More marketers are recognizing the value of having an established social media presence, and consumers are increasingly turning to the platforms to engage with brands through a business profile. If you wonder how to sell on Instagram, you should know that it has become the latest trend.

You can also monetize your Instagram feed and sell products and services directly from the profile, as if it were a Online store (actually it is). With very little setup you can have a thriving e-commerce Get the most out of social media.

If you want to use Instagram as part of a larger e-commerce strategy or have it as your main selling point , we have some tips to help you sell on Instagram.

1. Create your company profile

2. Make your profile findable and attractive.

3. Create an enviable Instagram feed.

4. Only post professional-looking images.

5. Consider your written content.

6. Make effective ads.

7. Create promotional opportunities.

8. Don't panic if your follower count is low.

9. Optimize.

1. Create a company profile.

Chances are high that you already have a personal account. If you're serious about how to sell on Instagram, you'll need to get a business profile.

Having your business on Instagram with an active business profile gives you access to features that aren't available to regular users, but are essential if you want to run a successful business.

These features include:

• Shopping on Instagram. This is the function that allows you to create a catalog of products, tag them in your feed or Instagram stories.
• Instagram Ads. There are many ways to display ads and sell on Instagram. Create eye-catchers, reach a large audience, and collect insights on the performance of your marketing campaigns.
• Instagram Insights. Collect data about your visitors. Find out how many people saw your posts, how successful any of them were, who your demographic is, and how many new followers you're gaining. Instagram business manager can help you with this.
• Action buttons. Adding action buttons to your business profile allows potential customers to take actions like calling or making a reservation directly from your business profile.
• Location information and business hours. Don't waste space in your bio with basic business information. Instead, use the specially designed space to tell customers when and where they can find you.

You can create a new profile as a business account or convert the existing one to one through the account settings .

2.Make your profile findable and attractive.

When many marketers start exploring how to sell on Instagram, one of the most commonly ignored factors is searchability and profile appeal, where you need to humanize your brand.

attractive and convincing

In addition to securing the perfect account name (it should be unique, identical or close to your brand name, short, and memorable), you need to make sure your profile looks professional and engaging.

Your customization options are limited, but to make it your own, you can:

• Use an eye-catching profile image. Your brand logo or something related to the niche works.
• Write an engaging, informative and compelling biography. Use the short section to communicate your message and invite visitors to buy.
• Include as much useful information as you can. Include business hours, location, and ways for customers to contact you directly.
• Have a consistent aesthetic. Think of your posts as a whole; try to keep them consistent and attractive.

be reachable

A great way to reach new customers is to learn how to use hashtags correctly. While you may think that pasting a bunch of hashtags makes you easier to find, too many can look spammy and turn potential customers away.

To be found the right way, remember these golden rules on hashtags:

• Less highly searched and followed hashtags are more effective and professional looking than many others.
• The hashtags you use should be relevant to the content you're sharing, not just your brand or target audience.
• With that being said, the hashtags you use should also be relevant to your target demographic. Find the words and phrases they use.
• Find hashtags that don't have many uses. Otherwise, you run the risk of your content being forgotten.

3. Create an enviable Instagram feed.

A great way to sell on Instagram is to present your products in the feed harmoniously. In addition, it is a way to show potential customers who they are and how they work.

However, savvy sellers know that it is even more effective to feature shopping posts and a product catalog. That already makes the answer to how to sell on Instagram easier.

Tagging your products directly in Instagram posts not only gives you an opportunity to showcase costs and specifications, but it's also an opportunity to link visitors to your online store where you can make a sale.

Regular Instagram posts don't allow you to place external links, which is why shopping posts are an advantage for businesses.

Make sure to display your products in an attractive environment to enhance the shopping experience. Provide all the information customers will need in the caption, and tag shopping posts with relevant hashtags that make them easy to find.

4. Only post professional-looking images.

Instagram is fundamentally a visual platform, which means your products will only stand out if you make sure they look their best in the photos you post.

With the wide availability of photography equipment and easy-to-use editing tools, there really is no excuse for businesses of any size to post unappealing product images on Instagram.

Even if you are not a professional photographer, you should make an effort.

In a quick recap, these are the key points to keep in mind:

• Keep your brand identity in mind. The most important thing is that your photos fit the brand. Know the overall look of your brand well and copy it into your product images on Instagram.
• Plan everything in advance. Know the exact equipment you'll need, where you'll take the photos, what kind of lighting you'll use, what accessories you'll include, and how you'll touch up afterward.
• Choose the right background and framing. Your composition is key for the products to look good. A directly white background is not always the best option.
• Don't run away from accessories. While your products should always take center stage, it's okay to add other accessories (including models) to give your products context and make them more appealing.
• Remember: lighting is the key. The lighting style and angle will set the mood for your images. Think carefully about what your lighting choices say about the products.
• Learn to edit (or pay a professional). Touching up photos after taking them is a common practice. Many editors Beginner-friendly ones are available for free, but you can always get someone else to help you.
• Be consistent. Whatever choices you make about your product photos up to this point, stick with it. Make sure the images have a consistent style to adhere to.

5. Consider your written content.

Granted, images are key on Instagram, but you'll lose customers if you lose sight of the importance of written content to your platform's marketing.

While it's true that most users will just scroll through the images, if something catches their eye, they'll want to read your footers to learn more about the products you offer. This is your opportunity to sell.

To write convincingly, you need to keep the following in mind:

• Plan and draft. Content is important, so think carefully about what you want to say and the impact you want to have on the reader. Write several versions and choose the best one.
• Take the most important information. You may only have your readers' attention for a few seconds, so it's crucial to load your copy with key points.
• Be careful with hashtags. Do not use more than 4-5 carefully chosen, highly focused hashtags. They should be relevant to your content and brand.
• Be efficient. Don't say in 10 words what can be said in 3. Keeping it short and concise will help make the most of your readers' short attention spans.
• Establish a consistent voice. As with the images, there must be coherence in the texts. Find your brand tone and voice and stick as close as possible.
• Calls to action. The goal of your footer should be to get users to take action. Whether you're selling a product or just looking for likes, be clear and invite action.

6. Make effective ads.

Gaining attention organically through hashtags and paid posts will get you into the competitive field that is Instagram. If you want the right customers to find you, you should consider investing in paid advertising on the platform.

Instagram has many different ways to display ads, including:

• Photo ads.
• Video ads.
• Carousel ads.
• Ads on Instagram stories.
• Collection ads.
• Ads in explore.

When using your access to Instagram ads, you should create content that is sure to appeal to your target demographic and use the platform's helpful targeting options to ensure that the right people see it.

The reach of your ads will be influenced by your targeting options, the size of the demographic group, and your budget.

A tip for beginners it is simply promoting a post that you have noticed performing well on the profile. Promoting a post simply shares the content on the feeds of users who don't follow you, but how you sell on Instagram is up to you.

7. Create promotional opportunities.

Paid advertising on Instagram is a tried and trusted method of increasing reach and developing a new customer base. However, it's not the only promotional approach you can take on the platform.

You should consider developing your own marketing opportunities that do not rely on the Instagram ad network.

These are two of the most effective ways you could do it.

Partner with influencers

Building followers on your own can take a lot of effort on Instagram. Influencer marketing allows you to leverage the following popular accounts to get your products and messages in front of a larger audience.

Far from being just a buzzword, influencer marketing is effective if you want to:

• Promote your new products to a wider audience.
• Communicate effectively with existing customers.
• And find new potential customers.

Influencers are paid spokespersons for your brand. They give your products a face and take advantage of the trust your followers have in them to sell your products.

The type of content an influencer creates for you, the reach that content will have, and the amount you have to pay will vary based on the size of their following.

Regardless of that, you need to make sure that the influencers you work with:

• They are relevant to your brand. If you sell beauty products, partner with influencers who often review or promote such products.
• Have followers similar to your audience. There is no point in marketing to the wrong people, even through an influencer. Make sure you understand their demographics and that they match yours.
• Use keywords similar to your brand/audience. Make sure the hashtags and keywords associated with the influencers you're targeting are similar to those already associated with your brand.

run promotions

With an Instagram business account, you can promote your products and brand using promoted posts, photo ads, video ads, Instagram story ads, and more.

By using these marketing options within Instagram you can specifically target your preferred demographics and gain great insights into ad performance.

Creating a sense of urgency or exclusivity is one of the oldest marketing tricks, and it can even be applied to selling on Instagram.

Making a promotion through your Instagram account is quick and easy. promotions like

• discount codes
• raffles
• Early access to new products
• raffles
• flash sales

You can put information about your promotion in the title of a post, in a story, in a video, or in your profile bio.

8. Don't panic if your follower count is low.

There are no minimum follower requirements to be able to sell on Instagram. You can set up a business profile, add product listings, and post ads, all without having a single follower to your name.

However, it is still recommended that you try to increase your follower base, as there are certain advantages to having more:

• Your posts will have a higher organic reach. It means your products will be seen, liked and shared more, without the need to extend your reach with paid advertising. It's cheaper that way.
• Having followers adds credibility to your brand. If potential customers see that your brand is popular, with a large following, they are more likely to make a purchase from you.
• You can interact with customers. Having a reliable number of followers makes it easier to communicate with customers, engage with them on your Instagram posts, and get them excited about promotions.

9. Optimize.

Once your Instagram eCommerce operation is up and running, there is no time to rest on success. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms and other marketers will always be trying to steal your next sale.

No matter how well your posts, ads, and other marketing efforts work, there are always improvements to be made to sell on Instagram.

Use the statistics and any other analytics tools you have to see what works, who your customer base is, and what you can do to better engage them.

Replicate successful strategies in future content and marketing, and stop doing anything that is ineffective.

If after reading this article you are interested in selling products on Instagram, discover how you can become a distributor of our products by clicking here .