Ever thought about leveling up your game as a content creator? Moving beyond just donations and start selling your own original products? That would be a great idea. And selling on social media platform like Instagram can be a good option. But how to sell products on Instagram?
Well, there are many ways to do that. And we’ll explore them in this article, including the step-by-step process to do so.
Just bear in mind that Instagram is not just a photo-sharing app anymore. It’s a busy marketplace with over 200 million users engaging with shopping posts every month. Wow!
Imagine you can show off your merchandise with amazing pictures and interesting stories. And guess what? You can even let people buy your products right from your posts. This would make shopping easy and fun.
Now, without further ado, let’s dive in and discover how you can make this happen.
How to Sell Products on Instagram
Here are some ways to sell products on Instagram that are worth trying:
1. Sell More with Instagram Shopping
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: All content creators
This is the most common way to sell products on Instagram. Instagram Shopping integrates social media with shopping, allowing you as a content creator to tag products in your posts and stories.
This means you can sell your products directly from Instagram. No wonder Instagram has become a better platform to connect with your audience, knowing what the users need.
As a content creator, you can even boost sales of your products on the platform. And guess what? Instagram Shopping influences 35% of online shopping worldwide. So, for every $100 spent online, $35 of that could be through Instagram Shopping.
How to sell products on Instagram using Instagram Shopping?
- Switch to a Business Account — Change your account to a business profile
- Link Your Product Catalog — Connect your product catalog with Instagram using Facebook’s Catalog Manager
- Seek Approval — Submit your account for review
- Tag Products — Tag products in your posts and stories, using awesome images.
- Diversify Content Formats — Show off your products using posts, stories, and reels.
- Analyze Performance — Track and improve your shoppable posts with Instagram Insights.
If you see a small store icon in someone’s Instagram post, it means they’re using Instagram Shopping. Beauty influencers, such as Huda Kattan, use it to sell her beauty products. But, this is not the only strategy she uses to sell products on Instagram.
Read More: How to Make Money from Instagram
2. Make Your Bio Shoppable
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: All content creators
Many Instagram users buy something from a website after seeing it on Instagram. So, if you’re wondering how to sell products on Instagram without using Shopping, try adding a link to your bio.
This allows people to shop from your online store. And guess what? Huda Kattan does the same.
So what you need to do? Simply add a clickable link to your bio for followers to purchase your products or services. With just a tap, users can visit your online store or product page without leaving Instagram.
How to sell products on Instagram using link on your bio?
- Create an Awesome Bio — Write a great bio showcasing your brand’s personality.
- Add a Link to Your Online Store — Add a trackable link to your bio using platforms like Rebrandly or others.
- Optimize Your Online Store — Make sure your online store looks good and works well. People should be able to easily see what you’re selling. Provide clear details on product, price, and more
- Analyze Performance — Keep track of how well your bio is doing and share links using Instagram Insights. Measure link clicks, user actions, and revenue to improve your strategy.
Read More: Instagram Link In Bio
3. Use Live Shopping to Connect with Your Customers
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: All content creators
With Live Shopping on Instagram, you can do live videos to boast products. It can be any products. Let’s say you can show a picture of yourself dressed up as a cosplayer, or wearing a shirt with your logo.
You can also talk to the audience and give them quick answers about the products. This can help you sell more because people will be more interested.
Why do we use Live Shopping on Instagram?
Well, 60% of people on Instagram watch live videos, and many of them buy things they see in those videos. In short, this is promising because it can make you money instantly while you’re doing a livestream.
How to sell products on Instagram using Live Shopping Sessions?
- Make Sure Your Products are Ready — Choose the products or services you want to show in your live video. Make sure they’re in your catalog and tagged in your posts or stories.
- Plan Your Live Stream – Plan the topic, format, and length of your live video. Prepare a script or outline for what you want to say and show. Pick a catchy and informative title and description.
- Promote Your Live Video — To make people excited for your live video, tell them about it in advance. You can use posts, stories, and reels to get them interested. Ask your followers to come and join.
- Go Live and Sell — Start your live video and show off your products. Use the shopping icon to tag them. Don’t forget to talk with the audience and encourage them to buy something.
- Analyze Performance — You can use Instagram Insights to see how many people watched your live video. You can also check how many people commented, liked, and bought things.
Read More:
4. Add Product Links to Your Instagram Stories
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: Content creators from Fashion, Beauty, Fitness, and more niches.
On Instagram, you can put links to your products in your stories. With product links, it will be easier for your followers to buy your products. That’s right. Just by swiping up, anyone can go to your online store or product page without leaving Instagram.
Doing that will help turn viewers into customers quickly and conveniently. And Tanya Taylor can give you ideas on how to put links in your Instagram stories. She often showcases new clothes, like the Fall 2023 collection.
How to sell products on Instagram using Product Links?
- Create Engaging Stories — Use unique pictures and captions to show off your products. You can also add stickers, filters, and effects to make your stories even more interactive and awesome.
- Add Product Links — Add a link icon to your stories for a direct link to your online store. Include a clear CTA to encourage followers to swipe up and buy the products.
- Promote Your Stories — Make sure you promote your stories using every Instagram feature like posts, reels, and live videos. This will help generate excitement and anticipation for your stories.
- Optimize Your Online Store — Make sure your product page user friendly by providing enough information about your product. So people can make good choices easily when they buy it.
5. Link Your Stores for a Smooth Shopping Experience
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: Content creators with multiple online stores or platforms
Not everyone finds social media shopping their thing. Some prefer official websites for reasons like convenience and security. So how to sell products on Instagram with this situation?
If most of your followers prefer shopping on official websites, don’t worry. Instagram lets you connect your web store to the platform.
Imagine you have your own merchandise store, just like DanTDM. You can boats your products using stories, posts, reels, and more. This makes it easy for your followers to shop. It’s important to know this because 63% of people like brands that make shopping easy on many platforms.
How to sell products on Instagram with seamless shopping experience:
- Create Multiple Online Stores — WordPress, Shopify, you name it. Make it easy for your customers to buy from you regardless of the platform they prefer. But, make sure all your online stores look the same and match your brand.
- Link Your Online Stores — Create trackable links for your online stores or platforms. Add them to your bio, posts, stories, and more.
- Create Engaging Content — Make sure you regularly create interesting content and talk about your product in your posts. This helps people discover it, even if it’s not on your profile. Keep it natural and avoid overwhelming their feeds with sales-focused content.
6. Boost Sales with Direct Message Offers
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: New content creators with a small number of followers.
How can you sell products on Instagram in a more active way? You can use direct message promotions. This means sending personalized messages to your followers or potential customers with special offers.
While this strategy can work, you have to be careful when you use it. People who follow you might not want to buy your products but they simply enjoy your posts. or think you’re a good creator.
But if you do it correctly, this strategy is promising. Why? it can make your followers feel closer to you and want to shop with you more. This is because you’ll talk to them personally. On the flip side, you can learn what they want and make better products for them in the future.
How to sell products on Instagram using direct message promotions?
- Segment Your Audience —Put your followers into different groups based on their age, behavior, preferences, and needs.
- Create Personalized Offers — Offer special deals that match what each group wants. Use attractive pictures and captions that explain why your products are great.
- Send Direct Messages — Use the direct message icon to send your offers to your segments. Use a friendly and conversational tone to communicate with your recipients. If they don’t get back to you after a while, ask them to find out what’s happening.
- Close the Sale — Direct messaging is all about communication. So, make sure you answer questions or provide feedback. Answer their questions and give them information. You can also offer something extra to make them want to buy from you.
7. Work with Other Creators to Grow Your Brand
- Type: Awareness and Instant Revenue
- Good for: Content creators with a niche audience or product
How to sell products on Instagram and grow your brand? You can collaborate with other content creators. It is recommended to increase awareness of you as a content creator and your products. Yes, you don’t have to do it all alone.
Did you know that on Instagram, you can create collaboration posts? This helps you reach more people and get them excited about what you share. It’s like joining forces with another person to introduce yourselves and your products to a wider audience.
This strategy is effective because when you support each other, it feels more real than just promoting our own products. It’s like your followers getting a recommendation from a trusted content creator. The data shows that influencer marketing can make you earn $5.20 for every $1 you spend on it.
How to sell products on Instagram using Creator Collaborations?
- Identify Potential Partners — Find and research other influential and relevant content creators who share your niche, values, and goals. Reach out to them and propose a collaboration idea.
- Create Co-Branded Content — Make awesome content to showcase your products and your partner’s products. Use high-quality images and explain clearly why your products are worth buying.
- Share Co-Branded Content — Share co-branded content with your followers and your partner’s followers. Use a friendly tone to communicate with both audiences. Tell them to check out what your partner has to offer, and also check out what you have to offer.
- Make Sure Your Online Store Ready — Anticipating buyer needs is important after sharing branded content. Failing to do so can disappoint them if they can’t access your website. This may harm your credibility as a content creator who sells products through Instagram collaborations.
8. Use Instagram Ads to Reach Your Ideal Customers
- Type: Awareness and Instant Revenue
- Good for: Content creators with a specific audience or product
New content creators can opt for cost-effective strategies to sell products on Instagram. This is a good decision. But if you have money to spend, you might want to think about using Instagram ads.
Instagram Ads display paid ads for your products to your target audience. You can set them up based on demographics, behaviors, interests, and needs.
This feature is great for content creators who want to connect with the right customers. It’s an enjoyable way to get more customers and keep them coming back while boosting their sales. Does it work? Yes, even famous brands like Oreo get 75% of all the visitors from ads on social media.
How to sell products on Instagram using Instagram Ads?
- Set Your Objective And Budget — Plan your ad campaign by setting clear goals, duration, and budget. Choose a goal and make a budget that makes sense.
- Create Your Ad — Choose the format and placement for your ad. Make awesome copy and add stickers and effects. Make sure you include CTA.
- Choose Your Audience — Instead of targeting everyone, focus on a specific group on Instagram. Identify your target audience based on age, gender, interests, and needs. Otherwise, you might waste your budget without getting good results.
- Launch and Monitor Your Ad — Monitoring your ads is important. Use Instagram Insights or other tools to track their effectiveness. Measure metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and revenue. Adjust your approach to achieve your goals.
9. Showcase Your Products with Customer Reviews
- Type: Awareness
- Good for: Content creators with a loyal and engaged audience
Here’s what a study found: products with reviews are 270% more likely to be bought than those without reviews. What does this mean?
If you want to sell products on Instagram, don’t just rely on your own copy. Instead, use reviews from other people to show potential customers that your products are good based on what other users have experienced.
Don’t hesitate to use user generated content on Instagram. Big brands like Red Bull, Razer, and IKEA have been doing this for a while. Basically, your happy customers share pictures or videos showing how they use your products in their everyday lives.
This is great for content creators who want to make it authentic. it might not make sales go up right away. Its main objective is to increase product awareness, build customer loyalty, and create a positive perception among a larger audience.
How to sell products on Instagram using user-generated content?
- Encourage Your Followers to Share Their Content — Ask your followers or customers to share content with your products.
- Curate User-Generated Content — You can collect and sort content made by your followers by using tags or mentions. Pick the best content that shows your products genuinely.
- Share User-Generated Content — Get creative and make the user-generated content amazing. Share it on your Stories or Reels. Thank loyal customers and invite them to see new products. Remember to tag or mention the creators and ask permission if needed.
10. Build a Community with Instagram Giveaways
- Type: Awareness
- Good for: Content creators with a new or existing product or service
You might be wondering how giveaways can sell products on Instagram. Well, it’s because giveaways are great for making more people aware of your products.
The data shows that any contest you hold will help you get more than 34% of new customers. And many big brands like Lego and Razer have also been utilizing this approach. Niche brands like Vessi also often hold giveaway to boost the awareness of their products, too.
If you are content creators, hosting giveaway contests can help promote your product and personal brand to a larger audience. But, it’s important to focus on engagement and leads instead of immediate sales impact.
And you know what? Giveaways can actually help you gain followers quickly, with an increase of around 70% compared to regular follower acquisition.
How to sell products on Instagram using Giveaways?
- Think about a Giveaway Idea — Decide what kind of event you want, what it will be about, and how long it will last. Also, choose a prize that your audience will like and think is important.
- Promote Your Giveaway — Tell people about your giveaway using posts, stories, reels, or live videos. Use a clear title and description. Ask your followers to join and be part of it.
- Announce the Winner — You can choose the winner by chance or by thinking about certain criteria. Then, tell everyone who win it through posts, stories, reels, or live videos. And don’t forget, give them their prize fast and say you might have another giveaway for new products in the future.
11. Sell Your Products with Gank (Bonus)
- Type: Instant Revenue
- Good for: All content creators, from gaming and cosplay to music and more niches
If you want to sell products to people who are passionate about your niche, one of the best platforms you can use is Gank. Our platform supports content creators with donations, sales, and memberships at 0% fees.
Selling your product on X offers several benefits, no matter if it’s digital or physical products.
One of them is the opportunity to showcase your work to a community of like-minded people who share your interests. They can be centered around gaming, cosplaying, music, or any other form of creative content.
How to sell products on Instagram alternative called Gank?
- Create a Gank Page — It’s so easy to join Gank. You can just sign up for free and create your own page.
- Add Your Products or Services — Upload your digital products or services to your Gank shop.
- Promote Your Gank Page — Share your Gank page link on your Instagram bio.
- Make Awesome Posts — Make sure to consistently create amazing posts on Instagram that are all about your niche and relate to the product you sell on Gank.
- Get Paid Instantly — You can get paid directly to your PayPal or Stripe account. You can also receive wallet payments through Gcash, Grabpay, and Touch ‘n Go.
Selling Products On Instagram: A Wrap Up
You’ve just learned how to sell products on Instagram, a social media platform with 2 billion monthly users around the world that is dominated by young people.
We have provided many helpful ways for beginners to sell products on Instagram. A great method is using Instagram Shopping, a feature made just for Instagram users. You can also promote your products through feed posts, stories, and reels.
Another exciting option is Live shopping on Instagram, which can increase sales because it’s interactive and engaging.
If you’re looking for a different platform to boost your sales on Instagram, Gank is a great choice for creating unique content. It doesn’t matter what your niche are, whether it’s cosplay, vtubing, gaming, or music, Gank support your growth as creator.
So what are you waiting for? Start selling products on Instagram today and become part of the millions of users who are earning money from their passions.
