How do you sell stuff on instagram

How to Sell on Instagram in 2023: 8 Essential Steps

Instagram shopping lets you create an engaging shopping experience directly from your profile. Every day, millions of Instagram users explore their feed looking to buy things they love.

Ready to get your products in front of more eyes? The great news is that opening your Instagram shop is free and easy to get started! Watch this video to find out how:

1. Find the right niche and build your following

2. Get an Instagram business profile

3. Set up an Instagram shop

4. Create shoppable posts

5. But create regular posts too

6. Get on the Explore page

7. Try live shopping

8. Use Instagram Checkout

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Why sell products or services on Instagram?

Before we dive into how to sell products on Instagram, let’s talk about the benefits first.

Selling your products or services on Instagram can boost your sales and skyrocket your reach.

And there are a few reasons why:

It’s the most popular app: Since Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps in the world, you can get discovered by a lot more users.
It has a massive user base: Users worldwide spend an average of 145 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) per day on social media. With over a billion users globally, that’s a lot of eyeballs!
It’s an engaging social media platform: Instagram has a very user-friendly platform for selling products. And it gives creators a chance to engage directly with their followers and build relationships. All you need to do is post photos and videos to start promoting your products.

Social media has become a powerful tool that creators and entrepreneurs can use to market their products or services and gain new customers.

Instagram shops help you curate your brand story and showcase your products to the world.

The world is at your fingertips – literally.

If you’re already selling online, you can easily sync up your existing e-commerce platforms to your Instagram catalog.

Selling on Instagram is also beneficial because it:

Allows you to target an audience in your niche by showing your products or services to the right people
Makes it easier for users to buy directly from your website or through the built-in checkout without leaving the app
Boosts brand exposure and drives traffic to your page and website
Helps you tell a story and curate a customized shopping experience
Drives product discovery through your feed, stories, and videos
Lets people browse and learn more about your company and products

If your business isn’t on Instagram yet, maybe it’s time to consider creating a profile to engage with your customers.

Already on Instagram? Awesome! You can open your shop and start selling right away.

As a small business or creator, it’s important to get your products or services on as many platforms as possible.

Instagram’s shopping experience helps you engage with your followers, discover new customers, and increase sales.

Sounds pretty great, right? But before we talk about how to sell, let’s make sure you’re able to sell in the first place.

To use Instagram shopping you just need to meet a few eligibility requirements.

Do you need a business license to sell on Instagram?

No. You don’t need a business license to sell on Instagram, but according to Instagram’s Commerce Eligibility Requirements you should:

Follow Instagram’s policies
Represent your business and domain
Be located in a supported market
Demonstrate trustworthiness
Provide correct information and follow best practices

Let’s dig deeper into what each of these conditions means:

Follow Instagram’s policies

You have to follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.

Make sure you comply with all their policies or your commerce account could be closed.

So, before you jump into selling, learn about their policies.

Represent your business and your domain

Your professional account on Instagram has to reflect products that are already available for purchase on your website.

That means you need a website before you can open your shop.

You might be thinking, “how can I sell on Instagram without a website?”. Well, you can’t.

You need to own a website to be eligible for Instagram shopping.

Looks like it’s time to launch your site if you haven’t already.

Instagram also needs to verify your domain through its Domain Verification process.

Be located in a supported market

You’ll need to be physically located in one of Instagram’s supported markets.

Show trustworthiness

Your brand and page should be considered a trustworthy, authentic, presence.

You might also need to keep a sufficient and authentic follower base.

Take a look at your follower list to see if any questionable-looking bot accounts are following you.

If that’s the case you can quickly remove them from your followers to show Instagram that you are trustworthy.

Provide correct information and follow best practices

Make sure your product information isn’t misleading.

Product details should be correct and reflect what’s written on your website.

Plus, your refund and return policies must be available too.

If everything looks good, you’re ready to start selling!

How to sell products on Instagram

Learning how to sell things on Instagram might seem intimidating at first, but we promise it’s pretty straightforward.

Here’s an 8-step plan for how to sell on Instagram shop:

Find the right niche
Get an Instagram business profile
Set up an Instagram shop
Create shoppable posts
But create regular posts too
Get on the explore page
Try live shopping
Use Instagram checkout

We’ll cover all these topics in more detail starting from the top.

1. Find the right niche and build your following

Every great business strategy starts with narrowing and defining your niche.

A niche is a specific set of people or businesses who are looking to buy a particular product/service.

That’s where you come in! So, know your audience.

Understanding your niche market on Instagram gets you in the minds of your target consumer.

You’ll discover their wants and needs and how your product or service caters to them.

Here are a few ways you can discover your niche:

Learn about your ideal customer’s passions, interests, and behavior
Think about their problems and needs and how your product/service solves them
Perform a competitive analysis on similar businesses in your niche
Read forums, social media comments, and posts to get more insights into your ideal customer’s pain points and problems

The more specific your niche is, the more you’ll stand out to your ideal customer.

Once you know what your niche is, look up your competitors by searching hashtags that are relevant to your business.

You can also check the Explore page and browse trending hashtags, accounts, and photos.

When you know what’s ranking in Instagram’s algorithm, then you can mirror what’s trending.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. If their strategy is working, feel free to use it as inspiration.

But the goal is to look at what they’re doing and do it better.

Spying on your competitors is a great way to gain consumer insights and help craft your strategy for selling on Instagram.

And once you’ve narrowed down your niche, you’ll have an easier time building your following.

Think about ways you can post high-quality photos, create valuable content, write better captions, or just engage with your followers.

Next, you’ll want to create your social media strategy to build a following of your ideal customers.

2. Get an Instagram business profile

Now that you know your niche and have a decent following, it’s time to switch your account to an Instagram business profile.

Getting an Instagram business profile is free and lets you manage your brand’s presence and online store.

You’ll also get access to insights, sponsored posts, ads, scheduled posts, quick replies, branded content, links to Instagram stories, and more.

Instagram Business accounts are the go-to options for brands or companies that sell products or services.

And it’s no surprise since it helps you build and grow your online presence and open your Instagram shop.

All you need to do to switch to a business account is go to Settings, Account, and tap Switch account type.

Source: Instagram

Here you can enable your business account in one step. Easy enough, right?

After set up, you’ll get access to exclusive content just for businesses.

Take a tour of the latest features and tips and tricks to get the best experience.

3. Set up an Instagram shop

So, you’ve established your online presence and following, you’re eligible for Instagram shopping, and you’ve switched to a business account – well done!

Now you’re ready to open up shop.

Let’s get started with the basics, step by step.

First, you need to log into your Instagram account, make sure you’re an admin, and head over to your profile dashboard.

Follow these steps next to set up your shop:

Select settings and tap on Creator, from here you click Set up Instagram Shopping
Connect your catalog or use a partner
Enter your website (Instagram will need to verify)
Set up your checkout option
Choose sales channels
Add products to at least one catalog
Preview your shop to make sure it looks good

Source: Instagram: @Wildart.Erika

Opening your Instagram shop gives you a whole dashboard of features you can use to create an immersive shopping experience.

Followers can visit your shop, explore products, and buy directly from your profile, posts, or story.

You can also set up the Checkout feature if you’re based in the US. This way people won’t have to leave the app to make a purchase.

4. Create shoppable posts

A great way to drive product discoverability is through shoppable posts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kaii Curated (@kaiicurated)

Shoppable posts are regular feed posts, Reels, or Stories that include product tags.

These tags show users the price, product name, and let them add it to their cart or go to your website to buy.

Users can tap on the tags to view more about your product or service too.

Remember to use a call to action in every post to make it more compelling.

Tell people to check out the link in your bio too to learn more about your business.

Once your shop is live, you’ll be able to start creating shoppable posts right away.

Shoppable posts are the perfect way to advertise your products to both followers and potential customers.

You can post organically or create an Instagram ad.

How to create shoppable posts

All you need to do to create shoppable posts is either create a brand new post or update an existing post with tags.

Watch our video on how to tag your products in shoppable Instagram posts, Stories and Reels:

You can tag photos or videos. So, choose something interesting and eye-catching that shows off your product.

For new posts, you can simply select Tag products in the post editor.

Next, choose your product from your Product Catalogue or insert the product ID or search by product name.

Double-check that you’ve selected the right product before you publish the post and then hit Done.

Now your feed post is shoppable!

How to create shoppable posts with Hootsuite

You can also create and schedule or auto-publish shoppable Instagram photo, video and carousel posts alongside all your other social media content using Hootsuite.

To tag a product in an Instagram post in Hootsuite, follow these steps:

Open your Hootsuite dashboard and go to Composer.
Under Publish to, select an Instagram Business profile.
Upload your media (up to 10 images or videos) and type out your caption.
In the preview on the right, select Tag products. The tagging process is slightly different for videos and images:
- Images: Select a spot in the image, and then search for and select an item in your product catalog. Repeat for up to 5 tags in the same image. Select Done when you’re finished tagging.
- Videos: A catalog search appears right away. Search for and select all the products you want to tag in the video.
Select Post now or Schedule for later. If you decide to schedule your post, you will see suggestions for the best times to publish your content for maximum engagement.

And that’s it! Your shoppable post will show up in the Hootsuite Planner, alongside all of your other scheduled content.

You can also boost your existing shoppable posts directly from Hootsuite to help more people discover your products.

Note: You’ll need an Instagram Business account and an Instagram shop to take advantage of product tagging in Hootsuite.

How to create shoppable Stories

To create shoppable stories you will need to post a story and tap on the Stickers option.

From there you’ll have the option to select the Shopping sticker to tag your product.

Next, enter your product ID or search for the product name.

Publish the story and your story will now have product tags that users can click on directly from your story.

When thinking about what to post, make sure the photo or video is high-quality and creates value for the user. You don’t want it to come across as too sales-y.

Be authentic and let your brand’s story shine through.

Focus more on the post itself and let the products speak for themselves.

Source: Instagram @Jfritzart

Try following the 80/20 rule when it comes to how often you make your posts shoppable. That is, only make 20% of your posts shoppable (in order to not bore your followers).

5. But create regular posts too

Of course, you don’t want to just show your followers only sales posts because this might come across as pushy.

We believe the 80/20 rule mentioned above is your best strategy for balancing shoppable posts vs. regular posts.

Try to aim for 80% regular posts and 20% shoppable posts.

It’s important to remember that with every post you should try to create value and not just post for the sake of posting.

Create content that is both engaging and creative.

Post content that you know your followers will want to share with their friends or repost.

That’s free advertising!

If you’re looking for some post idea inspiration here are a few we recommend:

Ask your users engaging or thought-provoking questions
Provide educational content in your niche
Give your followers a behind scenes peek at your business
Share your favorite thought leadership pieces

Or, for more Instagram post ideas, watch this episode of Fridge-worthy, where two of Hootsuite’s social media experts break down why this one furniture store is SO GOOD at selling rugs:

6. Get on the Explore page

Getting discovered on the Explore page is every creator’s dream.

That’s because it’s the key to increasing your organic reach.

What is the Explore page? It’s a public collection of photos, videos, reels, and stories that are tailored to each Instagram user.

Picture this: you’ve been thinking about buying a new pair of hiking boots and head to your explore page to browse content.

Suddenly your Explore page is full of hiking boots and similar products.

But wait, how is that possible?

Well, the Instagram algorithm is a fine-tuned machine.

It serves up targeted content to users based on their interests, search history, and user behavior data.

It’s intuitive and knows exactly what to show users. Giving them the right content, at the right time.

Here are some more of the benefits of showing up on the explore page:

Boosts engagement on a piece of content
Drives discoverability and new followers
Signals to the algorithm that your content is great and takes note of that
Increases conversions which mean more sales

Getting your posts in the Explore feed should be the goal of every post.

There is an art and science to getting on the Explore page.

Luckily, we’ve figured it out and put together some useful tips below on how to get on the Instagram Explore page:

Know your audience and what type of content performs best
Share engaging content that creates value for users
Mix it up. Try out different formats like Reels or Stories
Build an active community of followers that will engage with your posts and help boost them in the algorithm
Post when your followers are most active online
Use relevant tags that are medium-low volume to start
Post content that resonates by digging into your analytics
Consider using ads in the Explore feed
Avoid any scheme tactics like buying followers or creating Instagram pods

7. Try live shopping

Another way to start making sales is by taking advantage of Instagram live shopping.

Instagram live shopping is a live, interactive shopping experience available to approved Instagram shops based in the U.S.

Live shopping lets you sell products directly on your Instagram live broadcast.

You can instantly interact with viewers, engage with potential customers in real-time and you can save your videos for later.

Basically, you can go live on Instagram anytime and promote your products while people are tuned in.

Going live is also another opportunity to grab people’s attention and tell a story.

And it’s a great way for customers to discover new products.

What are the other benefits of Instagram live shopping?

Interact directly with shoppers and show how to use a product or answer questions
Feature new products and promotions
Collaborate with influencers or creators
Schedule live shopping broadcasts

Before you go live, make sure you add products to a collection to showcase each product.

Product launch coming up? Schedule a live shopping experience to build awareness.

Or if you have a hot seller, you can feature that product by pinning it to your live broadcast.

Don’t be shy. Lives are a chance to show off your best-selling products and drive more product discoverability.

So, give it a try!

Plus, the algorithm loves when accounts engage with their followers. Bonus points for you.

8. Use Instagram Checkout

Instagram recently introduced a new feature for shop owners called Instagram checkout.

Only shop owners in the US have this feature right now but Instagram plans to expand to more countries later.

With Instagram checkout, your customers can buy products they love without having to leave the app.

It’s a safe and secure way to sell products directly on the app.

And users are more likely to make a purchase when it’s easier to buy and fewer steps are involved.

Happy selling!

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How to Sell Your Products on Instagram

(Update on November 14, 2021 at 9:00AM PT: This blog post was published in 2019. For up-to-date information, please visit our Instagram Shopping page.)

With Instagram Shopping, people can buy your products directly from your photos and videos. Learn more about how you can inspire people to purchase your offerings.

Feature your products on Instagram with these 9 tips

In a survey commissioned by Facebook, Inc., 81% of respondents said Instagram helps them research products and services¹. Here are 9 tips on how you can feature your product consistently in your posts so people can learn about your products on Instagram.

Build a habit of posting about your products.

Create posts about your products at a regular cadence, like a certain day of the week, so your community members build a habit of looking at your products regularly.

Reveal the process behind creating your products.

Take your community behind-the-scenes using stories to see the hard work that goes into making your products.

Show all variations of your products.

Display all your product options, so your customers can have a selection of different colors, sizes, and types of material to choose from.

Create Story Highlights for different products.

Stories may disappear after 24 hours, but you can highlight specific stories that showcase certain products on your profile. Learn how to add Story Highlights to your profile here.

Use a backdrop.

Think about what colors and textures will help your products pop, like a white or patterned wall. You can just use a piece of fabric as your backdrop.

Feature multiple products with a flat lay.

A flat lay is a picture taken from above of items laid out on a flat surface. For instance, look at this flat lay @tattly created of their tin boxes.

Share photos and videos your customers have posted with your products.

When customers tag your product in photos and videos, ask their permission to share it on your Business Account.

Create tutorials on the different ways people can use your product.

Use stories to create a step-by-step guide or share longer videos on IGTV. (Update on October 5, 2021 at 10:00AM PT: IGTV and feed videos have been combined into one format, Instagram Video.)

Encourage interaction to build confidence.

Use the question sticker in your stories to open it up to questions on your products. This way, people can learn more about your products and feel confident making a purchase.

Sell your products using Instagram Shopping with these 4 tips

In a survey commissioned by Facebook, Inc., 83% of respondents surveyed said Instagram, a visual-first platform, helps them discover new products and services¹. It’s why Brooklyn-based temporary tattoo company Tattly has always focused on showcasing their best tattoo designs on their Instagram. Instagram’s product tags helps them to do just this, while still increasing their sales.

Instagram Shopping has been really great at driving people from our Instagram feed to our website to buy the products that they’re actually seeing in the posts,” Tattly’s creative director Cristina Gomez said. “Having the shopping feature allows us to focus on the fun part of Tattly and not the sales-y part of Tattly.

To help people buy your products, add product tags to your photos or videos in your feed and stories using Instagram Shopping. People can view the name of the product and the price of the item when they tap on the product.

See if you are eligible to use Instagram Shopping and find a step-by-step guide to set it up for your Business Account here.

Tell your customers that they can shop directly on your Business Account.

For example, create a story telling your community they can now shop the products they see on Instagram.

Tag more than one product in a post.

Make an impression and drive consideration by displaying multiple eye-catching products.

Experiment with different post formats using Instagram Shopping.

You can tag your photos, videos or multiple images or videos in a carousel post in your feed. You can also tag your stories with product stickers.

Make sure each tag touches the correct product.

This helps make it clear for shoppers so they know exactly what product the tag is referring to. Take a look at how @tattly tagged their sunflower tattoo product.

Create buzz for new products with these 5 tips

Planning to launch a new product soon? Create buzz within your community on Instagram with these 5 tips.

Tease products ahead of the launch.

Show glimpses of your product without fully revealing it, like shooting different angles of it without showing the full thing.

Use the countdown sticker on your stories.

Announce the date of your product launch using the countdown sticker, which you can find by tapping

when editing your stories. Prompt your followers to tap Remind Me so they know when the day finally comes, or to Share Countdown in their own story.

Make products available for sale on launch day.

Don’t forget to remind your customers they can immediately purchase with a simple call-to-action like "Tap to shop" in the caption of the post. For instance, @tattly shared this photo to announce a new series of tattoos they had launched.

Go live to take questions.

Use the Live feature in your story to show your followers the moment you’ve made your new product available for them, and answer customer questions about your new product in real time. Learn more about going Live here.

Create a hashtag for your product launch.

It can be as simple as #yourproductname. Encourage your followers to use the hashtag when ordering the product on launch day, so you can share it on your Business Account later.

5 tips to drive people to buy your products on Instagram

In a survey commissioned by Facebook, Inc., 80% of respondents surveyed said they use Instagram to decide whether or not to make a purchase¹. Try these 5 tips to drive people to buy your products.

Create multiple posts for your most popular products.

Check Insights and see metrics like product views to learn which products your community has engaged with the most. Consider creating more posts for that product to build confidence towards purchase, both in feed and stories.

Include a call-to-action in your caption.

Adding a call-to-action that prompts people to act, like "Tap to Shop" in your captions, effectively reminds your community to purchase.

Create an exclusive sale or promotion.

With a limited time, Instagram-only promotion, you can create a sense of urgency and prompt people to shop. Take a look at the photo @tattly shared during their Pride promotion.

Regularly feature your products.

Shoppers may take some time to decide to make a purchase, so regularly feature your products in your posts to keep them top of mind.

Highlight a Creator using your product.

From public figures to artists to entrepreneurs, Creators are the cornerstone of Instagram communities. Seeing Creators use specific products can spark their followers’ interest in these items, so make sure to highlight that in your photos and videos by tagging the Creator.

FOP business: trading on Instagram

01 April 2022 Be suitable for: Acceptance

Basic words, if you know how to get it, like winning Instagram for getting purchases from your offline or online store, you sell them through direct.

Selling clothes, cosmetics, brands and other products on Instagram is a popular business.

Often, such merchants work without registration, sometimes deduct income as a special physical person on a special bank card. Such activity is illegal.

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- I thought you gave us a present... No, you don't need money, take it back,

My friend Polina has always been a tough girl, but before that it didn't concern me. Somehow bypassed, she behaved normally with me.

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