How To Sell On Instagram in 2023: A Complete Guide

The digital era continues to provide new and innovative ways for us to make money and today’s method of choice is social media. More specifically, Instagram. 

With the platform predicted to have 1.35 billion users by the end of 2023, its growth trajectory shows no signs of plateauing; making it a go-to for many businesses looking to sell their products. With that being said, there are 2 million advertisers that take to Instagram each month to advertise their products and services. While this is only a small percentage of the 1+ billion users the platform holds, this is still a lot of competition!

To wrestle your way through this competition, you need to know the ins and outs of selling on Instagram. 

Does knowing how to sell on Instagram sound appealing to you? 

If so, you’ve stumbled upon the right blog. We will run you through the essentials to get your Instagram journey started and watch your sales skyrocket. 

Why sell on Instagram?

Social media has become a powerful tool that businesses and creators can leverage to market their products and gain new customers. 

Instagram is among the most powerful and here’s why:

1. It’s the most popular app: since Instagram is among the most popular social media apps, you can get discovered by a lot more users.
2. It has a massive user base: With over 1 billion users, that’s a lot of new eyes watching you!
3. It’s an engaging social media platform: Instagram is incredibly user-friendly. It gives creators and businesses a chance to directly engage with followers/customers and, from here, create relationships to encourage loyalty.  

For those of you already selling online, it’s easy to sync up your existing ecommerce platforms to your Instagram catalogue. 

Not only this, but selling on Instagram also has the follow benefits:

1. It allows you to target an audience within your niche. 
2. It makes it easier for users to buy directly from your website or through the built-in checkout without leaving the app.
3. Boosts brand exposure and drives traffic to your website.
4. Instagram helps you tell a story and curate a customised shopping experience.
5. Stories, feed content and videos drive product discovery.
6. Let’s people browse and learn more about your brand. 

How to sell on Instagram: the essentials

Find your niche

This first step is crucial. If you aren’t aware of who your audience is, how can you ever expect to sell anything?

Knowing your niche is one thing, but knowing what consumers within your niche want on Instagram is what you need to strive for. 

Once you have this narrowed down, you will have an easier time building your following. From here, the people who engage with your content are going to be more likely to purchase your products. 

A great example of a brand knowing their niche is White Claw. They cater to health-conscious individuals who want to swap old habits out with fresher alternatives.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by White Claw Hard Seltzer UK (@whiteclawuk)

Set up an Instagram business profile

You will need to set up a business profile in order to access the tools needed to sell on this platform. 

Don’t worry, they’re free and allow you to manage your brand’s presence and online store. As well as this, you will get access to insights, sponsored content, ads, links to Instagram Stories etc. All you need to do to set this up is go to Settings → Account → and then Switch Account Type:

Once you’ve done this, exclusive Instagram content for businesses only will be yours and you’re all good to go!

Set up an Instagram shop

You’ve found your niche, set up a business profile and you’re now ready to get into the exciting part. 

Opening an Instagram shop.

To do this, you will need to log in to your account, head over to your dashboard and follow the next steps:

1. Select Settings → Creator → Set up Instagram Shopping.
2. Connect your catalogue.
3. Enter your website.
4. Set up your checkout option.
5. Choose sales channel.
6. Add products to at least one catalogue.
7. Last, but not least, preview your shop to make sure it looks good.

Once you’ve done this, play around with the features Instagram offers here, to ensure that you create as immersive a shopping experience as possible for your customers.

Create shoppable posts

Shoppable posts and stories are a great way to learn how to sell on Instagram.

A shoppable post looks like the following:

They are regular Feed posts, Reels or Stories that include product tags. These tags show the user the name of the product and price and let’s them add it to their cart for in-app checkout or will take them through to the brand’s website where they can checkout there. 

When creating shoppable posts, don’t forget to add a Call To Action (CTA), such as ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’, to encourage users to interact with your content. 

Remember, when it comes to shoppable posts, you can post organically or create an Instagram ad. As long as you get your content out there in front of as many people as possible, do what you must. 

Shoppable Stories:

Shoppable posts are great, but why not mix things up. 

To create shoppable Stories, you will need to do the following:

1. Post a Story and tap on the Stickers option.
2. Select the Shopping sticker to tag your product.
3. Enter your product ID or search for its name.
4. Publish your Story and voila!

You will want to avoid sounding too sales-y when it comes to posting shoppable content, so make sure you tap into your brand voice and use high-quality images or videos. 

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

Try Live Shopping

Thanks to the popularity of live shopping in China, it has now become an essential social media marketing technique for ecommerce brands in the West. 

Instagram live shopping is a live, interactive shopping experience which allows you to sell products directly on your Instagram live broadcast. 

The benefits include:

1. Interact directly with shoppers
2. Show how to use a product and answer product questions
3. Feature new products and promotions
4. Collaborate with Instagram influencers

Got a product launch coming up?

Schedule a live shopping broadcast to build awareness.

Even if you don’t have a new product launching, still schedule a live shopping broadcast to showcase your best sellers and improve discoverability. 

Top Tip: the algorithm loves when accounts engage with their followers, so you have nothing to lose!

Happy selling!

FAQ’s

What is the easiest way to sell on Instagram?

1. Set up a business account
2. Set up an Instagram shop
3. Post shoppable content/schedule live shopping broadcasts

How do you get approved to sell on Instagram?

While you don’t need a business licence, you must do the following:

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

Is it free to sell through Instagram?

Yes! its is free to sell through Instagram

How many followers do you need to sell on Instagram?

There is no follower minimum for selling on Instagram.

Our Influencer marketing agency and Social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to receive our industry insights, visit our Influencer Marketing & Social Media blog.

@ Socially Powerful

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