A business on Instagram means you are using your Instagram profile as a platform to sell products or services, build a brand and connect with customers. It can be for small business, personal brands, startups or even freelancers. It is free to use, gives a perfect platform to show products through photos and videos.
It helps in direct chats with customers, gives wide reach as there are over 2 billion users globally. You can sell anything on Instagram like clothes, skincare, art, craft, jewelry, e-books, templates, courses, coaching, photography, event planning, makeup etc. Instagram helps you turn followers into customers by building trust showcasing your offerings and engaging with people directly. Here’s a step by step guide for it.
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STEP 1 – CHOOSE A NICHE AND BUSINESS IDEA
To start a business, you need to first decide what you want to sell or offer on Instagram. It can be a physical product, digital product or service. You should start with your passion or skill. Are you good at making candles, clothes, or teaching someone? Go for it!!! Check demand for that genre or product. Search hashtags to see if there is demand. Check your competition, see what others are doing in your niche, note their strengths and think what you can do differently. Choose something you are confident about and can sustain.
STEP 2 – SET UP AN INSTAGRAM BUSINESS ACCOUNT
Download Instagram app or login from browser. Tap on profile picture. Go to settings leading to accounts wherein you have to choose “Switch to professional account”. Here select Business. Instagram business account is important because it gives you access to tools like analytics, Instagram ads and the ability to add contact information.
• Username- Keep it simple and searchable.
• Bio – Mention what you do, who you help and how to order.
• Profile photo – Your logo or neat product image.
• Contact button – Add your WhatsApp or email.
• Link in bio – Add a link tree or goggle form to order.
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STEP 3 – DEFINE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY
Branding makes your business memorable and trustworthy. To define your brand identity- fix your colors, pick 2-3 shades and stick by them. Set a tone of voice according to your business. Pick whether to be friendly, fun, luxury or educational. Use Canva or hire a designer to make your logo. Fix fonts and styles for your brand which screams your business. Remember to stick to your style in every post to give it a recognizable look.
STEP 4 – CREATE HIGH – QUALITY CONTENT BEFORE SELLING
Instagram as a platform gives you customers in abundance but only if you build trust and engagement. As a content driven and direct communication platform, Instagram helps you to do free marketing. Make content at your marketplace. For starters, introduce yourself and your band. Upload behind the scene videos including making, designing, packaging etc. educate your audience about your product, its uses, benefits and unique features.
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Post testimonials. Being a content driven platform, it offers various types of posts, use them wisely, like, post reels of making of the product, carousels about how switching to your product is better, stories containing polls, Q/A, day in life etc. and hold live sessions for product demo. Remember to use natural light, clear background and shoot in square format.
STEP 5 – GROW AND ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE
While selling your product and working on your business, consistency matters more than perfection. To grow organically – use relevant hashtags (10 to 20 per post), engage with others – like, comment and share similar content, run giveaways like “tag 2 friends and win !!!”, use stories daily to stay in your audience’s mind and collaborate with similar pages or micro-influencer. While trying to grow, boosting engagement goes parallelly. To boost engagement- ask questions in captions, use polls and quizzes in stories, respond to every DM and comment.
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STEP 6 – SET UP A SYSTEM FOR TAKING ORDERS OR SELLING
If Instagram shopping is available in your region, apply for it through the meta business suite. If not then, add WhatsApp business link in bio, create order form using google forms and use highlights for price list, how to order and customer reviews. For payments use razor pay, Paytm business etc. Clearly state delivery charges and policies.
STEP 7 – LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS
Now that you have content, a few followers and a system to take orders, make a launch strategy. Create excitement among people by posting “SOMETHING EXCITING COMING UP”. Announce launch date. Offer discounts and freebies to the first 10 buyers. Share launch reels and stories for visibility.
STEP 8 – USE INSTAGRAM ADS
Once you have at least 9 to 12 good posts, run ads. You can do that by going to any post and choosing ‘PROMOTE’. Choose your goal, whether you want more profile visits, website visits or DM. Look for your target, set age, gender, interests and location. Fix your budget, start with ₹100 to ₹300 for 2 to 3 days. Promote a reel or best performing post to reach new people.
Step 9 – MONITORING PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVE
Use Instagram to check which posts got more likes/comments/shares etc. Look out for the best time to post. Analyze your growth in followers, reach and engagement. And after that use this data to post more works and improve your content and strategy every month.
TIPS
- Real growth takes 1-3 months of effort, be patient.
- Show your face to build trust.
- Always respond to DMs quickly.
- Post 3-5 times a week.
- Keep learning and experimenting.
CONCLUSION
Starting a business on Instagram is one of the most affordable and powerful ways to turn your passion into profit. With the right strategy, quality content and consistent engagement you can build a loyal community and grow your brand – all from your phone. Whether you are selling a product or service, Instagram gives you tools to reach your audience, connect with customers and succeed as a digital entrepreneur. So, take the first step, stay authentic and start building your business today!
If you’re also struggling with low sales in your business, this article can be extremely helpful for you. Moreover, if you’re facing any kind of challenge in your business and are looking for expert guidance, click on the link to the Leadership Funnel Program and get in touch with us now.