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How to sell cosmetics on instagram


A Complete Guide To Success (2023)

Instagram Shopping is quickly becoming the preferred way for consumers not only to learn about new brands and products on Instagram, but also to purchase them in just a few simple steps. Merchants need to board the train of selling on Instagram.

In fact, 90% of Instagram users follow a business account, making the expansion of Instagram Shopping more effective than ever as a way for merchants to tag products in their posts, open an online storefront, and simplify the entire buyer journey, from discovery to checkout. 

Learn how to set up Instagram Shopping step-by-step and sell products on social media in this beginner guide. 

How to Sell on Instagram

  1. Set up Instagram Shopping with Shopify
  2. Set up Instagram Shopping natively
  3. Set up a product catalog
  4. Tips for selling your products on Instagram
  5. How are you using Instagram to sell products?

How to set up Instagram

Selling on Instagram with an ecommerce platform like Shopify is simple. When you connect your online store to the Facebook sales channel, your Shopify products automatically sync to Instagram so you can create ads and Shoppable Posts easily. 

You can use Shopify to create, track, and manage your ad campaigns and orders with Instagram, as well as customize your Shop and bring the look and feel of your Shopify store to it. 

Before you start selling on Instagram, you’ll need to make sure you’ve set up a Facebook business page and have products in your Facebook catalog. 

From there, use the following steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Facebook under Sales channels in the left menu bar.
  2. Click Set up to start in the Instagram Shopping section.
  3. Connect the required Facebook accounts to the Facebook sales channel.
  4. Review and accept the terms and conditions, then click Request approval.

It takes 24 to 48 hours for Facebook to review your products. Note that this works if you’re on the Shopify Basic plan or above.

When you sell on Instagram and Facebook with Shopify, there are apps and integrations that connect your inventory, marketing, customer, and Instagram sales metrics into a central database. Sync your product catalog, discover and promote the most popular product features, and create your ad campaigns, all within Shopify.

How to set up Instagram Shopping natively 

First things first. To be able to sell your products on Instagram, make sure:

  • Your personal account is converted to an Instagram business account
  • Your business sells physical goods that comply with Instagram’s commerce policies
  • Your Instagram business profile is associated with a Facebook catalog in Business Manager (See Instagram’s step-by-step guide on creating your Facebook catalog with your Instagram business profile.)

Once you’ve taken care of the step-by-step details above, you should be all set to start selling your physical products on Instagram.

Open up your Instagram app and head to your profile. Tap to open the menu in the upper right corner and tap Settings. Select Business, then tap the Set Up Instagram Shopping link. 

You can also create your shop through Meta Business Manager. 

Set up a product catalog

To sell products through Instagram, you’ll need to connect your Instagram account to a catalog. Start by logging in to your Meta Commerce Manager. Commerce Manager is a feature within Facebook Business Manager that lets you set up a Facebook Shop. 

Once in Commerce Manager, click + Add catalog.

Then choose the catalog type you’ll create. If you’re an online retailer, you’ll want to create an ecommerce catalog. 

Then you’ll need to upload your inventory. If you’re selling a small amount of products, you can manually upload product information to your catalog. Or, you can connect a Partner Platform like Shopify to automatically import your items.  

If you choose to upload products manually, here’s the product info you’ll need to include:

  • 500 x 500 pixel image(s)
  • Product description 
  • A link to your product landing page
  • Price
  • A SKU number

Read more: Getting Started on IG: A Beginner’s Guide to Instagram Marketing

How to sell products on Instagram 

  • Use product tags
  • Run Instagram ads
  • Partner with influencers
  • Use live shopping stream
  • Publish reels
  • Curate user generated content
  • Use the right hashtags
  • Use video to showcase your product
  • Automate customer support with DMs

Before we dive into specific examples of how top brands use Instagram Shopping, let’s quickly outline the four main tools you can use together to drive organic sales from Instagram:

Shoppable Posts. In a nutshell, Shoppable Posts let you add product tags to your content so people can buy directly from them. Product tags on Instagram are similar to tagging other users in your posts, except you’re tagging your products. This allows shoppers to click on your tags and quickly shop your catalog of products.

Product stickers in Instagram Stories. With product stickers, ecommerce brands can tag specific products in Stories, just like you can with standard product tags in posts.

The Shop tab on your profile. The Shop tab is where your profile visitors can find all the products you’ve tagged in your Instagram posts, including the content that features them.

Collections. Product collections allow you to customize your shop with an editorial point of view by curating products into themes to help tell your brand story.

Instagram checkout. When you enable Instagram checkout, people can buy directly from Live Shopping, product launches, and Shopping for Creators. If you’re a Shopify merchant, you can use the Facebook channel integration to set up checkout on Instagram and Facebook. Shop Pay will automatically show for the customer, providing a faster and easier way for them to check out. 

1. Use product tags 

The path from discovery to purchase is not linear on Instagram. As your customers are discovering your products via Instagram, product tags give your customers the ability to make a purchase directly within the app or learn more about the product via your website at the moment of discovery.

Shopping tags let businesses tag their products across Instagram so people can easily shop wherever they find joy in the app. You can tag feed posts, Stories, and Reels. If you’re a business with checkout-enabled shopping, you can also tag Live feeds. 

If your goal is to get your product in front of more customers, tagged products have the opportunity to be highlighted on Instagram’s Explore and Shop tab.

Instagram recently announced that it will expand product tagging to all US users over the next couple of months. Now, people will be able to tag products from businesses in their posts. Before, only creators were able to tag products from businesses that set up Instagram Shopping. 

When someone tags a product in their post, business owners will receive a notification. You can view all tagged content on your profile and control who tags products by managing product tag preferences in your settings. 

Instagram says that 1.6 million people tag at least one brand each week on the social media platform. Using product tags can help expand product awareness and drive potential customers to your products. 

2. Run Instagram ads

Instagram is now a place where people go to shop. Instagram’s research shows that 84% of people want to discover new products on the platform. With mobile sales projected to reach $552.28 billion by the end of 2024 in the US, Instagram launched shoppable ads to capitalize on the mobile commerce trend. 

Shoppable Instagram ads are your standard Instagram ad but with product tags. When someone is interested in your promoted product, they can go directly to a product detail page to learn more. If you’re a US business, you can run ads with Instagram checkout too, so people can purchase directly in-app. 

These ads run in feed or Explore using single image, carousel, or video formats from your product catalog. They work just like regular Instagram ads: you build them in Ads Manager and can show to a custom audience or lookalike audience to find new potential customers. 

3. Partner with Influencers

It’s safe to say that influencer marketing can help you sell on Instagram. Instagram influencers are people who’ve built a reputation—and a $5.8 billion industry—around a certain niche on the platform. They work as brand ambassadors for your small business, sharing your products with their target audience in exchange for money, free products, or exposure. 

Influencers can impact buying habits because of their authority in a particular industry. In the example above, @lizarch, a yoga influencer with 57,000 followers, promotes a giveaway for Savhera. The essential oil brand partnered with Liz because her audience trusts her suggestions and what she promotes.

The school of thought is that influencers are wildly expensive, as though every brand is paying Kim Kardashian $1 million to promote their products. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Nano-influencers and micro-influencers tend to get higher engagement rates. My best influencers have been people that are genuinely interested in the product and eager to share it with their followers.

Rhiannon Taylor, Founder of RT1home

With the rise of nano-influencers (accounts with less than 5,000 followers) and micro-influencers (between 5,000 and 20,000 followers), smaller brands can now work with influencers at a reasonable price and make more sales on Instagram. 

Instagram is also making it easier for people to shop inspiring looks from influencers and creators that they love without needing to leave Instagram.

Taylor Loren, in an edited excerpt from the course How to Make Money on Instagram""

Read It’s Your Time to Shine: How to Find and Work With Instagram Influencers to set up your first influencer campaign on Instagram.  

4. Use live shopping streaming

When you have an Instagram Shop and product catalog set up, you can start an Instagram Live Shopping stream. Live Shopping lets brands and creators sell products over a live broadcast. Think of it like a TV shopping network, but with more interaction and on your phone. Live Shopping lets you showcase products, interact with fans, and partner with other brands and creators. 

As the seller, you can tag a product from your catalog to appear at the bottom on the screen during a live broadcast. Buyers just need to click the Add to Bag button, then check out. 

The only caveat? To use Instagram Live Shopping, you must be a US business with access to Instagram checkout. 

5. Publish Reels 

Reels let your business create and publish videos up to 60 seconds long. It’s easy to get creative with easy-to-use text, AR filters, and audio to tell your brand’s story. Reels can also appear on the Explore page where anyone on Instagram can see them.

The coolest part? You can tag products in your Reels, so that when someone views your Reels they can easily access the products or collections mentioned in it. 

6. Curate user-generated content

If people are buying and enjoying your product, chances are they’re posting about it on social media. User-generated content is a great way to fill your Instagram feed with quality content while still taking advantage of the various Instagram Shopping features.

One of my favorite examples of user-generated content done right is from Inkbox Tattoos. With more than one and a half million Instagram followers, it’s the poster child for how effective UGC can be for brands. This is even more so with the introduction of Instagram’s Shop tab on the home screen.

Now, with the addition of the Shop tab to Explore, Instagram’s algorithm selects items it believes users will be interested in. Here’s what it looks like:

DTC brand Vuori also began testing Instagram Shopping in 2020. Nikki Sakelliou, the company’s VP of brand, reported being hesitant at first about tagging posts in their feed. The brand publishes a lot of user-generated content to showcase its products on real people and keep its feed authentic. Roughly half of Vuori’s posts are now shoppable and highlight one product at a time. 

Many brands have come to see social media marketing as the gateway that lets them connect authentically with audience members one on one. With user-generated content, brands give users the opportunity to tell real and oftentimes relatable stories—something that is hard to achieve with traditional brand-generated content.

7. Use the right hashtags

Instagram hashtags are a way to build brand awareness and connect your content to a specific topic or conversation. Hashtags make your shoppable content discoverable on Instagram and help it reach more people. When you publish a shoppable post with a hashtag, it shows up in the feed with a shopping bag icon. This tells browsers that an item in your post is available to buy.  

If you already have a good idea of hashtags that work well for your brand, consider using them on your Shoppable Posts. You can go broad with a hashtag like #style or #fashion, or be a little more specific (i.e., #earringsaddict) and connect with a more targeted audience. 

8. Use video to showcase your product

Did you know that after watching a video, 64% of social media users are more likely to purchase a product online? Needless to say, video should be an integral part of your Instagram marketing strategy.

Letterfolk, for example, does a great job of using video in its Stories. From product demonstrations to live Q&A, the Letterfolk team knows exactly how to take advantage of this compelling format.

The best video content tells stories that connect on a deep level with the viewer. The better you tell stories about your brand or product, the more likely your viewers are going to understand what your company is offering and what it can do for them. And, in turn, the more likely they’ll be to buy.

Best of all, you can add product stickers to your video Stories to drive sales and can even feature them permanently in your Highlights to surface them to new profile visitors.

Best practices for video content include:

  • Short duration. If you’re creating a video ad, make it between six and 10 seconds.
  • Design for Sound Off, in case someone is listening without sound.
  • Frame your story. Usevertical (4:5, 2:3, and 9:16) and square videos to format for mobile.

Read more: 30 Instagram Bio Idea Examples to Write the Perfect Bio

9. Automate customer support through DMs

With over one billion users and counting, it’s no surprise that Instagram can help you reach new customers. Instagram Shopping features give creators and retailers the ability to manage an entire sales funnel right inside the app.  

The rise of sales interactions through the platform means more customer support requests coming through your DMs. The influx of messages can be overwhelming for any account owner or support team. Fortunately, there are automation tools like ManyChat that can help you provide quick responses to customers and sell more online. 

For example, you can automate responses to common questions using features like Keywords or Quick Replies in ManyChat’s flow builder. This helps:

  • Solve customer issues quickly 
  • Assign messages to different support team members
  • See past conversations with customers and take corrective action
  • Automate replies 
  • Convert more shoppers from Instagram Shops

Learn more by reading ManyChat’s post about its Key Instagram Automation Features. 

How are you using Instagram to sell products?

Instagram Shopping is just the beginning for entrepreneurs looking to boost sales on the Instagram app. There are many more platforms and strategies for you to sell products on social media. As more consumers get used to this exciting new shopping frontier, it’s up to your brand to deliver your products where new customers are spending a majority of their time: social media.

Illustration by Martina Paukova

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Selling on Instagram FAQ

Can you sell directly on Instagram?

Yes, you can sell directly through posts, Stories, live streams, and ads with a Shoppable Instagram page.

How do beginners sell on Instagram?

  1. Product tags
  2. Instagram ads
  3. Influencer partnerships
  4. Reels
  5. Livestreams
  6. Stories
  7. Hashtags

Does it cost to sell things on Instagram?

It doesn't cost anything to set up and Instagram Shop and sell on Instagram. The only thing you'll need to pay for is advertising, if you choose to run ads.

How do I accept payment on Instagram?

You can accept Shop Pay, credit card, debit card, and PayPal as payment through Instagram.

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.

Advertising cosmetics on Instagram: what it should be like

Content

  1. The role of a content plan in advertising cosmetics on Instagram
  2. Creating sales posts
  3. 5 options for using video broadcasts
  4. Advertising with the help of stories 900 400 on Instagram
  5. Top 3 mistakes in advertising cosmetics on Instagram

Advertising cosmetics on Instagram only seems like a simple task. People will not buy a product just because you took a beautiful photo and posted it on this social network. Today, users are much more "pumped" than a few years ago. nine0003

This means that product promotion must be approached comprehensively. That is, by any means to rebuild from competitors, use all the opportunities provided and do not forget about the psychology of potential customers.

The role of a content plan in advertising cosmetics through Instagram

If you plan to advertise cosmetics on Instagram, the first thing you need is a content plan. Compose it, plan out the topics of the posts and the dates of their release, and then your advertising publications will be diverse enough to attract people. nine0003

The owner of the account, who maintains it according to the content plan, saves his time, which is very important in the fast pace of modern life. Just imagine, once you have thoroughly thought through everything, painted a plan, put in all the ideas for posts there, and then just follow this plan without worrying about what to write about today.

And in order not to forget that you need to post a publication, use a special service for auto-posting.

We recommend making a content plan a month in advance. Let it contain the type of post, its subject, date and time of publication. If you have copywriters and SMM specialists under your supervision, indicate in the content plan who should prepare each specific post. nine0003

In addition, in order to get the maximum benefit from the content plan, indicate what action the advertising publication should induce the user to: place an order, subscribe to an account, go to the site. So you will understand what result you need, and work for it.

If you have a cosmetics store and you intend to advertise it on Instagram, make a content plan with an eye on the target audience. For example, you sell natural handmade cosmetics. For which people is it important that the product contains ingredients of natural origin? They will be your audience. nine0003

Make a portrait of the target audience. These are women aged 40 to 60, adults and conscious. They lead a healthy lifestyle, do fitness and yoga, buy farm products, buy cosmetics from trusted brands that do not use any “chemistry” for its composition.

It can also be women with very sensitive skin, prone to allergies, for whom non-organic cosmetics are simply contraindicated. Finally, it can just be trendy ladies, because natural cosmetics are now at the height of fashion. nine0003

Now that you have decided on the target audience, you can draw up a content plan. Do not try to immediately fill your account with tons of information. Let every day you have one post and several stories. Watch how users react to them. If there is no reaction or it is negative, the content strategy needs to be changed.

Creating Sales Posts

If you are advertising cosmetics on Instagram, you can choose one of three formats: a post with advertising text, a live video with a product demonstration, or a story. Decided to write a post? Remember that Instagram limits texts to 2,000 characters. In addition to text, a visual component is also needed. It can be a photo, video or animation. Types of advertising posts can be as follows:

  • Expert post . In it, from the point of view of a professional, you talk about the composition of your cosmetics, how best to store it, how to use it correctly, what is suitable for different skin types.
  • Identification of the problem and how to solve it . For example, what makeup base to choose for a girl with problem skin.
  • Checklist or guide . “Five steps for competent skin cleansing”, “What cosmetics to take with you on vacation at sea”. nine0006
  • Post with a selection of life hacks . How to wake up with radiant and rested skin after a wild party.
  • Reviews of various products, such as creams and serums for aging skin.
  • List of top products. "The 7 best-selling eyeshadow palettes with "summer" shades."

When writing an advertising text, do not try to praise your product by describing its merits in expert language. Express yourself simply and naturally, as if you were talking about cosmetic updates to your friend. nine0003

Look at what people write about in comments and reviews, answer their questions in your text, close all objections. Look periodically at the accounts of competitors whose success inspires you, see what they write about.

As for the visual component of the post, please note that cosmetics ads on Instagram should be beautiful and atmospheric. This does not mean that you have to shoot with top models and spend a lot of money on the most luxurious photo studio. A post whose photo was taken in ordinary scenery can also look beautiful. nine0003

For example, photograph cosmetics against a contrasting background, preferably in light colors. You can use photophones. You can also diversify the photo with accessories, but let there be not too many of them so that they do not draw all the attention to themselves.

Let's add that now short video animations, which can be made in special applications, have come into fashion in the beauty industry. We recommend using Life Lapse, it is the most popular at the moment. What does this video animation look like? For example, you take several consecutive shots of a product and stitch them together with music added. nine0003

You get a video of a bottle of foundation jumping out of a makeup bag into the hostess's hand. Yes, animation will require more work than photography, but it will increase your reach better.

5 ways to use video broadcasts

Here are some examples of how video broadcasts can be used to advertise cosmetics on Instagram. There are five most effective formats:

  • Video with an expert

Invite a make-up artist or beautician to record a video. Let him tell your subscribers the secrets of skin care. You can also ask him to conduct a make-up master class. You can find such an expert through friends, if he is not among your acquaintances. Most likely, he himself will be interested in such a format for additional advertising of his person. nine0003

  • Answers to questions from subscribers

Announce your video broadcast and ask your subscribers to prepare questions for them to ask you. You can also invite them to cover one of several topics, let them choose the most interesting one by voting. For example, it can be recommendations for dry skin care, a story about the line of cosmetics in your store, interesting stories from the life of a seller.

  • Unpacking

The unboxing format is now very popular in social networks. Hundreds of thousands of people watch enthusiastically as bloggers unpack their purchases. Agree, it is always interesting to look into the life of another person, especially if he knows how to interest his personality. Scientists have already proven that when a person watches an unboxing video, his brain releases the happy hormone dopamine.

That is, the video with the unpacking of goods is not only interesting for the audience, but also useful! If you need to advertise a cosmetics store on Instagram, use unboxing, because it is especially loved by women, who are your target audience. nine0003

Show products from all angles and close-ups, demonstrate packaging, and speak your impressions out loud. As each new item goes on sale, unbox it in a video feed.

Your subscribers will certainly be interested in watching video reviews of real buyers expressing their opinion about the purchased product. How to get such reviews, because people will be too lazy and have no time to shoot them? nine0003

You can motivate your audience by offering a 15% discount on any product for a video review. If buyers not only shoot videos, but also tag your account, the number of followers in it will surely grow, which means there will be an increase in sales.

  • Product comparison

Another interesting format is comparing two products to each other. Make a video stream where you compare two products, like two popular eyeliners. Show them “in action”, talk about the pros and cons and arrange a vote among subscribers so that they choose the best product. nine0003

Take care of visibility: when shooting, there should be good light and high-quality sound.

Stories advertising

Cosmetics ads on Instagram in stories can also be a great tool to increase sales. It is stories that stir up the interest of the audience and form trust in the blogger, so they should not be neglected. You can use stories for advertising in the following ways:

  • If you see that a buyer has made a story with your account tag, add it to your stories (there is a special “add to yourself” button for this) .

Your followers will see that other people trust you, use your cosmetics and that their stories can also appear on your page. For example, start posting the most beautiful customer photos of your makeup.

And so that stories with reviews do not disappear after 24 hours, fix them in the "Actual" by creating a special section for them. So potential buyers will be able to look at them at any time and make sure that you are worthy of trust. nine0003

  • Turn your stories into an engaging series about the life and work of your store.

During your work day, make short videos and post them. You can arrange an online tour of the store for subscribers.

  • Don't forget about the importance of stories, don't ignore them !

Now they are much more popular than posts. Let every day you have at least 1-2 stories with cosmetics advertising (and preferably five). But post infrequently, for example, once every 2-3 days. Of course, they must be of high quality and useful, stories alone will not do all the promotion work. nine0003

4 useful tips for promoting products on Instagram

  • All subscribers love promotions and are waiting for them .

If you want to confidently move on Instagram, make promotions. For example, assemble a beauty box. So you kill two birds with one stone: get rid of products that sell poorly, and please customers. Beauty boxes will allow you to quickly sell stale goods whose expiration date is coming to an end.

And your subscribers will be happy to buy them at a discount. Of course, it is worth approaching the matter with care for them and the desire to give positive emotions. Put cosmetics in beautiful boxes, add a cute postcard to each beauty box, come up with some themed decor. nine0003

  • Send samples of new products to subscribers .

For example, they can be received by regular customers of your store or new followers who are just starting to get acquainted with your brand. You can put samples in gift boxes, add some sweets there and time the mailing by March 8 or February 14 - your customers will be very pleased to receive them.

A store that gives gifts to people always has a loyal audience. nine0003

  • If you have an offline store, use business cards to increase the reach of your cosmetics advertising on Instagram .

Give customers cards with a link to your account or with Qr-codes to go to it. Let also you have an Instagram business card placed in a conspicuous place.

  • Price products in your account so that your customers don't have to ask about them .

Please don't write "Direct for the price"! For most people, this phrase discourages all desire to buy anything from you. If for some reason you do not want to publish prices in the public domain, be sure to monitor all messages in Yandex.Direct and promptly respond to them. nine0003

When setting prices, remember that they should correlate with the quality of your products.

Top 3 mistakes in advertising cosmetics on Instagram

  • Bad photos

If you advertise cosmetics on Instagram and use low-quality photos, you will not wait for buyers. They will not stay in your account, and even more so they will not reach the checkout if the visual is not “catching”. Make sure to fill your feed with beautiful close-up photos in warm colors. nine0003

Never post photos from other people's accounts!

  • Irregular outposts

Your account must be updated steadily. If you don’t have time to make posts every day, write a few at once and turn on the auto-posting function. If content appears in your account once a month, people will not subscribe to it, they will find it pointless.

  • Patno-expert communication with the audience

Talk to your subscribers as if they were your friends, communicate simply and naturally. There is no need for pathos, arrogance and efforts to demonstrate your expertise all the time. People won't be drawn to you if they think you're pompous and indifferent. And do not praise your cosmetics, but find a way to show in practice how good it is.

Advertising cosmetics on Instagram is a great way to increase store sales if it is done well. It will help to increase the reputation of the brand and form a stable audience that trusts you and waits for store assortment updates. It is also convenient to announce promotions, talk about new products and remind customers about your brand on Instagram. Use our tips and let your brand grow! nine0003

Instagram* Reels for business - how to use the new function

    • Audio version of this Article

    Instagram* Reels, N Clon tikto, Brage of the Shagheste. Now the function is available in Russia. What is this tool and how to use it to promote a business, says Julia Prince, founder and owner of the PRINCE AGENCY communication agency.

    Instagram is banned in Russia; belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. nine0273

    Julia Prince

    Founder of PRINCE AGENCY

    Content

    • What is Instagram* Reels

    • Maybe?

    • Why do business need Reels

    • Examples of businesses that are already using Reels

    • Instructions for use by Reels

    • Conclusions 9000

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    What is Instagram* Reels

    Instagram* Reels are new audio and video editing features. With Reels, you can shoot or upload short videos between 3 and 30 seconds long. Filmed Rils can be quickly edited, add effects, music. The video is shared in the feed, on the Explore tab, in Stories and on your profile. nine0003

    Instagram banned in Russia; belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

    The algorithm is on our side

    Algorithms show videos to all people potentially interested in the topic, and not just a small part of your subscribers (as happens with stories and posts). This is a great opportunity to get free organic traffic.

    A Rils video gets much more reach than a regular post. Your video can get into the Explore collection - it is visible to all users. It is important to constantly generate content, not be locked into one format and not be afraid to try something new. So you will have a much better chance of getting into the general selection. nine0003

    Reels videos are in the tab with the Play icon:

    Maybe it's better to go to TikTok?

    Maybe yes) But still, the new function works for an already assembled audience, numbering in the millions. And popular tiktokers are even waiting for a fee for switching to Reels.

    Since Reels is actually a clone of early TikTok, 15-second funny videos will enter the audience in the same way: battles, dances, lip-synching (when the author pretends to sing or speak, but in fact just opens his mouth, like under the soundtrack). For bloggers and SMM agencies, this is at least an opportunity for diversity. nine0003

    When it comes to business, Reels will definitely fit any niche, from banking and retail to art projects and expert blogs. This is another point of capturing the attention of the audience in order to expand interest in yourself and your product. It all depends on your willingness to be creative and try new things.

    Why businesses need Reels

    Audience response to traditional advertising is severely blunted. Social media users receive hundreds of advertisements every second. "Banner blindness" is progressing, the competition for views is getting higher and higher, and the content is getting simpler and worse. People are objectively tired, and advertisers are getting more and more difficult. nine0003

    Reels videos are a great way to get views. At the same time, you can pack your ads in the most native form. Let the audience immerse themselves in familiar situations, laugh, experience emotions with you, and people will even stop thinking that they are watching an ad at that very second.

    Examples of businesses that already use Reels

    1. Russian women's and men's clothing brand 12 storeez showed how to assemble a monochrome look at Reels. The video got 230 thousand views. nine0003

    2. MIXIT cosmetics store creates "sticky" Reels with product demonstrations that you want to review again and again. They get 175 thousand views each:

    3. Shoe store NIKITA EFREMOV shows simple but effective videos about unpacking/packing goods. Everything is done with a sense of humour. The result is 32 thousand views.

    If you are building a business in the field of fashion, retail, promoting your services as a specialist, Reels will be an excellent tool. Stop-motion videos where one scene ends and moves on to the next are very popular. nine0003

    If you're selling clothes, make a video of dressing up (you probably already have experience with such videos in stories), just upload it to Reels and watch the effect. If your product requires assembly, make a fun process video or step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the product. Psychologists can act out a skit where they portray both the client and the specialist. Beauty bloggers — share useful life hacks.

    From the experience of TikTok (and there it is the most representative), we can assume which topics will become the most popular within the Reels format:

    Whatever your niche, choose a topic from the list and adapt: ​​you understand that an educational video or a news bulletin can be given in absolutely any niche, right? =).

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    Instructions for using Reels

    You can choose to shoot a video directly from your device. The easiest way to get to the video editor is to go to the Reels section and click on the camera icon at the top of the panel. nine0003

    1. To start recording, hold down the record button and release when the first clip is ready. Do the same with the second excerpt:

    2. Before recording the video, you can add effects like in stories. To do this, click on "Effects" in the Reels editor and select the required one:

    3. If you leave the original sound of your camera (add your music), then other users can use this sound to create new videos - this will increase coverage. To overlay music, click "Audio", a list of tracks will drop out, select the desired option. If the track is popular, then more users will see your video:

    4. You can set the timer, select the recording video speed, and use equalization. The latter is especially useful for dress-up videos:

    Click Align to hit the objects from the previous clip you've already recorded:

    You can add stickers and text to the video. This functionality is the same as in stories.

    5. When the video is ready, click Share, then Cover. You can choose the best frame of the video or make a cover in another editor. Add a description to the video, hashtags and click "Share". Your video will be displayed for the hashtags and sound you added:

    6. Enjoy hitting Recommended.

    Pins

    Get started now. Urgently! So far, there are not so many competitors and ranking algorithms have no power over Reels. After a while, this tool will suffer the fate of live broadcasts and stories - coverage will stop growing so rapidly. And then you have to pay for them to grow.

    Learn more