Creative Ways To Sell On Instagram

Instagram can be a powerful sales and marketing tool for your business if you’re ready to use Instagram for business. 

While many users do make purchases because of what they see on Instagram, most don’t open the app specifically for that purpose. Selling on Instagram has become easier as the app has evolved, and today we want to share six different ways you can creatively sell on Instagram.

Set Yourself Up for Success to Sell on Instagram

Before you sell anything on Instagram, make sure you have a business account, not a personal one. Having a business account gives you access to insights as well as many other tools you can use to create better posts to serve your audience, like the swipe-up feature once you have 10,000 followers and the ability to create shoppable posts.

If you currently are using a personal account, it’s easy to switch it to business. All it takes is three easy steps.

1. Log in and click on the profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Once you see your profile, click the icon with three lines in the upper right corner and then click Settings.
3. Finally, click on “Account” and then “Switch to Professional Account.”

Now that you’ve made your account a business account, it’s time to optimize it so your followers and customers can recognize you. Check your profile picture and make sure you use a brand logo or on-brand photo. This helps you establish brand logo recognition so people know they’ve found the right Instagram page for your business.

Since you have a business account, you can add extra information to your profile. Add links to your website, contact information, and easy-use buttons like “Contact” or “Reserve,” depending on what makes sense for your business. 

You’ll also want to make sure your bio includes information about what your company does and who you serve so new visitors can know if you’re a good fit for them to follow or not.

Now that you’re set up with a well-branded business Instagram account, let’s talk about tactics you can use to create interesting, creative posts for selling on Instagram.

1. Shoppable Instagram Posts and Stories

One of the easiest ways to sell on Instagram is to make shoppable posts. A shoppable post has special tags that refer to items in your photo that are for sale. Instagram users can click on your photo to see the tags and then make their purchases quickly and easily from there. 

Instagram’s shoppable posts are truly effective sales tools because they eliminate a major hurdle of selling on Instagram. Most Instagram users are on the app because they want to be there, watching stories and scrolling through their feed. 

They don’t want to have to leave the app to go to someone’s website. With shoppable posts, they can purchase your products directly on the app, which decreases your chance of losing the sale by pushing them to a different site.

Tagging your posts is easy, but you must have “Shopping” enabled on your account in order to access these features. Since you have a business account already, you simply need to go to your profile again and go to “Settings.” Then click on “Business” and “Sign Up for Shopping.”

In order to use shoppable Instagram posts, you need to have a Facebook business account with a catalog of products, and the account needs to be linked to your Instagram. 

Once everything is set up, it’s time to explore creative ways to sell on Instagram. Upload your photo as usual, write your caption, and then click “Tag Products,” just like you would tag another account in your photo. Enter the name of the product you want to tag and hit done!

When implementing Instagram selling strategies, it’s crucial to ensure your tag is correctly positioned on the product. For example, if both the shirt and the pants are tagged, make sure the tag touching the shirt is linked to the pants.

Incorrect tagging can lead to shopper frustration and lost sales. Utilizing Instagram Stories for business and using Reels for sales can also enhance your selling strategy by engaging customers and driving traffic to your shoppable posts.

Shopping on Instagram Stories

You can also make your Stories shoppable by adding product stickers, which is an effective Instagram marketing tactic. Instagram Stories receive a lot of traffic, so if you aren’t using them yet, it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your strategy. 

They can be a great way to connect with your audience, build trust, and enhance your Instagram marketing tactics.

Beyond the community-building aspects of Stories, you can also use them to sell on Instagram. It’s easy to create a shoppable story with a sticker. Just create your story like you usually would, then go to the Stickers tab and select the product sticker. Choose the product you want to tag, and then position the sticker where you want it on your story. Share it with your audience and consider incorporating product photography tips for Instagram to make your posts even more engaging and effective.

2. Take Advantage of Instagram Stories

While we’re on the subject, let’s dive deeper into Stories and how you can leverage them for maximum impact. People love Stories—over 500 million users engage with them daily. 

And it’s no wonder—they’re short, constantly evolving, and easily accessible at the top of the app. They offer a unique way to connect with the brands and accounts you follow, enhancing customer engagement on Instagram.

There are many different types of story posts you can create, and Instagram has added numerous Stickers and engagement tools to encourage interaction. From videos and boomerangs to real-time pictures and pre-created graphics, you have various options to create compelling content for Stories and effectively sell on Instagram.

Which features to use?

For Instagram advertising tips, consider using features like Polls. Posting a Poll is one of the easiest ways to boost engagement, as followers can quickly vote with just one tap. 

Polls not only enhance interaction but also provide valuable insights into what products your followers want to see more of. This information can help inform your Instagram business account setup and marketing campaigns, ensuring that your content resonates with your audience. Additionally, integrating Instagram influencer collaborations can amplify your reach and further engage your target market.

Another tool Instagram provides is a countdown sticker. Adding one of these to your stories is an excellent way to get your customers excited about the launch of a new product, or any event you want to create excitement around for your audience. Viewers can save the countdown sticker or add it to their Stories to share their excitement with their followers.

Finally, if you aren’t using your highlights on your Instagram page, it’s time to start doing so. Create story highlights for your various products to make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for on your page. 

You can include product information, tutorials, customer testimonials or any stories you create that include evergreen information about that particular product under your highlight.

“The key to successfully selling on Instagram is to involve your audience in whatever offering you are creating. Don’t launch the product/service first and then ask for them to buy it; get a clear understanding of what they believe they want and need from you, and then design your offer around that feedback. Ask them what they need help with the most by using the quiz sticker. More people will answer you using the quiz sticker as it’s a multiple choice question (versus the poll or question stickers), and you will receive more specific marketing feedback.”

Tiffany CarterTop Business Coach and Podcast Host Instagram: @projectme_with _Tiffany

Link to free video training:https://projectmewithtiffany.com/fiveessentials

3. Use Quality Product Photos

This might sound obvious, but it’s a crucial part of selling on Instagram. You need to showcase and highlight your products in the best light possible, which starts with high-quality photos. Your photos should be captivating enough to stop viewers from scrolling.

Although your photos need to be beautiful and polished, they don’t have to be perfect. Many Instagram users now prefer more relatable and realistic images over perfectly manicured ones. To achieve this balance, consider incorporating a mix of realistic photos with your more highly edited shots.

A great way to maintain a cohesive look is to follow an Instagram shop setup guide that includes a consistent method of editing. Using nice filter and editing tools, such as Canva for graphic creation or Adobe Lightroom for quick edits, can help tie your photos together and enhance your Instagram hashtag strategy.

Pay attention to the background

When taking your photos, pay attention to the composition and background. Ensure the background isn’t messy or distracting from your product. Your goal is to make your product the focal point, so avoid anything too busy in the background that might divert attention. 

Additionally, using Instagram analytics for business can help you track the performance of your posts and refine your approach for even better results.

If you’re taking photos yourself, consider getting some simple poster board from a craft store to use as a background for a flat lay. A simple white or solid-color background will make your photos look nice and keep your product front and center.

4. Showcase and Encourage Customer Engagement

Instagram is a social media platform, and selling on Instagram relies heavily on this. Whether you’re creating a story, a feed post an Instagram Live, Reels, or anything else you can think of, you want to try to do so in a way that either shows customer engagement or invites your followers to engage with you.

One easy way to do this is to use the reviews that are already on your website. Ask the reviewer for permission and then take a quote from that review to create a post that will promote your product while increasing consumer trust. People trust what other people say about a brand, often more than they trust what the brand says about themselves. The more you can showcase testimonials and reviews from real customers, the more you can build that trust.

If you can and have permission, tag the reviewer in your post. This proves that it’s a quote from a real person and helps build engagement and interaction with your customers. Always remember to respond to anyone who comments on your post to ensure that you’re continuing that conversation.

Write engaging captions

You also want to write engaging captions that encourage your followers to take action. The best way to do this is to ask them to do something. Create a compelling call-to-action that is EASY for them to follow. If you’re not sure where to start, begin with something simple like “double tap if you agree!” You can build up to asking for comments or asking them to tag a friend in their comment.

Another way to showcase your customers is to ask for and re-post UGC. UGC stands for user-generated content, which is content that people other than you create about your brand. UGC is highly effective for the same reason as the reviews and testimonials – people trust other people. So, encourage your followers to tag your product or company in photos of them using your service or product. You can do this by hosting a giveaway or just asking them to mention you. 

Then, with their permission, share it on your account. UGC is an excellent way to build trust with your followers, and it saves you some time you would spend on content creation.

5. Invest in Instagram Ads

If you have the budget to spend on paid advertising, spending it on Instagram ads can be well worth it. Instagram ads let you target a very specific market with your content so you know that you are getting the right eyes on your content. They’re also very simple to use, and effective, and they can be fairly cost-effective, depending on your target.

You can create Instagram ads for your story or your feed. There are many different types of ads you can create, and there isn’t necessarily one type that stands out as more effective than the others. Instead, it depends heavily on your industry and target. 

You’ll create any ad in your Facebook Ad Manager account. However, don’t think it’s a good idea to simply duplicate your Facebook ads and set them to run on Instagram. 

Remember that the two platforms are different and each need a separate strategy. That said, if you’re familiar with creating ads for Facebook, you know how the software works.

Creating Ads For Your Feed 

There are many different types of ads that you can show on your feed to sell on Instagram. These include photos, videos, carousels, and collection ads. They each have their own benefits and drawbacks, and they impact your ad cost differently. 

• Photo, carousel, and collection ads can all be made shoppable the same way you would tag a normal post to make it shoppable. These ads also often get a “Learn More” or “Shop Now” call-to-action banner that appears at the bottom of the image to encourage the viewer to click and take action.

Instagram ads in the feed can be effective especially when they blend in well with the other posts in your audience’s feed. If it looks too different or too much like an ad, they might scroll past it. Experiment with different types of ads, various photos and videos and a variety of caption options to see what resonates most with your audience.

If you don’t know how to make these ads, here’s a brief overview.

1. Choose an objective for your ad. The main types are Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion. If you’re planning on creating shoppable ads, “Conversions” is the way to go.
2. Name your campaign. This helps you keep your various campaigns separate as you try out different strategies.
3. Choose your ad placements. You’ll want to deselect Facebook so your ads only show on Instagram.
4. Define your target audience. You can do this by selecting demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. You can also create a custom audience based on your current followers, email subscribers, website visitors, or other members of your existing list.
5. Select your ad budget and schedule. You can set a daily or lifetime budget, depending on your goals.
6. Finally, choose your Instagram ad format. We’ll talk about the different formats right now.

Creating Ads For Your Stories

Instagram Stories ads are also popular. You can create either video or image ads when you are selling your business, services, or products on IG, and since you’re paying for it you can have the swipe-up feature on these ads that is most likely to gain visibility.

Story video ads are 15 seconds long, and images are shown for 10 seconds. You can have up to three slides in a row, so you can do a video, image, video, or you can do three videos, or you can try a different combination. 

Again, just like with the feed ads, you want to make sure that these ads blend in well with the other stories your audience is seeing. You also want to grab their attention at the beginning so they don’t simply click through your ad.

Here’s a three-image Story ad from ContentCreatorsPlanner.

Post Tutorials

Teach your followers about how your product or service works. Show them unique ways to use your product. You could even highlight other customers who have creative stories. 

For example, if you sell a food product, demonstrate various recipes that include your ingredients. The more creative you can be, the more likely your followers are to enjoy your videos.

Host A Q&A Session

People love to be involved, and your followers may have some questions about your product or service. Host a Q&A as a personalized way to clear up any confusion they might have and to promote sales. 

You can also use this as a way to show your audience more of you and your company and build trust. If you’re not ready to create a full video or Reels, a Q&A is a great thing to do on Instagram Live. 

You can even bring people onto the video with you to ask their questions. Or, you can just answer any you see in the chat – whatever you’re comfortable with that also resonates with your followers.

Show Behind-the-Scenes

Everyone likes to be in on the secret. Sharing the behind-the-scenes of your business is a great way to build a relationship with your customers and create brand loyalty. This is how you create trust so that you become their go-to source of your product. It can also be fun to show a blooper reel of your team so your company becomes more relatable.

@wtrwrks has a beautiful video that’s a behind-the-scenes tour of Co-founder Barbara Sallick’s Kitchen.

Tease For The Future

Get your customers excited about what’s coming! Share little glimpses of future products so they know what to expect from your company moving forward. Again, everyone likes to know the exclusive information, so give them what they want.

Best Practices

Before you go to create your first long video to sell a product on Instagram, there are a couple of points we want to mention. Don’t just be a talking head. Unless you’re going to be making a very, very short video, don’t just have you talking to the camera. 

Add a little bit of voice-over and B-roll to make it interesting for your viewers. When’s the last time you watched 10 minutes of someone just talking to the camera? Probably not recently, and your viewers likely don’t want to, either.

Also, once you create and publish your video, make sure you add a preview of it to your feed and your story so that your followers know you have a new video up and that they need to check it out soon.

Now Go Make Those Sales!

So there you have it: six creative ways to sell on Instagram. Which one are you going to try first? As with any digital marketing strategy, these tactics can all be used at the same time, but it can be a good idea to implement them one by one so as to not be overwhelmed and ensure that you’re creating great content. Happy selling!