5 new Instagram features you can use to grow your business

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that Instagram is just for teens, selfies and pointless scrolling. 🙆

It’s a powerful business tool that can grow your business in just a few taps.

Whether you’re selling a product or a service, you can use the platform’s features to get in front of your ideal audience and make a sale.

Not sure how?

No worries. I’ve got your back.

Here’s how I’m using Instagram’s newest features from 2018 to bring in sales, and how you can follow in my footsteps.

1. Video Call Your Followers

Yep.

You can turn an Instagram DM into a live video call… with up to four people!

How crazy is that?

It’s one of Instagram’s latest features, and I’m super excited about its possibilities.

To use this feature, you need to have an active Direct Message conversation with the other people.

So don’t worry – you’re not going to get spammed with hundreds of random phone calls all of a sudden.

HOW VIDEO CALLING CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS:

• Do you run a services business like me that offers coaching or masterclasses? Use video calling as a way to contact your clients. You can also invite three other students and use the feature as a way to share feedback on projects or ideas.
• Do you only take on a set number of clients at a time or do you have a vacancy in your business? Hop on an Instagram DM video call and quickly interview potential candidates.
• Does your business rely on customer support? If you get a query through your Instagram DMs, you can call your follower up and help solve their problem face-to-face. I mean, talk about good customer service!

2. Use the Question Sticker in your Instagram Stories

I don’t know about you, but my Insta was flooded with “ask me anything” Stories as soon as the question sticker launched.

It’s one of Instagram’s more interactive features and is a fun feature you can leverage to find out a ton of information about your followers.

Instead of just asking people to vote with a poll or emoji, the question sticker prompts a more engaged response.

You can ask your followers to submit a question to you, or you can ask them to reply to one of your specific questions.

HERE’S HOW THE QUESTION STICKER CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS:

• Ask what new products or services your followers would like to see.
• Poll your followers to identify their pain points.
• Ask for feedback on your website, product or service.
• Host an AMA (Ask Me Anything).

Use the answers you receive to strengthen your website copy, add new products (or chuck out a few) and create an even STRONGER brand message.

3. Add in Shoppable Instagram Posts

If you sell any physical products, you NEED to be all over this feature.

The shoppable posts feature is available to all business accounts and lets users simply tap your post or Instagram Story to shop your products.

HERE’S HOW INSTAGRAM’S SHOPPABLE POSTS CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS:

• It’s an easy way to increase traffic back to your website.
• It’s a seamless shopping experience, and users don’t have to leave your post or the Instagram app to shop.
• You no longer have to rely on using the “link in bio” call-to-action or hitting 10K followers to get the “swipe up” feature in your Stories to promote your products.

4. Repost Instagram Stories and Posts

One of the best ways to get people to buy what you are selling is with social proof.

And with Instagram’s latest repost features, you benefit from all that good juju with just a few taps of your thumb.

HERE’S HOW THE INSTAGRAM REPOST FEATURE CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS:

• Re-share Stories that you’re tagged in

If a customer tags or mentions your handle, you can re-share their Story in your Stories (#inception).

Your customer will be notified, and your Instagram Story watchers can tap on the original post within your Story to go to the customer’s profile.

It’s an easy way to show off what makes your brand great while also giving your customers a social shout-out.

• Re-share Posts to Stories

Do you get a lot of user-generated content (UGC)?

Now you can instantly share a post to your Instagram Stories. The post will display the original person’s username and the first few words of their caption.

But you can also use the feature to draw attention to things happening on your Instagram profile.

Instead of taking a screenshot of your latest post, you can share it directly to your Stories.

Or if you want to remind users of a giveaway, for example, you can re-share the post to your Stories and drive up engagement.

It’s a powerful way to create strong brand awareness and increase activity on your account.

5. Share Longer, Edited Videos with IGTV

When IGTV launched in June of this year, it shook the digital world.

IGTV is Instagram’s long-form video platform, and it’s poised to give YouTube some much-needed competition.

No longer are you limited to 15-second videos that disappear after 24 hours. Instead, you can upload 10-minute videos that will stay on your IGTV profile forever.

🔗Did we mention that you can also share LINKS in the descriptions of your IGTV videos? Major win there.

HOW IGTV CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS:

• Teach your audience: Upload a quick webinar or a tutorial.
• Showcase your products: Upload a video of your products in action.
• Humanize your brand: Upload a Q&A video about yourself or answer frequently asked questions.
• Case studies: Interview a client about how you’ve helped their business improve.

Want to know more about IGTV and its capabilities?

Check out my in-depth IGTV guide that shows you everything you need to know to master this sexy new feature from Instagram.

Sell more by doing less in my free Instagram workshop!

If you loved this blog post and want even more how-to tips on making sales through your Instagram account, join me for my FREE hands-on workshop.

In this ~co-working~ style workshop, we’ll check off:

• What your best Instagram strategy is – even if you’re new in business or are just starting to use Instagram for your business (PLUS, we’ll give your profile and bio a total makeover)
• What your current season of business is and which features you should focus on to get the most results for your efforts
• How to navigate making reels for your business, especially if you feel silly pointing or dancing on camera (PLUS, we’ll generate 80 content ideas for your next posts – yes, 80!)
• Future-proofing your account for inevitable changes that are coming to Instagram (including an evergreen formula that’ll never go out of style)

Join me at this FREE workshop now ⬇️