Instagram has grown in importance as a customer service platform in recent years. It’s no surprise that consumers use Instagram for customer service queries, given that 90% of Instagram users follow their favourite companies inside the app1 and 70% of customers prefer sending messages than contacting businesses2.

Customer support inquiries sent via social media are on the rise along with the user base. Nevertheless, when customers have to wait days or weeks for a response, they get disenchanted with the company and are less inclined to do business with it.

Yet while 84% of companies report increased income as a result of better customer service, 48% of customers specifically prefer to get it via social media.

This suggests that simply being present on Instagram isn’t enough to attract and retain your desired demographic. Business expansion is possible if you offer customer care on Instagram.

In what ways may Instagram help your customer service efforts?

The following are some of the many benefits of using Instagram as a customer care channel and incorporating Instagram into your overall customer service strategy:

Through the app, customers contact companies: A growing number of consumers want to communicate with brands via social media. Over 90% of Instagram users follow a company, and monthly direct messages to companies come in at roughly 150 million. As a result, customers count on companies to interact with them directly within their favourite apps.
There are stringent expectations from consumers: Time is precious for today’s consumers. Eighty-three percent of individuals who contact businesses via social media with queries or complaints anticipate a reply within 24 hours. Waiting too long to respond to a consumer might cause them to lose interest in your company and go elsewhere for their needs.
The focus of consumers is a goal for many companies. It’s no surprise that more than 25 million businesses use Instagram to promote their products and services, as the network offers enormous potential for sales.

Instagram, as you can see, is a fantastic means of communicating with customers. Most companies still don’t offer in-app customer assistance since they lack a plan and don’t know how to make the most of their Instagram profiles in this regard.

In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to know in order to optimise your Instagram profile for customer care and to implement a successful social media customer service plan.

It’s time to start using Instagram for customer service

Provide information on how to contact customer service in your bio

A bio is the first thing people who visit your company profile on Instagram will see. Visitors only give bios 8 seconds of their time, so make sure they obtain all the information they need in that time.

Include a link to your website in the bio if you have a chatbot set up so that your followers may obtain an instant response to their questions straight on your chosen channel.

Embed multiple tabs for making contact

A large majority of Instagram companies assume that customers who contact them via the app want to resolve their issue there and then. Despite the logic, not all clients can afford to wait for a response. As a result, they favour non-traditional means of communication.

Some customers may still think calling in is the easiest method to get in touch with your team for help.

It’s impossible to please every consumer, but you can give your followers a choice in how they get in touch with you by providing a number of different channels. As a result, call-to-action buttons for your phone number and email address are highly recommended.

Initiate real-time alerts

It’s excellent that you’re using Instagram to help your customers. Yet, clients lose interest in your business if their requests get buried in your profile and they aren’t responded to quickly.

Hey, it doesn’t matter if you’re a household name with a massive fanbase or a one-man shop just getting started; consumer demands have a way of getting lost in the shuffle. However this might be harmful to your company if you don’t respond quickly enough to client inquiries. As a result, it’s crucial to enable push alerts for comments, tags, and DMs.

Lessen the wait time for responses from customers

The use of Instagram’s Quick Replies

Reducing reaction time will help you stand out from the competition and show your followers that you care about their needs. Instagram features a feature called “rapid responses” that can help businesses enhance their relationships with customers.

Instagram fast replies function similarly to prepared responses in that they allow businesses to compile a collection of answers to frequently asked queries and deliver them to clients in the form of direct messages.

In-house Instagram customer care teams or firms that use a freelance social media moderator that requires guidance before responding to client inquiries would benefit greatly from the rapid response option.

Make Highlight Stories and Frequently Asked Questions Albums

Concerned consumers are a part of the discovery process for every company. Customers may have concerns or inquiries about your product or company because of the abundance of alternatives available to them.

It’s a wonderful idea to offer commonly requested questions as Story Highlight albums if you want to meet your consumers’ requests and supply them with answers. Visitors to your feed won’t have to go very far to locate these responses; they’re placed just beneath your bio.

Customer service on Instagram requires specialised training

Build a database of information

A freelance moderator is more likely to handle Instagram customer service for a small business than a whole staff of representatives.

When many persons are responsible for a single company account, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to guarantee that everyone has the same level of expertise in every area.

So what’s the fix? Store of information! It’s a knowledge base where your staff may look up answers to their questions about a certain product, service, or topic on their own time.