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Nowadays, people are selling anything and everything on Instagram and Tik Tok.
While Tik Tok is great for information and entertainment, Instagram is an incredible marketing tool. It is fair to say that most artists use Instagram to sell or promote their work in one way or another.
Stay tuned to learn all there is to know about using Instagram to build your side hustle!
How is Instagram leveling out the playing field?
Instagram has been revolutionary for artists.
Before, if you wanted to sell your work, it had to be in a gallery or at an art market. If you wanted to advertise a service, you needed to build a massive blog or use a freelance website.
But Instagram has put artists in the driver’s seat. With Instagram, artists can make the money they deserve.
What kinds of things are people selling?
One thing people started selling during the pandemic was masks. Handmade masks became incredibly popular. Anything handmade is popular on Instagram. These include handmade soaps, clothing, and home décor. Stuff for kids like slime is also a trending item.
Some people are called influencers and make their entire income from the internet. They are recruited to be brand ambassadors and to show up in advertisements.
And then there are artists: painters, collagers, knitters – the whole gamut. Instagram is a way for artists to gain followers who they can sell directly to through Instagram or other websites where they sell their work, like Etsy.
How do you sell things on Instagram?
With a few simple steps, you can easily have a side hustle on Instagram.
Define what you’re offering
Consider what makes your product special. That will be your biggest selling point.
These are some questions you should ask yourself:
- Why should people invest in you?
- How much labor will it take on your end to make your product, and how expensive will it be?
- How much of your time will this side hustle take up?
- Will you need help from others?
It’s essential to have a good idea of if you’ll manage your side hustle on top of everything else in your life. You don’t want something to take over your life if you don’t have the room for it.
On the other hand, if you’re offering a service that you’d like to be your full-time job, go as big as you possibly can! You can make living selling products on Instagram; it isn’t a lofty goal.
Figure out your target audience
You won’t sell anything if you don’t know who your target audience is.
Imagine your ideal customer. What do they like? What do they dislike? What is their budget?
Once you have this information, you’ll be able to tailor your marketing.
Ways you can customize your marking include your branding visuals (photography, fonts, and colors), hashtag strategy, and voice.
Another way to crowdsource information about your customer base is to use question stickers and polls on your Instagram. Not only will this give you vital information, but it will also boost your engagement and help you out in the algorithm.
Brand yourself
Now, you should be thinking about what kind of page would attract your audience, including:
- A color scheme.
- A logo.
- Fonts.
- Aesthetic.
Use your product to guide you. If your product has a lot of colorful patterns, you will want to have a fun, playful aesthetic. If your product is sleek, you will want a minimalistic aesthetic.
Think about how you want people to feel when they look at your page. Do you want them to feel calm? Excited? Curious?
Tailor your branding to your product and to the feelings you want people to have.
Create a business profile
Now it’s time to convert your page into a business profile. This can be done in your Settings.
Consider your Instagram profile your storefront!
An essential aspect of a business profile is your bio. Your bio should include contact information and be a mini “about” blurb. Stay on brand and give people an idea of who you are and what you do.
Put a link in your bio to send followers to the platform you use to sell your work (if you’re not selling directly through Instagram).
Make sure your profile picture is on-brand and professional.
Have a searchable account name.
Plan your strategy
Now it’s time to plan your content strategy.
https://www.hustleandgroove.com/how-to-use-instagram/
Things you might want to share include:
- Behind-the-scenes videos.
- Motivational quotes.
- Collages.
- Stock images.
- User-generated content.
- Product photography.
You can plan your posts ahead of time and save them from being published later. The ideal time for publishing, for most businesses, is between 3 pm and 6 pm.
You can use data that Instagram shows you to see when your followers are most active and engaged.
Make your Instagram Shop
With an Instagram Shop, you can create a feed of buyable products that people can access directly through your profile.
You can also tag these products in your Instagram Lives, Reels, IGTV videos, stories, and posts.
By taking away the extra click of going to Etsy or another website, an Instagram Shop will encourage more people to buy your products.
Engage with other businesses and promote your account
Building up a following can take quite some time, but ways can speed up the process.
If you have a personal account separate from your business account, promote it there. Ask family and friends to promote your shop as well.
Something else you can do to increase traffic is engage with other businesses in a similar niche. Not only will this promote your account, but you can also make meaningful connections from who you can bounce ideas or get advice.
Use Instagram Analytics
Track your performance using Analytics.
You can track many metrics, and keeping your eye on the prize will help you prioritize what data is most important to you.
If you’re most interested in increasing exposure, monitor your reach. If you want to build community, focus on engagement. If you’re focused on sales, pay attention to what kind of content generates clicks.
Final thoughts
You can sell almost anything on Instagram. Keeping your target audience in mind and staying authentic are the most important factors when growing a business on Instagram.
Be strategic and keep your branding consistent.
Use analytics to tune up your content in ways that are most important to you.
If you follow these simple rules, your business will be a success in no time!
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