If you are a business owner that is selling products online, you should be using Instagram as a selling platform. It is likely your customers are already on Instagram so learning how to promote and sell on the platform will not only help increase sales but also page engagement. Below are some tips that will help you sell products on your Instagram account.
1. Convert to a Business Profile
This may seem like an obvious thing to do but many small business owners that want to sell products do not have a business profile. So if you don’t have one, now would be a great time to make the switch. Converting your standard Instagram profile to a business profile gives you access to a lot of selling and reporting options such as Instagram insights, story links, and Facebook alignment. These are just a few benefits to converting your personal page to a business one. If you want to learn more about these features, you can check out another blog I wrote titled, “7 Benefits of Creating an Instagram Business Page”. However, if you want to start selling products on Instagram, creating a business profile will be the first step.
2. Hashtags
Using hashtags on product images will help users discover your post and get a clear understanding of what your product is before they ever click on it. It is the biggest way to make an impact with your Instagram Campaigns. Having a business profile gives you the ability to see, on a post by post basis, how many impressions come via hashtags, and it will also show you how many accounts that you reached weren’t following you when they saw your post. To increase both of those numbers, it’s time to get smart with hashtags. If you are on the hunt for hashtags in your niche, grab my hashtag remix! I have hashtags for everyone!
Do some hashtag research to find out which hashtags your customers are searching for. On your Instagram, head to Discover > Search > Tags and search for terms related to your niche. You will see how many posts have used that hashtag. When you use that same hashtag in your post, you add your post to the discover queue. Lastly, when using hashtags, try to use enough to be descriptive, but don’t overdo it.
3. Share a Sale or Promotional Code
Running a promotional campaign is a surefire way to drive sales. You can post on your page as well as on your Instagram story to promote the sale even further. Offering your Instagram customers an exclusive sale is another way to build audience loyalty and increase engagement. Sharing a promotional code with your audience will show them that you care about them, and in return, they may share the information with their friends, which may increase sales in the long run.
4. Show Your Product in Action
Creating video content showing your product in action is ideal for shopping posts because it offers viewers product education and proof of concept. Creating a tutorial or how-to video will display authenticity to your customers, and it gives them a behind the scenes look at how the product works before purchasing, thus creating trust between the customer and your product. These videos are compulsively watchable, and they showcase the quality and versatility of each product.
5. Upload a Gallery of Product Images
It’s important to build up a gallery of your product pictures on your Instagram page. When posting pictures of your products, be sure not to use any filters, they can distort your images and make your products look different than they actually are. When creating a gallery, it is also important to post pictures of real customers using your product. Studies have shown that when real customers are shown using a product, it increases engagement. Lastly, when posting your product, make sure your captions are detailed. Give your customer every piece of information that they would want to know.