How to sell on Instagram: Definitive guide to increase your sales

How to sell on Instagram

Here you will find:

How to sell on Instagram?
Requirements to sell on Instagram
The key on Instagram: content is king
Tools to sell on Instagram
Free strategies to sell on Instagram
Paid strategies to sell on Instagram: Instagram Ads
Sell on Instagram in Argentina

How to sell on Instagram?

To sell on Instagram you need:

Have a company profile on the social network.
Post relevant content for your followers.
Get quality followers.
Offer your products through Instagram Shopping.

So that you can advance in each of these steps successfully, we created this definitive guide that will help you understand how to sell on Instagram.

You will learn the keys to creating a company profile, how to customize it, how and when to publish quality content, how to attract more followers to your account (and, later, to your online store), and much more.

Today Instagram has more than 1 billion active users around the world. It is, without a doubt, a great sales channel for brands that want to publicize their products.

With the Instagram Shopping feature, brands have the ability to use their Instagram account as a virtual window to display their products with price tags and redirect followers directly to their online store.

In this way, Instagram becomes an excellent ally in the marketing strategy of any online business, and it is that potential that you are going to discover in this guide about how to sell on Instagram.

Also, Read the Related article: 26 tips for using Instagram for business

Shall we start? How to sell on Instagram

Before telling you what these requirements are, it is important to understand the relevance of Instagram as a sales opportunity for all online businesses. An interesting fact in relation to this point is that 50% of the visits received by cloud stores come from a social network such as Instagram or Facebook!

Visits in e-commerce are essential to generate sales and the most powerful network to achieve this today is Instagram. Therefore, it is essential not only that you are present in it, but that you dedicate the time and effort necessary to take advantage of its full potential.

Instagram can help you generate more traffic in your virtual store and achieve a greater presence on social networks, and this can translate into an increase in your transactions!

In addition, and very important, 1 out of 3 sales made between cloud stores are from sessions started from a social network, the main one being Instagram.

Also, read this related article: Instagram for business tips, market your business on Instagram

Two years ago, Facebook represented 80% of those sales, but Instagram is growing month by month and today 85% of sales come through that network (and less than 15% via Facebook). There is no doubt that Instagram is the social network of the moment.

Now, then, we tell you what the requirements are so that you can start selling on Instagram.

How to sell on Instagram: From personal profile to company profile

To sell on Instagram, the first thing you have to do is change your personal profile to a company one.

This will allow you not only to show yourself to your followers as a professional brand but also to have additional functionalities that the platform offers exclusively to businesses.

The most relevant are:

Statistics of your account. Where you can check the interaction that people have with your publications and, thus, make better decisions in your social media strategy.
Promotion of your publications. So that your reach is increasing and you get more quality followers.
Activation of Instagram Shopping. The star functionality of Instagram, linking it with your online store, allows you to sell through this social network. To enable it, after you have chosen your "company" profile, don't forget to select the "Purchases" category.

Once you have changed your personal profile to a company one, you are ready to optimize this new profile.

Also read this related article: Instagram Marketing Tips 2021: That you should be aware of

How to sell on Instagram: 5 keys to a successful company profile

Your company profile on Instagram is a very special space that you have to take care of because it represents your brand on the web. From your photo, the name of your account, your description, and even the use you give to Instagram stories: all this is important to achieve a successful company profile and, thus, attract new followers and retain the ones you already have. I followed these four tips!

1) Use a simplified version of your logo

To make your profile photo well recognizable and leave no room for doubt, we recommend that you use a simplified and condensed version of your logo.

For example, in its social networks, the Tíanube Oh my Company has its simplified logo that says “Oh my”. In this way, the brand is identifiable with the naked eye. Look:

Original logo Simplified logo

If, on the other hand, you chose to put the whole name, the words would appear small in your profile photo and that would make the brand less recognizable.

2) Pay special attention to the name of your account

When thinking about what name you are going to choose for your business profile, it is important that you use keywords related to your business. This will help Instagram users to quickly identify what your brand is about or what category it belongs to.

For example, the Tíanube Mini Ánima sells clothes for babies and children, and its name on Instagram is “minianimabebes”.

3) Take advantage of the description ( bio ) to get closer to your audience

This is a key place where you can tell more about yourself and your brand. Therefore, take advantage of it in an attractive way to make yourself known on Instagram.

Of course, you have only 150 characters to achieve it! So put your imagination and creativity to the test and communicate, even in a few words, the spirit of your brand.

If you already have an online store, you can add a call to action inviting your followers to visit it (for that, add the link to your store in the corresponding tab). Take advantage of this space to add more sales!

Also read this article: How Brand Marketers Can Boost Their InstagramDiscoverability

How to sell on Instagram: Extra tip

in your publications, tell your followers that there is a link in the bio that they can access to see your e-commerce.

And if you use a hashtag frequently in your business, include it in the description of the bio to make your profile easier to find in the "Explore Instagram" section.

Finally, you can also use tools like IGBIO or TITANpush that allow you to add more than one link in your biography to share different information. It can be a link to other social networks of your brand, to the contact page of your online store, etc.

4) Don't forget to exploit the featured stories

Unlike "normal" stories that last only 24 hours, featured stories do not disappear but are placed in a privileged place in the feed.

Therefore, we recommend that you take advantage of this functionality by creating different stories about aspects of your business that you think maybe attractive to your followers. For example:

How your brand was created.
Images of your showroom, store, or workshop.
Photos from your latest collection (remember to update them as soon as they change).
Ideas on how to use your products.
How to buy in your online store.
What forms of payment and shipping do you offer in your e-commerce.
If you provide other contact options (such as WhatsApp).

The important thing is that your featured stories catch your potential customers and generate (a lot) of interaction with them.

Highlighted stories are, then, a very valuable space within Instagram since they also allow you to answer the most frequent queries that your potential clients may have and, thus, help them to get to know you and buy from you.

How to sell on Instagram: Tip

when you create your featured stories, we recommend that you be very clear in the titles you choose (they have to guide people) and also that you add "dividers" or "covers" in them so that they are more understood and reinforce your image of the brand.

5) Encourage yourself to create content using the Reels and Guides formats

Four years after launching stories, Instagram released Reels and Guides, two features that allow you to take your brand content to the next level!

To start creating content in these new formats, you just have to enter your profile and click on the "+" symbol that appears to the left of your profile. There you will be able to choose between different formats available to generate content, among them you will find " Reels " and "Guides".

Reels: the key when creating content in this format is to make a short video ( reels have a maximum duration of 30 seconds) with the greatest creativity and spontaneity possible! Tips, behind the scenes, share ideas on how to use your products, the options when generating content are endless!

We share the tools you have available when creating a Reel,

Audio: allows you to choose a music track from the Instagram library.
AR effects: you can add augmented reality effects and filters to your recordings.
Timer and Countdown: This tool allows you to calculate recording times and know when filming is going to start.
Alignment: after recording the first video, it shows you transparency of it, to re-record another shot keeping the same plane.
Speed: speed up or slow down the speed of video or audio to create fast or slow-motion videos.

Additionally, Instagram announced that the #Shopping feature is now available on reels! This means that, by tagging the products of your store in formats such as IGTV or Reels, soon this kind of videos will be shown within the shopping section on Instagram, increasing the reach of your online shop, and allowing you to connect with potential customers! customers!

How to sell on Instagram: Guides

Instagram guides are a way to create and consume content that groups several publications under a theme of your choice. Currently, the themes available when creating a guide are,

Places: it allows you to recommend places in your location, or in the locations that you choose and consider that best align with the sales strategy of your business!
Products: it is focused on recommending your favorite products from your online store, or from other brands that are not direct competitors of your business!
Publications: Recommend both publications that you have previously created, as well as publications from other accounts that you have saved and consider to be of interest to your community.

How to sell on Instagram: How can you take advantage of the guides to boost your sales strategy on social networks? We share 3 keys:

Choose your best photos to create a catalog that is attractive to influencers who may be interested in your brand.
Group your publications by categories so that your new followers (and potential clients) can quickly access previous content.
Create a guide that includes photos of your products combined with inspiring content, created by other users that are aligned with your business.

We show you an example of a Guide created by the Tíanube Salvaje City, we loved it!

To close this section, and before starting with the keys to selling on Instagram, we share with you 5 tips from Tendánube Peppers that advance a part of what we are going to see in this guide.

Surely you ever heard this phrase. And it is that being a social network that is based 100% on the visual, it is very important to create quality content to differentiate itself from the competition.

Therefore, it is necessary that you focus on the creation of that content, both visual and written since it can define the success of your brand on Instagram. Check out the tips on how to sell on Instagram below:

How to sell on Instagram: - Take care of the image quality

The triumph of brands (and not only on Instagram) is totally related to branding. In other words, your power is in your image and the ideas associated with it.

Before you start publishing your photos, you have to ask yourself: what is the concept that your brand wants to convey? What feeling do you want to awaken in your clients? Your objective on social networks does not have to be simply to promote products: you have to propose to the public a lifestyle in line with your business and that arouses their interest.

For example:

If your products are related to alternative fashion, your photos should capture scenes from that universe, with an underground and relaxed style. On the other hand, if your company is dedicated to jewelry, it makes more sense to upload elegant and sophisticated photos, right?

After identifying what the main proposal of your brand is and defining your target audience, get to work with photography!

Also read related article: How to get Instagram 1000 followers and likes for free

How to sell on Instagram: Capture unique scenes

Make sure your followers access photos that they wouldn't see otherwise. The essence of Instagram is to record spontaneous reactions and relaxed moments.

It is important that you take advantage of this opportunity to humanize your brand: publish photos of the manufacturing process of the products, behind the scenes of an event, or even fun interactions of the team behind the brand.

Train your eye to take advantage of and photograph these moments: that will be the true differential of your content.

The owners (and sisters) of the Tendénube Clara and Yema have already put it into practice!

How to sell on Instagram: Use good lighting

It is no coincidence that the word photography means "writing of the light." Lighting, which often does not receive the attention it deserves, is the main ally of good images.

Whenever possible, take photos in natural light. The best times of the day are early in the morning and when the sun is about to set, although you don't need to be so rigid at this point.

In case you have to use artificial lighting, choose fluorescent lamps for clearer, neutral images, and incandescent for more intimate, amber-toned photos.

How to sell on Instagram: Apply the rule of thirds

To get the perfect framing, photography experts use a trick that you may already use, but don't know their theory: the rule of thirds.

This rule consists of drawing two vertical lines and two imaginary horizontal lines on the plane you want to capture. The point you want to highlight has to be in the middle square, that is, in the center of the photo. Another option is to be on some of the sides, but always where the lines converge.

Also, do not forget to adjust the horizontal lines to the horizon line, in case it is a landscape that you are portraying since that can give it a more professional touch. And always try to have symmetry between the right and left sides of the image.

How to sell on Instagram: Explore sensations

Do you remember that lifestyle we just talked about and that your brand wants to convey? Keep this in mind when choosing what you are going to photograph.

The main objective of your images has to be to connect with whoever looks at them. Therefore, many times it can be interesting to seek spontaneity and explore new angles.

When you are taking photos of your products, accompany them with other elements that, without overshadowing them, help to tell the story of your brand, its essence, what you want your customers to feel when buying and using them.

They will identify with the message, they will associate it with the concept of your brand and, thus, they will have a greater interest in meeting you.

Also read this related article: How to get more followers on Instagram for free without following back

How to sell on Instagram: Use the indicated filter

Do you already have the photo? Well, now you just need to choose a filter to further reinforce the idea you want to convey.

Most filters generate closed tones that transform light through color nuances. Instagram usually features updates for you to use on your photos.

Keep in mind that if you use the same filter for all the photos, you give a certain visual unity to the feed, which is very attractive to the human eye.

And do not forget that the filters do not have to be with all the intensity with which they are normally displayed: you can choose what percentage of intensity to apply. If you apply the same filter to all the photos by 30% or 50%, the effect will be subtle but the aesthetic unity will be clear. It's all about taking care of your feed!

- Pay attention to the quality of the text

Although the main focus of the post is the photo, the written information also says a lot about your brand. Therefore, with the image duly edited, comes the second part of the content: the description.

Next, we are going to explore the role that texts play on Instagram and understand how to take advantage of them to complement and reinforce your business proposal on this social network.

The photo description field is available precisely so you can express what the image does not say, connect more with your followers or add additional information. Therefore, nothing better than taking advantage of the potential of this resource with the following tips:

I chose your words very well

Each published term has a different impact on the reader, so it is very important to be careful and spend time thinking about what you are going to write.

We recommend using certain extremely informal expressions only if they are appropriate for the context of the image (and, of course, for your audience).

In addition to that, when thinking about your statement, put down all the ideas that occur to you on a piece of paper and check that it is clear and that it does not lead to misinterpretations. Avoid ambiguity as much as possible so that no follower remains unhappy or a message damages your brand image.

Final words:

I tried my best to include everything related to how to sell on Instagram but if I miss something then feel free to give me a suggestion in the comment section Thanks :)