Instagram can be used for a lot of things – showing off your latest holiday snaps, sharing your outfit details, or showing your followers your cute pet pics. But it’s also a great tool for growing and marketing your business.

Learning how to sell on Instagram offers businesses of all sizes incredible opportunities to drive sales. According to a recent report, 75 percent of Instagram users take action – such as visiting a website or making a purchase, after looking at Instagram ads.

So if you haven’t already starting using Instagram for sales, you may be missing out on a big opportunity! I’m going to give you my best tips for using Instagram to sell your products.

Showcase your products

There is a big difference between sharing your products and showcasing them. Sharing your products is taking a photo of your products in its box or on a shelf, or in another plain environment. Showcasing your product is taking a photo of it in use or in a unique setting.

If you own a clothing range, don’t just show a picture of an outfit on a mannequin. Show somebody wearing your latest summer range in a summery setting, like a beach or in a park. If you have a restaurant, don’t share a photo of a meal sitting on a country. Instead, share a photo of that plate on a nicely set table, with a glass of wine and candles. Create an atmosphere around your product.

User generated content is another excellent way to showcase your products. If your customers and fans are sharing posts and photos of your products in use, reshare these (with attribution) to your own page. Not only does this highlight your products, but it creates a human relationship and draws in your audience personally.

By showcasing your products instead of just sharing them, you create a more emotional connection with your audience, making them more likely to purchase from you. Show your audience how they can really use your products and make them really want to purchase them!

Write a great description

The description of your product image will depend on the product and your goals. You may want to use a story to explain the image and product, or you might want to give a detailed description of the product. You can also include if it’s available for a certain time, and the price. Whatever you decide to share, utilise the caption to create an effective description that will engage your customers to buy.

Make sure you also tell your customers how to find the product. Provide the url for your website in the description (remember this isn’t clickable, so make it short) and/or direct them to click on the link in your bio.

Utilise the hyperlink in your bio

Currently, the only place you can have a hyperlink on Instagram is your bio. If you are going to use Instagram to sell your products, you need to make sure that the link in your bio goes to the right place. It could go to your homepage, your shop/products page, or to a specific landing page where your products are showcased. It just depends how you have your website organised and how frequently you plan to promote your products on Instagram.

Always keep in mind that Instagram is NOT a place to only sell your products. Just like any other social media site, you should be sharing a variety of posts and engage with your audience. Make sure that your posts which are related to selling your products are spaced out with a number of other posts in between.

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