Ever wondered how to sell on Instagram and use the power of its compelling pictures to the advantage of your business growth?
Whether you already have your store up on other platforms, sell from a physical shop, or still starting a business from scratch, you may have thought of using Instagram as a selling venue.
Yet, as a first-time Instagram seller, the initial steps may seem extra hard.
This feeling is normal, though, because all other thousand-follower Instagram sellers were in your shoes one day.
After reading the following guide on how to sell on Instagram, you’ll find out that it’s one of the easiest routes you can take to make money selling online!
Using Instagram for selling has numerous benefits, which is why many online sellers make it a priority to promote their products on Instagram as well as other selling apps.
Here’s what business owners admire about selling on this social media platform:
Selling products on Instagram comes with a set of challenges that you need to be aware of before setting up a virtual store on the platform.
Here’s what you should know:
If you think that selling on Instagram is for you, here’s everything you need to prepare to launch your Instagram business:
If you don’t already have a running business, you can use this list of best-selling items to sell on Instagram for inspiration.
Two of Instagram’s instant best-sellers are beauty and skincare products.
Anything from face moisturizers, lotions, hair care products to fine fragrance mists and perfumes has thousands of potential customers on the platform.
People all over the world are getting more conscious about their looks and skin health by the day.
This interest shows in makeup and skincare market statistics (the skincare market is expected to generate $177 billion by 2025!)
You can also start a business on Instagram to sell clothes, footwear, bags, sunglasses, and the like.
To stand out, you may want to specialize in certain niches like vintage apparel, sustainable bags, handmade jewelry, trendy workout clothes, etc.
Instagram is where everyone wants to look their best. Plus, with the rising popularity of influencers and fashion bloggers, people want to get their hands on unique fashion items to bring out their inner models!
Lastly, investing in a home and garden accessory or furniture Instagram business can always be a great idea.
Think along the lines of stylish kitchen utensils, cute side tables, eye-catching accent chairs, pretty vases, grills for the garden, swings, and many more ideas.
Instagram is where many people post cozy pictures of their lovely patios or homey bedrooms with nice decorations.
The wealth in which these posts exist on the platform compels others to try to capture the same vibes within their homes, too.
After gathering all the supplies and settling on a product to sell, it’s time for you to understand how to sell stuff online on Instagram as a beginner.
While you can still sell products on Instagram using a normal account, a business account offers you more perks when setting up a shop, enabling seamless payment methods, and more.
The process of signing up for a business account is simple. Start by heading over to Instagram Web or launching the Instagram app, then create a personal account by providing your credentials.
Once you do, go to the Settings menu, click on “Account,” then tap “Switch account type” and shift your profile into a business profile.
Pro tip: It’s a great idea to let your personal account run for a few weeks or a month to build a decent base of followers in your specific niche before converting to a business account.
Instagram Shopping is a collection of useful features that make the process of people browsing and ordering your products seamless and as natural as shopping on sites like Amazon and Etsy.
In other words, it’s like adding a shop to your profile.
Go to the settings and hit “Creator” where you’ll find the option to “Set up Instagram Shopping.” Afterward, the app will walk you through a series of other easy steps that include attaching a catalog, linking your website, and picking your sale channels.
You’ll also need to edit the catalog or multiple catalogs you’ve previously attached with your inventory of products.
Make sure to enable the Checkout option, too, to make your potential buyers’ shopping experience smoother, as they won’t have to open an external app to process payments.
The final step involves previewing your Instagram shop’s appearance to make sure it’s up to your standard.
After your Instagram shop is up, you need to go back to creating posts to increase your followers and show the existing ones your new products.
We advise you to create a balanced plan for your posts, as you don’t want them to be all promotional or all normal posts. Both types of posts are equally important.
Shoppable posts will have built-in links and product tags, so if people like an item that you’ve posted about, all they have to do is tap the tag to buy it. These posts are also simple to create by choosing the “Tag products” option when you’re writing a new post.
Alternatively, the job of normal Instagram posts will be to provide your follower base with original, compelling content related to your niche. They’ll also focus on engaging your audience, growing your brand image, and drawing in more customers from outside your follower base.
A few ways to keep your normal posts interesting include:
Instagram Reels and Stories are addictive to people, so these should go side-by-side with your posts in creating entertaining content for your followers.
Note that you can also add a shoppable Instagram story to direct shoppers to your products using a simple tap.
Don’t hesitate to go live every now and then as well. Letting your audience see you live allows them to connect with you on a personal level and not feel like they’re constantly dealing with a screen or an unknown person.
Your Instagram DMs will be your followers’ way to get in touch with you to inquire about your services and products. Make sure to be responsive to elevate your customer service.
Before launching your Instagram selling adventure, keep in mind the following considerations to ensure you make the most of your presence on the social media platform:
If you still have some questions, this section answers two popular frequently asked questions about selling on Instagram.
No; it costs nothing for payments to be processed via Instagram. However, the app will charge you money if you use some of its advertising tools, not to mention that it’ll deduct a selling fee with Instagram Checkout.
In this case, you can expect to pay 5% per shipment or a flat fee of %0.40 for shipments that cost $8.00 or less.
To be eligible for Instagram selling, you need to follow a few simple rules, according to Instagram: Be physically present in a market supported by the platform, follow Instagram’s policies, offer accurate information on your profile to be trustworthy, and represent your business and niche.
Besides Instagram, why don’t you consider also selling on Facebook, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace to further boost your sales?
Now that you know how to sell on Instagram using a business account, the whole process seems as easy as ever.
We hope that the information you gleaned from our guide was up to your standard. Let us know what you think by commenting below.
Also, you can always share our article with family and friends to help them kickstart their Instagram businesses!
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