6 Reasons why you are losing customers on Instagram

After reaching the 1 billion monthly active users mark in June 2018, Instagram is positioned as the 6th most popular social network in 2019. The app that allows you to create and share content has proven to be the ideal meeting place between businesses and their targets: it has been estimated that since 2017 that 80% of accounts follow a business. You too have decided to take the plunge but you are not getting the results you wanted in terms of conversion? We'll try to explain why it's not happening, so watch out for the next few lines!

1. You haven't defined your target: Who is your ideal customer?

You launched on Instagram without describing to yourself what your ideal target would be or even considering what would interest them. Yet, this is who your content should be tailored to. Here is an example of a persona you should write. It should be particularly tailored to your business plan.

• Exemple 1 : You sell trendy shoes, for women and at low prices. Who is my target? Young women aged 20-28. What does she do? She works or studies. Where does she live? In Paris or London. What does she like on Instagram? Following trends, shopping at low prices, being inspired. What does she follow? Fashion magazines, fashion bloggers, clothing stores.

• Exemple 2 : You sell blenders to make smoothies. Who is my target? Young woman between 25 and 35 years old who subscribes to a gym. What does she do? She works or studies. Where does she live? In New York, in Washington What does she like on Instagram? Following trends, following fitness pages, being inspired. What does she follow? Fashion magazines, fitness bloggers, sporting goods stores

• Other questions: What is her income? What digital tools does she use?

2. You don't have a brand image

You've started your business and you know exactly what you're selling and how you're selling it. But you still may not know why you're selling it or what you're selling it as. To make your business last over time and in the minds of your consumer, you need to define its personality, its values and relay it on your Instagram page.

• But how do you create your brand image?

1. Just like your target audience, define your brand persona. Think about the character you would give it and to which your audience would attach emotionally. What is their attitude? Friendly? Dynamic? Funny? Exploratory? Mature? What are its values? Her mission? How does she differ from others?
2. A brand is therefore identical to an individual. The way it "dresses" and expresses itself must reflect the identity you wish to attribute to it. Therefore, the name, the colors, the tone and the means used to communicate, as well as the organization of your content must allow your customers and prospects to identify and recognize your persona. Let's take a look at these two Instagram accounts:

If you take a quick look at the @Lappthebrand page, you will understand that this is a brand that wants to be sporty but at the same time feminine, audacious, modern and trendy.

And if you take a quick look at the @mattebrand page, you'll see that it's a brand that idealizes a simple yet striking, sensual, colorful woman

Consider organizing your Instagram page so that your target audience can easily remember who you are.

@ mawena has adopted the graphic charter used on its website.

3. Your content is no different from your competitor's

How do you attract and convert your followers into customers when the content you offer on Instagram is no different than your competitors? Ideally, you want to offer users content that has valuable, if not unmatched, value. And if that value is multiplied, then you make them feel like they're enjoying priceless information. How do you multiply the value of your content? By offering a variety of topics for discussion, which is called a "niche mix".

You can then, for example, represent and talk about both entrepreneurship and fitness (@fitpaar24) or about relationships and urban trends (@Tinder)

4. You don't post regularly and/or don't follow trends

Remember that your Instagram page is not the only one to appear in the news feed of your followers. So you especially need to capture their attention by posting regularly and this, if possible, at the same times. Instagram recently shared how its algorithm works: each news feed is personalized according to the interests (likes) of the user. So conclude that the less you post, the fewer likes you'll get, and the less you'll appear in your followers' newsfeed; which will eventually make you completely invisible due to a drop in engagement rate.

You will be able to get your statistics from 100 followers on an Instagram business account. However, there are online tools available to you to track your account: Squarelovin, Iconosquare et Socialblade are some examples. So, if by looking at your statistics you notice that your audience is mostly active on Wednesday and Thursday at 5pm, we strongly advise you to publish your content at these time slots.

Other online tools will give you the ability to plan and publish your content simultaneously on different social media platforms: :

• Hootsuite
• Buffer
• Later

5. You don't engage enough with your subscribers

When your target doesn't come to you, the alternative is to show up by engaging with them. You should:

• Use #hashtag in your publications to be found according to the interests of the target. If you sell cameras, you can for example use the hashtags #photography, #blogger, #photoshoot, #selfie... pay attention to the hashtags used by the community you target and create a relevant list. NB: Use relevant and rotating hashtags to avoid being considered as spam.
• Use these same hashtags to find your target, like/comment on their posts and follow them so that they become aware of your existence
• Respond to comments posted by other users on your posts to start a conversation and increase your visibility to users in your blind spot
• Follow your competitors' subscribers: if your content is as interesting they will not hesitate to subscribe to your page. The combo-niching allows you to multiply these gains of subscriptions.

6. You don't give the illusion of being popular - #Influencers

We are in an era where bloggers/Youtubers exert a masterful influence on their subscribers. Promoting your products/services through the use of influential accounts is to ensure that you remain in the "top mind" of your subscribers over a certain period of time, to reinforce your credibility, but also to be followed by potential customers. Our tip for ensuring you work with reliable and relevant influencers:

1. Choose the niche in which you want to promote your product
2. Choose influencers with a minimum engagement rate of :

• 5 to 8% below 5000 subscribers
• 2 to 4% if they have between 10 000 and 100 000 subscribers
• 1.5-2% if they have over 100,000 followers Socialblade is a great tool to get the engagement rate of an Instagram account. Mene was one of the accounts with the highest engagement rate on instagram (around 30%) in 2018.

3. Make sure that the accounts chosen are not composed largely of fake subscribers:

• If when reviewing the subscribers of an account you see multiple profiles without photos in a row, these are possibly bots.
• Pay attention to the engagement rate. An account with 40K followers and an average of 100 likes per post would not be of any interest to you.
• If the influencer has already worked with brands it is a plus. However, some people simulate the fact that they have already collaborated with brands through their publications in order to paradoxically attract other brands (Obviously, you have to start somewhere when you are an influencer). If you don't want to collaborate with newcomers, the safest thing to do is to go directly to your competitors' pages to find the tagged influencers.
• Write an email pitch in which you present your brand, your products and explain why you choose your influencer. If the influencer chooses to collaborate with you, write a written contract, by email or on document, in which you will state the product sent to the client and the general rules of the partnership (the "do's" and "don'ts" + deadlines, duration of the promotion) Build a relationship with your influencers, they can be very helpful. Moreover, if they like your products/services you have chances to benefit from free promotion.