Instagram Updates To Help You Run A Successful Online Food Or Beverage Business

Hey Food Friends! Are you looking to set your packaged food or beverage company up for success? Look no further. We at the Healthy Food & Beverage Group have got you covered with all the resources you need to position your food or beverage brand for success.

In the recent past, we’ve seen a dramatic shift by most food and beverage businesses to the online space. This short but very informative piece is designed to get you on to changes that are happening on the Instagram side of the online space, and the opportunities that Instagram offers you to grow your packaged food or beverage company.

Let’s dive into it!

Shops On Instagram

Closed down your physical food or beverage shop because of the current economic hardships or have the retailers you’re listed in closed down or completely slowed down? Are you now just wondering how you can continue selling your food or beverage products to your customers without incurring the costs involved with setting up a physical premise again? Or, realizing you no longer want to be at the mercy of someone else's store and you’re ready to move more of your business to online shops?  Instagram now offers you the chance to own a virtual shop on the platform. The great thing about all of it is that it’s free and easy to use! If you’re currently offering Facebook and Instagram shopping, then you’re eligible for a shop on Instagram.

It is totally different from the Instagram shoppable tags that you might have heard of; which allow you to tag food or beverage products on your Instagram content, but then drive customers off the platform when they want to view more information about the product or make a purchase. Instagram shops allow you to sell all your food and beverage products right on the platform. Your customers don’t have to leave the platform. How convenient. 

Improved Growth And Engagement Analytics 

Instagram has perfect growth and engagement analytics that will show you which posts and stories are helping you generate more traction; who you have or haven’t interacted with most in the past 90 days. That is an excellent way to monitor what online activities are helping your food business gain more followers or generate more sales. 

Take a look at what type of content your audience interacts with most and share more of that. People love videos of you talking about your food or beverage products as opposed to text descriptions? Do more of that. Check on who you haven’t interacted with as much and look to change that.

Remember, your Instagram account is there to drive awareness, connection and sales. These new enhanced analytics will allow you to do all three better so you can continue to grow your food or beverage business online. 

Get Your Instagram Inbox Organized

Instagram enables you to run your packaged food or beverage company in a more organized way with a feature that allows you to break your inbox into two separate tabs; the primary and general tab. Take note that you can only do this on a professional/business account and not personal accounts.

All you’ve got to do is swipe on your messages to sort them out to either primary or general tab. The primary tab is for the more important messages that require urgent responses while the general one is where you keep your not so essential conversations. That is perfect for your food and beverage business because it helps you sort and keep track of your messages and engage better with your customers. 

Instagram also enabled D.Ms on the desktop version of the site. If you find it easier to manage the social profiles of your food brand on a desktop or laptop, then this is excellent news for you. 

And it doesn’t stop there. Instagram is currently testing the best way to integrate the Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram Direct Message to provide a seamless, streamlined communication tool that can be accessed from all three apps. When that rolls out, you’ll be able to respond to messages quickly and engage with all your customers from all three social platforms in a better way without any sweat.  

Options To Add Different Kinds Of C.T.As On Your Brand’s I.G profile 

Did you know that you can add different clickable Call To Action buttons on your food company’s I.G profile?  Yes, you can. In the spirit to help struggling businesses cope with the current situations, Instagram released new features that can help your food brand come out of this situation better and bigger. You can add C.T.As like “Order Food” or “Purchase a Gift Card” to your Instagram profile, next to the other clickable options like “Contact” or “Message.” When your customers click on these C.T.As on your profile, they’ll be taken directly to your platform of choice where they can make a purchase.

Why would you not put your food brand in a great position by making use of such features? Have an “Order Food” or “Order Drink” C.T.A button on your food or beverage company’s Instagram profile and make it easier for your customers to access your food and beverage products! You have full control of how you want your food or beverage business’s I.G profile to look like and what information you want on there. 

You, as a food or beverage business owner, must take advantage of these Instagram’s new developments to improve the online side of your business, get your food brand out there and let it flourish!

As Instagram continues to work towards making life better for you to operate your food business online, we at the Healthy Food & Beverage Group want to work with you on that journey to realizing food or beverage business success. Join us at the F.A.B Growth Academy to get more insights on how to launch, develop, and grow your food or beverage brand, get your food and beverage products onto more retail shelves and into more homes.

Published by Healthy Food & Beverage Group Contributor Calvin Wasambla