Learn Everything You Need to Know About Selling on Instagram

Instagram is the sixth most famous social networking platform in the world with 1 billion active users on the platform each and every month. Selling products or services on Instagram is standard practice for today's entrepreneurs. 

Statista reports that over 200 million Instagram users regularly check out business profiles. 60% of those who follow a business on Instagram want to learn about new products, which is why Instagram is undoubtedly a significant player in the ecommerce market.

You shouldn't hold off any longer if you want to join in on the fun of the current Instagram trends.

Continue reading to learn more about introducing your product to the market.

1. Choose a unique product that sells

Instagram is a social media platform with a strong emphasis on visual content. According to Instagram, users visit the platform to search for inspiration and relevant content. Therefore, it will be easier to market things with a strong aesthetic or visual appeal.

Ideas for popular physical products:

• Apparel 
• Jewelry 
• Beauty and skincare 
• Home decor
• Fitness

Don't worry if you have a concept for a product that wasn't listed above. Being passionate about your selling will ensure your Instagram profile gets to where you want it to be. Maintain a consistent stream of interesting posts, and impress your readers with an inspiring backstory.

Image Credits: Lululemon 

2. Set up an Instagram Business Account

By upgrading to a business profile, you can view your posts and stories' analytics; customize your profile with additional CTAs and buttons; and connect with third-party apps.

As a business owner, you will have a more positive experience with marketing thanks to a business profile, and customers will find it easier to connect with your company.

The Business profile offers free business features:

• Complete your profile with relevant details (business address, website, contact information, phone number, etc.).
• Utilize Instagram's insights to research your audience and identify the content that works well.
• Post ads to help reach business goals.

Instructions for upgrading to an Instagram Business: 

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of your Instagram profile.
2. Click Settings and Account.
3. Click Switch to Professional Account, and then tap Business.
4. Once you have transitioned, you can add details to your profile. 
5. After adding all your details go ahead and click Done. 

As an alternative, you can decide whether to make your contact information and business category visible or hidden:

1. Click Edit Profile and proceed to Profile Display under Public Business Information.
2. Determine whether your contact info and category will be visible to others.
3. Click Done. 

If your business also has a Facebook Page, you can connect it to your Instagram Business Account:

1. Click Edit Profile.
2. Click Page under Public Business Information.
3. Go ahead and select a Facebook Page to connect to your Instagram account. 

Image Credits: Meta

3. Create Instagram content that is appealing

How can you get the attention of the almost 1 billion Instagram users skimming endless piles of content daily? Maintaining a steady flow of high-quality material is essential for attracting attention. Create material that reflects well on your company and strengthens your brand's identity and reputation. The more noticeable your material is over time, the more likely it is that you will attract and keep a loyal following of buyers.

Here are a few suggestions for boosting Instagram engagement:

They are a great way to break the ice with your followers if they don't know you yet. It is a way for them to build trust and feel comfortable with the brand. This will help you create a loyal following. 

On stories, there are a lot of quick and easy stickers to utilize, such as polls, questions, countdowns, quizzes, and emoji sliders.

Make sure to avoid any shaky videos and blurry images on your Instagram. Your content and profile photo should be visually engaging to express your brand's core message.

Get back to them when they have questions, comments, or complaints. Interacting with your audience will turn them into dedicated buyers.

Image Credits: Meta

 4. Use the link in your Instagram bio

Only one place allows you to include an external link that users can click on: the URL part of your Instagram profile bio. When a potential new client discovers you on Instagram, they will almost certainly check out the bio page and look for your link there. So, always keeping it visible will increase the traffic that visits your online store.

Making the most of your Instagram bio:

• Add a link to your website 
• To break up the text, use emojis
• Describe your qualifications or position as a business owner
• Add a call to action

5. Use Instagram stories and reels to their full potential

Instagram Stories are a fantastic feature to help you expand your brand and engage with your followers more frequently. It has 500 million daily users globally.

Here is how you can use Instagram Stories:

• Introduce your product to the world.
• Show off new products.
• Demonstrate the production process by taking the audience behind the scenes.

Adding links to Instagram Stories:

• In the Instagram Stories window, you can take a photo or video, access your camera roll, or share a previously taken or recorded clip.
• A Story can be linked by clicking the chain icon at the top right of the screen.
• Simply type in the URL and hit the checkbox when you're finished.

Image Credits: Lululemon

6. Maximize your marketing efforts with Instagram

Advertise on Instagram if you've been having trouble drawing in additional visitors. Posting paid advertisements on Instagram is one way to expand a business's reach to a certain demographic. It's up to you how long, how much, and where you want your ad to run.

Think about using one of these Instagram ads:

Photo ads - Instagram photo ads are the most successful type of ad on the platform, and it's one of the most basic forms of advertising, requiring nothing more than a landscape or square-shaped photo.

Stories ads - Stories, photos, or videos are used by over 500 million accounts daily.

Video ads - Videos are the most effective method for attracting your audience to see the exclusive content of your products. A video of up to 120 seconds can perform miracles.

Ads in Explore - Take advantage of the 200 million individuals visiting Instagram's Explore page daily by showing your advertisements to people browsing Explore.

Slideshow ads - Advertisements of this type provide the visual appearance of moving pictures but are just a slideshow of still images. 

7. Utilize Instagram Shopping

Using Instagram Shopping, businesses can provide a compelling shopping experience by allowing customers to tag products directly in posts. With this approach, information about your products and their prices may be easily accessible to your customers.

These are some of the many reasons why Instagram Shopping rocks:

• Just one tap is all your customers need to begin exploring your offerings.
• Through Explore, your content can be shared with a broader audience.
• Customers can click "Shop now" to visit your website and make a purchase.
• Check. out the Insights Page to view your performance. 

How to implement Instagram Shopping on your account:

• Go to your Account Settings. 
• Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of your profile page. 
• Click Settings. 
• Click Account.
• Here are the steps to link your company's Facebook Page to your business's official Facebook Page. Connecting a Facebook Page to your Instagram account will get you access to a suite of commercial features designed to increase your business's visibility on both platforms.
• Make sure to fill out the details, such as your company’s category and contact information.  
• Click Done. 
• Next, make a switch to your Business Account.
• Then, go ahead and add your business information.

Image Credits: Lululemon

Begin using Instagram Shopping

You must submit your account for review when all of the above is complete. It may take a few days or longer for your account to be reviewed; keep that in mind. 

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of your Instagram Business profile. 
2. Select Settings. 
3. Sign up for Shopping. 
4. To submit your account for review, follow the steps. 
5. You may check the status of your account at any moment when visiting Shopping under Settings. 

Some businesses may be notified that they must provide additional information to demonstrate domain ownership. If you get this notification, you can still complete the domain verification and submit your account for approval by following these instructions. 

Once your account is approved, turn on Instagram Shopping!

Key takeaways:

• When you create a shop on Instagram, you may let users explore and learn more about your products, such as the product name and price, without leaving the app.

• To use Facebook's business tools for shopping, your Facebook account and Page or Instagram business account must meet the requirements for commerce eligibility.

• Set up your shop with a Commerce Manager or a supported platform.

Conclusion

The potential earnings from using Instagram are huge! You are missing out if you aren't already taking advantage of it. Do not believe that putting everything in Instagram's hands would solve the problem. When it comes to making sales on Instagram, cross-promotion on other social media platforms is by far the most effective strategy. Inform others who follow you about what's going on. This will result in a rise in sales and establish you as a reliable and strong brand.