Automated conversations and chatbots — collectively referred to as “Automation” here — help users navigate a brand’s website or eCommerce shop by answering questions or dispensing information. Immediate answers are great for customers, and offloading this work onto software can also allow employees who would otherwise be chatting with customers to focus on other business areas. 

This article will explore why automated conversations are vital for growing revenue and share the specifics on how they can increase sales. 

Why an eCommerce chatbot is essential for growing revenue

Ecommerce sales have been steadily increasing since 2014 and are expected to surpass $7 billion by 2025. Yet, along with the growth in eCommerce comes higher expectations from online shoppers, such as a seamless checkout experience and faster response times from customer support. 

As a result, companies looking to meet customer needs have embraced automation. Chatbots can carry on conversations with potential and current customers, assist with purchasing, or answer questions about an order without a live human behind the screen. 

Depending on the software, automation can also collect customer data, run contests and giveaways, and transfer users to a live agent as needed (not to brag, but ManyChat does all of this, and more). 

With eCommerce sales on the rise and your free time decreasing by the day, utilizing a chatbot can be a lifesaver for your online business. Not only can a chatbot save time and money, but it can improve efficiency in your marketing efforts. Read on to learn how!

Top 8 ways a chatbot can supercharge sales and support for your eCommerce store

Using chatbots can boost sales and deliver better customer support for your eCommerce brand in several ways: 

Improve lead generation efforts

Use automation to attract and qualify your leads. For example, Instagram DM Automation by ManyChat has features that will automatically add users who comment on your posts into your direct messages. From there, they’ll enter an automated flow. 

Once in a flow you’ve created, users will answer qualifying questions posed by a chatbot . Here’s how it could work in practice: If you sell shoes, the chatbot can ask shoppers what types of shoes they’re shopping for and send them relevant information and product pages. 

Increase engagement

DM Automation goes beyond direct messages. You can also automate communication with Instagram users via Instagram Live, comments, and Stories. 

These features mean you don’t have to manually reply to every user who mentions your brand in an Instagram Story or leaves a comment on a post — the chatbot will do it for you. Instagram’s algorithm rewards accounts that engage with users (and can’t tell if a human or software is behind the engagement), which means more users will see your content.

Answer frequently asked questions

There’s a good chance your audience will repeatedly ask you the same questions. Common topics include sales (start dates, duration, eligible items, etc), prices, warranties, shipping, and others. 

Brands usually include an FAQ section on their websites, but users may not always go to it. Instead, they’ll ask the company itself! In such situations, you can let your chatbot answer questions for you. 

Having the chatbot answer these queries for you frees up time to work on other customer service inquiries that may require more than just rote responses (the chatbot can connect to a live agent when necessary).  

Provide ’round-the-clock customer service

Along with never tiring of answering the same questions over and over, your chatbot never tires, period. Setting up automated responses allows customers to get a reply to their questions right away, even in the wee hours of the morning. 

When your automation works at all hours, there’s no need to worry about time zones or live agent shifts—the chatbot works 24/7. 

Sell your products

Selling directly within Instagram has gotten more accessible with the Buy Button (a ManyChat Automation feature). The Buy Button allows you to show customers your products/offerings and enables them to purchase directly within the conversation without leaving the platform. 

Integrate with a payment gateway in a few easy steps with Stripe or PayPal and watch the sales roll in. Having the ability to purchase directly within the chatbot conversation window shortens the sales cycle, makes it easier for the customer to buy, and leaves less time for the customer to reconsider their impulse purchase. 

Personalize your conversations 

When chatbots collect first-party data from customers, it enables them to hold personalized conversations that improve the customer experience. 

For example, say a customer enters an automated flow after asking about the status of an order. The flow can tag the user as a customer, even asking and noting what they purchased. Later, the chatbot can use that information to ask for a product review or provide a discount code for their next purchase. (By the way, these post-purchase chatbot tasks can be automated—keep reading for more details!)

Collects feedback

You can set up a chatbot to automatically collect feedback from customers via reviews or web forms. For example, you can set up a message to send three days after a product is delivered that asks the user how they like it. 

The chatbot can also follow up on positive and negative reviews. You could send an automated message to thank customers for their thoughts on good reviews; if the feedback is less than stellar, you can take action to resolve the issue.

While chatbots helps you out in many areas of your business, they also provide firsthand look at who your customer is. You can use this information to improve your products and marketing campaigns.

Automation is a great tool that can simplify several tasks, including generating leads, increasing engagement, taking care of FAQs, providing 24/7 support, and even selling your products and services. Using a chatbot for these tasks (and others on your list) can save your business time and money.

As an eCommerce business, you really have nothing to lose—and everything to gain—by adding a chatbot. 

Ready to get started with Instagram DM Automation by ManyChat?

The post How a Chatbot can Increase Ecommerce Sales appeared first on Manychat Blog.

With all signs pointing to greater eCommerce sales, it’s a no-brainer to start selling online. But where should brands put their marketing efforts? We’re looking at you, Instagram.

This article will explore why Instagram is a good platform for eCommerce businesses and share top tips for generating in-app sales. 

Is Instagram good for eCommerce? 

In 2019, Instagram started beta testing its in-app checkout feature. Now that it’s available to all brands, it’s significantly easier for eCommerce brands to sell products on the platform. 

Not only does the in-app checkout offer a frictionless purchase experience, but Instagram’s endless feed means users can scroll through loads of product-related content and ads. Even better, Statista predicts as many as 1.2 billion users will be on Instagram in 2023, a massive pool of potential customers. 

So, how can you win on Instagram as an eCommerce brand? Here are a few things you can do right away to see success on the platform. 

Tips to get started with Instagram eCommerce

Being successful on Instagram requires more effort than simply sharing attractive images. Here are some tactics that will help you thrive on the social media app: 

1. Publish quality content 

How frequently you publish content and at what times differs for every brand (it depends on your audience and your resources). But you should consistently post quality content on Instagram that’s unique and interesting. 

In April 2022, Instagram’s algorithm update revealed that the platform would give ranking priority to original content (not anything reposted from other accounts or platforms). Posting content that stands out will help attract users, but will also be rewarded with more visibility. 

Read more about creating Instagram content that converts. 

2. Mix up your photos 

If the only thing that changes about your photos is the product they feature (for example, if you’re just using the product page photo from your website in every post), your Instagram account will start to look too salesy. 

Get creative with your photos. Consider showing how your customers use the products (more on this later) or zoom in on specific features. Even posting tangentially related images (e.g., showing food shots if you own a restaurant supply store) will help shake things up. 

3. Consider hashtags 

Data shows that Instagram posts with hashtags garner 12.6% more engagement than those without them. If you’re using hashtags in your branded posts, you have the potential to reach thousands — if not millions — of people who follow the hashtag but not your business’s Instagram account. This ia golden opportunity that you should not pass up!

Read more about finding the right hashtags for your brand and creating a strategy.

4. Optimize your account 

Though they are completely different platforms, Instagram and Google share a common goal: to show users quality content that they’ll enjoy. One way Instagram achieves this is by serving up search results from a non-branded search like “photography tips” or “inspirational quotes.”

You can improve your chances of appearing in the search results by optimizing your Instagram bio for those terms. Your account name and bio are what the algorithm pulls when providing users with suggested accounts, so sprinkle in the keywords your target audience is searching for.

Read more about optimizing your Instagram bio. 

5. Share user-generated content 

Individuals who reference your brand or products in their posts are creating user-generated content (UGC), which can be a powerful tool for building your Instagram audience relationships.

Get your audience to post about you by incentivizing them with entries to a giveaway, discounts on future products, or bonus loyalty program points when they publish a photo of their purchased product.

6. Work with Instagram influencers 

Influencers are people who whose opinions hold sway over others. The goal is to work with influencers with an audience that would love to hear about you and what you offer. 

You’re broadening your audience by working with influencers. Since those who already follow that influencer will want to see what they say about your brand, they may end up following your brand as a result.

Read more about influencer marketing.

7. Measure your Instagram marketing efforts 

Even if you’re killing it on Instagram, you’ll never be able to improve if you aren’t measuring your results. You’ll have access to Instagram Analytics with an Instagram business account, which you can use to see how your Instagram posts and Stories are performing. Use the Analytics to learn when your audience is active on the app and which content is generating the best engagement. 

8. Work smarter 

Various tools can help you work efficiently on Instagram. We’re proud to offer Instagram DM Automation by ManyChat, which automates many of your most time-sucking communication activities. 

DM Automation enables automated conversations with users via direct messages. You can even use it to automatically get users into the DMs via post comments, Story mentions, or IG Live. Some of its other features include:

• Running and managing contests and giveaways 
• Collecting first-party data to learn more about your customers 
• Using Keywords as triggers to spark conversations and answer questions 
• Sending conversations to a live agent when needed 

If your customers already spend time on Instagram, you should have a presence there to make it easy for them to discover and purchase your products. Follow our tips for getting started with Instagram, and consider using Automation for more efficiency and better results. 

Ready to get started with Instagram DM Automation by ManyChat?

The post Tips to Succeed on Instagram as an Ecommerce Brand appeared first on Manychat Blog.

But what many businesses forget is that just having an Instagram profile doesn’t automatically lead to increased sales or engagement. One important aspect of successful Instagram marketing is understanding how your Instagram feed affects branding and your social media goals.

Your Instagram feed is a visual advertisement for your company and can tell your brand story or display your products. It’s perhaps the first thing potential customers learn about you after they click on one of your posts.

Instagram users make decisions quickly, whether it’s clicking on a link or following your account. And if your personal brand isn’t instantly attractive and compelling, the customer may just drift away.

Why does a cohesive Instagram feed matter?

There is no social media platform with the same visual impact as Instagram—and almost none that are as competitive for emerging brands. Consumers lured to check out a business profile after reading a clever or compelling Instagram post will see the company’s Instagram feed first. This is usually a grid of pictures and posts that makes up your profile. The feed can also include elements such as your profile pic, your Instagram bio, hashtags, links, highlights and other calls to actions. Think of your Instagram feed as the window in front of your store: what you put on it will prompt your customer either to window shop and walk away, or become intrigued enough to come in and perhaps buy something.

However, Instagram users make decisions much faster than anyone window shopping in real life. And a positive reaction to your Instagram feed doesn’t have to be a purchase. The user might start a conversation or ask you a question, setting up a long-term relationship. They might share the link to your profile and feed to others, spreading the word about your account. The higher the profile of your account and the more visually attractive your feed, the more seriously your brand voice will be taken. Use this unique opportunity to connect with consumers and potential consumers in a strategic way that’s consistent to your business profile.

Clarify your Instagram marketing strategy

This might seem like a daunting task, but it can be split up into three different questions that you should ask yourself:

What three words describe your business?

If you answered “trendy,” “fun” and “eclectic,” then your Instagram feed should reflect that in its theme, color palettes, choice of fonts and filters, and layouts. In particular, it should look very different from an Instagram feed for a business that describes itself as “efficient,” “straightforward” and “traditional.” These three words will help you focus the design of your Instagram feed and stand out from your competitors

Who is your target audience?

If you run a dessert catering company, do you provide elegant desserts for would-be brides or cartoon cupcakes for toddler birthday parties? This kind of question will help you design a curated Instagram feed that attracts your ideal customers. Are you trying to appeal to young customers or a more mature crowd? Do they live in the city or more rural areas? Do they listen to opera, jazz or rock? Who is your ideal follower? Everything from the description of your company in your bio to your hashtags to the images and text you choose should be tailored for the audience most likely to patronize your business and follow your Instagram account.

Understand how visual branding affects your Instagram audience

Here’s an Instagram marketing tip: organize and plan out your feed before you put up a single post. The first element to plan out is a well-designed and appropriate color scheme. The latter isn’t too hard—choose five or six colors and stick with those in almost every post. A good source for color palettes can come from interior decorating guides or fashion magazines. Artists and designers take the combination of colors in a palette very seriously, and with good reason. Different color schemes evoke different emotions, and you want a palette that pairs your brand with the right feeling. And if you’re stumped, an online feed planning tool can help.

This leads to the second requirement: appropriateness. A neon color scheme is not appropriate for an online antique shop. If you are selling brightly colored and cheerfully patterned children’s clothes, does a black-and-white color scheme really showcase your products? You should have two goals in mind when you choose your color palette. The first is that the colors go well together and are pleasing to the Instagram user’s eye. The second is that the color scheme harmonizes with the purpose of your business and the visual content of your brand. The combination of these elements will lead to continued engagement with potential customers and increased brand awareness.

Successful Instagram branding requires consistency and uniformity

When it comes to designing your Instagram feed, you should create a structure that works and stick to it. Along with a uniform color palette, it’s important that you use backgrounds with similar images or colors and that your filters are uniform, if not exactly the same.

A successful feed will have a variety of content, including testimonials, product descriptions, event announcements, user-generated content and blog articles. For instance, using a mix of single image, carousel posts, Reels, Stories and Instagram Live in posts can beat the Instagram algorithm. As a result, one of the best things you can do is create templates for each type of format and content so they’re easy to find on the feed. Using standard templates not only provides the uniformity that sets apart a professional brand but will also speed up your posting time.

Consequently, your ultimate goal is an Instagram feed that is cohesive, with images and other visual content that relate to each other visually and yet can stand on their own.

What’s the ultimate goal of your Instagram content strategy?

While your final goal might be increasing revenue, don’t limit your content to sales pitches. There are other types of content that can improve Instagram users’ engagement with your brand. You can offer advice on using specific products or offer comparisons to your competitors. You can review changes in the industry or ask for feedback in the form of quizzes and surveys. Also, don’t forget to include Instagram content that is simply entertaining! Humor, trivia and behind-the-scenes gossip improve brand recognition, and provide value to users that isn’t immediately calculable. Therefore, your Instagram marketing strategy should be to create an account that is entertaining, interesting or informative to a significant portion of your audience.

Posting regularly is an Instagram best practice

The final key to a successful Instagram feed that helps your brand is regular updates. You want users to check on your feed for content and images as often as possible. If you already have a structure and consistent aesthetic, then potential customers know what your brand is about. However, they will only keep returning if they also know that you frequently post new content. Updating your Instagram feed on a consistent, predictable basis means your brand will remain relevant for your Instagram followers.

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The post How Your Instagram Feed Can Help Your Brand Succeed appeared first on Manychat Blog.

This article will look at the current state of eCommerce checkout experiences, metrics to measure success, and tips for creating a seamless checkout experience. 

The current state of eCommerce checkout experiences

Ecommerce sales have been steadily increasing year-over-year. In 2022, eCommerce sales will be a massive 21% of global retail sales. 

As more consumers turn to eCommerce and become comfortable with the digital checkout experience, they begin to form expectations. Here are top expectations customers have for digital shopping platforms:

• Innovative technology: Customers can expect established brands to use new, secure technology to complete the checkout process.  
• Speed: The ability to save your payment information and delivery address facilitates expedient checkout. 
• Convenience: Offering multiple payment options makes it easy for customers who have a preferred method. 

We’ll explore these checkout features throughout the article. 

What does checkout performance mean for a Shopify store? 

As a brand, you may be looking at the data associated with your digital checkout to determine its performance. What do all of the metrics tell you about your checkout experience? 

Cart abandonment rate 

Cart abandonment rate (CAR) is the percentage of users who’ve added items to their cart but didn’t complete the checkout. Calculate your CAR using this formula: # of carts – # of orders / # of carts. 

A high CAR could result from a complicated checkout process, lack of payment options, an increased shipping cost, or a host of other possibilities. Try sending an email or a text to users reminding them they have items in their cart to capture their sales. 

Checkout engagement rate 

The percentage of customers who begin the checkout page once they visit their cart is referred to as the checkout engagement rate (CER). The CER is another way of looking at the CAR because it helps you evaluate how effective your cart page is. 

Calculate your CER using this formula: # of sessions that began checkout / # of visits that included the cart page. 

Checkout conversion rate

Figure out the percentage of shoppers who complete the checkout process from start to finish to get your checkout conversion rate (CCR). These are the customers who complete a checkout without moving back and forth between website pages. 

Calculate your CCR using this formula: # of sessions that completed checkout / # of sessions that began checkout. 

Accelerated checkout rate 

The accelerated checkout rate (ACR) is the number of customers who complete payment using a particular payment option compared to all completed transactions. 

Calculate your ACR using this formula: # number of transactions with digital payments / # of all transactions. 

Mobile abandonment gap

The mobile abandonment gap (MAG) shows the differences between the CAR for mobile devices and the CAR on a desktop computer. As people become more and more comfortable purchasing on their phones, an appealing mobile experience becomes more critical. 

Calculate your MAG using this formula: mobile CAR – desktop CAR. 

How to reduce friction and speed up eCommerce checkout

Convenience and complexity are big factors that influence whether people complete the checkout process. Follow these tips for reducing friction so customers don’t abandon their carts: 

Optimize for global shopping 

International shoppers need to see sites with options for their preferred language, currency, and payment options. Utilizing Shopify Plus is an easy way to optimize, as it allows for 130+ currencies, 20 languages, and various payment methods. 

Reduce the number of form fields

If a potential customer has to fill out a lengthy form to buy something, they’ll have more time to change their mind and buy from another brand. In general, the fewer questions the better, but the average eCommerce form has six to eight fields.  

Gain users’ trust

A user will abandon a full cart if they don’t feel comfortable entering their personal and payment method information. You can communicate that your Shopify store is secure by displaying credit card logos, authenticity badges, and a link to your privacy policy. 

Save customer information for autofill

Google AutoFill can help create a frictionless checkout since it saves customers from having to enter their information manually. Shopify also enables Shop Pay, an accelerated checkout that allows customers to save their email address, credit card, and shipping and billing information. (This also adds Shop Pay installments as a payment method option.)

Nine best practices for Shopify checkout page customization

Now that you’ve got the basics, let’s look at some tips for creating a custom Shopify checkout page. 

Allow guest checkout

In other words, don’t force new customers to create an account. Doing so could drive them away for good! Allow customers to log in with Google, Instagram, or Facebook and make a quick purchase. 

Here’s how to enable guest checkout for your Shopify store:

1. In the admin dashboard, go to Settings > Checkouts.
2. Under customer accounts, choose Accounts are optional.
3. Select Enable Multipass for multiple pass login.
4. Click Confirm.

Create a Shopify one-page checkout

One-page checkout helps people complete the process faster. Shopify’s one-page checkout can include shipping, delivery, and payment method information on a single page, which reduces the number of individual steps a customer has to navigate through to complete a purchase.

Show cart security messages

Shopify already displays the “All transactions are secure and encrypted” message above the credit card field, but you can customize it to fit your online store. 

Change the Shopify default cart message by:

• Searching for “All transactions are secure and encrypted” and look for Card security notice under Checkout & system/Checkout payment.
• Updating the existing message with yours and saving your changes.

Offer several payment options

Shopify highly recommendeds allowing for multiple payment solutions to accommodate for customers’ preferred method (such as American Express, Google Pay, or Amazon Pay).

Here’s how to add more payment options to your Shopify checkout page: 

1. Go to Settings > Payments from your admin.
2. In the Alternative Payments section, click Choose alternative payment.
3. Choose a provider from the list.
4. Enter your account credentials for that provider.
5. Click Activate to enable the provider.

Upsell on the Shopify checkout page

Showing similar (but higher-priced) or complementary products on the checkout page is an excellent tactic for upselling. Once you add the product recommendations to that page, make sure it’s easy to add them to the cart.

Promote a sense of urgency

Flash sales that only last for a few hours can generate a “fear of missing out” anxiety and increase sales. You could also add a timer to your cart page, especially for sale items. Here are some other ways to create urgency:

• If there are only a few of a particular item left, indicate that stocks are low
• Provide a limited-time discount along with free shipping
• Attach a gift or free voucher with an expiration date for any customer returning to your store

Add a date picker for easy tracking and delivery

Adding a date picker helps buyers track their orders. You can also provide more options on shipping and pickup options. 

Communicate your refund policy

Displaying your refund policy carries a lot of weight in boosting credibility and building trust with your valued consumers. Your refund policy must cover every scenario, including refund conditions, a warranty, a warranty period, and a return window.

Here’s how to display a store policy on the Shopify checkout page:

1. From the admin dashboard, head to Settings > Legal.
2. Fill in your policy or choose a pre-made template.
3. Edit and add links per your needs, then click Save to confirm your settings.

Keep pricing transparent 

No customer will be happy if they encounter hidden costs (such as a transaction fee) in the checkout process. Transparent pricing will help you gain buyers’ trust.

Showcase the breakdown of your customers’ payments as clearly as possible, including the price of items, shipping cost, taxes, and even the price after discounts (if applicable).

Several factors play into a seamless eCommerce checkout experience, but Shopify has tools to help. Try a few of the tips from this article and start calculating your metrics—you’re sure to see your checkout sales increase!

Ready to try the Shopify integration with ManyChat?

The post Ways to Create a Seamless Shopify Payment Checkout Experience appeared first on Manychat Blog.

By utilizing Shopify integration with IG, businesses can showcase products that users can purchase in just a few clicks within the app — instead of exiting the platform to visit your website or online store. 

This article will explore why your Shopify store should be on Instagram, how to start selling, and tips for promoting your products.

Why your Shopify store should be on Instagram

Though Instagram has secured its place as one of the most popular social media platforms, it’s understandable to be hesitant about adding another profile to your list. After all, the more accounts you create, the more time you need to spend maintaining them. 

Rest assured that creating an Instagram account for your business is well worth the effort. That said, here are a few reasons why you should put your Shopify store on Instagram:

Instagram has a broad reach 

According to Statista, Instagram had 2 billion monthly active users at the end of 2021. It’s highly probable that your customers are among those 2 billion users, and Instagram gives you a free opportunity to reach them. 

Instagram makes shopping easy

Instagram makes it easy for users to research products and services before purchasing, one reason why as many as 81% of shoppers do so. 

Instagram’s “shoppable posts” have a clickable shopping bag icon that displays additional information about the product along with a “View Products” button that takes users to a Shopify store. Such posts make the shopping process smooth and seamless for users and act almost like a digital product catalog for businesses.

Access to enhanced product marketing

Instagram’s Shopping features—such as shopping tags (product tagging) and Instagram shops—allow businesses to generate sales for their Shopify stores via the Instagram app. 

Brands can also improve customer relationships with special offers and discounts.

Now that you’re aware of why you should set up an Instagram account for your business, let’s dive into the details of how to do so. 

How to set up Instagram Shopping for your Shopify store

Here’s how to start selling your products on Shopify via Instagram Shopping:

Step 1: Set up Facebook channel in your Shopify store

Start by setting up a Facebook channel that will enable you to add your Shopify products. Use it to tag all the products on your Instagram feed and Stories.

Step 2: Create an Instagram business profile

Next, set up an Instagram business profile. If you already have a personal Instagram account and want to switch to a business account, you can do so from the settings menu. 

Learn more about Instagram business accounts.

Unfortunately, you cannot use the Instagram Shopping feature unless you have a business account. In addition to a business account, the Instagram merchant policy requirements state you must:

• Link the account to a Facebook page containing a catalog of your products
• Sell only products (not services)

Furthermore, the Instagram Shopping feature has to be available in your region.

If your business meets all these requirements, you can apply for a review on Instagram. To do this:

• Go to the Settings menu
• Then go to the Business tab
• Click on Sign Up for Instagram Shopping
• Follow all the necessary instructions and click Submit

Once you get approval (which may take two to three days), you will notice the Shopping option when checking the Settings menu.

Step 3: Turn on Instagram Shopify and put your products up for sale

Next, turn on the Shopping feature to tag products in images you post (creating a shoppable post). This is how Instagram users will be able to start placing orders.  

Turn on the Shopping feature tag:

• Click on Profile Settings
• Click Shopping in the drop-down menu
• Hit Continue
• Link your Facebook channel to your Instagram business profile

Step 4: Add products to your Instagram posts

Ready to add products to your posts and create a shoppable Instagram feed? Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Use high-quality images and high-resolution videos that will catch your audience’s attention (think of your feed as a product catalog or a store window). 
• Upload your product images with creative and engaging captions that will convince people to take action. 
• Tag your products to their respective Shopify links—you can tag up to five different products per image or video.
• Ensure that the image name you use on Instagram is the same one you used on your Facebook channel. 

Once you share your images, you are ready to take orders.

Step 5: Create Instagram Stories

Once you have Instagram Shopping, you can also sell products via Instagram Stories. Remember: anything with a product tag = shoppable. Create Instagram Stories featuring your Shopify products to provide some information about them.

An Instagram Story is an excellent way to capture the attention of potential customers outside of your feed posts. While Instagram Stories are only visible for 24 hours, you can choose to save them as Highlights on your Instagram page indefinitely.

Read more about how to set up an Instagram shop

Now that you can sell your products on Instagram, let’s look at some ways you can  generate sales for them!

How to promote Shopify products on Instagram

Here are a few tips for promoting your Shopify products on Instagram:

Be authentic (while sticking to your brand)

You must be unique, creative, and authentic to stand a chance of succeeding at Instagram marketing—don’t be tempted to pass other’s ideas off as your own. 

Write catchy product descriptions

Customers can form assumptions about your brand within seconds of seeing your Instagram feed posts, Stories, videos, or even your account page. To deliver the best possible impression, ensure all details align and encourage customers to interact with your brand, including the product descriptions. 

Optimize your account

Optimize your account by choosing an appropriate username for your brand, using a good profile picture, and including a complete bio on your profile page. 

Post when users are most active 

There are no hard and fast rules for the best posting times (though some evidence indicates there are general “better” times), so just aim to post when most of your followers are active on the platform. You can use Instagram Analytics to determine when your target audience is most engaged.

Appeal to customers’ imagination

Make it easy for users to visualize what their lives will be like when they use your products. Instead of focusing on specific product features, highlight the benefits your customers will get from using them. 

Pick a theme

Using your brand colors or a theme for your Instagram profile page makes your account more pleasing to the eye. Additionally, a visually appealing profile and Instagram feed make an excellent first impression on users while communicating your brand’s identity.

Learn how to build a superior Instagram aesthetic for your brand.

Leverage user-generated content

If customers post about your product, share positive publicity via an Instagram post or Story! You can also share feedback or reviews from your customers as part of your content, which gives potential customers an outside perspective. 

Offer discounts and promo codes

Attract new customers and retain current ones by offering exclusive deals. People are more likely to purchase from stores where they get discount offers — who doesn’t love a sale?

Promoting your Shopify store on Instagram offers tremendous benefits for your brand. Follow our tips, stay consistent, and enjoy the results. 

Want to see how ManyChat can lend a hand on Instagram? 

The post How to Sell on Instagram Using Shopify appeared first on Manychat Blog.

Getting started is cheap and easy with marketplaces like Shopify having an inexpensive and customizable platform for you to design as you see fit. But even better, there are ways to automate your eCommerce funnel to make it as hands-off as possible, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. 

The eCommerce sales funnel

Sales funnels are designed to take customers on a journey to bait them, engage with them, and nurture them into a buying mindset. This sales funnel requires several stages before ultimately asking them to make a decision and purchase. 

Awareness

Making your brand, product, or service known is the first step in the sales funnel. You want to present yourself as knowledgeable, professional, and attractive to a buyer. Every time they think of your industry, you want to be the first option that comes to mind. 

The best way to do this is to build your social media presence on a platform where your audience is. For example, Instagram is a popular choice for business owners because of its reach and many actions that can be performed. 

Businesses can engage with customers, answer questions, promote products, entertain, and be creative, all from one platform. 

Solve a problem

Through the awareness phase, you want to have drawn attention to a customer’s pain point and a problem they need to be solved. During this phase, you want to accomplish a few things before moving them into the decision-making stage. 

1. Establish trust. Show your face as often as possible. This allows your audience to get to know you and your product or service, and people are more likely to buy from you if they trust you.
2. Communicate your differences. Show them why you beat out the competition in more than one way. Take them on a company journey, do comparisons and focus on your strengths.
3. Meet their criteria. Customers want most (if not all) of their boxes checked. Check them! Do your market research and be affordable, and offer the best features and services. 

The big “ask”

So you managed to reel in an audience, market to them, and nurture them along this buying journey to the final stage. It’s time to close the loop and seal the deal with a purchase. Here are some tips to close:

•  Have large calls to action. Invite the user throughout the sales funnels to buy with Buy now buttons or Click Here signs. 
• Have an intuitive process. Don’t lead them down a rabbit hole. Have an intuitive process for them to follow after engaging with your call to action.
• Fast and effortless checkout. Nothing drives more customers away than a complicated or non-trusting checkout process. Keep it clean and simple. 

ManyChat and eCommerce

In the past, eCommerce was like any other business and required a good portion of hands-on work to perform basic tasks like:

• Customer engagement
• Conversations
• Product suggestions
• Recovering lost sales

Now there’s ManyChat and chat automation to streamline your eCommerce sales funnel. Let’s take a look at exactly what ManyChat has to offer in regards to eCommerce sales.

ManyChat is a chat automation tool that works with a wide array of platforms including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and now eCommerce platforms as well. It gives you the convenience of integrating automation into some of your most arduous tasks, like:

• DMing a response to a customer’s FAQ
• Capturing a customer’s given information by hand and storing it in a database
• Engaging with your customers with personalized two-way communication

Automating your customer engagement with ManyChat

ManyChat allows you to create personalized and interactive conversations with customers who engage with your digital ads and comment on your feed or reels.  

This is done through our growth tools known as conversation starters and triggers. 

Conversation starters are prefilled buttons that are given to a new customer who DMs you. 

Triggers instantly reply to anyone who mentions you (your handle/account) in a story, beginning a conversation with you and giving you the opportunity to learn more about their product or service. 

Making product suggestions with ManyChat

ManyChat also lets you automate interactive SMS, giving you the ability to send immediate responses to customer questions, send order updates, and share offers and coupons. This feature also works offline. 

Get a higher ROI and drive more sales with the ability to respond to buyers instantly on their phones, show them products, and allow them to buy through Instagram, Facebook, or your website.

Recover lost sales with ManyChat

ManyChat offers integration with some of the most popular eCommerce platforms, including; Shopify, PayPal, Stripe, and Zapier. Through the integration with your store, ManyChat can be set to send reminder notifications to customers who visited your store but failed to make a purchase. 

Plus once you’ve connected your customer conversations with ManyChat, you’ll receive insight and analytics tools to help you make data-driven decisions about your business.

eCommerce for the win

There are loads of ways to use eCommerce and automation to transform your business into a profitable and scalable business. For more information on growing your eCommerce business, visit our eCommerce blog page. Here, you can read some popular posts, including “Ecommerce Marketing Strategies That Actually Work” and  “5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Add-to-Cart Rate”.

Become a part of the ManyChat community today!

The post How to Personalize Your eCommerce Funnel Using Automation appeared first on Manychat Blog.

Use information gathered from online networking sites to increase community engagement

For female entrepreneurs there are few substitutes for social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook to define and promote your brand management. And because social media is so interactive, it can be tempting to assume that most of your customer communications will occur here. A social media presence is just the first step to reaching your target audience and building a community around your product and brand. By leveraging your social media contacts to use in other communication channels—particularly an email list-—you can create real engagement with future and potential customers.

Entrepreneurs can look to metrics to reverse engineer new content

You can improve your content and expand your message by first monitoring your metrics. By looking at the number of followers and the extent of engagement, you can not only see which topics and posts have the most impact, but which forms of communications (email, social media, automated chat) have the most success for a particular message. By reverse engineering your new content according to the metrics found in your insights, you can repeat the success of your most popular posts. While metrics don’t always tell the whole story, keeping track of what works can help you structure your communication with your customers. The return on investment of monitoring your metrics can take various forms, such as repeated customer engagement, the establishment of your brand, or improving a long-term marketing strategy.

Entrepreneurs should invest in video, not just design

It’s important to remember that it’s easier to acquire customers when they’re interacting rather than just reading. While graphics and design can be memorable, there’s no substitute for the human element when it comes social media marketing that converts followers into customers. Going live on Instagram is a great way for entrepreneurs to interact with potential customers, humanize your brand, and create a larger community. Entrepreneurs can greet newcomers and place a call to action in the comments, or promote experts who can offer new value to your audience. Using videos and going live on your social media creates a greater sense of engagement than would be possible with just simple graphics and images. Not only is it easier to convey detailed information in a video format, but when you include real people in videos as well as animation, it creates a more intimate connection between your company and your customers and puts a human face on your brand.

Clear calls to action are essential for successful Instagram marketing

It’s often tempting to trust your audience to know what the next steps are, but that is a mistake. In fact, calls to action (CTAs) are the one element that can transform an Instagram post, making it engaging rather than merely informative and directing  customers to an entrepreneur’s products and services. And because CTAs are so essential for Instagram success, it’s important to have multiple approaches. 

The most common calls to action involved questions that encourage participation by the audience. Not only does this type of CTA increase engagement and create community, it also provides a great deal of useful data about the individuals responding. Another successful method of including CTAs in your marketing content is to include a link to your site or product in your Instagram bio, preferably separated by a black line or some other kind of separator that you can copy and paste into your post. CTAs should also be included in your Instagram ads. This way, followers who read your post are automatically directed to your CTA. If your content is current, shareable, and immediately useful, then a CTA will both increase traffic to your post and create interactions that can lead customers to become increasingly involved with your company as it grows. And this is particularly important for any newcomers in your audience. If you give them a roadmap to follow, you will increase brand awareness and engagement in your community.

A goal of almost every Instagram business should be to save customers’ time

Much of the Instagram audience are looking for ways to save time and are likely to favor brands and businesses that help them do that. Whether by using marketing automation to weed through inquiries and provide greater customer service or providing links to calls to action in your bio and on your posts, any marketing method that provides your audience with information as quickly as possible will likely be popular. 

When it comes to growth, viral content is king

Ideally, you want your content to be organically found on Instagram’s explore page and on your Instagram feed so it will then show up in the stories of various users. That way, you will be able to reach an audience beyond your current Instagram followers. A branded hashtag is also useful to build your customer base, as Instagram users can follow them and be notified of any new content that might be relevant to the hashtag topic. Finally, as an entrepreneur, it’s also important to know the form of content that will resonate most with your target audience. For example, while Instagram Reels are currently favored by Instagram’s algorithm and are more likely to go viral than other formats, if they don’t work for your brand or content, there’s little point in using them.

The only strategies that work for entrepreneurs are the ones that feel natural

There are many Instagram marketing hacks and tricks, but the most important rule is that your strategies feel natural enough so you can use them consistently. If you can’t continue to implement a strategy at regular intervals, or if it takes too much work or effort, then that strategy, no matter how successful, is wrong for you. Consistency is key when it comes to Instagram success, so use only those tricks and tips that you look forward to implementing. Even if you think you’ve found what works, it is still a good idea to stay open to new digital marketing strategies and hacks for content creation that might have even better results.

The biggest challenge facing female entrepreneurs is confidence

There are many fantastic Instagram communities for female-led businesses, and more opportunities for women to find success through social media management. However, since most successful Instagram businesses have put in around 10,000 hours on social media marketing, many fledgling businesswomen become discouraged when they start. The most daunting challenge women face when wanting to start a business is a lack of confidence in their business and brand, And the most important aspect of becoming successful on social media is having the right mindset—one that identifies mental blocks and removes obstacles that prevent you from taking the right actions to support your marketing goals. 

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The post Expert Marketing Tips from Female Entrepreneurs at the 2022 Instagram Summit appeared first on Manychat Blog.

Furthermore, you’ll need to ensure all these different points of contact add value to the customer experience. Great customer touchpoints can increase leads and sales, so it’s important to consider them in your marketing strategy.

This guide will help you find ways to improve important opportunities for interactions with customers across different stages of the customer journey. 

Pre-purchase brand touchpoints

No matter what type of products you sell, it’s highly likely that your customers will encounter multiple touchpoints with your brand before they even consider buying from you. Since everyone knows how important first impressions are, marketers need to get them right for potential customers. 

Let’s take a look at some pre-purchase touchpoints for your new customers and how you can improve them. 

Word of mouth

Before technology became dominant in our lives, people found out about stores and products through literal word of mouth (i.e., talking in person). In its most basic form, word of mouth is when you or someone else enjoys a product or store then tells their friends and family about it. After that, the effect snowballs. 

To this day, word of mouth remains one of the most powerful methods of building brand awareness, and now it happens online (eWOM) as well as in real life. 

If you want to build organic awareness around your brand, you’ll need to create enough buzz to generate those conversations. To do this, you can create content designed to either entertain or educate that has the specific goal of being shareable. Take a look at what is currently “generating buzz” in your product category (i.e., trending on Twitter or the Explore page in Instagram) to generate some ideas.

Social media

One of the major marketing channels that provide pre-purchase touchpoints is social media. Social media marketing is so integral to businesses these days that in 2021 91.9% of marketers in companies with 100 or more employees expect to use it for promotional purposes.

One of the best social media platforms for eCommerce is Instagram. With over 1 billion users, it helps expose your brand to a massive audience. Then you can use Instagram Automation by ManyChat to take your pre-purchase touchpoints to the next level as Roma by Rochi did:

The retailer decided to create a giveaway campaign using ManyChat bot automation to lift brand awareness and engagement. The campaign was a resounding success, resulting in a 741% lift in engagement and 2,600 emails captured. 

Email

Despite what you may have heard, email marketing is far from dead. Believe it or not, more than half the world’s population currently uses it.. Having an email marketing strategy allows you to offer an omnichannel experience for your customers, which is especially critical for brick-and-mortar retailers and eCommerce businesses.

Email is often considered a pre-purchase touchpoint since it’s a lot easier to persuade someone to give you their email than their money. Naturally, there are a few ways you can up your email game.

One of the best ways to use email is to set up automated abandoned cart emails as American Giant has done:

You can also entice people to give you their email by offering a discount as an incentive, as Tattly has done below:

The key to capturing (and keeping) customer email subscribers is to consistently deliver high-value content so your emails are less likely to be relegated to the spam folder. 

Ads

You’re likely (or at least thinking about) using ads to help your business build brand awareness. One of the most effective ways to reach your target audience is to run Facebook ads, especially the click-to-Messenger type.  

Click-to-Messenger ads enable you to start conversations with potential customers, offering them deals and asking them to opt in to marketing lists. Responding to all those leads manually can be a daunting task, but ManyChat allows you to create a chatbot flow to automate these conversations.

Beddy’s is one brand that uses click-to-Messenger ads effectively:

Beddy’s created a Memorial Day sale ad that offered discounts to those who clicked through to Messenger. As a follow-up, the company asked the potential customers if they wanted to join a VIP list for future promotions.

Instead of running a static ad that just clicks through to your website, think about what you can offer customers to help them enjoy their initial engagement.

Influencers

The last pre-purchase touchpoint we’ll talk about in this guide is influencer marketing. According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, 90% of their survey respondents said they believe influencer marketing is effective.

Working with influencers provides your business the opportunity to expand your reach to their audience. Their followers are also more likely to trust the influencer’s (authentic) recommendations and product reviews. 

Take Val Lin (@theaestheticminimalist), for example:

His posts cater to a niche audience interested in minimalist fashion and lifestyle. In each of his fashion-based posts, he tags the brands he is wearing (even when they aren’t necessarily one of his official partners). 

If you consider your brand “simple,” “elegant,” or “minimalist,” then reaching out to an influencer like Val could prove to be a lucrative opportunity.

During Purchase

The purchase process may come to mind when you think about customer touchpoints.  Interactions with product pages, customer support, and checkout play into whether or not a customer will finish a purchase. 

Each of these steps in the purchasing stage of the customer journey can make or break a sale, so it’s important to get them right. 

Product pages

At this point, your potential customers have probably either heard of you or your content marketing SEO is on point, and you’ve acquired them from the search engine results page. Either way, your product page touchpoint is where you can implement serious conversion rate optimization.

A great product page will capture interest right away, address customer needs, and have a clear call to action. In addition to those basic elements, it should also include multimedia (i.e., videos, gifs, images) and customer reviews (which acts as social proof to convince people to buy).

One example of a brand that has created engaging product pages is Master & Dynamic:

For its MA770 Wireless Speaker product, it included several product images highlighting the design and specs. However, it also had a video of the designer talking about his ideas behind the design and reviews to help provide social proof. 

Customer service (chat widget)

Another purchasing touchpoint is customer support chats. Offering to chat with customers during their consideration stage is a powerful tool you can use to persuade them to purchase. This is especially true if your product has a high price point or has some level of complexity.

In general, offering chat services is great. But if you don’t have an “on-call” customer service team, you’ll run into problems with response times and losing leads. 

ManyChat Messenger bots can help you create a customer support chatbot to automate these initial interactions (the chatbots also have the option of switching to chatting in real time).

Take Oui, Chérie for example:

The Messenger bubble appears in the bottom right corner of the screen and has a welcoming message encouraging site visitors to use the chat widget. Oui, Cheriecan use this chatbot to curate products for the customer, answer shipping questions, and more.

Shopping cart or checkout page

The last purchasing touchpoint we’ll talk about is the shopping cart and checkout pages, both of which are ripe for conversion rate optimization. They are the last chance for your potential customers to leave without purchasing.

In March 2020, shoppers abandoned 88.09% of online shopping orders;  having a smooth and inviting checkout process is vital for pushing customers into hitting that final “order now” button. A great example of an effortless checkout process comes from Culture Kings:

Its shopping cart allows customers to check out with ShopPay, PayPal, Google Pay, AfterPay, as well as debit or credit cards. 

What makes Culture Kings’ shopping cart extra special, however, is both the recommendation carousel and the incentive to spend more money to receive an exclusive not-for-sale item. These little plugins work together to offer the customer a deal they almost can’t refuse.

Post-purchase touchpoints

The customer journey doesn’t end at the sale. Your customer will also very likely interact with your brand through post-purchase touchpoints. 

From the most basic order confirmation email to tracking shipping to offering feedback, post-purchase touchpoints offer a business a ton of value–if they’re done right. Let’s take a deeper dive into them now.

Order confirmation

When you order something online, you expect an order confirmation email of some kind. If you don’t receive one, you may become concerned that your order wasn’t successful, or worse, you’ve been scammed. An email confirmation, therefore,  acts as your first line of defense for mitigating any worries or answering FAQs.

At a minimum, an order confirmation email should state the order status, order items, delivery address, subtotals, tax, order reference, and the final total. It should also include contact details in case any part of the order is incorrect or the customer wants to cancel it.

However, better order confirmation emails go beyond the basics—check out this example from The Heart Department Co on Etsy:

Its email has all of the above basics but also includes a lengthy thank you message, FAQs, and recommendations for other products the shopper might enjoy based on the purchase. If you want to improve customer satisfaction, try going above and beyond in your confirmation emails.

Tracking

Another important touchpoint customers are likely to interact with more than once is tracking. Offering shipment tracking is a great way to show your customers your business is trustworthy and dependable. It also helps your business by reducing incoming support tickets about order status.

Amazon provides one of the most obvious examples of a stellar tracking service (for items fulfilled by Amazon). 

You can track your order delivery status online and in-app, and once the item is out for delivery, you can see how many stops away the driver is. Businesses can achieve the same closely monitored tracking with other courier services like DPD—it’s worth shopping around for couriers that offer this level of service.

Post-purchase feedback

The final touchpoint we’re going to look at is post-purchase feedback. Getting feedback on a product is a little easier than it used to be; in 2019, the Global Web Index found that about half of internet users post online reviews each month. 

Ecommerce businesses can add a personal touch to their customers’ journeys by implementing a post-purchase follow-up sequence through chat. Of course, you could do this through email by creating an automated follow-up, but these kinds of emails are likely to be ignored.

If you use ManyChat (which has a Shopify integration, by the way) in your purchase flow, you can automate a follow-up chat sequence:

Creating a chatbot sequence instead of a standalone email makes the interaction far more engaging but also gives you a chance to boost customer retention. For example, if your customer provides positive feedback, you can offer them a coupon to shop with you again. If they give negative feedback, you can jump into Live Chat to help them with their issue and hopefully win them back.

Improve your eCommerce customer journey 

With ManyChat’s help, you can supercharge your eCommerce customer journey with automated bot sequences that work to take your customer from awareness to purchase and beyond.

As a small business owner, creating a great experience for your customers means being able to wow them at each one of your eCommerce touchpoints. Sometimes all you need is to tweak a single point in the journey; other times, you’ll find yourself overhauling your whole process. Try some of the tips in this guide and see which ones work best for your business!

Start building your brand online with ManyChat + Instagram. Start free today.

The post 11 Ecommerce Touchpoints to Improve Your Customer Journey appeared first on Manychat Blog.

Retail eCommerce sales will continue to increase

Insider Intelligence from eMarketer predicts U.S. consumers will spend more than $933 billion on eCommerce this year—15% of total retail sales—and that eCommerce sales will reach nearly 24% of total retail sales by 2025. That is a significant piece of the retail sales pie!

The growth in online sales can be attributed to the increasing ease and comfort of online shopping. The pandemic also compelled more consumers to purchase items online, including things they’d typically buy in-person, such as groceries. 

Today, many online stores are more user-friendly and provide customers with a great online shopping experience than those of years past. Furthermore, it’s easier for many online shoppers to find items and use the payment methods they want, another factor that has contributed to the rise in eCommerce retail. 

Social media will continue to influence eCommerce 

Social media has evolved over the years. What started as networking and photo-sharing platforms have become essential marketing channels. With approximately 295 million users on social media platforms (including Facebook and Instagram) in the U.S. in 2021, companies are spending heavily to reach them.

In 2020, U.S. businesses spent $40 billion advertising on social media, and that number is expected to exceed $57 billion by 2022. Companies spent nearly $4 billion on influencer marketing this year, and are predicted to spend $4.14 billion next year. 

Currently, businesses can use social media to grow brand awareness and debut new products. As social media platforms gain more users and add new addictive features, the influence they exert will continue to increase and social commerce will gain popularity. Statista predicts social commerce revenue will reach nearly $46 billion in 2022—an increase from $37 billion this year. Statista also anticipates there will be 302 million social media users in the U.S. in 2022, a number they expect to swell to 323 million by 2026.

Greater competition will lead to more one-time buyers 

As a result of the pandemic-induced lockdown, eCommerce saw incredible growth during 2020, and it continues to increase. In the first quarter of 2021, U.S. retail eCommerce sales totaled more than $215 billion, up from $154 billion in the first quarter of 2020. 

However, this explosive growth has resulted in a new challenge: one-time buyers. A one-time buyer is a customer who made a single purchase but elected not to buy again from the same company. 

As brick-and-mortar stores scrambled to move online to survive the lockdown, it dramatically increased competition for online sales. To attract more loyal customers, brands have to be more strategic in building relationships and providing a personalized shopping experience.

Customized packaging will become more popular

The customer experience doesn’t stop once a shopper hits the “confirm purchase” button at an online store. Receiving a package at your doorstep and opening it is part of it as well. (Fun fact: “unboxings”—when someone records themselves opening a package—have become popular content to share on social media platforms. Influencers in particular can command thousands of views of their unboxings!)

The packaging is an extension of the branding and contributes to the customer experience. In 2022, we’ll start to see packaging that goes the extra step through customized elements. Perhaps your company will start using eco-friendly materials or packing paper that matches your branding. You’ll want to add this to your trend to-do list, especially if you’re dabbling in influencer marketing; influencers often receive PR packages from brands and unbox them on social media for their audiences. 

Mobile commerce will continue to increase 

In 2020, mobile commerce sales reached $47.8 billion, 31% of all retail eCommerce spending. Experts point to the increase in people owning and using a mobile device as proof that mobile commerce will increase in 2022. 

Currently, there are 298 million smartphone users in the U.S., a number that’s expected to reach 302 million in 2022 and 311 million by 2025. As many as 30% of smartphone users utilize mobile devices to research products and services to buy online, while 24% of them use their phones to make purchases. 

Multichannel personalization will gain popularity 

Personalization has become more popular over the past few years as eCommerce sites collect more and more customer data. Statista expects multichannel selling will exceed $491 billion in 2022—a 15% increase from 2021—but we predict multichannel selling will feature personalization in 2022. The pandemic has resulted in more consumers shopping online, and they’re expecting personalized experiences across channels. This will come in the form of personalized interactions that promote customer loyalty. 

Since it will be a multichannel strategy, customers will enjoy the same personalized experience no matter what channel they use—no more irrelevant email marketing campaigns or messaging. 

Better payment processing options will become available 

The final part of the checkout process is payment processing. Unfortunately, there’s always room for improvement with this part of the user experience. In 2022, eCommerce businesses will adopt even more ways for customers to pay in hopes of lowering cart abandonment rates. 

Last year, digital wallet usage in eCommerce increased by 23.7% from 2019, accounting for 29.8% of all eCommerce transactions in the United States. Next year, we believe more retailers will offer local payment options so that customers can pay via bank transfers, e-wallets, or cash-based digital payments. 

More brands will also consolidate their payment options into a single platform so they don’t have to pay fees on each gateway or payment option they offer. 

More consumers will use voice shopping regularly 

Shopping via voice command using a connected speaker has been rising since 2017, when the technology hit the market. Voice recognition technology, which powers smart speakers, is expected to reach a global market size of $27 billion by 2026—a 17% increase from 2020. 

We predict the coming year will bring many more voice shoppers, putting voice commerce on the map. According to a report from JuniperResearch, voice assistants will coordinate $19.4 billion in transactions by 2023. 

To make your eCommerce store shoppable via voice, work with a voice commerce platform like Ingenico or VoiceFront. These voice solutions will help convert your eCommerce store into a shop compatible with voice assistants, so customers can quickly fill their carts and pay via voice. Effortless shopping, here we come!

Brands will participate in green consumerism 

In 2022, consumers will expect to see more online retailers participating in “green consumerism.” From 2019 to 2020, online searches about the impact of online shopping on the environment increased by 2,250%. 

With climate change fears now a mainstream concern, there is a heavier focus on environmental sustainability, and customers want to know how their dollars contribute to a positive future. PwC’s 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey noted that 50% of global consumers surveyed said they’ve become more eco-friendly.

As a brand, make sure you’re sourcing products from fair-trade organizations and use eco-friendly packaging and packing materials. 

ECommerce industries will embrace more AI technology

Many eCommerce brands will turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their business’s efficiency. Much of the AI implementation will go toward providing that coveted personalized customer experience. 

AI is often used to execute targeted marketing campaigns, provide personalized product recommendations, and acquire customer insights. Other prominent AI applications include forecasting, pricing optimization, sales customer service, and marketing. 

At ManyChat, our chat marketing software integrates with AI, such as Janis, which can support those personalized efforts mentioned above. 

As you can see, there’s a lot in store for eCommerce in 2022. Whether your company follows one or all of these trends, be sure to jump on at least one bandwagon! We at ManyChat are excited to see what the year brings for the eCommerce industry. 

Will ManyChat be a part of your 2022 marketing strategy? 

The post Ecommerce Trends to Expect in 2022 appeared first on Manychat Blog.