to sell on Instagram by 2023: Five steps (plus six tips to get sales now)
Imagine a shopping mall filled with 1,48 billion people eager to discover new trends and instantly share their discoveries with all of their friends. This is what Instagram selling looks like.
Instagram offers a variety of features that will help you reach more people, display your products in a variety of appealing formats and make it easy for customers to purchase what you are selling.
This guide will show you everything you need to know about selling on Instagram, from how to set up your shop to how to grow your audience to how to increase conversions. Let’s start.
Table of Contents
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Why Sell on Instagram
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How to Sell on Instagram
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6 Tips to Sell More on Instagram
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FAQs on selling on Instagram
Why sell on Instagram
Instagram’s audience is huge, and it would be impossible to replicate with foot traffic.
These users also spend an average of thirty minutes per day on the platform. This is a fantastic opportunity to put your business in front a large number of people.
You can even advertise on Instagram with a modest budget. Let go of expensive shopping center leasing!
Instagram was designed to encourage engagement. You can use Instagram to share content, engage in one-on-one discussions through DMs and replies, and build a network by sharing posts and tagging other users. This is the perfect blend of mass media and in-person advertising.
How to Sell on Instagram
Instagram is known for its easy-to-use interface. This makes it a great place to set up a business. With just a few clicks, you can have an ecommerce platform up and running in no time.
Verify your eligibility
You want to ensure that Instagram allows you to sell on its platform. Here’s what you should look for:
- Follow the Instagram commerce rules
- You sell physical goods that are also available through your website
- Instagram will verify that the domain name you are promoting is yours.
- You are in a country or market where Instagram shopping is available
- You already have an Instagram account for your business (it’s simple, we’ll demonstrate).
No website? No website? No problem. This guide will show you the fastest way to put your business on line.
Create a business Account
It is completely free to create a account for your business on Instagram. It also allows you to create shoppable content, add links to your Stories, run ads and access an analytics dashboard.
It is simple to convert a regular account into a business account:
- Click the hamburger menu to access your account
- Tap Privacy and Settings
- Scroll down and tap on Account Types and Tools
- Tap Professional Account
- Choose a business category
- Click OK to finish.
You’re now in business. Literally.
Start here if you don’t have an Instagram account.
Create your Instagram store
Like a physical shop, your Instagram store also needs a catalog of products. You can fill the catalog of your Instagram shop in three different ways: by pulling from an existing Facebook catalogue, connecting to your ecommerce site, or creating a new one. You can share the products in many different ways with your customers once you’re finished.
This part is simple if you already have a Facebook shop and catalog. You can add an Instagram account by going to Catalog Manager > Settings > Business Assets.
You can also connect your ecommerce site to Instagram. Your online store’s catalog will then be available on Instagram. Follow these steps to connect your Shopify or BigCommerce stores with Instagram.
This page will walk you through the process if you are starting from scratch. This page will guide you through the process.
Click on Set up Instagram shopping once you’ve created a product catalog. You’ll then choose your checkout method, select the sales channel (Facebook or Instagram, both, etc.) and review your store.
Create shoppable posts
is a popular way to tag your friends on Instagram. With your new Instagram business account, it’s possible to tag products within your Instagram posts.
The tag will display the name of the product and its price. Tap the tag to take shoppers directly to your Instagram store or online store.
Instagram posts that include shopping bags look like other posts, but they are easily identifiable by the small icon.
Upload a photo of your product or products, just as you would with any other post. Add hashtags and a caption. Select the product you wish to tag and then tap Tag Products. Click Share to make your post available for others to view and purchase.
Add Instagram Checkout
Shoppable posts can still cause some friction in conversions when someone clicks through to your site to complete their purchase. Instagram Checkout streamlines the purchasing process by allowing users to pay directly in the app.
This is the path you take to make a purchase after tapping on the shoppable advertisement through Instagram Checkout.
You could see an increase in your Conversion Rates without any website jumping.
Instagram: 6 ways to increase sales
Let’s look at some ways you can get more people to view your Instagram posts and buy your products.
Post a variety
The majority of people do not want to be sold 100% of the time. Plan to post a wide range of non-promotional, regular posts.
There are hundreds creative post ideas that will grab people’s attention, and increase engagement on your account. Here are a few examples:
- Spread awareness to a cause
- Poll your audience
- Video Reels with captions and music
- Schedule creative stories with images, graphics and video
- Create fun captions
No scientific ratio exists between shoppable and regular posts. Aim for one to three shoppable articles out of ten total blog posts. After you see how your account does, you can adjust the number.
Influencers are important to work with
Influencer Marketing is a proven tactic that businesses have used to increase sales on social media. Influencers and shoppable Instagram posts can be a powerful combination for brands who want to increase sales on Instagram.
Influencers tend to be less well-known celebrities. It’s good. A micro-influencer who has a few thousands loyal fans will likely be more affordable than an established personality, and may also come across as more relatable.
Use hashtags
Instagram hashtags make it easy for your followers and fans to find your content. You can also add multiple hashtags for even greater exposure.
Finding the right hashtags to use for your business is a challenge. The hashtags should be relevant to the brand, so that people who find you will be potential customers.
Consider the following types of hashtags:
- Location: #detroitshoestore
- Popular: #dogsofinstagram
- Trending: #marchmadness2023
- Branded: #siggisyougurt
Type some terms related to your hashtags into the Instagram search bar and you will see different variations.
Share UGC
User-generated content, is what we call in the industry a triple threat. You get a constant stream of content to post. It also gives you access the creator’s audience. And it is social evidence.
Searching for hashtags will help you find UGC ready to share. GramFeed can be a useful tool. You can also use contests or branded hashtags in order to encourage people to create new content.
Reels and Stories are available to purchase.
You can add shopping tags to Reels and Stories, too. You can add shopping tags to Reels and Stories as well.
Reels is a short-form video that competes with TikTok. These videos are great for showcasing your products in a real-life situation.
Stories can be either static images or videos. You can string several Stories together at once. Add a sticker that links the Story to a product.
Use Instagram Ads
It is free to publish organic shoppable content. This will help you get more customers for your product online. If you’re willing to spend a bit of money on advertising, Instagram Ads can help you reach a targeted audience.
Instagram ads can be used in many different ways. You can use Ads to promote Reels, shoppable posts and Stories.
After you are comfortable with the promotion of posts, you can experiment with Custom Audiences in order to boost your ROI and make your ads more effective.
How to Sell on Instagram FAQ
Are you still looking for more information on how to sell your products on Instagram? We’ve got you covered.
Can you sell directly through Instagram?
Yes! Yes!
Can I sell products on Instagram without having a website or blog?
No. You must have a domain name for your Instagram account in order to be able to sell products on Instagram.
How much does it cost to sell something on Instagram?
Mostly, no. You can use shoppable content and open a store for free. Instagram charges a fee to run transactions through the Checkout platform. You will also have to pay if you want to run ads.
How can I sell on Instagram?
Create shoppable Instagram posts, convert your Instagram account into a business account and connect it with a product catalog.
Learn how to grow your business with Instagram
Instagram is the best platform to sell products because of its large audience. It has a lot of users who are curious and interested.
Remember these tips to make the most out of your Instagram sales:
- Create all post formats available (In-feeds, Reels and Stories).
- Post a mixture of informational and entertaining content, as well as promotional material
- Influencers are key to your success
- Use Instagram Ads
- Share user generated content
- Include the right hashtags
The post Instagram Sales in 2023 – 5 Steps (plus 6 Tips for Now) first appeared on WordStream.