Cannabis
Instagram might be the new Google for shoppers doing Research
Can you believe that Ask Jeeves used to be where people went for restaurant recommendations, inspirational ideas, funny videos, and pictures of puppies?
Today, most people use Google, and a growing number of people hop on Instagram to find whatever it is they’re looking for. Exciting for you, new research even suggests that shoppers get on Instagram when they don’t know what they’re looking for. Why? Because Instagram is great at giving people things to want! In this post we’ll discuss why shoppers use Instagram to do research, and how your Cannabis brand can use Instagram to reach customers at every stage of their thought processes.
To begin, it’s imperative that CBD businesses and brands have a fully fleshed out Instagram account that matches all the information shared on their website and Google listing. This way, users who find your business on the ‘gram can hop to your website or your maps listing to get more down-to-the-minute details, like when do you close on a Monday night, and, if you have any sales going on.
That’s the “Instagram for business” basics. In this post we’d also like to make the point that Instagram is nowadays functioning as a closet of ideas. People open it up when they are bored, or want a surge of creativity, or know they want to buy a cool new thing but don’t know exactly what it will be. If you keep this in mind when posting, you will be reaching consumers where they are. Important to remember ::
Social media is about society, and societies are built on sharing.
When your customers post about your location or your products, they are giving you free advertising, but more importantly, they are recommending you directly to all of their followers. Incentivize visitors to post about you! Give your store a delicious airy ambiance, or design some highly photogenic packaging.
While buying things directly via the app is still a bit of a clunky process, studies are highlighting how the social media platform brings customers close in other ways. Mobile Marketer had this to say: “Rather than direct attribution, social media shines in the secondary effects such as search, customer service, CRM, retargeting, engagement and brand building.” That’s right, Instagram is all about those secondary (and oh so necessary) effects.
Like we said earlier, folks won’t be purchasing products straight off Instagram. However, we feel it’s important that brands understand that Instagram does gives you access to consumers at every single stage of the “buyer’s journey.” From discovery > consideration > decision, you can make meaningful connections and impact fans and shoppers on the app. Be there when someone goes looking for new products to covet on the #cbd hashtag (discovery). Be there when someone is deliberating between a CBD bath bomb and a CBD patch (consideration). Be there with all of your details up to date when that someone is ready to buy and wants to make a beeline to your store (decision).
What might be the most valuable takeaway from new studies on Instagram is that simply having an account in the first place signals to followers that brands are committed to “community building.”
Don’t leave your community of shoppers out in the cold — get on the ‘gram!
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… Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on the ‘gram
