How to Sell on Instagram: 11 Instagram Selling Strategies I’ve Tested

Let’s face it. Most creators don’t actually know how to sell on Instagram. I didn’t either, until I did some tinkering and started to pull in real sales.

What did I learn? You don’t need 100k followers, a ring light, or some enterprise-level funnel to sell stuff on Instagram.

You DO need two main things: 

1. First, a good product.
2.  Second, a solid Instagram sales strategy.

This is where I break down my top 11 strategies on how to sell on Instagram.

Let’s get into it.

How does Instagram selling work?

Selling on Instagram basically turns your profile into a mini store that nudges interested people toward a checkout page. You do that with links and product tags inside your content. A follower taps a tag or link, lands on your product page or store, and buys. No complicado.

To properly sell through Instagram, you’ll need a business Instagram account, a product catalog, and an external e-commerce platform like Sellfy to handle payments, orders, and delivery.

Done right, your profile stops being just “a vibe” and becomes a collection of Instagram sales touchpoints.

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram Shopping is Instagram’s nice little way of letting you turn your posts into a mini store. You can tag products in your feed posts, Stories, and Reels so people tap once to see the price, photos, and details, then head straight to the product page to buy without wandering around your profile.

From there, shoppers tap “View on website” and finish the purchase through your linked store in a few clicks. Think of it as a visual product catalog sitting on top of your content. You post like usual, but now every post can pull its weight.

How to sell on Instagram

Selling on Instagram gets much easier when you stop guessing and start to think like a buyer.

People want, you guessed it, three things:

1. Engaging posts
2. Fast answers
3. Painless payments

The 11 Instagram sales strategies below are the ones I use constantly to turn random scrollers into customers.

Method #1: Set up Instagram Shopping

If you want to turn attention into money fast, Instagram Shopping is the first lever I’d pull. 

It links your content directly to your product catalog and puts your offers in front of the 130 million+ people who tap on shopping posts every month.

A visible storefront on your profile does a few important things:

• It tells people you’re legit. 
• It shows your products are verified. 
• It reduces friction because buyers don’t have to switch apps

Setting up your shop

Here’s how to make an Instagram shop without getting lost in Meta docs

1. Confirm your business meets Instagram Shopping eligibility.
2. Update your Instagram app to the latest version.
3. Switch your personal account to a business (or creator) account.
4. Connect your Instagram business account to a Facebook Page.
5. Open Facebook Commerce Manager and create a shop.
6. Upload your products.
7. Submit your shop for approval.
8. Once approved, turn on Instagram Shopping features inside your settings.

Is it a bit of a process? Yeah. But you only do this once, and it keeps paying off.

Using product tags strategically

Product tags are what turn your posts from “nice” to “shoppable” and Explore-ready. Each tag links to your store so people can check out any products in seconds. Once you get your Instagram shop approved, start tagging products in posts, Reels, and Stories.

Here are some rules I follow for product tag placement:

• Tag products where they actually appear in the content so people instantly know what’s what
• Stick to a couple of product tags per post to avoid being spammy or confusing
• Rotate tags across different posts instead of tagging the same item everywhere. This spreads visibility across your catalog and helps Instagram understand what each product is about.

Don’t forget old posts. When a product becomes relevant again, add a fresh tag and push it again in Stories. It’s one of the easiest ways to revive content and drive extra traffic without filming or writing anything new.

Method #2: Link to your online store from your Instagram profile

To sell on Instagram, you will need a reliable e-commerce 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.

In my experience, there are four main reasons to use an external e-commerce platform like Sellfy:

1. Setup: Instagram Shopping needs approvals, policies, and a synced catalog. Sometimes approval takes days, sometimes accounts never get it.
2. Support: If your region isn’t supported or your products fall outside policy, you won’t get access at all.
3. Checkout: Native Instagram checkout is gone for most sellers. Since purchases now bounce over to your external store, you’ll need a platform that actually handles checkout, payments, and fulfillment.
4. Post-purchase actions: With native checkout gone, you also lose built-in control over orders, payouts, refunds, disputes, and even how customers message you after they buy.

These things have huge effects on your customer experience and revenue… So is Instagram Shopping still worth it? Personally, I wouldn’t bother. It is far easier to start selling by adding your Sellfy store link to your Instagram bio.

Why I prefer Sellfy for Instagram selling

Sellfy handles everything end-to-end. Payments, file delivery, store customization, and analytics are all built in. No extra plugins, no patchwork of tools like “Shopify + 3 apps + weird hacks”.

If you’re a solo creator or a small-brand Instagram seller account with digital downloads, courses, presets, or merch, it fits nicely. Checkout is fast, and customers get instant access to digital products.

You can launch a store, build your catalog, and see how it feels in under an hour. And you don’t even have to commit right away, as Sellfy offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. 

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Linking Instagram to your Sellfy store

Your Instagram bio should link straight to your store to drive traffic. Use clear CTAs in your content, like “Shop the link in bio” to refer your followers to the link. This will motivate people to take action and visit your store.

Stories and Reels are perfect for this. Use link stickers, highlight specific collections, or have a “Shop now” Story saved permanently on your profile.

A great example of a well-optimized Instagram selling profile is that of Sellfy creator Zara Simon-Ogan (also known as efikzara). Zara has taken full advantage of social media marketing by diversifying her Instagram content with behind-the-scenes footage, beauty routines, cooking tips, haircare tips, and, of course, promotion of her online store and digital products.

Monitor and optimize

Once your shop is live, you don’t want to just sit there waiting for a miracle.

Use Instagram Insights to track:

• Views
• Product clicks
• Profile visits
• Conversions

Use in-store analytics (Sellfy, in my case) to see:

• Where traffic is coming from
• Which products do people click on most
• Which campaigns or content actually drive sales

Make small adjustments to:

• Visual style
• Posting times
• Hooks and CTAs

This helps you double down on what works instead of throwing random posts at the wall.

Method #3: Run Instagram ads

Instagram ads bring your brand to a massive, targeted audience of over 1.4 billion users, and they take minutes to set up. 

Here’s how to create your first Instagram ad:

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager.
2. Specify your goal.
3. Define your audience.
4. Set the budget and placements.
5. Launch, then watch the numbers like a hawk.

This is not the place for “spray and pray”. Be mindful of your target audience and their age range, interests, behaviors, and locations. Decide what you want to achieve with your ads (traffic? conversions? sales?) and optimize the ad copy accordingly.

After your ad is live, watch the metrics that matter: impressions, CTR, CPM, conversions. Instagram CTR usually sits somewhere around 0.9% to 1.5%. 

Treat your ads like experiments, not lottery tickets. Change your hooks; try different creatives; or rewrite your copy from scratch if you have to.

Method #4: Create product-focused Reels

Reels are the loud kid in the room. They get more reach than static posts, and they are perfect for selling if you use them correctly.

Your job is simple: Show the product in action → Solve a specific problem → Make it easy to take the next step. You do not need cinematic shots. Clean, clear, consistent content beats fancy-hollow production every time.

Always tag the product or add your store link in the caption, then push the Reel again in Stories and even pin it if it performs well. Keep an eye on reach, saves, shares, and profile visits.

Here are guidelines to get more from your Instagram Reels:

• Keep most Reels under 30 seconds
• Use trending sounds and music (if they fit your content)
• Hook viewers in the first three seconds
• End with a benefit-focused CTA, for example, “Get a six-pack in three months” instead of “Sign up.”
• Mix broad hashtags (#reels, #shoponline) with niche-specific ones

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.

Method #5: Partner or collaborate with micro-influencers

Micro-influencers don’t brag about millions of followers, and honestly, that is the point. Smaller creators often have better engagement, more trust, and a tight connection with their audience… This combo sells.

Here’s how I like to approach influencer marketing:

1. Find accounts that are already talking to my ideal buyer.
2. When I don’t feel like spending hours hunting for creators, I open Upfluence or Collabstr, plug in my niche and location, and let the tools give me a shortlist.
3. From there, I’ve got options. I can send them free products, pay a flat fee, or do a mix of both if they’re a stronger creator.

And now? Get out of their way. If they are good at what they do, they already know what style, angle, and format clicks with their followers.

Use unique discount codes or links to measure traffic and sales. If an influencer is converting, stick with them and turn it into a long-term partnership. That consistency builds serious credibility.

Method #6: Leverage live commerce

Going live feels scary for a lot of people, but it is one of the fastest ways to turn viewers into buyers.

Here’s a simple formula that works wonders:

1. Pick a few products to feature
2. Demo the products to show their value
3. Drop some limited-time offers during the stream to create urgency

Review performance after each session and take lessons for the next event. Look at viewer count, link clicks, and of course, sales. Keep what worked, ditch what flopped, and repeat. 

Once your audience knows that your livestreams come with real value and juicy offers, they start showing up ready to buy, not just watch.

Method #7: Build trust with user-generated content (UGC)

In e-commerce marketing, UGC is king. The numbers back it up.: Around 84% of people are more likely to trust a brand if they use UGC in their marketing campaigns (EnTribe). 

Make it a habit to ask customers to post your products in action. For example, add a CTA in your caption and/or packaging asking them to tag you. Most people love to see their content featured, so it’s a win-win!

How the pros are using UGC:

• Create a branded hashtag and nudge customers to post with it
• Save the strongest UGC and reviews in a dedicated Instagram Highlight
• Regularly reshare UGC to your feed, and tag and thank the creator

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.

Method #8: Drive quick sales with Instagram Stories

Stories are perfect for speed, scarcity, and “right now” energy.

You can use Stories to:

• Showcase products
• Run limited-time offers
• Tease new drops
• Do Q&As or polls to gather objections/questions

Use product stickers and link stickers aggressively, especially when paired with discounts, free bonuses, and “limited stock” alerts. Keep visuals clean, text readable, and CTAs simple. “Get yours now” works just fine. No need for a paragraph of explanation.

To push reach and engagement, use polls and sliders. Add countdowns for drops or offers, and reshare UGC and top-performing posts into Stories. Then, watch the insights: Link/sticker taps, exits, and skips show you what your audience actually cares about and what they are bored with.

Method #9: Optimize your bio and profile for conversions

Your profile decides if someone buys from you or scrolls away. And that depends on whether you make a good first impression. 

First off, your bio. It’s the first thing people see, so make it sharp but keep it concise. Use a clear photo or logo, and write one short line that sells your offer fast; no fluff.

There’s a spot where you can add a clickable external link⁠ (the URL section in your Instagram bio). Add your store link or a link-in-bio page (e.g., Linktree or Beacons) with your best products.

Also, pin your top highlights. Show product demos, customer reviews, limited offers, and/or FAQs.

Don’t add what you don’t absolutely need. The fewer clicks your follower has to do, the better your results. Keep everything on brand with clean icons and consistent colors.

Last but not least, test your bio often. Click every link, read every word. Make sure it loads quickly and looks good on mobile. 

Method #10: Run giveaways and limited-time offers

Giveaways are still one of the easiest ways to inject fresh attention into your account, if you do them right.

A few simple rules for giveaways:

• Give away something directly tied to what you sell. No iPhones if you sell handmade candles.
• Keep the entry steps simple. Following you, tagging a friend, and sharing the post is usually enough.
• Use a clean image and a short caption that makes the prize and rules obvious.

Next, align the structure with your main goal. Want more reach? Make tagging and sharing required. Need a sales boost? Give all participants a small discount code and remind them to use it.

I like to squeeze in some extra urgency with countdowns (“Ends in 8 hours”) and quantity reminders (“Only 17 left”)

Method #11: Close sales through DMs and comments

Every time someone comments or goes into your DMs, they are telling you, “I am at least a little interested in buying.” What you do next decides if they buy or forget you exist.

I try to live by these Instagram selling rules:

• Never leave a comment or DM unanswered.
• Be short, sharp, and to the point.
• Share product links or discount codes ONLY when it feels natural.
• Automate FAQ answers. There’s tools like Manychat or Tidio to handle basic questions when you’re offline.

Treat your DMs and comments like a sales floor, and you will more than likely see a jump in sales.

Learn how to sell on Instagram with zero hassle

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How to sell things on Instagram without a website

You do not need a full website to start making money on Instagram. What you actually need is:

• Something worth selling
• A simple store link that can take payments
• Content that sends people to that link

That is why I like using Sellfy as my “website substitute” when I sell through Instagram. The Sellfy store works as both a storefront and a checkout page. I simply upload some products, add images and descriptions, and connect payment.  

No coding, no sweating over themes.

This frees up time for quality content. Jump on trends that fit your brand, like maybe trending sounds, memes, TikTok formats… Go nuts! Write short, clear captions. Target hashtags with under 1 million searches, or you’ll get lost in crowded feeds.

Important to remember:

• Switch to a professional account (Business or Creator).
• Add your store link to your bio.

How to sell products on Instagram?

If you are starting from scratch and wondering how to sell products on Instagram, here are the two main ways to do it:

• Instagram Shopping (simple): Upload your product catalog, get approved, and turn on Instagram Shopping to get taggable, shoppable product pages with a built-in “View on website” CTA.
• Direct store linking (flexible): Set up your store of choice, upload your products, customize pages, and optimize touchpoints. Drive traffic to your store via a “Shop now” link in your bio and Stories, and a CTA pointing to the bio in posts and Reels.

Top products for selling on Instagram

You can sell almost anything on Instagram as long as it is legal and not something the platform hates.

That said, some product types look really good on camera and fit naturally into people’s lives. Here are categories that consistently perform well:

• Clothing and fashion accessories
  Outfits, bags, shoes, scarves. Show them in quick try-on Reels, “outfit of the day” posts, or styling ideas. They’re more likely to buy it if they imagine themselves wearing it.
• Jewelry and watches
  Rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches. Close-ups, sparkly shots, and unboxings do really well here.
• Beauty and skincare
  Serums, creams, makeup, tools. Perfect for tutorials, routines, and before and after content. Very easy to show value visually.
• Home decor and furniture
  Lamps, art, shelves, pillows, chairs. Film them in real rooms instead of isolated backgrounds. People want to see how it fits in a space.
• Fitness gear and activewear
  Resistance bands, mats, dumbbells, leggings, sports bras. Short workout clips and transformations spread quickly and push sales if you tag products strategically.
• Digital products
  Templates, presets, ebooks, guides, mini courses. There’s zero shipping, and they’re super easy to sell with Reels, carousels, and Stories.
• Food and beverages
  Artisanal snacks, sauces, coffee, and healthy treats. If it looks good and you take strong photos, you are in a good place. Bonus points if there is a story behind it.
• Art and handmade crafts
  Prints, paintings, stickers, and handmade goods. Time-lapse videos, “watch me draw” clips, or process Reels grab attention fast.
• Tech accessories
  Phone cases, chargers, stands, keyboards, and headphones. Show them in real setups, especially productivity or aesthetic desk builds.
• Pet products
  Toys, treats, outfits, accessories. Combine them with pet videos, and you are basically printing engagement.

These categories work because they are easy to show, understand, and buy on impulse. If someone can look at a post and think “I want that” in three seconds, you are in the right territory.

Eligibility requirements for selling on Instagram

Instagram will not let just anyone slap product tags on their feed. There is a basic checklist you need to clear before using Instagram Shopping features.

Here is the summary of what they look at:

1. You follow Instagram’s rules
   Your account has to respect the Terms of Use, Community Guidelines, Commerce Policies, and any Partner Monetization rules that apply. No shady stuff, no fake products, no scammy behavior.
2. You use a professional account
   You need a business or creator account, not a personal one. The difference is in the wealth of Instagram seller tools you get.
3. You sell eligible products
   Certain products are not allowed. Things like adult content, some financial products, alcohol in many markets, and hazardous items are a no-no.
4. You operate in a supported country
   Your business needs to be based in a region where Instagram Shopping is actually available. If your country is not on Meta’s supported markets list, you will not get access to full Shopping features.
5. You look trustworthy
   You should have accurate business info, clear product descriptions, transparent pricing, proper photos, and honest refund or return policies. Instagram wants customers to feel safe buying from you.
6. You are old enough
   You must be at least 18 to use these commerce features. Basic legal stuff.

Ticked all of this and still didn’t get approved? Maybe check your product categories and your region’s availability. Meta is really picky with choosing who it trusts as an Instagram seller, especially in new markets.

FAQs about selling on Instagram

1. How to make Instagram shoppable?

First, switch to a professional account. Then connect your profile to Meta’s Commerce Manager, create a shop, and upload or sync your product catalog.

Once Instagram approves your shop, you can:

• Tag products in posts, Reels, and Stories
• Use product stickers
• Turn your normal content into direct shopping paths

2. How to sell on the Instagram marketplace?

Instagram does not have a separate marketplace section like Facebook Marketplace.

Selling happens through tagged products and an external store you manage. If you want something that feels more like a small marketplace flow, you can:

• Take orders manually in DMs
• Send payment links for each order
• Track everything in a simple sheet

This works fine for small batches, limited stock drops, or one-off custom pieces. It’s not ideal if you are trying to scale to hundreds of orders a week.

3. How to sell clothes on Instagram?

Clothes sell when people can see how they look on real bodies.

Focus on try-on Reels, outfit photos, mirror shots, and “How to style this” clips.

Tag each item in the content so buyers can tap and go straight to the product page. Add size info in captions or Story Highlights, and keep your bio link pointing to your latest collection or main store. Try to respond quickly to DMs about fit, fabric, etc. Those questions often decide whether someone buys or drops it.

4. How to sell items on Instagram?

The basic formula for selling on Instagram is:

1. Set up Instagram Shopping and your external store.
2. Showcase the items in posts, Reels, or Stories.
3. Add a short caption with key details people care about.
4. Tag the product and point viewers to the tag or your store link.
5. Stay active in comments and DMs. Buyers want one last bit of clarity before paying.

5. How much does it cost to sell on Instagram?

The Instagram side is actually free, as there are no Instagram store fees. Your costs show up in two places:

• Your e-commerce or store platform fees (Sellfy gives you a 14-day free trial)
• Your payment processor fees (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)

If you run ads, your ad spend becomes your main cost. But purely organic selling on Instagram does not have a platform fee attached.

6. 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.

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