How to Offer Digital Gift Cards on Facebook and Instagram to Help Grow Your Business
Gift cards are a great way of growing your business, but did you know that Facebook and Instagram allow you to sell digital gift cards in-platform? In this guide, we’ll walk you through why you should consider offering digital gift cards to help grow your business, how you can go about setting them up and how to let people far and wide know you’re selling them.
Why should you offer digital gift cards?
With digital gift cards, you can:
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Stay connected with your community; tell people about your gift cards through Instagram and Facebook Stories and posts
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Generate a new revenue stream for when your existing revenue streams are reduced or interrupted
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Attract new customers by telling people about your gift cards through posts and Instagram and Facebook Stories
When people purchase a gift card, they can give it to their loved ones or use it for themselves and can redeem their gift cards in full or in part, which can encourage return visits to your business. Plus, with digital gift cards, there’s no physical card that could get lost or stolen, making it a more secure and convenient way for your customers to spend money with you.
How do digital gift cards work on Facebook and Instagram?
Gift cards are sold on Facebook and Instagram through partners (partners available in the UK include: Square, Gift Up! and Rise.ai). Before you can sell digital gift cards on the platforms, you need to set up an account with one of these approved partners. When someone clicks your gift card link, they’ll be directed to your partner’s website to buy a gift card for your business. This is how you can set up your gift cards through partners:
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Set up an account with one of Facebook’s partners
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When people buy digital gift cards, the transaction is processed through whichever partner you’ve chosen
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You receive payment after a purchase via a bank transfer (from the gift card partner to your account)
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Customers receive their gift card via the email they provide at time of payment
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Customers can redeem gift cards in person, by phone or online
The exact materials needed will vary by partner, but Facebook’s put together a list of materials to keep handy:
How do you let your customers know you’re offering gift cards?
There are a variety of ways that you can let your customers know that you are offering gift cards for your business on Facebook and Instagram. Some ways include:
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Add a Gift Cards call-to-action button to your Instagram business profile
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Add a Purchase Gift Card call-to-action button to your Facebook Page
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Post the link to buy a gift card for your business on your Facebook Page
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And post the link on your Instagram as well
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Share your gift cards on Instagram Stories with a sticker. By tapping on the Stories sticker, people will be taken to your partner’s platform to complete their purchase. People can also re-share these stickers in their own stories to encourage their followers to support your business
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Set up a custom Messenger greeting that lets people know they can support your business by purchasing a gift card
How do you encourage customers to buy your gift cards?
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Excite and entice followers by introducing new items in stock
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Provide regular updates on your business to help retain customer interest and loyalty
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Let your followers know how much their support means to your business and your staff
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Make your followers your advocates and ask them to share your sticker or photos of their purchases with their community
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Acknowledge and involve your customers by reposting their stories, shout-outs and reviews to inspire others
Want to learn more about how digital gift cards can help your business? You can access new Facebook Blueprint training by Lucy Hall every week in the Digital Women members’ area.
Not a member yet? Sign up today for just £15 a month!
Key takeaways:
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Gift cards are a way for people to support your business
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Choose the partner you’d like to work with to sell digital gift cards
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Let people know about your gift card with a button, post, Instagram or Facebook Story or custom greeting on Messenger
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To learn more about digital gift cards on Facebook and Instagram, become a member of Digital Women today!
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