How to Sell on Instagram in 2024: Your Quick Guide

If you’re an eCommerce seller that wants to boost their sales, you’re in the right place. Here we're exploring one such strategy: Instagram.

Did you know that as many as 90% of Instagram users follow a business account? Hopefully, this stat alone demonstrates Instagram's potential to boost your brand's visibility. Also, the world's your oyster, as there are 94 countries you can sell to via Instagram.

Interested? Good, because I’ve compiled this simple guide on how to sell on Instagram. Stick with me as we explore the benefits of selling on Instagram, how to create a business account, how to set up an Instagram shop, and much more.

But first:

What is Instagram eCommerce?

Simply put, ‘Instagram ecommerce' is the process of using Instagram to publicize, advertise, and/or sell your products. You can sell exclusively on Instagram or use Instagram to funnel traffic to a separate website or other sales channel.

At this point, I want to highlight that to sell directly via Instagram without customers leaving the app; you’ll need an Instagram Checkout.

At the time of writing, this is only available to businesses in the US.

To utilize this feature, you’ll need to provide the following:

A US business address
A US bank account
A State Tax Registration Number for every state the business operates in
A Federal Tax Identification Number
A business representative’s personal or company identity information to verify the authenticity of the business
Clear shipping options, a returns policy, and a customer service email

The benefits of an Instagram checkout are simple:

Transactions are fast and secure, and once a customer enters their details once to make an in-app purchase, payment information is remembered and stored within their Instagram account.
As mentioned, customers can purchase without leaving the Instagram app, making for a seamless shopping experience.

Alternatively, suppose you operate a business in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, or the UK. In that case, you can sell to customers by creating shoppable posts (more about these in a sec).

In either case, firstly, you need to set up an Instagram business profile. Once you've done that, you can start tagging products in your posts. Tags are clickable and take customers straight to your Instagram shop or online store to purchase from.

Below I’ve listed a few examples of successful Instagram eCommerce in action:

Sephora: Uses Instagram to sell 80+ of its brands and encourages followers to post user-generated content.
Dossier Perfumes: Sells fragrances, diffusers, and candles and encourages follower engagement through giveaways and user-generated content
Beardbrand: Sells male grooming products and offers information on grooming tips, beard care, etc.
Tentree: Sells eco-friendly apparel and offers followers info about sourcing sustainable products.
Allbirds: Sells sustainable footwear and educates followers about sustainability and the brand’s own goals in that regard.

What Are the Benefits of Using Instagram for Ecommerce?

As hinted at in the intro, one of Instagram eCommerce’s biggest advantages is its colossal popularity. Notably, 130 million Instagram users tap on shopping posts each month, and 70% of Instagram shoppers use the platform to discover new products.

But, it’s worth highlighting that typically, Instagram Shops are favored most by Gen Z. A Facebook-commission study in 2021 found that almost half of the people they surveyed aged 18 used Instagram weekly to shop.

Elsewhere research reveals that 60% of Gen Z in the US use Instagram to learn about new brands and services.

The bottom line: If Gen Z is your target market, Instagram is the place to be!

On top of the stats mentioned above, there are other positives too:

Instagram is a visual-first platform and, as such, ideal for showcasing products, especially if they’re aesthetic. For example, high-quality clothing, jewelry, art, photography, etc. But it’s not just entrepreneurs selling physical goods that can benefit from Instagram. Service providers can also attract buyers using the platform. This is especially true of brands marketing a lifestyle, for example, interior design, health and wellness, coaching, etc.
Although we’ve already touched on Instagram’s popularity, it’s one of its predominant flexes, so it’s worth reiterating. Instagram attracts more than 500 million daily users. That’s a vast audience!
Instagram provides a simple and quick shopping experience for customers. Consumers can browse your products, click on them, and checkout, all in a few minutes, making it an excellent platform for marketing impulse purchases. Research shows that 41% of Generation Z, 34% of Millennials, and 32% Of Generation X are impulse shoppers, so it’s worth capitalizing on that!
Another benefit is that Instagram is the platform for influencer marketing. There are 500,000 active Instagram influencers, and engaging with them can unlock access to an audience you may not typically reach. They can publicize your products to their followers with just a few posts. Interestingly, 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations versus 38% who trust brand content. Influencers can be celebrities with massive followings that can use their popularity to push products and brands. However, there are also nano-influencers (those with 1,000-10,000 followers) and micro-influencers, who typically have between (10,000-100,000 followers), often these kinds of influencers have loyal, niche audiences. So, finding one in your niche that aligns with your brand values could be a fruitful partnership for all parties concerned.
Instagram makes it possible to engage with customers using authentic content. I.e., real images and videos that showcase your brand’s personality. In other words, you can make your brand more relatable, for example, using Instagram Stories and live events to bring your brand to life.
Last but not least, if your competitors are on Instagram, you should be too. Not only to ensure you don’t miss out on sales but also to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing and how they’re doing it. Is there anything that you can learn from their successful and less successful campaigns? If so, make a note of it and apply that to your own marketing strategies.

Now we’ve explored some of the benefits of Instagram eCommerce, let’s walk through the practicalities:

Create an Instagram Business Account

As previously stated, you need an Instagram business account before anything else, so let’s start with that.

First, you need a personal Instagram account if you don’t already have one. Once you have that, head to your profile and hit the menu icon (three horizontal lines)in the right-hand corner.
Next, tap the ‘Settings and privacy’ icon.
Then tap ‘Account type and tools’ and ‘Switch to Professional Account.’
You’ll see a list of business categories: ‘Creator' or ‘Business.' Select the one that best describes your brand.

That’s it; you now have an Instagram business account!

You can now create your business profile. Fortunately, Instagram has some simple steps on how best to do that.

Create an Instagram Store

Now it’s time to create your Instagram store:

Head to your business profile.
From the ‘Settings and privacy’ section, tap ‘Creator tools and controls.’
Then ‘Set Up a Shop,' followed by ‘Get Started.’
You'll then be prompted to connect your Facebook account.
At this point, you need to connect your product catalog. For example, if you’ve already set up a Facebook shop or have your own eCommerce website fuelled by Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. To do this, go to your profile settings, tap ‘Business,’ then ‘Shopping,’ select the eCommerce platform you’d like to connect with, and tap ‘Done.’
Once done, tap Next.

Confirm the sales channel you’ve listed is correct.
Tap ‘Next.’
Finally, tap ‘Submit for Review.’

Once your shop has been reviewed, it’ll be ready for you to start tagging products in your Instagram posts.

Please note: It can take Instagram anywhere between a few hours to a few business days to review your Instagram shop. Once approved, Instagram will send you an in-app notification to tell you your account is ready. You can now tag products in your posts.

For more information on setting up and selling via your Instagram shop, there’s a helpful and fulsome Facebook guide you can refer to. Also, if you already have a Shopify store, it's worth reading our detailed guide on How to Sell on Instagram with Shopify.

Know and Engage with Your Audience

Now it’s time to target your audience. Needless to say, you can’t do this unless you know who they are.

Who does your brand speak to?

Your target market might have similar demographics, geography, hobbies, etc.

That said, here are a few tips for pinpointing your ideal customer(s):

Check Out Your Competitors

Examine your competitor’s Instagram presence to see how well their posts perform and how their audience engages with them. You might want to turn to tools such as SEMrush to do this. SEMrush also provides other helpful info like which keywords are performing best and how many visitors they get to their site.

Use Instagram Analytics

Since you’re already using Instagram, why not explore its own tools? Instagram analytics provides a breakdown of who your existing audience is.

Advertisment ⓘ

You can access Instagram Analytics via the following steps:

Head to your profile
Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines)
Tap Insights
In the Overview section, tap Metrics and receive a more detailed breakdown of your audience.

It’s super helpful to know what your target audience is talking about and what they’re interested in. Without this info, you’ll find it challenging to engage with them. This is where social listening tools like Sprout Social and Mention can help.

Instagram Polls

If you want to get to know your audience, what better way than to ask them direct questions? For example, you could create an Instagram poll to drill down into what your Insta audience likes doing, their pain points, and so on; anything that gets you closer to understanding who they are.

Build Buyer Personas

Having collected a fair amount of data using the methods above, ask yourself: what does your product do, and who is it for? What does your typical customer look like? Consider things like:

Age
Location
Typical job
Income
Likes and dislikes
Values
Language
Struggles and how your products help
Goals
Ambitions

Note down your answers and use them to fuel an image of your typical buyer. You might be able to create more than one buyer persona, and that’s OK. It just means you have more than one audience group to market to.

Use Instagram Shopping to Create Create Shoppable Posts

Once you have a good idea of who you’re targeting, it’s time to create shoppable posts. Here’s how:

Instagram Stories

You can tag products in Instagram Stories following the step-by-step instructions below:

When creating a Story:

Tap the sticker icon
Tap the product you want to tag
Select the ‘Publish' button to publish your story and share it with your audience.

Instagram Feed Posts

You can also tag products in your Instagram Feed Posts.

When creating a feed post:

Tap ‘Tag Products’
You’ll then see the tagging menu
Tap the ‘Tag Products’ section
Tap on the image you want to add product tags to.
Search your product catalog to find the product you want to tag.
Once you’ve made your selections, tap the ‘Done’ button.

Voila, that’s it!

Alternatively, if you wish to tag a product in a preexisting Feed post:

Tap the post you want to tag
Hit the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the post
Select ‘Edit’
Tap ‘Tag Products’ in the bottom left corner of the post
Tap the product you want to tag from the list of products in your catalog
When you’re finished, tap ‘Done.’

Videos

Select th video you want to upload. Then:

Tap Next and select ‘Long Video.’
Tap ‘Continue’
Choose your cover image
Enter a video title and description
Tap ‘Tag Products’ and choose the products you want to tag
Tap ‘Done’
Tap ‘Post’

Instagram Reels

Once you’ve recorded your reel:

Tap ‘Tag Products.’
Add the products you want to tag
Tap ‘Done’

In each instance, when customers click on a product tagged in a reel, video, post, or story, they can view the product in your Instagram shop or click the ‘View on Website' button to see it in your eCommerce store.

You can tag up to five products in a post and up to 20 in posts using multiple images or videos.

So now you’re familiar with the practicalities of how to tag products, here are a few tips on how to create higher-converting shoppable posts:

Don’t forget to use hashtags. Research the most popular ones for your niche. For example, you could use a free hashtag generator like Hootsuite’s.
Once you’ve published your tagged posts, click through to ensure the URL to your eCommerce store isn’t broken.
Ensure each tag in an image touches the correct product so followers can easily see what the tag relates to.

Run Ads

You can reach new customers by launching paid Instagram ad campaigns.

There are two kinds of Instagram marketing ads:

Standard
Shoppable

Shoppable Instagram ads contain product tags. I.e., customers can click on your ads and shop what’s in them. In contrast, Standard Instagram ads don’t include product tags.

You can create ads directly from your business account to boost a feed post, reel, or story. You can also create Instagram ads via your Facebook page or in Meta Ads Manager.

Get Your Store Noticed

Aside from Instagram ads, there are other ways to boost your visibility:

User-generated Content (UGC)

In an ideal world, if customers like what you sell, they’ll post about it on their social platforms. So, why not incentivize them to create this kind of user-generated content? It’s an excellent way to keep your feed populated while directly engaging with your following – win-win!

For example, you could encourage customers to post snaps and videos of them using your product.

Customers trust other customers. Remember, 71% of consumers are likelier to buy something based on a social media referral, and 91% of shoppers read at least one review before purchasing. Not only that, but 63% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a store with good product reviews and ratings.

Needless to say, positive user-generated content acts as excellent social proof, which is great for inspiring confidence in other potential customers.

Examples of where user-generated content campaigns have worked well include Apple’s #shotoniPhone campaign and Calvin Klein’s #MyCalvins campaign. So, if you need some inspiration, check those out!

Hashtags

Building on the above, let’s not forget hashtags and how they help build brand awareness and make your shoppable posts easier to find.

You may already have your own ideas for hashtags. Still, you might like to try a mix of all-encompassing hashtags relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re selling make-up, #beauty, #style, or something more specific like #barbiepink.

There are many guides on popular hashtags for achieving likes and sales, which are worth checking out.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, below, I’ve listed a few examples of best-selling hashtag campaigns:

#NationalFriedChickenDay by KFC.
#ShareACoke by Coca-Cola.
#LetsDoLunch by Domino's Pizza.
#OreoHorrorStories by Oreo.
#WorthSaying by L'Oréal Paris.
#ShareYourEars by Disney and Make-A-Wish.
#TweetFromTheSeat by Charmin.
#McDStories by McDonald's.

But don’t let these big names deter you; small businesses can certainly use hashtags effectively to boost their sales!

Use Video

A global study by Brightcove found that a whopping 85% of people rely on video when online shopping. A statistic like that is hard to ignore!

The most successful videos tell short stories about your brand that customers can connect with. Ideally, you should be able to view these videos with the sound on or off. Of course, as mentioned earlier, you can also add product tags to drive sales.

The Instagram help center for businesses has some simple-to-understand tips on how to maximize videos for your business.

Host Giveaways and Contests

This is a nice way to give something back to your followers while engaging with your audience and increasing your reach – so it’s an all-around winner!

When hosting a giveaway or contest, publish a post with a call to action (CTA), i.e., ask your audience to do something.

For example:

Enter their details to win a prize
Tag two or three of their friends
Like your post and share it
Follow your account

You could also collaborate with another brand that aligns with what you’re selling.

For example, if you sell fashion items, you could collaborate with a jewelry brand. Or, if you’re partnering with an influencer, you could ask them to host the giveaway.

Examples of successful giveaways include:

Smart Sweets partnering with influencer Destiney Schriver. Here, entrants were asked to follow both accounts to enter.
Blendjet portable blenders and Khiels got together for a joint giveaway. Entrants were asked to like the post, tag a friend, follow both brands with a publicly viewable account, and share the competition for a bonus entry.
Kopari Beauty asked followers to comment on their favorite product and tag a friend.

For the best results, be clear on the following:

Keep your goal and budget at the forefront of your mind.
Define the giveaway's start and finish date and make that clear to entrants.
Measure the results (I.e., how many people your giveaway reached, the number of likes, shares, clicks, comments, and new followers gained).

This leads us nicely to my next section:

Track and Analyze Your Performance

How do you know if you’re selling well? And how do you know if your campaigns are successful?

There are several ways to track your performance, including the aforementioned Instagram Insights. This free tool provides a summary page of data and tappable metrics that reveal more details about individual posts, videos, reels and stories, content you’ve shared, ad reach, accounts engaged, total followers, and so on.

Alternatively, you can use third-party social media management tools such as Sprout Social or Buffer to generate reports on keyword use, follower count, and more.

My Final Thoughts on How to Sell on Instagram

So that’s the end of my guide on how to sell on Instagram. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to make the most of this platform to reach a wider audience.

As more and more consumers switch to buying from Instagram, now’s the time to establish a presence on this platform to stay ahead of your competitors.

Overall, I think it’s the perfect place to showcase attractive and engaging visual content that entices customers to buy from you with just a few taps. What’s not to love?

Are you interested in selling on Instagram? Tell us your story in the comments below, and let us know how your business is doing. Good luck!