Instagram’s aesthetic has made ittheperfect platform forshowcasing products. Ifyou’re thinking about starting your online business onInstagram, you might bewondering ifyou need awebsite.
Inthis post, we’ll explain how tosell onInstagram without awebsite, when andwhy you absolutely need one, how much money you need tosell onInstagram, aswell assome tips andtricks forpromoting your products.
Haven’t got aproduct tosell yet? Check out our ideas ofwhat tosell onInstagram.
Can You Sell onInstagram Without aWebsite?
When itcomes toselling onInstagram, having awebsite helps automate alot ofthework. Instagram doesn’t have
So, ifyou want tosell onInstagram without awebsite, here are several options toconsider.
Selling inDirect Messages
Ifyou’re not ready tocommit toawebsite, try selling via Direct Messages. Your feed will serve asyour product catalog where followers can shop andbrowse. Ask them toreach out toyou via Direct Messages toclose thesale. Inthis case, you can accept payments incash (not recommended during thepandemic) orbyproviding your PayPal email address. After getting paid, make sure toupdate each customer onthestatus oftheir order.
Selling onInstagram DMwithout awebsite means alot ofmanual work, however, itstill can beagreat first step forsome entrepreneurs. For example, ifInstagram selling isyour side hustle andyou only sell afew items per month, then arranging each deal individually may work foryou.
Tip: Make sure you use aBusiness profile asithas tools forbetter management ofyour Direct Messages.
Selling incomments
There’s aslightly easier way ofselling onInstagram with nowebsite— , which automates selling onInstagram comments. Itworks like this: acustomer leaves aspecific comment onone ofyour posts. That triggers theapp tocreate anorder inthesystem anddirects thecustomer tothecheckout where they can pay with acredit card orPayPal.
The Paisley Heart uses CommentSold andprovides theinstructions intheir bio:
The app automatically sends customers comments with instructions:
While this isauseful tool forInstagram businesses without awebsite, thecheckout process inCommendSold isalittle bit clumsy ascustomers have tonavigate away from thepost tocomplete thepurchase.
Selling via hashtags
Apps like Inselly work asamarketplace ofInstagram products. Sellers need tocreate anaccount with Inselly andadd product info. Then, they need toadd adedicated hashtag (#inselly) totheir bio andposts, indicating that their products can bebought onthemarketplace.
Similar toselling incomments, users need tomake abunch ofclicks away from thepage tocomplete thepurchase.
Selling with shopping tags
Shopping tags are anative Instagram feature that gives shoppers more info about aproduct byclicking onasmall product tag directly ontheInstagram post.
Instagram Shoppable post
This isthemost convenient option foryou andyour customers:
- All thenecessary product information isright there onInstagram
- You can tag uptofive products inasingle post
- Tagged products are also displayed intheShop tab inyour profile
- It’s easy todifferentiate shoppable posts inthefeed asthey are marked aspecial icon
- You can tag products inStories too!
Once your products are tagged, customers can see abag icon andtap alink toview theitem’s details andadirect link toyour storefront product page tofurther purchase aproduct.
So, though you absolutely can sell onInstagram without awebsite, you should consider creating anonline store ifyou want your Instagram business togrow faster. Ifyou create your store with aplatform like byLightspeed, connecting ittoInstagram will take just afew clicks. You’ll beguided how todothat directly inyour online store control panel.
Asyou see, having awebsite gives you many benefits over smaller competitors, including access tosome ofthebest Instagram tools forbusiness.
Need aneasy andfast online presence toconnect Shoppable Posts that doesn’t cost you too much time ormoney? Consider ’s Instant Site! The robust and
Instant Site
Learn how toenable Instagram Shoppable posts
Selling onInstagram from Control Panel
How Much Does ItCost toSell onInstagram?
The answer tothat question will vary anddepends onmany factors. AnInstagram shopping page can cost you from acouple ofbucks tomillion dollars.
Here isabreakdown ofcosts associated with selling onInstagram:
- Creating anInstagram Business page— free
- Content creation— from free if
DIY-ed toinfinity (hiring aphotographer, adesigner, acopywriter, avideographer, models, renting astudio, etc.) - Customer service— from free (if you doityourself) tosomething around $50/h (source: )
- Advertising— from $1toinfinity .
- Influencer partnerships— from free to.
- Contests, giveaways— from free toinfinity depending onthevalue ofyour prize.
- Shoppable posts andInstagram Checkout (completing apurchase onInstagram using stored payment info) involves . The feature isnot available toall merchants though.
How Many Followers DoYou Need toSell onInstagram?
This isn’t necessarily news, but there’s noofficial follower minimum forselling onInstagram.
Toget started, you’ll need:
- Business profile
- Filled bio andcontact info
good-looking profile picture- Several quality posts
- bunch ofrelevant hashtags.
Ticked off everything from thelist above? Time togive your new page ashoutout onyour personal profile andask your friends toshare your new Instagram store. Done? The floor isstill yours: keep posting quality content, engage followers with meaningful conversations, educate them onhow touse your products.
You can sell successfully with asfew asathousand followers. Just enable shoppable posts tomake iteasier forcustomers tomake apurchase assoon asthey gain enough confidence with your store.
You can also add links toyour Stories todirect your followers toyour website.
Here’s anexample ofaSwipe Upfrom (“See More” leads directly toour website):
This feature enables you todrive Instagram traffic directly toyour online store, however, ifyou’re not there yet, there are plenty ofother opportunities topromote your Instagram page.
How DoYou Market aProduct onInstagram?
Selling onInstagram isnot thesame asselling onanecommerce website. Here’s theparadox: ifyou want your Instagram page tosell, you need tocarefully craft your sales pitches.
When online shoppers land onanecommerce website, they already have anintent tobuy. Instagram users aren’t there forshopping inthefirst place: they use theplatform toentertain themselves, connect with their friends, andfollow their favorite celebrity.
So, tobesuccessful, you’ll need tofit inthat environment andbecome anatural part ofit. Below are some beginner tips forselling onInstagram:
Develop avisual appeal
Tomake asale onInstagram, you need tointroduce your product with anemotional orvisual appeal. Ifyou only post product pictures onawhite background with some salesy copy, chances are itwon’t have much ofanimpact.
Emotional andvisual appeal ofthis post isanexample ofhow tosell onInstagram without being too salesy
Need some help with taking
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Asyou develop beautiful visuals, combine them with insightful information that has value.
Have alook atthis example from Tasty. They have adapted traditional cooking shows toInstagram bymaking thevideos short, comprehensive, andvisually appealing.
Note that these videos work great without sound aswell— agreat move, asonly .
Use influencers
Instagram influencers are users with anestablished audience. Many ofthem make money bypaid partnerships with brands. Typically, they agree topartner with abrand that isrelevant totheir demographic, forexample, abeauty blogger would partner with acosmetics brand.
Ifyou are just taking your first steps onInstagram forbusiness, look for
Learn more: How toUse
Show your customers
Combine different content formats totell engaging stories about your products, manufacturing, yourself, and
Great job, Jasper andPlum!
What’s Next?
Now that you know your options, goregister abusiness profile onInstagram, andpost some cool stuff. Don’t forget tosubscribe toget resources like this toyour inbox while you’re busy growing your Instagram shop!
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