto-play of videos in their feed, you need to make sure the thumbnail of your shopping ad is eye-catching enough to make them want to hit play!

5. Use A/B testing

It’s good practice to create multiple versions of your shopping video ad with different storytelling approaches and products. Them, by using A/B testing, you can work out which one resonates best with your target audience.

6. Always optimize for mobile 

A vast majority of users access Instagram on their mobile, and shopping videos work best on the mobile app, so it’s a no-brainer you want to optimize your shoppable videos for mobile by choosing the correct video dimensions. Create your videos on a high-quality camera and save the videos in MP4 format. 

How fun is this animation from SKIMS? 

Instagram 3

7. Add hashtags 

You should absolutely be using hashtags for all your posts, video included! Hashtags increase the chance of your video being discovered by a new customer, and can also help you land on Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page which has a shop tab that gets over half a billion visits each month. 

8. Be inclusive

Remember that over a billion users thing? Safe to say that’s a fair bit of diversity, so be sure to speak to all your potential customers—for example, if you have a clothing brand, showcase models of all different body types and ethnicities. 

A step-by-step guide to creating Instagram shopping video ads 

Here are the 7 steps for how to set up Instagram shopping and how to get approved for shopping on Instagram. 

1. Confirm eligibility

Here Instagram asks you to cover off if your business is located in a supported market, that you have an eligible product, your business complies with Instagram’s Merchant Agreement and Commerce Policies, and that you own a website you intend to sell from.

2. Convert to a business account

It’s free to do, it just takes a few simple steps. 

3. Connect your Facebook Page

Hopefully, you’ve already got a Facebook Page (if not, set one up). Then link your Instagram business account to your Facebook Page in a few simple steps. 

4. Upload a product catalogue

Now you’re ready to ‘stock your shop’ aka upload all your products. You can do this manually in Facebook Business Manager, or level up and integrate your product database if you already have an e-commerce platform like Shopify or Squarespace. 

5. Complete account review

In this step you submit your account to Instagram for review, it would take a couple of days or more, so sit tight. 

6. Turn on Shopping

Once you’ve got the green light from Instagram, it’s time to connect your product catalogue with your Instagram Shop. 

7. Make content actionable

Action means tagging! Tag products by adding stickers to your content to make it shoppable! (more this below…)

See Instagram’s full set-up guide for Instagram Shopping here.  

Make your own Instagram shopping ad

Now you’ve got the full rundown on what makes for a super-sellable Instagram shopping ad and seen some killer examples, all you need to do is create yours today! Luckily Clipchamp is here to help you create professional, effective, shoppable video ads with our free online video editor and Instagram video ad maker. Get ready to change the way your customers shop with you.