How to sell on Instagram in 2024 (fast & easy)
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Selling products on Instagram in 2024 will be beneficial for many reasons:
Firstly, it will provide a great way to reach a wide audience as most social media users have an Instagram account and are using it regularly.
Secondly, it will make it easier to market your products since you can use hashtags and other features to make sure that your posts are seen by the right people.
Thirdly, you can use the platform to offer discounts and other incentives to get people to buy from you. In short, the revenue you can earn through the Instagram platform is enormous!
That’s why we’re sharing some tips on how to market your products and sell on Instagram in 2024. We’re also going to show you how to create and launch an online store. Stay tuned!
How to sell products on Instagram
Selling on Instagram is simple!
There are just a few steps to get started, so follow our guide below for detailed instructions:
- Sign up for Sellfy and launch an online store
- Attract customers by creating engaging content around your product
- Add your Sellfy store link to your Instagram profile bio
- Link out from Instagram Stories to drive traffic and sales
- Express yourself creatively with Instagram Reels
- Build trust and brand credibility with user-generated content
1. Sign up for Sellfy and launch an online store
To sell on Instagram, you will need a reliable eCommerce platform that provides a secure and easy way to accept payments, deliver products, manage customers and orders, and track sales performance.
One such platform that provides all of that functionality is Sellfy. Selling products with Sellfy is a great way to monetize your Instagram following while providing a secure and reliable platform for you and your customers.
Here’s how to get started:
Sign up for a 14-day free trial or pick a subscription plan. The free trial will let you try out all the features before committing to a paid subscription. However, remember that you won’t be able to accept payments and sell on Instagram until you upgrade to a paid plan.
To start a trial, you’ll enter your first name, and a valid email address, and create a password. Once you’ve opened your trial, it’s important to first verify your email address so that you won’t miss out on Sellfy updates, account information, and more.
Next, connect payment methods, upload your products, add descriptions and mockup images, and choose a pre-made Sellfy theme (the easiest option), or design your store from scratch with the Store Customizer tool.
Now that your store is ready, we can jump to the next part.
2. Attract customers by creating engaging content around your product
Creating engaging content around your product is a must if you want to grow your audience and sell on Instagram. But, with nearly 1 billion people scrolling through their Instagram feed and Explore page, how do you make your product stand out?
Here are some quick tips to help you out:
- Do market research. Before you post anything, it’s important to understand your target audience and what kind of content resonates with them. Look at what successful creators in your niche are doing and use that as inspiration to sell on Instagram.
- Utilize hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to reach a larger audience. Try using popular hashtags (preferably hashtags that are under 1M) related to your product or niche.
- High-quality visuals. Use high-quality visuals in your posts to draw in viewers. You can use your own photos as well as videos.
- Engage with your followers. Respond to comments, ask questions, and create polls. This will help to create a dialogue with your audience and make them feel more connected to you.
- Be consistent. Posting regularly is key to keeping your followers engaged. Set a posting schedule and stick to it.
Now, let’s take a look at some real Sellfy creator examples.
Let’s start with Ashley Renee. Ashley (aka Messy Eats) is a successful keto food blogger who sells recipes and cookbooks to her Instagram audience of 637K+. How did she manage to reach such a wide audience?
Ashley says it’s a combination of aesthetically pleasing food, high-quality video content, and, most importantly, trending songs on Instagram. But, she also believes that you should show people you’re more than just a business or brand.
That’s why Ashley always goes beyond posting content around her product—she takes her viewers behind the scenes to show her personality and lifestyle:
I wasn’t even trying to go viral. I was just filming my lifestyle and people liked it. I think it gave them a personal experience. People feel connected to me because my personality is shown through my videos.
The key takeaway? Don’t let your followers forget the creator and the face behind the product—remember that YOU represent your brand. So, creating engaging content doesn’t have to be limited to your product. It can also be about you.
Then, there’s Sellfy creator Victoria (aka Kulinary Effect). Victoria has taken full advantage of social media marketing—she has diversified her Instagram content with behind-the-scenes footage, free recipes, cooking tips, recipe reviews, and even a podcast.
By doing all this, she lets her followers see the many sides of her culinary business and what it takes to be a food blogger. I think we can all agree that creating a personal experience for your audience is a great way to build brand awareness and sell on Instagram!
For example, in addition to posting food videos, she also uses Instagram Stories to gamify her content (e.g. “This or that?” games) and increase engagement. She makes it fun for people to learn about cooking—even her Instagram bio says, “Inspiring others to find joy and confidence through cooking.”
3. Add your Sellfy store link to your Instagram profile bio
There’s a spot where you can add a clickable external link—the URL section in your Instagram bio. Whenever a customer finds you on Instagram, they’re likely to go to your profile page and see the link. So, having it up there at all times will encourage traffic to your online store.
How to add a link to your bio:
- Go to your profile page and tap “Edit Profile”.
- In the website field, enter the full Sellfy store URL you want to link to (including http:// or https://).
- Tap “Done”.
You should now see the link live in your profile. Make sure to double-check that the link is working correctly before saving your changes.
Next, refer your followers to the link. You’ve probably heard the phrase “link in bio”. Start using it in your captions. This will motivate people to take action and visit your store.
Also, it takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form an impression of your account. So, the text in your Instagram profile bio requires some thought.
How to maximize your Instagram bio:
- Include a link to your Sellfy store.
- Use emojis to space out the text.
- Describe your skills or role as a business owner.
- Include a call-to-action (e.g. “Shop now“ or “Follow the link to get … ”).
4. Link out from Instagram Stories to drive traffic and sales
Instagram Stories is a great feature to help you showcase products in action and build relationships with your followers.
Here’s what you can do with Instagram Stories:
- Capture the products in action.
- Promote special offers.
- Introduce new product launches.
Since 2017, verified accounts and business profile owners with 10,000+ followers can add links to their Instagram Stories. In the Stories feed, it will look like your regular Instagram Story, but with a “See More” feature at the bottom.
Adding links to your Instagram Stories is a huge trend that has increased traffic for many businesses.
How to add links to Instagram Stories:
- Take a photo or video in the Instagram Stories window, or use one from your camera roll.
- Click on the chain icon to add a link to your story (it’s located in the upper right corner of the screen).
- Enter your Sellfy store URL and tap the checkmark when you’re done.
Once you’ve published your links, don’t forget to:
- Inform your followers. To sell on Instagram, let them know exactly what you’re linking to. Is it your latest product available on your Sellfy store? Write that in the story so that people know what they’re clicking on.
- Encourage your viewers. The “See More” button isn’t that noticeable, so add arrows, stickers, or text boxes (e.g. “Swipe to …”) to make sure people will be able to see the link.
5. Express yourself creatively with Instagram Reels
Reels provide a great opportunity to express yourself creatively and interactively engage with your followers. With its unique editing suite, you can create fun videos that stand out from the crowd.
Plus, with the ability to add music, hashtags, and other effects, you can take your content beyond regular posts and make it more visible to your followers. The algorithm tends to favor video content, so be sure to use this to your advantage!
To get started with Reels, open the Instagram app and tap on the Reels icon at the bottom of the screen. Then, select the music you want from the Instagram library or upload your audio.
Once you have the music, you can record and edit your video. You can add fun effects, text, and other creative elements to your reel. When you’re finished, you can share your Reels with your followers or in your story.
For example, when Sellfy creator Bonberi Mart started out selling custom mugs, their first promo was a regular Instagram post showcasing the mug to their audience. Now that they’ve expanded their merch collection to include sweatshirts, they’re using Reels to showcase the entire order fulfillment process.
6. Build trust and brand credibility with user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is a very powerful tool—according to user behavior data, 92% of people would rather trust a recommendation from another person than a brand. Customers showcasing your products can help build trust and authenticity, and provide your followers with a community to be a part of.
Here’s how to leverage user-generated content:
- Encourage your followers to create and share content related to your business (e.g. create a photo challenge for them to participate in). Ask them to tag you in their posts.
- Feature user-generated content on your own Instagram profile. This helps to create a sense of community and encourages Instagram users to create more content.
- Make sure to thank your followers for creating and sharing content. A simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way!
- Create a branded hashtag and use it in all your posts. This will help you keep track of user-generated content and make it easier for your followers to find you.
- Repost user-generated content on your story or other social media platforms. This gives you a great opportunity to show off your followers’ work and reach a larger audience.
For example, The Nostalgia Movement (founded by German photographer and filmmaker, Nikolas Mengel) is a great Sellfy creator example of how to use user-generated content to your advantage.
He has built an entire Instagram community around his branded hashtag #thenostalgiamovement. To encourage followers to tag him or share their photos, he’s added this piece of text to his Instagram profile bio:
In honour of timeless visuals and in celebration of contemporary photography. Use #thenostalgiamovement to submit.
But, remember that, ultimately, when it comes down to selling on Instagram, your audience’s willingness to buy from you is a bigger deciding factor over any Instagram marketing strategy.
Set up an Instagram Business Account to unlock more features
A business profile on Instagram is like an interactive business card—it provides a better marketing experience for you as a creator.
With the business profile, you’ll be able to:
- Add valuable information to your profile (business address, website, contact information, phone number, etc.);
- Use Instagram Insights to learn more about followers and well-performing posts;
- Post promotions to drive business objectives.
Not only will you be able to access these features, but you’ll also be able to understand who’s engaging with your business.
Plus, you can connect two of the most popular platforms, Instagram and Facebook, which will make it easier to use all the available features across the Meta family of apps.
In addition, having a business account will increase your social media presence, and give people more information about your products, services, and so on.
Apart from adding details such as a business category or contact information, you can also add location and store hours. You can even get real-time metrics on how your content performs. So, as you can see, there are many benefits to switching to an Instagram business profile.
So, if you already have a personal Instagram account, here’s how to switch to an Instagram Business Account:
- Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner.
- Then, tap “Settings” and “Account”.
- Tap “Switch to Professional Account” and then “Business”.
- Once you’ve switched, you’ll be able to add details to your profile (like contact information and business category).
- Simply tap “Done” after you’ve added your details.
Instagram Shopping: should you bother?
Instagram Shopping offers businesses an immersive storefront to tag products directly in their posts.
Although this can be a great tool to help you promote your products and start selling, there are some potential drawbacks to consider before using this tool.
For example, due to Instagram’s algorithm, there is no guarantee that all customers will be able to see your posts and potential purchases.
Additionally, the process of setting up an Instagram shop and verifying your account can be a long and complicated one (it doesn’t even work without a Facebook Business Page that has a Facebook shop or Facebook catalog).
Finally, Instagram Shopping does not provide an integrated checkout process, so customers need to be directed to an external platform for payment.
All of these factors should be taken into consideration before deciding whether or not Instagram Shopping is the right platform for your business.
So, should you set up Instagram Shopping?
Personally, I wouldn’t. It is far easier to start selling by adding your Sellfy store link to your Instagram bio.
FAQs about selling on Instagram
How do you set up selling on Instagram?
Setting up selling on Instagram is easy! First, make sure you have an Instagram Business Account. Then, create an online store. We recommend selling products through your own website or an online store like Sellfy so that you can have full control over your business. Once you’ve signed up for Sellfy, you can add your store link to your bio and sell products!
How many followers do you need to sell on Instagram?
Although there’s no follower minimum for selling on Instagram, the truth is that it depends on the type of product you’re selling and the target audience you’re looking to reach.
Generally, you will want to have at least a few thousand followers to build trust with potential customers and maximize the reach of your posts. However, as long as you have an engaged audience and are utilizing effective marketing strategies, you can be successful in selling products on Instagram even with a smaller following.
Is Instagram Shopping a good idea?
Instagram Shopping can be a great way to sell on Instagram, but it can also be a double-edged sword. While it can certainly help you reach a larger customer base and drive more sales, it can also be difficult to manage and may not be the most cost-effective option.
Here are some potential drawbacks to consider when deciding if Instagram Shopping is a good way to start selling:
- The cost of using the Instagram Shopping platform can add up quickly. You must factor in the cost of advertising, cost of hosting, and any other fees associated with the platform.
- Instagram Shopping may not be the best fit for all businesses. The platform is geared towards retailers and may not be suitable for businesses that are not in the retail space.
- Managing your Instagram Shopping presence can be time-consuming. You will need to regularly update product listings, monitor customer feedback, and respond to inquiries.
- Instagram Shopping may not be the best option for businesses with a limited number of products. If you don’t offer a wide range of products, customers may not be interested in visiting your store.
Overall, Instagram Shopping can be a great way to boost sales, but it’s important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. A much easier way to sell on Instagram is to launch an eCommerce store that accepts payments (such as a Sellfy store).
How do I accept payments on Instagram?
You can accept payments on Instagram using a third-party payment processor like PayPal or Square. To set this up, you will need to create a business profile on Instagram and connect your account to your payment processor.
Once you have done that, you can add a payment button to your posts and stories. When customers click the button, they will be directed to the payment processor to complete the transaction.
Alternatively, you can set up a Sellfy store (Sellfy integrates with PayPal), add the store link to your bio, and then refer your followers to the link to start selling.
What is the best way to promote my product on Instagram?
The best way to promote your product and sell on Instagram is to create engaging and informative content that resonates with your target audience. Start by creating an Instagram Business Account that is visually appealing and conveys your brand’s message.
Post regularly and use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience. Incorporate storytelling into your posts and use Instagram Stories and Reels to further engage Instagram users.
Additionally, consider partnering with Instagram influencers and collaborating with other brands to reach a larger audience. And, lastly, remember to add your Sellfy store link to your bio and share it in your captions, stories, and reels.
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