How to Sell on Instagram: Easy Ways to Sell Products on Instagram

Selling online isn’t just about having a website anymore. It’s about being where people already are. And right now, that’s the Instagram app.

With over two billion active monthly users, Instagram has quietly become one of the most powerful social media platforms for online shopping. People scroll, spot something they like, and buy it right there in the app. That’s how natural it’s become.

If you’re a small business owner or creator wondering how to sell on Instagram, this is the time to start. The platform’s built-in tools like Instagram shopping, product tags, and Instagram checkout make it simple to sell products and reach potential customers without any tech struggle.

In this article, we’ll talk about what actually works: how to set up your business account, post with purpose, and turn casual scrollers into happy customers who keep coming back.

Why Sell on Instagram? Understanding the Opportunity

Wondering about why you should sell on Instagram? Because today, Instagram is a full-blown marketplace built into one of the world’s most popular social media platforms.

Massive audience reach

• With more than two billion active monthly users globally, Instagram is a huge pool of potential customers you can reach, without even leaving the Instagram app.
• Whether you sell physical goods or offer services, Instagram gives you access to global audiences.

Strong engagement and discovery power

• Features like Instagram stories, Reels, feed posts, and the explore page help direct users to your products organically.
• Shoppers can explore and purchase products directly through Instagram checkout.

Built for selling

• A business account unlocks Instagram insights, ads manager, and commerce manager, so you can track performance and boost your Instagram sales.
• The shop tab makes it easy for people to browse your Instagram store and buy instantly.

Visual storytelling that sells

• When you create compelling content that shows your product in real life through user generated content or video content, people trust it more.
• Visuals help strengthen brand identity and encourage customers to connect emotionally with what you offer.

Growing support for small businesses

• Small business owners can run Instagram ads for any budget and still boost sales effectively.
• Its connection with Facebook business means your sales channels are integrated and business addresses are in one place.

Prerequisites for Selling on Instagram

Before you start selling on Instagram, you’ll need to have a few basics in place. Think of this like getting your shop ready before opening the doors. You want it clean, clear, and easy for people to trust what they see.

Setting Up a Business Profile

If you’re still using a personal Instagram account, it’s time to switch to a business account or a professional account. This simple change unlocks tools like Instagram insights, ads manager, and commerce manager, which will actually help you sell. Here’s how to do it:

• Open your account settings and tap Switch to Professional Account.
• Choose Business and fill in your details: your business address, email, and phone number.
• Write a short, clear Instagram bio that says who you are and what you sell products or services you offer.
• Use your logo or a professional photo for your profile, and keep your Instagram feed consistent in tone and color.

When your Instagram business profile looks professional, people take you seriously. They know you mean business.

Creating a Product Catalog

Next, you need a product catalog. Think of it as your online shelf. It holds all the details about what you sell, like names, prices, images, and descriptions.

• You’ll set it up through your Facebook business page using commerce manager.
• Make sure every product has accurate information and clear images.
• Once Instagram approves it, you can enable product tags on your Instagram posts, reels, and stories.

This is when the fun begins. Someone sees your post, taps a tag, and boom! They can purchase products right from your Instagram store.

Complying with Instagram’s Commerce Policies

Instagram keeps things fair by enforcing community guidelines and commerce policies. Only sell physical goods in a supported market, and if you have a business license, make sure it’s valid. Be honest about your products and use real photos, true prices, and correct details.

Basically, play by the rules. It helps you stay visible, credible, and trusted by both potential customers and the platform itself.

Source

Setting Up Instagram Shopping

Now that your business account and product catalog are ready, it’s time to turn your profile into a real shop. The Instagram shopping feature is what makes the difference between just showing your products and actually selling them. It’s what lets people go from liking your Instagram posts to buying from you, right inside the Instagram app.

Connecting Your Product Catalog

Your product catalog is basically your shop’s inventory where all your products live. To link it with your Instagram business profile:

• Open Commerce Manager in your Facebook business account.
• Select your existing product catalog (or create one if you haven’t).
• Check that each product has accurate information, like photos, prices, names, and links to your online store.
• Connect the catalog to your Instagram business account in your account settings.

After you do this, Instagram will review your shop to make sure it meets its commerce policies and community guidelines. The review might take a few days, so just keep posting in the meantime. Once you’re approved, you’ll unlock the shopping tools that let you tag and sell directly.

Tagging Products in Posts and Stories

This part is where Instagram selling gets exciting. When your catalog is connected, you can tag products in feed posts, stories, reels, and carousel posts.

• Create your post or story like you normally would.
• Tap Tag Products before publishing.
• Pick the item you want from your product catalog.

Now when someone sees your post and taps the tag, they’ll get all the details (price, name, and a link to purchase products instantly). You can make it more engaging with short calls-to-action like “Tap to Shop” or use branded hashtags to reach more potential customers.

Enabling Instagram Checkout (Where Available)

If you’re lucky enough to be in a supported market, Instagram checkout is the cherry on top. It lets people buy your products without leaving the app. No redirects or extra clicks; just a quick, clean shopping experience.

• Go to Commerce Manager (use the Facebook commerce manager and link your Instagram account to your business profile) and turn on Instagram checkout.
• Add your shipping, tax, and payment details.
• Confirm your business license, if needed.

Once that’s set up, your Instagram store becomes fully functional. People can discover, browse, and buy from your posts in seconds. And for small business owners, that’s a huge win with less friction, happy customers, and a smoother way to boost sales.

Creating Compelling Content to Drive Sales

You can have the best Instagram store in the world, but if your content doesn’t catch attention, people will scroll right past it. Selling on Instagram isn’t just about what you sell, it’s how you show it. To truly stand out and become an Instagram creator, focus on great visuals, honest storytelling, and clear calls-to-action that make people stop, look, and buy.

High-Quality Visuals and Branding

Let’s be real: nowadays, people buy with their eyes. Your photos and videos need to look clean, sharp, and true to your brand identity. The good news? You don’t need a fancy camera; your phone can do the job if you use good lighting and simple backgrounds.

• Shoot your sell products shots in natural light whenever possible.
• Keep your colors, fonts, and filters consistent across your Instagram feed. That’s what builds trust and recognition.
• Use close-ups, lifestyle shots, and behind-the-scenes clips to show how your sell physical goods actually fit into real life.
• Encourage user-generated content from happy customers. Nothing builds credibility faster than real people using what you sell.

A consistent visual style makes your Instagram profile look professional and helps people remember your brand after one scroll.

Utilizing Instagram Reels and Stories

Instagram reels and stories are where engagement happens. These quick, casual formats show your products in action.

• Use video content to show how your product works or looks in daily life.
• Add music, text, and stickers to make it feel natural and personal.
• Use polls, questions, or countdowns in stories to encourage customers to interact.
• Showcase Instagram offers, limited drops, or host giveaways to drive more clicks to your shop tab.

Reels often reach the explore page, helping new potential customers find you. Stories, on the other hand, build closeness with people who already follow you. Both are key to business growth.

Writing Effective Captions and CTAs

Captions are your quiet sales pitch. They explain, connect, and guide your audience.

• Keep them short but clear. Say what the product is, why it matters, and how to get it.
• End with a direct call to action. For example, “Shop now,” “Tap the tag,” or “Check the link in bio.”
• Mix things up. Some posts can be funny, some personal, some educational. The point is to sound human, not like a brand brochure.
• Use relevant hashtags and branded hashtags so your content shows up where your target audience hangs out.

Good content doesn’t just look nice; it moves people. Combine strong visuals, authentic stories, and a clear next step, and you’ll turn your Instagram posts into sales magnets.

Expand Your Reach with AI-Powered Audio Dubbing

Source

Here’s how you can boost your Instagram sales by letting global users in. With Murf's Audio dubbing, you can convert your Reels, Stories and video posts into multiple languages, while keeping your original voice tone and timing.

Why Murf AI Matters

• Your Instagram feed and stories reach a wider crowd when the audio speaks their language.
• You don’t need to create separate recordings for each region. You upload one video, choose the target languages, and Murf handles the rest.
• With product tags, carousel posts, and video content already driving Instagram sales, localizing your audio removes a barrier for potential customers overseas.

How Murf Supports Your Instagram Sales

• AI Dubbing: Converts your product videos, tutorials, and influencer content into multiple languages while maintaining lip sync and natural flow.
• Voice Cloning: Keeps your brand voice consistent across all dubbed versions, making your content instantly recognizable.
• Custom Voices: Lets you pick from hundreds of lifelike voices that match your brand personality: professional, playful, luxurious, or anything you'd prefer.
• Fast, Scalable Production: Perfect for brands that post often. You can localize dozens of clips in one go and stay ahead of trends.

By making your videos multilingual and on-brand, Murf helps you reach new audiences, deepen engagement, and turn more views into sales without hiring a translation team. Murf AI is just the solution that equips you to achieve all of this with ease and finesse.

Building and Engaging Your Audience

Selling on Instagram isn’t just about posting pictures and waiting for people to buy. It’s about finding the people who like what you do, trust your brand, and keep coming back. Let’s break down how to actually build that kind of following.

Organic Growth Strategies

Forget shortcuts. Real growth comes from real effort.

• Use relevant hashtags that make sense for your business account. They help new people find you without feeling spammy.
• Team up with other small business owners or creators who share your vibe. A simple tag or collaboration can open you up to a whole new audience.
• Share user-generated content. When happy customers post about your products, reshare it. It shows people that real folks love what you sell, and that goes a long way.

Running Instagram Ads

Once you’ve got a good base, running Instagram ads can help you reach more potential customers.

• Use ads manager to target the right people, i.e., those who would actually look forward to seeing what you sell.
• Try different ad formats like photo ads, carousel posts, or short video ads and see what works best.
• Keep your message short and real. The goal is to get people curious enough to click, not to oversell.
• Check your Instagram insights often. Double down on what’s working and drop what’s not.

Engaging with Followers

Your followers aren’t just numbers; they’re your community.

• Reply to direct messages and comments like you would to a friend.
• Use Instagram stories to ask questions, run polls, or just show what’s going on behind the scenes.
• Do small giveaways or shout out loyal followers to make them feel appreciated.

The more real and consistent you are, the more your Instagram sales grow naturally. People want to buy from people, not faceless brands. As such, talk like yourself, show up often, and keep it honest.

Recent Updates and Trends in Instagram Selling

Selling on Instagram keeps getting easier and smarter. If you’ve been wondering what’s new or what’s actually worth your time, here’s a quick breakdown.

Instagram’s Enhanced Shopping Features

Instagram shopping has evolved far beyond simple product tags. Now you can:

• Enable product tags on feed posts, stories, and reels, letting users tap and buy directly.
• Customize your Instagram store layout to match your brand identity.
• Use Instagram checkout (in supported regions) so customers purchase without leaving the Instagram app.

The Rise of Live Shopping Events

Live shopping is one of the biggest trends on social media platforms right now. Viewers can see product demos, ask questions, and even purchase products directly from the live stream.

It’s a smart way to humanize your brand, build brand loyalty, and turn viewers into buyers. Many small businesses now use Instagram stories to tease these live events, driving more traffic to their sessions.

Integration with Third-Party E-Commerce Platforms

The platform integrates smoothly with these systems, syncing your product catalog and inventory. That means no double work when you update something on your Facebook business page or online store. It reflects automatically on your Instagram business profile.

These integrations simplify Instagram selling and help you manage everything from one place, making your business growth a lot less complicated.

Selling on Instagram is one of the easiest ways to reach potential customers and grow your business account. With a billion active monthly users, it’s become a powerful sales channel for small business owners. Focus on creating a strong Instagram business profile, using product tags, and posting compelling content that drives Instagram sales.

And to make your reels and stories stand out, use Murf’s AI dubbing to speak to global audiences in multiple languages. It’s an effortless way to boost engagement and make your Instagram store feel more personal, human, and ready for business growth.