Can I sell on Instagram easily?

Selling on Instagram made easy: Find out here the ultimate guide to doing it effectively and some tips to get rich selling on IG.

Launched in 2010 and purchased in 2012 by Facebook, Instagram is a simple, beautiful and intuitive social network for sharing photos. It currently has over a billion profiles and has become the photo album of celebrities and businesses. Thus, the latter has developed several strategies to be able to sell on Instagram easily.

In fact, more than 70% of brands are active on Instagram and 8 out of 10 users follow company accounts. Moreover, with the influencer marketing fever, about 45% of users claim to buy products and rent services on this social network.

So, if you want to find out how to sell on Instagram easily, you are welcome to this post. Because we’ll show you the steps you need to take to get there. And finally, we have reserved for you a nice trick by which you can easily get rich on Instagram.

With that, let’s get started!

1. Have a business account to sell on Instagram easily

Available since 2016, the commercial Instagram is a version of the social network that has additional features to better meet the needs of entrepreneurs. Among its many benefits, access to tools, such as:

Instagram Ads: to advertise your posts and reach your target audience in a more assertive way ;

Instagram Shopping: to advertise your products and redirect social network users to your online shop;

Instagram Insights: a platform with metrics to analyse your followers’ characteristics, reach and post impressions.

So, to start the virtual tour on how to sell on Instagram easily, it is essential to migrate your personal profile or create one from scratch. Once, the profile is created, do not forget to fill in your Instagram business bio. Indeed, you can insert your brand logo as a profile picture.

You can also add a brief presentation of your company and the link to your online shop. However, it should be mentioned that the text should not exceed 160 characters. Furthermore, to sell easily on Instagram, good quality photos play a very important role. And this is what we will find out in the next section.

2. Post quality photos to sell on Instagram easily

The success of businesses, not only on Instagram but also on social networks in general, is totally linked to branding. In other words, the power of a brand lies in its image and the ideas associated with it.

So before you start posting your photos, you need to ask yourself: what is the concept your shop wants to sell on Instagram? What feeling do you want to evoke in your customers? Yes, because your goal on social media goes far beyond simply promoting products. It’s really about offering the public a lifestyle that is consistent with your brand.

Also, if your products are related to alternative fashion, for example, your photos should capture scenes from this underground world. And this is really about the visual strategy of selling clothes on Instagram. If the business is a jewellery store, you will propagate a more elegant and sophisticated everyday life. After identifying what to sell on Instagram, define the main objective of your online shop and determine your target audience. Here are some criteria to consider.

Capture exclusive scenes for your Instagram

To sell on Instagram easily, make photos available to your followers that they would not otherwise have access to. The essence of Instagram is to record spontaneous reactions and moments of fun.

Post images of the product making process, the development, the decoration, the execution of an event. The same goes for funny interactions between employees. Indeed, this will give your Instagram profile a more human face.

Caprice in the lighting of your images

The word photography doesn’t mean ‘light writing’ by accident. Indeed, lighting, which often doesn’t get the attention of those with the camera in hand, is the main ally of good images.

Whenever possible, shoot in natural light. And the best times of day are sunrise and sunset. However, you don’t have to be so strict about it. If you need to use artificial light, I would use a softbox for clearer, more neutral images.

Apply the “rule of thirds” to your photos to sell on Instagram easily

This section isn’t just about pointing your camera at the object. To get the perfect framing on Instagram, the photography cognoscenti teach you a trick you may already be using. But you may not know it in theory: the rule of thirds.

Does this sound complicated? It’s actually quite simple: draw two vertical and two horizontal imaginary lines in the frame you want to capture. Then your highlight should be in the middle square, i.e. the centre of the photo: rule of thirds on Instagram. Don’t forget to align the horizontal bands as well, in the case of landscapes. And always look for symmetry between the right and left sides of the image.

Explore feelings through your posts

Do you remember the lifestyle your brand wants to offer through its products? Always keep this in mind when choosing what to photograph. Indeed, the main objective of your photos should be to awaken a pleasant feeling in those who look at them.

Once again, it is worthwhile to look for spontaneity and explore new angles on Instagram. Your potential customers will identify with the message, associate the concept with your online shop and thus have a greater interest in getting to know it. Finally, exploring feelings through posts is a great way to sell on Instagram easily.

Complete with the right Instagram filter

Do you already have the photo? Now we just need to choose a basic filter to make it even more conceptual. In combination with the Instagram proposal, most uses closed tones and transform the light, amplifying the personal atmosphere through colour shades.

After publishing good quality photos, creating catchy captions are also important points to consider when selling on this platform.

3. Create catchy captions for your photos

With the image properly edited, comes the second part of the content: its description. In addition to the photo, which is the main focus of the post, the verbal information can also say a lot about your online shop.

To get an idea of how important this is, just remember the current news that appears on the Internet all the time. In other words, information pointing to mysterious statements by artists on Instagram, or inconsistencies in the combination of attractive images with subtle and reflective captions, for example.

Indeed, the description field of the photo is available only for you to express what is wrong with it. For example, additional information or an attractive detail that your profile needs. So nothing better than taking advantage of the full potential of this resource to sell on Instagram easily! Generally speaking, we can divide this section into two parts: the text itself and the hashtags.

Choose the perfect caption for your posts

Even though the social network allows up to 2,200 characters in a caption, it is very important to be careful when choosing what to write. Because every word you publish has a different impact on the reader and, therefore, on selling on Instagram.

Your language may be less formal, but that doesn’t mean you can use ‘indiscreet’ phrases. In fact, you can use slang, only if it really fits the context of the image, and of course, your Instagram audience.

Always use common sense. Also, when mentally preparing your statement; ask yourself if it is clear and cannot be misinterpreted by a less informed or malicious person. Ambiguity (the possibility of multiple interpretations of meanings) should be avoided as much as possible. To sell on Instagram easily, try to be simple and objective on Instagram, without adding unnecessary words, while expressing everything you want.

Use hashtags to sell more on Instagram

Hashtags originated on Twitter and have become so popular that their use is now included in all social networks. They are keywords related to the subject of the publication preceded by the “#” symbol. They act as content markers, i.e. they indicate a broader, pre-established context.

In addition, hashtags are a distinct attraction and make all the difference in engagement. Some users even search for them; this can increase the chances of selling on Instagram easily. Also, the app allows you to add 30 hashtags to each photo, but it’s not a good idea to overdo it. Try to use a maximum of 5 or 6, always after the description. To define them, look for general terms related to their content. If your shop sells women’s clothing, for example, add #fashion.

Finally, consider creating a hashtag exclusive to your brand, so that users will post photos using the products in your online shop. This will also help reinforce that chosen concept for your Instagram branding.

Edit your captions on Instagram

Instagram, fortunately, offers the possibility to edit captions. If there are spelling or typing errors that went unnoticed when you posted, you can correct them very easily. Open your photo and click on the three-dot symbol. Among the options available will be “Edit”.

Simply select it, make your changes and save your changes. The sooner you correct your mistakes, the fewer users will identify them and the more credible your brand will be on Instagram. In the next step, we will clearly show you the strategies to sell on Instagram. So stay tuned!

4. Develop free and paid strategies to sell on Instagram

Is content ready? The next mission, which should be in continuous execution, is to win over the audience on Instagram. Especially for businesses, certain strategies are essential to gain profile visibility and, consequently, increase sales. Let’s discover its strategies now:

Locate your photos to boost them to sell on Instagram easily

Use the “Add Location” option on your Instagram images. This way, customers who live close to the location of your online shop will be able to look at it more closely when making a purchase. Because they will know that the delivery or product exchange process will be faster. If you forget this feature, you can add it later with the option to change the composition, as explained above.

Plan the frequency of your commercial Instagram posts

No posting every five minutes to avoid filling your followers’ feed with photos! This practice, known on the internet as flooding, is not viewed favourably and can annoy users to the point of preventing them from following your profile.

To sell on Instagram easily, don’t be pushy. Just focus on producing memorable content and you won’t have to repeat it all the time.

Study the best times to sell on Instagram

Internet experts have already noted that there are days and times when the number of people online is higher. And such an opportunity reinforces the main goal: selling on Instagram easily.

In general, the best times are after hours and on weekends. However, there is no official recommendation from the social network, as these factors can change over time and depend on the target audience.

So, if you want to learn how to make money on Instagram, it’s up to you to test your consumers’ preferences: start posting at different times and analyse the engagement of each post through Instagram Insights.

5. Selling on Instagram made easy: find your target audience

Always taking into account the lifestyle-related to your brand, you should look for people who can relate to it. To get the first followers on Instagram, you can ask family members and acquaintances to follow your profile. This will generate initial credibility so that it gains relevance.

Next, take advantage of the second power of hashtags: search for terms you have associated with your content and follow people who post using those tags. Also find your competitors’ followers, who are probably already showing interest in your segment.

1. Go to your Facebook profile and click on the Create Ads button;
2. Choose the objective of your campaign, focusing on the results you want to achieve and, most importantly, your target audience;
3. Then select the currency and time zone;
4. Fill in the attributes of the audience you want to reach (location, age, gender, language), the more precise the better;
5. In Platform, define the social network of the ad (in this case, Instagram);
6. Enter the budget and choose the ad format;
7. Finally, run the campaign by entering your CPF (or CNPJ), address and payment method.

It may take a few minutes to approve your ad. Once this is done, it will run for the specified period.

If you want to get rich on Instagram, don’t skip the next step. Because we will show you the real way.

6. Find out how to earn €2,350/month by posting quotes on Instagram

Apart from selling on Instagram, there are several other tricks you can easily adapt to get rich through this platform. And among this multitude is publishing quotes on Instagram, which we had tested and approved.

With this trick, you can easily earn a living without even depending on a boss. All you have to do is dedicate some of your time to publishing on this social network. What’s much more interesting is that you don’t need to study hard to get there. If you know how to publish, then it’s done.

7. Use Stories to connect with your followers

Another way to promote your brand on Instagram is to use Stories. Here you post photos and videos that are only available for 24 hours (except when you use the Highlights feature). In addition to filters and stickers to test, discuss and ask, there are different features available that will make your profile more interactive. For example:

• Hands-free: allows you to record videos without having to press and hold the Play button ;
• Music: released in June 2019 in Brazil, this mechanism allows you to add a soundtrack to videos or photographs;
• Boomerang: filming on repeat, like GIFs;
• Insert links: in addition to the possibility of inserting them in the bio, this is now also possible in Stories.

All these functions are ideal to promote your products again, to show the backstage of your shop. It can also be during team meetings, article publications and important achievements. Let’s look at some other methods that can help you get closer to your followers.

8. Record videos on IGTV to spread your brand

IGTV is an extension of Instagram that focuses on broadcasting longer videos, with up to an hour. And, unlike Stories, this format does not delete posts after 24 hours.

However, to maintain the platform’s quality standard, videos can only be recorded vertically (the opposite of YouTube, for example) and their resolution must be at least 720 pixels.

An interesting feature of IGTV is the ability to invite (online) other people to the recording. This is ideal for conducting interviews with digital influencers or brands that complement your own.

9. Take advantage of Instagram’s complementary tools

In addition to the platform itself, there are some tools that can be very useful to edit, distribute and follow your content and, therefore, sell on Instagram easily. Here are some of them:

• VSCO: a comprehensive photo editing tool with a clean look. It has many filters and different intensities for each of them, as well as allowing changes in the focus of the image.
• Planoly: it is an application that allows you to plan and publish articles (with the “drag and drop” function), drafts, engagement insights via your own Analytics, among other features.

Summary of steps to sell on Instagram easily

Here are the main guidelines for you who are considering promoting your online shop and selling on Instagram. In short: optimize your profile, take care of visual and verbal content, organize your posts and reach more people.