Key Takeaways
- Instagram Shopping is a suite of features allowing users to sell and purchase products directly on Instagram.
- Before selling, businesses must meet Commerce Eligibility Requirements and be in supported countries to sell on Instagram.
- To sell on Instagram, check out the preparation and 4-step instructions and tricks we share below!
How To Sell On Instagram: In-depth Tutorial
With Shops, you can showcase and sell products on both Facebook and Instagram. You’ll set up your shop in Commerce Manager, a tool designed to help you manage your inventory and sales on these platforms.
Before You Start,
- If you do not yet have an Instagram business account or catalog, you can create both when setting up your shop.
- If you already have an account and catalog, ensure you have Manage permissions for both the page and catalog.
- If you only want to sell through an Instagram shop, you don’t need to create a Facebook business page.
To make your shop visible on Instagram:
- You’ll need an Instagram business account.
- Your Meta business account must own the connected Instagram business account.
Now, let’s explore step-by-step how to sell on Instagram for free.
Step #1: Set Up An Instagram Business Account
You must first have an Instagram Business account to set up a shop and start your business on this social media platform. If you’re currently using a Creator or Personal account, your first step is to switch:
- Navigate to your profile and find the menu button in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy.”
- Tap on “Creator tools and controls.” (If you’re on a personal account, look for “Account Type and Tools.”)
- If you see “Business tools and controls,” you already use an Instagram Business account.
- If not, proceed by tapping “Switch account type” (or “Switch to professional account”).
- Select “Switch to the business account.”
Switch to the business account.
Step #2: Create Your Instagram Shop
To launch your Shop and sell on Instagram, head to the Commerce Manager—it’s the easiest way to begin. Follow this procedure:
- Select “Create a shop.”
- If you want to explore the system first, you can create a test shop (currently available only for Facebook shopping, not Instagram shopping).
- Enter general information about your shop.
- If you’re already using a third-party e-commerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce, you can connect your Instagram shop to that platform. If not, select “I don’t use these platforms.”
Are you using a third-party e-commerce platform?
- Choose how you want your customers to check out:
- Option 1: Via another website (usually your company’s website).
- Option 2: Directly through Instagram (only available for eligible businesses).
How do you want your customers to check out?
- Select the countries you’ll ship to.
Step #3: Add Products To Your Catalog
How to sell stuff on Instagram? You need to get your products in front of customers. When setting up a shop in Commerce Manager, you can connect an existing catalog or create a new one.
Either way, your catalog for Instagram Shops must meet these requirements:
- Correct Type of Items: The catalog must contain physical goods. Hotels, flights, destinations, or vehicles are not eligible.
- Unconnected Catalog: The catalog cannot be connected to another shop in Commerce Manager.
- Proper Permissions: You must have complete control of the catalog’s business portfolio and permission to manage it.
- Minimum and Maximum Items: The catalog must contain at least one item and can have up to 10 million items.
- Valid Product Links: Product links in the catalog must direct to the specific product page on your business’s website.
Note: You can only connect one catalog to your shop and cannot change it later.
There are two ways to add products to your catalog: manually with a data-filled spreadsheet or through Meta Pixel.
Adding products to your catalog
Once setting up a shop on Instagram, you’ll have access to numerous seller tools, including:
| Feature | Description |
| Shops | A customizable digital storefront that allows people to shop directly from your business profile. |
| Product Tags | Tags that feature products from your catalog, directing customers to purchase them |
| Collections | Selected sets of products that help customers discover items they want within your shop |
| Product Detail Page | A product-focused page showcasing essential information, such as pricing and descriptions. |
| Ads with Product Tags | A feature to create new ads with product tags or boost existing shopping posts using Ads Manager and the Instagram app. |
Step #4: Promote Your Products
Now you may wonder: “How do you post on Instagram to sell and make money?”. Here is how to do it effectively:
- Create Engaging Content
Post high-quality yet engaging photos and videos that showcase your products in use. Use Instagram Stories, Reels, and IGTV to create engaging and interactive content. Also, highlight the benefits and components of your products to capture your audience’s attention.
Pro tip: Publish your content at the right moment. Check out our recommendation on the best time to post on Instagram.
- Use Instagram Shopping Tags
Instagram shopping tags appear like regular tags. When users tap on them, they’ll be directed to your shop for more information.
Instagram Shopping tags
Instagram surveyed 18824 US onsite checkout sellers and concluded that product tags can boost your sales by 37% on average.
- Pay for Instagram ads
Instagram ads are paid posts, Reels, and Stories that target specific groups or communities on the app. Ads appear as “Sponsored” and usually include a call to action like this:
Instagram ads
Tricks To Sell On Instagram Effectively
Now you have the answer to your question: “How to sell in Instagram?” ROI experts share tips and tricks to help you sell on this platform more effectively.
1. Partner With Influencers
Instagram influencers are part of a $21 billion market. As brand ambassadors, they leverage their reach and reputation to boost your visibility among their target audience.
Look at how Dove expanded its influencer community in 2022 to champion the brand’s inclusivity and body confidence values. Their primary focus was on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to effectively align with their audience and customer targets.
Dove US 2022 Influencer Community
These campaigns led to impressive success on Dove’s social channels, generating over 1 billion impressions and surpassing every key metric. Their engagement rate increased by 20%, allowing them to exceed their 2022 goal.
To choose a suitable influencer for your business, here is what to look for:
- Do these Instagram users have enough influence?
- Are their followers real human beings?
- What is the size of their following?
- Do they actively engage with their audience, particularly Reels and Stories?
- Are they receiving real questions and relevant comments on their posts?
- Do they discuss topics that are relevant to your audience?
Once you make the right choice, you can amplify your brand’s message and increase visibility. A successful partnership will promote your brand image across Instagram users’ feeds and significantly increase brand awareness.
2. Publish Reels
How to sell products on Instagram without investing in ads? In fact, Instagram Reels ads allow you to connect with more than 720 million people. It allows your business to create and publish short videos up to 90 seconds in length.
Instagram Reels offer numerous creative tools, such as:
- Text overlays
- Augmented reality (AR) filters
- Popular background music
- Transitions
This toolkit enables you to convey your brand’s story effectively.
Reels on Instagram
The ability to tag products directly in the videos makes Reels even more potent for businesses. This means viewers can easily access any products or collections mentioned in your Reels, making them a seamless shopping experience.
Pro tip: If you aim to grab the user’s attention quickly, the ideal length for an Instagram Reel is between 2 to 10 seconds. Keep it short and engaging.
Check out our guide on the best time to post reels on Instagram for the best reach.
3. Use The Trending Hashtags
Instagram hashtags make your shoppable content discoverable and help it reach a wider audience. They also influence how the Instagram algorithm decides whether to show your posts in user feeds or the Explore tab.
GoPro uses hashtags to reach more audiences.
When you add a hashtag to your post, it signals to the Instagram algorithm what your content is about. With the right hashtags, the platform will display your post to users interested in similar content.
Let’s say you are a clothing brand. Choose broad hashtags like #style or #fashion or more specific ones like #vintagedress. These hashtags allow the Instagram algorithm to tailor your posts to an audience with similar interests, increasing your chances of being discovered by potential customers.
However, there are some things to remember when using hashtags:
- Numbers can be in hashtags, but spaces and special characters, like $ or %, are not allowed.
- Each post can include up to 30 hashtags. Your comment won’t be posted if you use more than 30.
4. Create User-Generated Content
As one of the social media advertising trends, user-generated content (UGC) is the perfect strategy to populate your Instagram feed while also leveraging Instagram Shopping features. UGC allows users to share real and relatable stories, which can be challenging to achieve with traditional content alone.
For example, GoPro is an outstanding name that effectively uses UGC to drive sales on Instagram. Rather than spending heavily on traditional marketing campaigns, GoPro relies on customer loyalty to grow its brand.
GoPro’s Instagram feed is full of UGC.
GoPro creates a steady stream of engaging posts by encouraging users to share their best content with hashtags like #gopro, #goprooftheday, and #goprofamily. With roughly 6,000 GoPro videos shared daily, potential customers see real-life product examples in action.
By featuring user-generated videos and photos with its 20.8 million Instagram followers, GoPro authentically showcases the features and capabilities of its cameras.
5. Upload Videos To Your Instagram Story
Can you sell directly on Instagram Story? The short answer is yes.
Video content has expanded over the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down.
Letterfolk is an excellent example of using video in its Stories, from product demonstrations to Q&A. The Letterfolk team effectively leverages this engaging format to connect with its audience and earn 338k followers.
Video marketing in Instagram Stories
The better you convey your brand’s story, the more likely viewers will understand what you offer and how it benefits them. To drive sales, add product stickers to your Stories and pin videos as highlights below your bio to attract new profile visitors.
Follow these practices when conducting video content:
- Keep it short: Create your video ad between 6 and 10 seconds.
- Design for sound off: Ensure your videos are understandable without sound.
- Frame your story: Utilize a vertical aspect ratio to fit phone screens.
6. Schedule Your Ads And Posts
Generally, 11 am on Wednesdays is the ideal time to post on Instagram. Posting at peak times like this increases the likelihood of your content being seen, liked, and shared. That’s why you should use social media scheduling tools to publish your posts at the optimal times for your audience.
But that’s not all: Consistency is vital to building a loyal following. We recommend using scheduling tools to help you maintain a regular posting schedule without manually uploading content each time.
Use social media scheduling tools to plan your ads and posts
7. Build Collections
When exploring how to sell things on Instagram, many social media experts may suggest you build collections:
- Make it easier for customers to locate what they want.
- Encourage customers to purchase more items.
- Provide a straightforward way for customers to navigate your Instagram Shop.
- Collect valuable insights into customer preferences and buying behavior.
Pro tip: Create specific collections for different campaigns, seasons, or themes and promote them accordingly.
Instagram collections
Note: You can only create collections on the Instagram app. Follow these steps to do it:
- Step 1: Access your profile picture and tap the More Options icon.
- Step 2: Scroll down and select “Saved” below the “How you use Instagram” section.
- Step 3: Find the “+” icon in the top right section.
- Step 4: Enter your collection’s name and click “Next.”
- Step 5: Choose any saved posts you want to include in your collection, then tap “Done.”
8. Be Detailed In Product Description
Don’t underestimate the importance of providing detailed product information on Instagram Shops. The more details you provide about your product, the better. Shoppers want to make informed buying decisions, and thorough product descriptions instill confidence in your brand.
A detailed product description example
A helpful product description includes:
- Outstanding features
- Unique design elements
- Manufacturing process
- How to use
- Contact information
9. Post Multiple Posts For The Most Popular Products
Creating multiple posts for your most popular products can significantly boost your sales and engagement on Instagram:
- Step 1: Use metrics like product views to know which products your customers have engaged with the most.
- Step 2: Use high-quality images or videos to capture the product from different angles.
- Step 3: Create more posts highlighting those items (both in your feed and Instagram Stories).
- Step 4: Encourage your followers to leave comments, ask questions, and tag friends.
- Step 5: Keep track of these posts over time and adjust your strategy accordingly.
10. Offer Exclusive Discounts
Discounting your products and promoting sales can significantly boost your sales by motivating people to purchase. After all, buying something on sale feels like saving money—it’s a win-win!
Instagram Shops makes it easy to showcase discounted products by displaying both the original price and the sale price. With this feature, shoppers know they’re getting a great deal.
Discounts on Instagram Shops
11. Host A Contest Or Giveaway
In the short run, giving things away for free seems counterintuitive to selling on Instagram. However, hosting a contest or giveaway can help you build a relationship with your audience, gain more followers, and even collaborate with other brands in your industry.
A giveaway event on Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Is Instagram Shopping?
Instagram Shopping is a set of features developed by Meta that enable customers to buy your product easily on Instagram. It enhances product discoverability by featuring them in Search & Explore, allowing the users to make purchases instantly during the search.
- How much does it cost to sell on Instagram?
Creating an Instagram Shop and selling on Instagram is free. You only need to spend some time on setup. The only expense comes if you run Instagram ad campaigns to drive sales to your shop.
- Is it better to sell on Etsy or Instagram?
Etsy and Instagram both offer fantastic opportunities for businesses to showcase their products to a global audience.
- Etsy is tailored explicitly for handmade and vintage goods.
Instagram serves as a versatile platform for brand building.
