Can a photo-sharing social media platform really help you in making money by selling online? Yes it can. And Instagram is the proof of that. Although still a somewhat new concept, buying and selling on Instagram is rapidly becoming popular.Want to market your new product in creative ways, why not use Instagram for that? Seeking to boost up your business, Instagram is there to help you with that too!
Instagram can help you in your quest for marketing and sales. Whether you are an artist or entrepreneur, you can gain for this photo and video-sharing platform to present your products out there in front of interested people.
So how do you start your e-commerce journey in Instagram? Wazala is here to help you with a list of these simple steps:
How to sell on instagram
Account
First of all you have to open an Instagram account. A wise move is to create a separate account than the one you are already using as a personal account. Make sure you also have a PayPal account for your payment requirements.
Photos
Click and post clear photos of your products as well as of people using your products (with their permission of course). Do not edit the photos too much and make sure the colors are as close to reality as possible. You can choose to post photos in different ways: either by directly clicking the pictures via the Instagram app or by clicking them via a normal camera or your phone’s camera and then posting them on Instagram.
Descriptions
Do not forget to describe the products in your photos, otherwise people might get easily confused. Make sure your descriptions are concise, relevant and clear. Include significant details such as name, size, color and so on.
Where to buy?
Since you will be using Instagram as a selling platform, you must include the URL of your store. Though Instagram does not allow hyperlinks in the image description, you can still include it and note that the link can be found in your profile.
Hashtags
In order to expand your reach and exposure, make sure you tag your photos and posts with popular and germane hashtags. It’s easy, it’s quick and it’s absolutely free! Here’s a list of the most popular Instagram tags right now: http://instagramtags.com.
Videos
Not only pictures, you can also post videos on Instagram to boost your sales. How about a tutorial on how to use your products more easily and efficiently? Or may be a video of happy customers spreading positive word of mouth about your products? The possibilities are virtually limitless here.
Contests and coupon codes
You can also hold contests, giveaways and a number of other promotional offers on Instagram for your buyers to increase traffic and sales. But make sure you do set a clear goal, time frame, eligibility and selection criteria and method of promotion and monitoring for each. Also use coupon codes to track the sales generated only by these Instagram contests and offers to measure and assess their effectiveness and plan future offers.
Follow
When you follow other people or businesses, the probability that those businesses or individuals will follow you back goes way high. So track down your target segment or prospects as well as relevant organizations and simply click the follow button. Communicate and build relationships. That will take you and your business a long way for sure.
So what are you waiting for? If you do have things to sell that others might be interested in, just go ahead and create an Instagram account which can become your ultimate platform for e-commerce success!
Image by: Adrian Korte
