Instagram Selling

Yes, you read that right! If you plan to sell your goods online as well as in a brick-and-mortar store — and don’t want to build a whole website dedicated to online transactions — using Instagram is the way to go.

Intrigued? Start selling your products on Instagram in just 3 easy steps.

1. Set up an Instagram business account

The first rule of Instagram e-commerce is to not use your personal account to post products! Using your personal account is a major no-no because it instantly drains your credibility and trust with potential shoppers.

After you make a new account for your business with a memorable and relevant name, navigate to your profile and click the gear icon in the top right of your phone or or browser view. Then click “Switch to business profile”. During setup, choose the “Shopping & Retail” category. Don’t forget to add a photo of your logo, a description of the type of products you carry and the address to your online store!

2. Choose how you sell

The ever-popular photo-sharing app Instagram now comes with a feature to sell products: shoppable posts. Instagram partnered with Shopify to create a way for business to sell their wares online. Shopify allows you to create product tags embedded in your Instagram images that feature a product’s price and are clickable so that your customers can purchase in just a few taps. Click here to learn more about Shopify’s awesome features and see if you’re eligible. They’re currently offering a free, 14-day trial so you can give it a go.

Don’t have room in your budget to go the Shopify route? No worries. You can also simply include product links in your post descriptions! We highly recommend shortening long product URLs to clean, teensy ones with TinyURL.com. This route is not as clean as a user experience but it’ll do just fine, especially if you’re just beginning to sell on Instagram.

3. Gather each item’s necessary info

Okay, this third step sounds incredibly boring, but it’s crucial to give your shoppers all the honest information they need to make an informed decision. You don’t necessarily need this information on your Instagram post, but some of these details may be super helpful to the shopper, like sizing and fabric content. However, as long as you have the below information included on your online store, you’ve done your due diligence.

Here’s what you’ll need to include in a product description: – clear photographs of the product (visit our post for product photography tips!) – flat measurements of the product and estimated sizing label – fabric and material content, care instructions, country of origin – how to purchase – payment information – shipping details – easily accessible contact information in case any issues arise.

Got all that? Now get to posting!

Have you ever bought or sold anything through Instagram? What was your experience? Start the conversation below!