Have you started your own business? Hoping Instagram will give you the exposure you need? But you don’t know how to start selling your products? Instagram is a good place to begin!
Set up your business account and you will be ready to make money, quickly by following the tips below!
Setup Instagram Business Account
A business account gives you free analytics. It helps the user assess stats about their followers. You can see what type of content is getting the most interaction.
You can assess the time your followers are active using IG analytics. This helps you most at the hour that would lead to most sales. The business account also lets you do paid promotions. This will help you launch your entrepreneurial career.
To set up your business account, click on the three horizontal lines. It is on the right-hand side of your profile.
Click on the settings tab, visible at the end of the menu.
Now, you have the option to switch to a professional account. There are two types as seen in the image below.
Once, you click on next, your business account should be up and running!
How to Sell On Instagram??
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Be on-brand
Let’s take an example, to simplify this. You have a business account to sell pet products on Instagram. But, you keep discussing and posting images about different gardening techniques. This is not a good place to be in. Neither for your brand nor you. Stick to what you know, and what you are good at. There is no need to take diversions, be professional. Be on-brand while selling your products! Your feed is neat, and your audience is well informed this way.
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Audit your account:
You do not need to pay somebody to do this for you. It’s easy. What I mean is, you have to check if your details are up to date. Do you actively check your emails at the id provided in the contact information? Is your Instagram bio speaking volumes about your brand? Your Instagram bio can be brief and to the point. But the message it conveys across to users is important. Be sassy, use puns, humor is bound to attract more customers. Also, make sure to check if your URL is up to date.
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Shoppable Feed: To sell on Instagram
For people to shop for your products, you first need to set up your Facebook page. Being able to set up your shop on Instagram, does not happen in a jiffy.
To have a shoppable feed, you need a business account too. Facebook encourages you to set up a catalog of all your products. It is simple. You need to send your Instagram shop for review, for approval.
In March, Instagram announced the checkout feature. Which means you can finish your buy and checkout within the app. There won’t be any redirecting nor external websites. To get your account approval fast, follow these steps:
- Check if your account meets Instagram’s requirements. Create your Facebook page, that is important.
-Tap on the 3 horizontal lines on the right-hand side. Open settings. It is the gear icon.
- Click on Business.
-Tap on Connect or Create. Select the relevant option and connect to your Facebook page.
After that, When you open the Business tab, you will see a “Shopping for Instagram” option. Select that to send your account for approval.
After your account is approved by Instagram, you will see a “Shopping” tab. Click on it to kickstart your sales on Instagram!
What can help promote you sales on Instagram?
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Instagram Stories: Sell your product creatively!
Instagram stories are now visible on people’s explore pages. Stories are also the best way to prompt users about an upcoming sale. If you have more than 10,000 followers, you can use the swipe up feature. This means, that you can redirect people to your website, or a landing page of your choice.
Make sure you have proper call to action while adding links to your story. Tell people, they need to swipe up to know more information!! Leave them hanging to encourage more traffic on your landing page.
Instagram Stories are also useful to post short videos. It can be about a behind the scenes clip of the manufacturing process. Be real, show people what goes on. Conduct polls. For example, you can ask followers if they like a new filter. Or, if they like the name of the new product. Encourage questions. Interact and engage, is the key.
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Unique Hashtag: Sell on Instagram with #yourownhashtag
Every brand, needs to set up a hashtag unique to them. You need to help your hashtag grow. If you have an Instagram page selling fresh juices. Your unique hashtag can relate to your username as well. You can use the hashtag #juicyjuice. Do a little research, see the hashtags that are not as common.
Also, the ones that fall into each of the falling categories. There are three types of hashtags to look out for. First, there are large ones, with more than a million posts. Middle niche hashtags, 50k to 100k posts. Lastly, there are small hashtags, that have less than 10k posts. Your posts should use a good mix of each of them.
Using only the large hashtags will make your post get lost in the crowd. Think of hashtags as the optimal route to work. You take this route, to avoid rush hour traffic. But to also get to work on time. The route may include shortcuts and the main road, but you have it all planned out! Make use of the unique hashtag in every post. Put it up in your bio! It can help people find your brand and tag it too.
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Captions: Intimate People about upcoming sales
Yes, captions are important. Yes, the topic is redundant. Yet, here we are. To sell your products, make use of the captions. The image might speak a 1000 words, but the caption helps in that process. You can use captions to drop easter eggs for an upcoming promotion or new launch! Make use of emojis, think of unique captions. Humour is the best. Puns might not always put the message across. They can be tricky. Specify product prices in the captions. To avoid an overflowing inbox with the same question.
Use hashtags within the caption. Like this- #today we are excited to launch our new #ecofriendly #notebooks! Make sure to #buy one #soon! #Saving the earth. There you have it.
Also check out my post on Instagram Themes!
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Host Giveaways: Quick Way to Sell on Instagram
Interactively celebrate every milestone! Recently reached 10,000 followers? Giveaway a goodie basket. You can do this on your own. As well as, as part of an Instagram pod. Giveaways can range from monetary rewards to special discounts! The nature of the giveaway is up to you. You are the boss, set the rules.
The common rules include, following your account and tagging 2 or 3 other friends in the comments.
Set a time frame for the giveaway. Be clear about the rules. Is it limited to only one country? Or will international shipping charges apply?
Clarify doubts!
Choose a winner using a random number generator. You can filter the comments to eliminate double entries. Be a fair host.
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Assess Competition: How are others selling their products on Instagram?
Okay, you have your business up and running. There was great growth in engagement in the beginning. Now things are stagnant. This could be because of Instagram’s constant algorithm change. But, that doesn’t mean your business comes to a standstill! No.
Look up hashtags relevant to your brand, see what people are posting. Like and comment. Gather inspiration but also knowledge about the latest trends. This way, you get a feel of the customer’s expectations and desires. If your business has the resources, you can have a happy client list!
By executing and giving your spin to the new trends, you will attract a wider clientele!
The purpose of this title is to see how other brands in your niche are doing. The trick is, every brand is doing well because it is doing something different. This different trick makes them stand out in the competition.
And your task is to find out what that is. What is making their brand grow? Are they doing anything you are not? Think of brands, and if there are changes you would want.
You can add up the answers and grow your brand uniquely. Find what suits your brand the best!
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Reviews: Get the consumer’s perspective on your business!
Check back with customers, after selling them your product. Slide into their DMs, ask them for a short review. Did they enjoy it? Is there room for improvement? What more are they expecting? To get good in-depth answers, address the messages personally. Do not automate them!
Think of these review rounds, as mini-interviews. Hopefully, your business is not getting scrutinized!
Personalizing every message can get tedious. But the effort will be worthwhile. Publish these reviews on your feed. Accept the criticism, if any.
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Offer Samples first: Freebies before you start selling to your audience!
Come on, let us use our imagination. You run a bakery. And, you started your business account. Now, people have apprehensions when it comes to food. The common thoughts include, how would it taste? What are the ingredients? Is it vegan? Here, you can reach out to people. Hit them up, tell them about your business. Ask them if they are interested in trying out free samples of your upcoming cookies. No strings attached. Everyone loves freebies! Users are most likely to agree. Now, if they like the products, they will come back for more. You get your brand out there. Give free samples, it will only help double your profits in the long run.
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Set up the Call to Actions on your profile- Super Important to sell on Instagram
Your business must have a variety of contact options. The main headings are EMAIL, MESSAGE, CALL, DIRECTIONS, SHOP. You can manually enter this information whilst setting up your account.
These steps help you ensure, your contact information is in the right place, and is accessible.
- Open your profile i.e where you can see the content you have posted.
-Click on the “Edit Profile” option in the bio.
-Now you will see “Contact Options” when you scroll down.
-Tapping on it, lets you enter different contact information. Like in the image below.
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Photography- Sell your products Visually On Instagram
Instagram is a photography app. Today, it has so many more branches. But, you need to have quality content. Like the saying, quality over quantity.
Posting 5 times a week will do no good if your posts are not clear. Have a theme occasionally. One week you can be promoting your products.
The next you can post reviews, and images customers uploaded. Hire professional photographers, for better ideas and content! Keep them in line with the brand.
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Seasonal Discounts!
Everyday, someone is celebrating a festival around the globe. For example, America is soon celebrating thanksgiving. Offer your followers a discount for the same!
Early sales, such as those before the festival do well. On the day of the festival, it is not ideal. For example, during Christmas, people are catching up with their families!.
They don’t have the time to browse your store and use the Christmas discount! Strategically plan your sales. Treat your loyal followers with special discount coupons! It’s the festive season, go on!
For more on Tips to sell on Instagram read this!
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Sell the story: Sell the story of the lifestyle your product will bring about!
I know you are selling products. But you cannot badger people asking them to buy them! Imagine getting automated messages saying- Hi, I sell pillows. Please see my profile. DM me to know more.
Nobody will. It can lead to hostile relations within a matter of seconds. And it will have a reversed effect. You might lose existing followers, rather than attaining new ones.
Always sell the life the product will give them. The best example I can think of is an anti-stress pillow.
Your advertisement should focus on the after-effects of the pillow! Sell the stress-free lifestyle! Not the pillow itself. This is crucial to attracting the right audience.
Enlighten users on how rewarding the buy can be!
So this is how you can actually sell on instagram. Be it online services or physical products, you can use Instagram to grow your business!
Also Read – 350+ Best Instagram Captions for Photos and Selfies!