Starting a business is a dream for many, and in today’s day and age, opening up a business on Instagram is easier than ever.
From a thrift store to your own personal brand, there are endless possibilities and opportunities to set up a business.
Have the products? Why not just make an Instagram Page, upload your products, and start selling, but everything is not that simple, is it?
Don’t worry. We’ll be helping you out with this quick and easy guide on how to start a business on Instagram. (P.S We also link some of the best Instagram tools to grow your following)
Statistics
Factual sentences referenced across top search results:
- With 70% of shoppers looking to Instagram for their next purchase, it’s time to open up shop right here. (business.instagram.com)
- one billion people use Instagram every month, and roughly 90% of them follow at least one business. (blog.hootsuite.com)
- A 2018 survey by Facebook found that 58% of participants became interested in a brand or product after seeing it in a Story. (blog.hootsuite.com)
- Did you know there are already over 1 billion active Instagram accounts across the globe (with 90% of these following a business on Instagram)? (plannthat.com)
- This is a powerful way to gain new customers, with stats from Instagram revealing 60% of users have discovered a new product or service on Instagram. (plannthat.com)
- What’s more, only 36% of marketers are using Instagram for business, compared to the 93% who use Facebook (source: ecommerceCEO). (sendible.com)
- In fact, 75 percent of users take action, such as visiting a site, shopping or searching online, after liking a post on Instagram. (freelogoservices.com)
- Building up a business account isn’t as simple, but we’re willing to bet you still follow quite a few brands from your personal account—90% of Instagram users do. (buffer.com)
How To Start A Business On Instagram: 17 Steps
If you’re interested in starting a business but aren’t sure where to begin, then this guide will give you all the information that you need to know about how to start a business on Instagram.
In fact, if you want to learn more about how to start a successful business on Instagram, then continue reading below!
1. Choose A Brand Name For Your Account
The first thing you’ll need to do when you are ready to create your account is to choose a brand name.
This isn’t going to be the company’s actual name or product that you plan on selling; instead, consider using something similar to your username. This way, your followers can find you easier.
2. Create An Interesting Profile Picture.
After choosing a brand name, the next step that you should take is to create an interesting profile picture.
This image will appear at the top of your feed whenever someone views your profile. So, make this image eye-catching so that potential customers will want to follow you and see what else you have to offer.
3. Add A Username That Is Unique
When setting up your profile, you want to choose a unique username that doesn’t already exist on any other social network.
Make sure that the username you use is easy to remember and won’t cause confusion when you are trying to add someone as a friend.
4. Set Up Hashtags
Hashtags are keywords that you can use to categorize your posts into different groups.
They can be helpful when searching through Instagram since they allow you to see multiple posts from a specific topic.
You can either search for hashtags directly in Instagram’s search bar or click on the “more” symbol in the upper right corner of the screen. From there, you can select the hashtag that you would like to use.
5. Post Regularly
Once you have set up your profile and uploaded some images, you should post them regularly.
It may take time before you reach your target audience, which means that you should not stop posting altogether.
However, try to keep your posts consistent each day. Schedule a time every week to update your feed.
6. Promote Your Posts
Once your Instagram account starts gaining attention, you will want to start promoting your posts.
There are several ways that you can accomplish this, including commenting on relevant stories and liking other people’s posts.
When you comment on stories, look for ones related to the topics you post about. If you notice that a lot of people are commenting on a particular story, it could mean that the content was popular enough to gain traction.
7. Get Feedback On Your Content
You don’t always need to rely on others to tell you whether or not your content is good.
Instead, you can simply ask them by commenting on their posts. Just be careful to avoid asking questions that seem too personal, such as “Why did you unfollow me?” or “How much money do you make?”
8. Interact With Other Users
You can also interact with users who share similar interests by following them and commenting on their photos. Don’t forget to tag them in your comments if you think that they have created great content!
9. Use Instagram Stories To Engage More People
Instagram Stories are short videos that you can upload to your feed. This feature allows you to give your followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what you’re doing. For example, you can share those moments via Instagram Stories if you’re taking photos while traveling.
10. Join Groups & Follow Influencers
Groups are collections of similar people who connect over a common interest.
You can join groups based on your niche, hobbies, or location. Once you’re part of a group, you’ll receive updates from everyone in the group.
You can then follow influencers within these groups. These accounts often have large follower bases, so you can grow your own following quickly.
11. Ask Customers Questions About Their Photos
If customers leave feedback on your store’s page, you can respond to their requests by asking them questions. You can also answer customer questions by leaving a comment on their photo.
12. Create A Shopify Store
If you plan on using Instagram to promote your business, you should consider creating an online shop using Shopify. Shopify offers several features that help companies market themselves better, such as product research tools, point-of-sale tracking, and inventory management.
14. Take Pictures Of Products That Are Not Yet Sold
The best way to get more sales is to create compelling content. One way to do this is to take pictures of products that you haven’t sold yet. By showing potential buyers the products in person, you can encourage them to purchase them.
15. Keep Up With New Features
When new Instagram features are released, many businesses miss out on them because they aren’t aware of them. However, when you do stay informed, you can use this knowledge to improve your marketing strategies.
16. Update Social Media Profiles
If you haven’t updated your social media profiles since 2015, it may be time to update your information. Your social media profiles are a reflection of your brand. Make sure that everything about your profile matches your company’s image.
17. Share Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are another way to let visitors know how your business performs. If someone leaves a positive review on Google, Facebook, or Yelp, you can respond with a comment thanking them for their kind words.
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for here is our list of the 7 Instagram Tools To Help You Grow Your Following
Conclusion
In conclusion, we hope that this article will help you understand how to start a business on Instagram. We also hope that you’ll learn how to use Instagram to promote your business. To do this, you need to know how to post content and engage with other users.
