How to Sell on Instagram in 5 Steps

#1

Download an Editing App

There’s no shame in the editing game! Remember, your job is to convince your target audience to fall in love with your product. On Instagram, taking a quick pic in bad lighting isn’t going to cut it. Luckily, there are various tools out there to simplify the process. Here are some of the best photo editing apps to help get you started.

#2

Nail Your Captions

Unfortunately, the perfect, swoon-worthy pic of your work is only half the battle. Selling on Instagram is highly visual — however, learning to create captions on Instagram is a must to truly engage. You have literal seconds to grab your customer’s attention before they scroll. It's important to make the most of it. Some tips are

• Keep it short. Instead of thoroughly reading the paragraph above, we'll bet that your eyes skipped right to this bullet list. This is because the internet constantly hits us with a ton of information. Say what you want in as few words as possible.
• Ask questions. A great way to engage is to gather opinions. Are you looking for the best way to sell clothes on Instagram? Put up pictures of two outfits and ask your customers to pick their favorite. Instagram polls can also be extremely beneficial.
• Get your audience to tag their friends. Giveaways are perfect for this. Tell your audience to follow your account and tag two or three friends to be in the running. You can also encourage them to tag themselves using the product.

Here are some more business Instagram caption ideas to get maximum traction.

#3

Share Yourself

If you own a small business, it’s important to show yourself to your customers and let them get to know both you and the story behind your products.

For instance, say you’re trying to sell yearly planners. You create every design, and you've chosen the best materials. Because of this, you have to set your prices higher than the traditional big box company. Your planners may be breathtaking, but sometimes pictures don’t tell enough of the story. Picture yourself as the customer. What is going to make you opt for the more expensive option?

Now, imagine being the customer and having the ability to see the backstory of how this product came to be. Watch as a real person goes into detail about how they designed everything by hand, chose materials made with sustainable sources, and started the whole company with just a dream and a loan from their grandma. You begin to root for this scrappy go-getter and have no problem forking over extra cash to see them succeed.

If you want to sell on Instagram, show your customers who you are and what you represent. Sharing yourself is a great way to market your small business. They’ll start buying your product to support you. Tools like Instagram reels and stories make telling your story much easier.

#4

Know When to Post

Okay, you've put your heart and soul into your videos. You've taken your viewers through every step of your creating process for these planners, and you've humanized yourself by adding bloopers. Yet, you post and receive no engagement. What gives?

Timing is everything if you want to know how to sell on IG. For instance, if you’re selling planners, the last thing you want to do is post your videos in the middle of the day. Why? Because generally, individuals who need planners go to school or have a day job that requires lots of meetings.

Instead, save the videos later at night when your target audience is home and scrolling. Here are some more tips on the best times to post on social media.

#5

Be Consistent

No matter what you post, it’s essential to do it frequently. Make sure you keep everything up to date and give your customers a heads up on new releases and when they’ll release. In fact, you can even post a few Instagram stories countdown posts for new launch dates to whet their interest.

If you run a small business, days off are usually few and far between. Setting up a posting schedule will most likely be your best bet. Set up reminders in your calendar to post on certain times and days. If you don’t get a lot of traction, play around with your schedule to see how much content gets you the most sales.

It also helps to study the Explore page of Instagram to see what’s trending and at what time. This can give you key algorithm information and help you establish a rhythm.

A successful Instagram account can help grow your business. It can be a lot of work but keep plugging away at it. Eventually, you’ll find your niche and watch sales roll in. Then maybe you can afford to hire someone else to control your social posts and focus on creating. Win-win!