How to Sell Anything on Instagram: 7 Simple Steps

With over a billion active users, Instagram has become one of the most powerful social media platforms for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services. 

Whether you’re a small business owner, an influencer, or an individual looking to sell something, Instagram offers a vast array of tools and features to help you showcase and sell your products. 

In this article, we’ll go over seven simple steps to help you sell anything on Instagram, from setting up your profile and creating compelling content to engaging with your audience and driving sales. 

So, let’s get started!

Why should I sell on Instagram?

Selling on Instagram for business can be a powerful way to reach a large audience of potential customers. With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram provides a massive platform for businesses of all sizes to connect with their target market. 

The app’s visual nature also makes it an ideal platform for showcasing products and services in an engaging and visually appealing way. 

Additionally, Instagram’s features such as shoppable posts and Instagram Checkout make it easy for users to purchase products directly from a business’s profile. 

For these reasons, Instagram has become a popular and effective tool for businesses to drive sales and grow their customer base.

How many followers do you need to sell on Instagram?

The number of followers you need to sell on Instagram varies based on several factors, such as the niche, product, and target audience. 

However, having a large following doesn’t necessarily guarantee sales. What matters more is having an engaged and loyal audience who trust your brand and are interested in your products.

Micro-influencers, for example, can have a smaller following but a higher engagement rate, resulting in more conversions and sales. 

Therefore, it’s essential to focus on building a targeted audience that aligns with your brand and product offerings rather than obsessing over follower count. 

That’s why Follow Turbo can help you. You can buy real Instagram followers that will increase your credibility to sell anything on Instagram. 

Ultimately, it’s the quality of your followers that matters more than the quantity.

How much does it cost to sell on Instagram?

Selling on Instagram is completely free, as the platform does not charge any fees for setting up a business account or for posting products. However, if you decide to use certain features such as Instagram Shopping, you may need to pay fees to third-party providers to help set up and manage your online store. 

Additionally, you may incur expenses such as photography, product packaging, and shipping costs. 

These costs can vary depending on the nature of your business and the products you offer. It’s important to carefully consider all potential costs before selling on Instagram to ensure that it is a financially viable option for your business.

10 Advantages of Selling on Instagram

In this section, we’ll be discussing the 10 advantages of selling on Instagram. From its large user base to its continuous updates and improvements, Instagram provides a wealth of benefits for businesses looking to expand their reach and increase sales. 

Keep reading to learn more about each advantage in detail and understand how to sell products on Instagram.

1. Large user base

One of the main advantages of selling on Instagram is its large user base. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers an immense potential customer base for businesses to tap into. The platform’s popularity continues to grow, with new users joining every day. 

This means that businesses have access to an ever-increasing pool of potential customers.

Additionally, Instagram’s user base is diverse and global, meaning that businesses can reach customers from all around the world. This presents a great opportunity for businesses to expand their customer base and increase their sales revenue.

Moreover, Instagram users tend to be highly engaged and active on the platform, spending an average of 28 minutes per day scrolling through their feeds. This provides businesses with ample opportunities to capture their attention and showcase their products or services.

Overall, the large and diverse user base on Instagram offers businesses a significant advantage 

in reaching potential customers and increasing sales.

2. Highly engaged audience

Another advantage of selling on Instagram is its highly engaged audience. Instagram users are known to be active and passionate about the platform, which means they are more likely to engage with your brand and products. 

This engagement can manifest in likes, comments, shares, and even direct messages, all of which can lead to increased sales and brand awareness.

One reason for this high level of engagement is the visual nature of Instagram. People are naturally drawn to images and videos, making it easier to capture their attention with visually appealing content.

 Additionally, Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes content that receives a lot of engagement, meaning that the more engagement your posts receive, the more likely they are to be seen by potential customers.

By having a highly engaged audience on Instagram, businesses have a unique opportunity to connect with their customers on a deeper level and build strong relationships. This can lead to increased brand loyalty and repeat purchases in the long run.

3. Visual platform

One of the main advantages of selling on Instagram is its visual platform. Instagram is primarily a photo and video-sharing app, making it the perfect platform to showcase your products visually. 

By using high-quality images and videos, you can attract and engage potential customers more effectively than with text-based marketing.

Additionally, Instagram’s built-in filters and editing tools allow you to enhance your photos and make them more appealing to your audience. This can help you create a cohesive and visually appealing brand image, which can be crucial in attracting and retaining customers.

Furthermore, the visual nature of Instagram makes it easier for customers to see your products in action, whether it’s a piece of clothing being modeled, a recipe being cooked, or a beauty product being used.

 This can help build trust and credibility with your audience, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales.

4. Built-in e-commerce features

One of the biggest advantages of selling on Instagram is the platform’s built-in e-commerce features. Instagram has made significant strides in recent years to make the buying process as seamless as possible for both businesses and consumers. 

With features such as product tagging, shoppable posts, and check out on Instagram, businesses can easily sell their products directly through the platform.

Product tagging allows businesses to tag their products in posts, stories, and even reels, making it easy for users to click through and purchase the product. Shoppable posts take this one step further by creating a dedicated shopping section on a business’s profile, where users can browse and purchase products without ever leaving the app.

Checkout on Instagram is another powerful e-commerce feature that allows users to complete their purchase within the app, without having to navigate to a third-party website. 

With these built-in features, businesses can easily turn their Instagram presence into a fully functional e-commerce storefront, increasing sales and driving growth.

5. Social proof

Social proof is a powerful marketing tool and one of the key advantages of selling on Instagram. 

By showcasing positive feedback from satisfied customers through comments, likes, and user-generated content, businesses can establish trust and credibility with potential buyers.

On Instagram, social proof can be demonstrated through various features, such as displaying the number of followers, likes, and comments on a post. Additionally, Instagram’s Tagged feature allows users to share photos of themselves using a product or service, providing social proof of its effectiveness.

When potential buyers see the social proof on an Instagram account, they are more likely to trust and engage with the brand. This can ultimately lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.

To maximize the benefits of social proof on Instagram, businesses can encourage customers to leave reviews and share their experiences using a product or service. 

They can also repost user-generated content and engage with their followers to build a sense of community around the brand.

6. Targeted advertising

One of the biggest advantages of selling on Instagram is its ability to offer targeted advertising to businesses. Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, has a wealth of user data, including demographics, interests, and behavior. This allows businesses to create highly targeted ads that reach the right audience.

Businesses can set specific parameters for their ads, such as age, location, interests, and behaviors.

 This ensures that the ads are only shown to people who are most likely to be interested in the product or service being offered. Additionally, businesses can use Instagram’s retargeting feature to show ads to people who have already interacted with their brand on the platform. This helps to increase the chances of conversion and ultimately boosts sales.

Targeted advertising on Instagram is also cost-effective, as businesses can set a budget for their ad campaigns and only pay for the clicks or impressions they receive. 

Overall, targeted advertising on Instagram is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their desired audience and increase sales.

7. Access to insights

One major advantage of selling on Instagram is the access to valuable insights that the platform provides. Instagram offers a variety of metrics and data that can help businesses understand their audience and improve their marketing strategies.

Business accounts on Instagram have access to the platform’s Insights feature, which provides information about engagement, reach, impressions, and audience demographics. This allows businesses to track their performance over time and adjust their content and advertising strategies accordingly.

Insights can also help businesses identify which types of content perform best and which hashtags are most effective in reaching their target audience. This data can inform the creation of future content and marketing campaigns.

In addition, Instagram provides analytics for individual posts and Stories, allowing businesses to see how users interact with their content in real-time. This information can be used to optimize content for maximum engagement and reach.

8. Easy to use

One of the main advantages of selling on Instagram is its ease of use.

 The platform is designed to be user-friendly, with a simple interface that makes it easy to navigate for both sellers and buyers. Instagram’s built-in features such as product tags, shopping stickers, and checkout make the selling process seamless and convenient.

Creating a business profile on Instagram is also a straightforward process. Sellers can easily set up a profile, add their products, and start promoting them to their target audience. Instagram’s user-friendly interface allows sellers to manage their sales and customer interactions efficiently.

Additionally, Instagram’s integration with other social media platforms and e-commerce websites makes it easy to expand a business’s reach and connect with potential customers. 

Sellers can also use Instagram’s messaging feature to communicate with customers and answer any questions they may have about their products.

9. Cost-effective

Unlike traditional advertising methods, such as billboards or television ads, Instagram offers a more targeted approach, allowing businesses to reach their desired audience at a fraction of the cost.

Instagram’s advertising platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, even for those with limited advertising experience. 

With features like customizable audience targeting, cost-per-click pricing, and the ability to set daily budgets, businesses can control their advertising costs and make the most of their advertising dollars.

In addition to advertising, selling on Instagram is also cost-effective in terms of overhead expenses. Since the platform is primarily based on visual content, businesses can create and share high-quality product photos and videos without the need for expensive equipment or studio space.

10. Continuous updates and improvements

Instagram is a constantly evolving platform, with regular updates and improvements to its features and capabilities.

 This is a significant advantage for businesses using the platform to sell their products or services. With every update, there is the potential for new opportunities to connect with customers and improve the overall selling experience.

Some recent updates to the platform include the introduction of Instagram Reels, which allows businesses to create short-form videos to showcase their products or services, and the ability to tag products in Instagram Live streams. 

These updates provide businesses with more options to engage with their audience and promote their offerings.

In addition, Instagram frequently releases updates to its algorithm, which can affect the visibility of posts and the performance of ads. Keeping up with these changes can help businesses stay ahead of the curve and optimize their content for maximum reach and engagement.

How to sell on Instagram?

Selling on Instagram can be a great way to reach potential customers and grow your business. But how exactly do you get started? There are a variety of strategies and techniques you can use to successfully sell on the platform.

 In this section, we will go over 7 simple steps to help you sell anything on Instagram. From creating an attractive profile to engaging with your audience and utilizing Instagram’s e-commerce features, we’ll cover everything you need to know to effectively sell on the platform. 

So, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level and start selling on Instagram, keep reading for all the details.

1. Set up an Instagram Shop

Setting up an Instagram Shop is the first step towards selling on Instagram. With an Instagram Shop, you can showcase your products and enable customers to make purchases without leaving the app.

To set up an Instagram Shop, you need to have an Instagram business account and a connected Facebook page. 

Once you have these in place, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. From there, select Settings and then Business, and finally Instagram Shopping.

Next, select the product catalog you want to connect to your Instagram Shop. If you don’t have a product catalog yet, create one using Facebook Business Manager. Once you’ve selected your catalog, submit your Instagram Shop for review. 

Once approved, you’ll be able to tag your products in your posts and stories, and customers can purchase directly from your Instagram Shop.

2. Optimize your Shop

Once you have set up your Instagram Shop, the next step is to optimize it to make it more attractive and user-friendly. This will not only help increase your chances of making a sale but also enhance your customers’ shopping experience.

One way to optimize your Shop is to create an engaging bio that clearly describes your business and the products or services you offer. Make sure to include a link to your Shop in your bio to make it easy for customers to find.

You should also focus on creating high-quality product photos and videos that showcase your products in the best possible way. Use clear and descriptive captions to accompany your posts and highlight the features and benefits of your products.

Another important aspect of optimizing your Shop is to use relevant hashtags and location tags to increase your visibility and reach on the platform. This will help potential customers discover your business and products more easily.

By taking these steps, you can make your Instagram Shop more appealing and user-friendly, ultimately increasing your chances of making sales.

3. Build your brand

Building a strong brand is an important step to successfully sell on Instagram. Your brand should represent your business and its values, and resonate with your target audience. A strong brand can help you stand out in a crowded market and establish a loyal customer base.

To build your brand on Instagram, start by creating a consistent visual identity for your profile. Use a consistent color scheme and design style for your posts, and make sure they align with your brand’s values and message. It’s also important to use a clear and concise brand voice in your captions and interactions with followers.

Additionally, leverage Instagram’s features such as Instagram Stories, Reels, and IGTV to showcase your brand’s personality and provide value to your audience. Consistently engaging with your followers and responding to their comments can also help build a strong brand presence on the platform.

4. Grow your audience

To sell on Instagram, it’s important to have a sizable and engaged audience that is interested in your brand and products. To grow your audience, start by optimizing your Instagram profile with a clear and concise bio, profile picture, and a branded username.

Next, use relevant hashtags and geotags to increase your visibility to potential customers. You can also collaborate with other brands and influencers in your niche to reach new audiences. Running Instagram ads can also be a highly effective way to expand your reach and attract new followers.

Lastly, make sure to consistently create high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. This will keep them engaged and interested in your brand, leading to more sales in the long run.

5. Create effective product listings

This step requires you to craft listings that not only grab attention but also provide relevant details about your products. Use clear, high-quality images to showcase your products and write detailed descriptions that highlight their unique features and benefits. 

Make sure to use keywords that your target audience is likely to search for to improve your product’s visibility. Additionally, use hashtags to reach a wider audience and tag relevant accounts to get your products in front of potential customers. 

Ensure that your pricing is competitive and consider offering promotions and discounts to encourage sales. Remember, the more information you provide, the more confident customers will feel about purchasing from you.

6. Promote your products

After setting up your Instagram Shop and optimizing it, it’s time to start promoting your products. This is a crucial step in making sure that your products reach a larger audience and generate more sales.

One way to promote your products is by utilizing Instagram’s built-in advertising platform. With this platform, you can create highly targeted ads to reach potential customers based on their interests, demographics, and behaviors. 

Another way to promote your products is by collaborating with influencers or other brands in your niche. This allows you to tap into their audience and gain more exposure for your products.

You can also promote your products by creating engaging and informative content, such as product demos, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes looks at your business. This can help build trust with your audience and increase the likelihood of them making a purchase.

7. Analyze your performance

After setting up your Instagram Shop, optimizing it, building your brand, growing your audience, creating effective product listings, and promoting your products, it’s time to analyze your performance. 

By analyzing your performance, you can identify what is working and what is not, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

One way to analyze your performance is by using Instagram Insights. This tool provides you with data on your audience, content, and engagement, allowing you to see which posts are performing well and which ones aren’t. 

You can also track your reach and impressions, as well as the number of clicks on your website or Shop.

Another way to analyze your performance is by tracking your sales. You can use the built-in e-commerce features of Instagram to monitor your sales and revenue. This will help you understand which products are selling well and which ones need improvement.

By analyzing your performance on Instagram, you can make data-driven decisions that will help you improve your sales and grow your business.

Wrap up

Selling on Instagram can be a lucrative opportunity for businesses of all sizes. With its large user base, engaged audience, and built-in e-commerce features, the platform provides a unique and accessible way to reach potential customers. 

By following the seven steps outlined in this guide, you can set up an effective Instagram Shop, optimize your listings, build your brand, grow your audience, and promote your products.
 Through targeted advertising and access to valuable insights, you can continually analyze and improve your performance on the platform. So if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, start exploring the possibilities of selling on Instagram today.