Instagram is not just a platform for sharing photos and videos from everyday life. It is also a powerful marketing tool that allows you to reach thousands of potential customers and build a strong relationship with them. If you want to sell on Instagram, you need to know how to do it effectively and professionally. Here are 10 simple steps to help you succeed in selling on Instagram.
1. Define Your Target Audience
Before you start selling on Instagram, you need to know who you want to sell to and what interests those individuals. Conduct market research and create a profile of your ideal customer. Find answers to questions such as their age, location, hobbies, problems they want to solve, values, and the type of content they like to see on Instagram.
2. Choose Your Product or Service
You can’t sell everything on Instagram. You need to choose a product or service that is attractive to your target audience and fits your niche. Consider what sets your product or service apart from the competition and how you can showcase it on Instagram. Conducting competitor analysis, which Competivo can assist with, is beneficial.
3. Create a Business Account on Instagram
To sell on Instagram, you need a business account that provides access to various features and tools, such as statistics, advertising, a shop, and links in stories. To create a business account, you must have a private Instagram account and link it to a Facebook fan page. Then, go to account settings and select „Switch to Professional Account.” Choose the category of your business and provide contact information.
4. Complete Your Profile
Your profile is your business card on Instagram, so make sure it is attractive and professional. Enter your business or brand name, add a logo or a face photo, write a brief description of your business, and provide a link to your website or another place where your product or service can be purchased. You can also add emojis or hashtags that fit your niche.
5. Invite Your Followers
To sell on Instagram, you need followers who are interested in your offer and engage with your content. You can invite your friends, family, or customers from other channels to follow your Instagram account. You can also use hashtags, comment on and like posts of other users in your niche, or collaborate with influencers or other brands.
6. Publish Valuable Content
Content is key to success in selling on Instagram. You must publish content that educates, informs, inspires, or entertains your followers and shows them the value of your product or service. Use various content formats such as photos, videos, stories, reels, or IGTV. Remember to maintain consistency in style and tone of communication and publish regularly and optimally for your target audience.
7. Build Engagement and Relationships with Followers
To sell on Instagram, you must not only publish content but also communicate with your followers and build relationships with them. Respond to comments and private messages, ask questions, organize contests, polls, or quizzes, share opinions and customer reviews, show behind-the-scenes of your work or private life. Show your personality and authenticity and create a community around your brand.
8. Utilize the Instagram Shop Feature
The Instagram Shop is a feature that allows you to sell your products or services directly from the app. To use this feature, you must have a business account on Instagram and meet certain conditions, such as selling physical products or having a product catalog on Facebook or integrating with an e-commerce platform. Once you meet these conditions, you can tag your products in photos or videos and enable users to make purchases with a single click.
9. Advertise on Instagram
Instagram ads involve paid promotion of your content or offers to a selected audience. To create an Instagram ad, you need a business account on Instagram linked to the Facebook ad manager. Then, you can choose the ad objective, set the budget and duration of the campaign, design the ad creative, and select the target audience. You can also use tools such as post or story promotion.
