Guide on Instagram Selling Strategies
In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Instagram has emerged as a powerful platform for businesses to showcase and sell their products. With over 1 billion monthly active users, this global platform offers a vast audience for businesses to reach potential buyers from all corners of the world.
To begin selling on Instagram, businesses first need to create an Instagram account, choose a niche, build a following, and upgrade to an Instagram Business profile. This upgrade is crucial, as it unlocks access to Instagram Shopping features.
The first step in setting up an Instagram Shop is to switch to a Business Account and link it to a Facebook Page through Meta Business Suite. This connection enables access to Meta Commerce Manager, where businesses can create their shop and product catalog.
Once the shop is set up, businesses can add their products, either manually or via bulk import. Product tagging becomes available once the shop is approved, enabling shoppable posts, stories, and reels. High-quality images and compelling copy are essential to create engaging, shoppable content that builds trust and encourages sales.
Instagram's shopping tools, such as product tagging, can be used to track which products perform best, the best posting times, and audience interactions. This data can be used to optimize product offerings and content strategy.
To boost sales, businesses can employ additional strategies such as creating a content strategy aligned with their brand and customers, sparking urgency through limited offers or FOMO (fear of missing out) tactics, collaborating with influencers, and utilising trends and Instagram’s new features.
Instagram Shopping simplifies the purchasing process by allowing followers to buy without leaving the platform. Clicking on a product directs users to a page with more information and purchasing options. There is no cost to sell on Instagram, but a 5% selling fee per shipment applies, with a flat fee of 40 cents for shipments under $8.
For businesses looking to embed their Instagram shop feed on their website for additional sales channels, tools like Taggbox allow creating a shoppable Instagram feed with easy content moderation and product tagging.
However, it's important to note that approval by Instagram is required to unlock full shopping functionality, and products must comply with Meta’s commerce policies. Also, checkout options vary by country and business type.
By following these steps and tips, businesses can fully leverage Instagram Shopping to market and sell products directly on the platform, turning followers into customers without the need for a separate e-commerce website, although linking one can increase checkout flexibility.
- As the fashion-and-beauty industry continues to grow on Instagram, it's vital to comply with Meta’s regulation on Defi and NFT products to avoid any disputes and ensure a smooth shopping experience for customers.
- With the increasing trend of digital assets, some businesses in the Defi space might consider integrating their services, such as yield farming or decentralized lending platforms, onto Instagram to attract a wider audience and boost their lifestyle branding.
- Businesses can amplify their sales by collaborating with influencers with a strong presence in the lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, or Defi niches, who can showcase their products through sponsored posts, increasing brand awareness and driving sales.
- As the number of NFT sales skyrockets, online retailers can capitalize on this opportunity by offering exclusive NFT products or partnerships with popular artists in the fashion-and-beauty or lifestyle niche, creating a unique collector's experience for their customers and enhancing their overall brand appeal.
