Selling on Instagram: The getting started guide

Instagram has long since gone beyond being a simple photo-sharing platform. Meta is the second most downloaded app in the world (behind TikTok) and their selling factor has become a powerful tool for brands and online stores looking to reach a wide audience. This Getting Started guide will help you understand how to boost your sales on Instagram. Follow our tips to optimize your online store's presence on this social network brimming with opportunities.

Optimize your professional profile

If you don't have a professional Instagram account yet, don't panic! Creating an Instagram profile is fast and easy. On the other hand, give extra consideration to the profile details so that the first impression of your customers is the right one.

Make sure that your account contains all the essential information and that it is presented in a clear and attractive way:

1. Profile photo: Use your logo, a photo, or an image representative of your brand.
2. Bio: On Instagram, biographies should be clear and concise and briefly describe the activities of your ecommerce. The biography is a golden opportunity to include a call to action (CTA) with a link to your online store.
3. Link in bio: Use tools like Linktree to share multiple links from your bio. This way, you can easily and quickly create an attractive mobile page that highlights your products, your social media profiles, and your content. When your followers click on your Linktree link from Instagram, your home page and all your links will be displayed.

Create engaging content

To attract potential customers, your content must be visually appealing and relevant to your target customer base. Here are some types of content you can post:

1. Product photos and videos: Show your products from different angles and in action (clothes worn, staging, etc.)
2. Instagram Stories: How not to talk about stories when talking about Instagram. Use stories for quick promotions, behind-the-scenes looks at your business, or special announcements. Stories are also just as important as publications (or even more) to increase your visibility on the platform.
3. UGC (User Generated Content): Your satisfied customers will always be your best ambassadors, and this statement is all the more true on Instagram. Encourage your customers to share photos of your products on the network so that you can republish them on your account.

Master the art of hashtags

Hashtags on Instagram are essential to increase the visibility of your posts. Here's how to use them correctly:

1. Search for popular hashtags in your niche. Don't hesitate to be inspired by your competitors and influencers in your sector. You can also look for lesser-known hashtags to increase your reach.
2. Create hashtags for your online store to encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products. In this way, you will automatically be notified when they share content and mention you.
3. Mix popular and less popular hashtags to maximize your reach. The most popular hashtags gather more people, but are also much more competitive to distinguish you.

Actively engage with your community

Engagement is crucial to retain your audience and attract new customers on Instagram. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Respond quickly to comments and messages: By being responsive and consistent, you show appreciation to your customers while increasing your visibility on the platform. Every interaction, including private messages and comments, boosts your reach.
2. Organize contests and giveaways: A classic but effective technique that can both increase engagement and attract new subscribers.
3. Use surveys and questions in stories: In addition to being a great way to get feedback, it's also a simple and effective way to get more engagement from your audience.

Maximize your sales with Instagram Shopping

Instagram Shopping allows users to buy your products directly from the app. To sell on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram), it's simple: Respect the rules of the game of both platforms and offer your products for direct sale on your website with a verified domain.

To set up Instagram Shopping, you can follow the steps to create your online store on Instagram and Facebook. Although selling on Instagram is free, "shoppable posts" that allow you to tag a product on all types of platform publications (posts, stories, reels, etc.) incur transaction fees (from 2.9% to 3.49% depending on the payment method). This type of post is nevertheless appreciated by customers who can buy a product in a few clicks, without leaving Instagram.

Analyze and adjust your strategy

To succeed on Instagram, monitoring and analyzing your performance is essential. You have to recognize and distinguish what works and what doesn't. Here's how:

1. Use Instagram Insights: Check out your post stats to see which ones are most successful.
2. Test different types of content and strategies: For example, compare the performance of photos against videos, or your regular posts against your stories.
3. Adjust your strategy according to the results: If a certain type of content works better, create more of that kind.

Increase your visibility with advertising

To reach an even wider audience, you can use advertising on Instagram. The Meta Ads Manager even allows you to post on both Facebook and Instagram. Here are a few steps to get started:

1. Set your advertising objectives: Increase brand awareness, generate sales, attract traffic to your website, etc.
2. Create attractive ads: Use high-quality images and videos with a clear message and a CTA.
3. Target your audience: Use Instagram's targeting options to reach the people most likely to be interested in your products.

Conclusion

Selling on Instagram can seem intimidating at first, especially for those who aren't into social media. However, by following these steps and remaining consistent, you can turn your Instagram profile into a really attractive showcase for your ecommerce. In any case, Instagram offers a multitude of opportunities for online stores of all sizes, so when do you start?

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