How to start selling on Instagram?
In today's world, it is no secret that Instagram is a titan of the internet space and a platform where you can start your own business with minimal costs. But why does this platform hold the top spots for such a long time?
There are many reasons, but first and foremost, it is the huge engagement of the audience. According to statistics from 2021, the number of active Instagram users exceeds one billion, and today the platform proudly bears the title of the most popular portal in the world.
As we already know, Instagram provides both paid and free tools for project development. But the main success lies in using them correctly!
In our article today, you will learn: how to conduct successful sales on this platform, how to properly design your profile, how to analyze competitors, how to write posts and use power words, as well as how to format them.
Market Analysis
If you are wondering "What can be sold on Instagram?" or you are already selling, these tips will be useful to you. First, let's talk a little about the specifics of Instagram.
First of all, you must clearly understand which niche you would like to operate in. A niche is that part of the market where demand is fully or partially satisfied. In other words, you need to have an idea of what and to whom you are selling.
Today, 58% of women and 42% of men actively use Instagram. Therefore, the most sold products are mainly: cosmetics, jewelry, accessories, children's toys, clothing, new gadgets, handmade items, and things for a beautiful life.
Competitors
Before you start trading on Instagram, I recommend analyzing your competitors. Study the strengths and weaknesses of stores selling similar products (fulfilling similar customer needs) and capitalize on their shortcomings.
How to do this correctly? To start:
Find competitors by hashtags and keywords
The first accounts that the search will yield are the most visited stores. You need to study them thoroughly. Additionally, try to understand what exactly makes these stores so popular.
Use special applications for competitor analysis
Online services allow you to obtain detailed statistics without spending much time. Look at the number of likes, comments, reposts, and views.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of competitors
Which products or services sell quickly, and what is not selling at all? Pay attention to the most popular content. You don't need to copy it, but take ideas into account.
Study the advantages of competitors
What do they write about in their profiles/posts? Highlight your unique selling proposition that will differentiate you from everyone else. For example, emphasize same-day shipping and custom tailoring.
Analyze the target audience of competitors
Create a portrait of the buyers using more details: how they communicate (slang, manner), favorite movies, basic values. This way, you will better understand your target audience. Consider this information when designing your profile.
Account Design
As mentioned above, Instagram is about beautiful visuals. An attractive page consists of a bright, eye-catching avatar and a compelling profile description.
Both components are equally important, so pay special attention to the design. The appearance of your profile will help you retain users and successfully trade on this social network.
Avatar
The right avatar is a bright, contrasting image. Take a photo that reflects your brand's positioning. Use brand colors, logos, or attributes, as well as images that can be associated with the brand.
Provide your contact information: Viber, direct message, phone
Make it easy for users to reach out. If you are targeting an audience from several countries, be sure to add the option to order through direct messages or messengers.
Interesting. Don't forget to add game elements to promote your profile. For example, award points for activity and then give away prizes. It benefits you and keeps your followers happy. Moreover, this can be easily implemented through the service SUB.BY
Include a keyword in the store name
For instance, if you sell cupcakes, name your profile “popkeksu.” Users often search for the products they need through keyword searches. Don’t miss the opportunity for free promotion.
Highlight the key advantages of the product
Describe them in the profile header. When compiling a list of key advantages, think about whether they are truly important to customers. For example, if you sell children's products, it makes no sense to emphasize their beauty or technological features.
Avoid using template phrases
Write simply, concisely, and vividly. For example: “We sell dresses made from natural fabrics. For holidays, everyday looks, and evening outings. Custom tailoring available.” Avoid clichéd phrases like “individual approach,” “best quality,” “advanced technologies.”
Use evergreen (relevant) stories
Relevant stories are needed to convey important information to customers. Structure them as conveniently as possible. For example, create blocks like: new arrivals, assortment, reviews, life hacks. This way, you will relieve some of the burden from sales managers.
Posting
Your task is to encourage purchases through your texts. Write useful posts that are not devoid of advertising elements – this is how sales begin on social networks.
Alternate entertaining, useful, and selling content
Hook them with the first sentence, write easily and optimistically. Stick to a rough formula: one-third selling posts, one-third entertaining, and one-third useful content.
Include prices
Most people have a negative attitude towards the absence of a price. Many note that they associate the lack of a price with the high cost of the product. Some users simply don’t bother to ask for the price and prefer to move on to another store. Be completely transparent.
Describe the key advantages of the product
Emphasize the benefits of the product and its unique features. If you want your product or service to be in demand and popular – describe its unique characteristics that competitors do not have. What new value does it bring? How does your product differ from competitors?
Inform about new arrivals
Be sure to inform customers about the expansion of your product line. I assure you, users will appreciate it. Tell them who might like your products. Provide recommendations for using the product.
Share stories
Such texts make it easier to promote your product. Ask customers to share stories about how their purchase from your store changed their lives for the better. For example, you sold a suit to a woman, and she wore it to an interview and got her dream job.
Show ready-made application schemes for the product
Imagine you are selling a brooch. Demonstrate through a carousel how it can be combined with other jewelry and what clothing would be appropriate with the brooch.
Don’t write long texts in every post
Instagram is a visual social network, so focus on the photos. Be concise. Write the text – and then rewrite it, removing unnecessary information.
Publish reviews
Reviews are an important element of loyalty. Thank the customer for trusting your store, provide the text of the review, and accompany it with a beautiful photo. Don’t forget to share the review in stories and add it to a special section in your evergreen stories.
Attracting Users
Hashtags and geolocation will help you attract your target audience and will also serve as free advertising. To make them work, you need to use them correctly.
Use hashtags
Rare hashtags won’t help promote your post, but overly popular ones won’t be particularly effective either. Choose medium-frequency hashtags. See what hashtags competitors are using and include them as well. The main rule is that the hashtag should reflect the specifics of your activity.
Don’t use too many hashtags
Five to seven will be enough. Too many hashtags won’t improve your position – instead, the post will look bulky and unattractive.
Use comments to place hashtags
Place hashtags in the first comment under the post. This maneuver may pique users' curiosity about who authored the comment, thus increasing the time they spend on your post.
Come up with your branded hashtag
It should be associated with your brand or name on Instagram. With the help of a branded hashtag, users will be able to find the necessary information about the product that you previously published. Make the hashtag memorable, interesting, and bright. Encourage followers to use it through contests and special promotions.
Add geolocation
This advice is relevant for sellers who also have an offline business. Moreover, some users use geotags instead of hashtags for searching. Don’t forget about stories: the service allows you to use stickers with geolocation.
Promotion
Attract followers through free and paid promotion methods – they will help increase sales effectiveness on Instagram. Try different methods to understand which works best for you.
Promote your account on social media
This way, you will gain your first followers. Talk about it on personal pages and mention it in comments on other posts. Subtly emphasize the uniqueness of your store.
Buy advertising from bloggers
Before starting cooperation, study how well their target audience matches your customers. If you have a store selling extreme tourism products, it’s not worth advertising with a model blogger whose main focus is idleness. Choose a suitable influencer with an active and targeted audience.
Barter advertising
Find a blogger whose audience includes your potential buyers. Offer them to talk about your product. You should reach out to micro-influencers, as a blogger with an audience of over 10,000 people is unlikely to agree to barter advertising.
Try different formats of targeted advertising
Pay great attention to the quality of your targeted advertising content. Its success depends on the quality of the advertising campaign. Hire an experienced copywriter for the text and take excellent photos. If you don’t do this, you will waste your money.
Write comments
This is a great way to promote your store without spending money. Find popular blogs in your niche. Leave witty comments. Attract attention with humor, knowledge of the topic, and challenging popular clichés.
It wouldn’t hurt to slightly boost comments on your Instagram profile – this increases engagement and reach, thus enhancing the chances of getting into recommendations.
Engaging Followers
Engagement on Instagram is very relevant – especially in 2021. Use interactive engagement methods: contests, marathons. It’s also important to remember to offer discounts and hold promotions.
If you organize a marathon, keep it short
Not all followers are ready to complete tasks for a long time, so it’s important to consider this. Therefore, make the marathon last 3-5 days – this is the optimal length for a free marathon.
Limit the duration of promotions
It’s important to offer honest discounts and promotions. Today’s buyers are skeptical and monitor prices for a long time before making a purchase. Tie promotions to holidays: thanks to pleasant associations, such discounts are more memorable.
Conduct contests
This is another equally useful way to promote your page. Raffle discounts, coupons – tell followers how to properly fulfill the contest conditions. Before conducting a contest in collaboration with other organizers, thoroughly check their reputation.
Come up with contests for the best reviews
Let customers publish reviews of the purchased products, and you will give a discount or a small gift on their next purchase. Motivate people to mention your profile as often as possible.
Conduct interesting live broadcasts
Show the behind-the-scenes of your business, share useful tips about the assortment, announce promotions, and other interesting events, and answer pressing questions. Shorten the distance between you and the customer.
Order Processing
When processing an order, be friendly, polite, and attentive. If you see the customer hesitating, help them. Understand what exactly the client is waiting for.
Clarify all order details
Find out the color, style, size. Send the client a size chart, discuss the price, warn about delivery times, and make sure you both understand each other correctly. It is very important that the result meets the customer's expectations.
Make upsells
Offer complementary products. Try to suggest an item that is closely related to their order. For example, if you sell glasses, offer to buy a beautiful case or a cleaning cloth.
Offer to call back
If the customer is unsure, give them time: some people really need to think it over. During a follow-up phone call, offer the client a small bonus. For example, a discount on their next purchase.
Send a live photo of the product
This should be done so that the client is not disappointed upon receiving the order. The photo should accurately reflect how the product looks in reality. This approach will also help increase audience loyalty.
Sales
If the client is unsure whether to make a purchase, apply special techniques. It’s important to do this in a way that the client does not feel pressured. They should come to the decision to buy through your motivation.
Talk about the limited time of the promotion
When communicating with the client, specify the date. Just don’t overdo it with the timeframe: the most optimal is a few days. If the buyer is interested in the purchase, a limited time offer will motivate them to buy.
Answer all of the client's questions
A direct dialogue between the seller and the buyer is very important. If the client is hesitant due to a lack of information, explain all the details and nuances to them in detail. Emphasize the benefits and practical applications of the product. For example, if you sell jewelry, explain what it can be paired with.
Share positive experiences from other customers
Take information from reviews: how customers have used your product. What changes occurred in their lives after purchasing your products? Make your story sincere and emotional.
Inform about guarantees
For example: return period, warranty period. Don’t forget about the store's reputation: online reviews, number of years in the market, legal documents.
Additionally, the client should know that if the product does not suit them, they can return it without any issues.
Talk about the limited quantity of the product
Be very specific: only two dresses of the required size are left. Speak the truth, as if the client decides to buy a month later and the managers tell them that the product is still available, trust in your store will be undermined.
Now you know how to start selling on Instagram. Take step by step actions and you will succeed. Happy selling!
