Instagram’s visual design makes it one of the best ways of displaying your products.
If you’re considering creating an online business, but aren’t keen on starting up your website, you might be questioning if you can sell your goods on Instagram instead.
The good news is that you can! Selling on Instagram can be a great way to generate some income, as well as promote your business through social media.
You’ll learn how to sell on Instagram without a website in this article. We’ll cover things like why you should set up an Instagram account for your business, as well as methods of selling through the platform.
Using Instagram Instead Of A Website To Sell Your Products
Setting up a website can make the job of selling your goods through Instagram a lot easier.
The app isn’t equipped with integrated eCommerce platforms that let dealers handle payments and orders, so merchants will have to deal with these aspects by themselves.
Instagram has created Instagram Checkout, which aims to solve this issue, but it is only accessible by limited, smaller brands.
Judging by the way Instagram’s other features have been released, it’s likely that Instagram Checkout will only be available to a few specific countries.
If you still want to forgo a website and sell your goods on Instagram, you can do so in a few ways.
Selling Through DMs
If you aren’t prepared to make a website, you can attempt selling your products through Direct Messages.
Your Instagram feed will act like a product catalog that lets your followers know what you are selling. You can add captions to your images that direct people to send sale requests as a DM, then close the sale through the messaging system.
You can either accept cash payments or through Paypal by giving customers your Paypal details. Once you get paid, always update every customer with their order details.
If your business is quite popular, it can be very time-consuming getting to all of the DMs and requests. However, if you only have a few DMs and sell a couple of items each month through Instagram, this method may be a good choice for you.
Selling through Instagram’s DMs can involve a lot of manual effort, but it can be an efficient way of starting up a business, particularly for first-timers.
If you do choose this route, ensure that your Instagram account is a Business profile, as these have better tools that help you handle your Direct Message requests.
Selling Through Comments
You can also sell on Instagram through comments, but you will have to do so through third-party software called CommentSold. This automatically handles Instagram sales through the comments.
The method involves customers leaving a purchase request by specifically commenting on your post.
The app then launches an order within the software, then guides the customer to a checkout page where they can make a payment, either with Paypal or their credit card.
You can write instructions for potential customers in your Instagram bio that lets them know how to order with the CommentSold feature. The app will also send customers automated comments with details of how to complete their order.
CommentSold can be a helpful tool for people selling on Instagram. However, the app’s checkout method can feel awkward as customers need to travel away from the Instagram post to finish their order.
Selling through Instagram hashtags is also possible, though you will need to do so with apps, such as Inselly. These act like a marketplace full of products sold on Instagram.
Merchants will set up an Inselly account, then add information about their products to it. Afterward, the seller will need to add the hashtag #inselly to their Instagram posts and bio.
This will tell potential customers that they can buy their goods through the Inselly marketplace.
Customers will need to click away from the seller’s Instagram page to complete a sale, just like the selling through comments method.
Selling Through Shopping Tags
Instagram’s newer feature is shopping tags that give potential buyers information about a certain product.
The seller will display their product through an Instagram post, which will have a tiny tag displayed on top of the product. Clicking on this tag tells the buyer more about the product, as well as a link to your store’s page to purchase it.
Out of all the options detailed in this article, shopping tags are the best way to sell on Instagram. They have several advantages.
You can tag as many as five products in one post, as well as display all the relevant information about your product on the app itself.
However, these shopping tags are only possible if you have an e-commerce platform that connects with the app. While you don’t need a website to sell on Instagram, it’s a good idea to make one if you’d like to grow your business.
Setting up a website will have several advantages over smaller companies, as you’ll have access to Instagram’s well-designed business tools.
What You Need To Sell On Instagram
You don’t need to have a particular amount of followers to sell on Instagram, but it’s a good idea to make sure your page looks as good as possible.
To start selling your products on the app, make sure that you set up the following:
- An Instagram business account profile
- Several applicable hashtags
- Complete bio with contact information
- Visually appealing profile picture
- Good quality posts
Once you’ve completed all of the steps above, promote your page through your personal social media and ask friends and family to share your products through their own Instagram accounts.
The Bottom Line
Yes, you can sell your products through Instagram if you don’t want to set up a website!
Instagram’s Direct Messages is best for small businesses that don’t receive a lot of orders. Selling through hashtags and comments is also possible, but you will need the help of third-party apps.
The best way of selling your products is through Instagram’s Shopping Tag feature, but you will need to set up your own e-commerce storefront to direct customers towards.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure that your Instagram account is a business profile, as you’ll have access to their impressive business tools
As a current Mortgage Underwriter with 15 years of experience, I have seen my fair share of money-related issues. Whether that be high levels of debt, not enough credit, or simply a lack of funds - I’ve had clients who fit into these categories.
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