How to sell on Instagram through your content, without feeling 'salesy'
Hands up if you hate selling?
Don't worry, you are not alone. BUT we are here to help you change your mindset about selling on social media, especially Instagram.
I know that many people, at any stage of their business, seem to feel too ‘salesy’ when promoting their product/service online. If you’re feeling this way then it’s time to shift your mindset - we don’t want that limiting feeling hanging around!
That’s why, this week, we are focussing on giving you the tips, tools and strategies you need to show up and sell authentically on Instagram. Claudia Woodham (@claudiawoodham_) is on the podcast to show us some awesome ways to structure out your launch and sales to make the most out of showing up and, of course, start making money from your content! So make sure to check out that podcast here.
But for now, if you want to learn all about marketing and selling on Instagram, how to get over that dislike of selling, what you need to know before promotion and more, let’s dive in together!
What you need to know before you sell
First things first, it’s important to remember that sales and promotion are all a part of the business. There is no use entering a new promo period, launch, or marketing strategy if you have the belief that either you are ‘unauthentic’ for promoting your business or that your audience will hate you for trying to market to them - because neither of these circumstances is true!
So let’s let go of those limiting attitudes.
Alright, now let's get into the logistical ‘stuff’ you need to know before selling.
Remember that the more you know about your target audience, the better content you can create that will resonate with them. So, if you haven't got around to doing any kind of marketing research, I would definitely recommend tackling that first. The value you can gain from a simple survey, IG poll or even asking questions directly via DM is amazing - so don’t miss out on that opportunity to target your audience better.
Secondly, think about what your message is and the purpose of your launch/sale. What are you trying to convey to your audience? What problem are you solving for them? Why do they need it? All of these questions are very important to ask yourself, we don’t want to put loads of time and energy into a launch that has no direction - we want to give it the best chance of being successful!
Each piece of content you create needs to have an intention behind it, especially during a heavy marketing period. Ask yourself how you are going to really connect with your audience and show them that they need what you’re selling.
Doing things like showing your face, maintaining consistency, being comfortable in storytelling and showing compassion to yourself, will really help you to get the most out of your launch. Remind yourself that Instagram is a process and practice makes perfect - some launches you do won’t go amazingly and that’s okay! It’s all a learning experience and that’s why staying strong with consistency and evaluating your process is so beneficial.
This is also why we created the Content Queen content strategy template, to help you set out your social platforms, remain consistent, and create the best content that you can for your business. If you’d like to download it for free, have a look here!
Creating content on Instagram
So because we’re telling you that maintaining consistency and being international with what you create is so important, I think it’s only fair we tell you how!
On Instagram, there are so many features you can use to help you stay consistent - it just depends on what you love to create and what will keep you inspired when you’re creating loads of content (which is why launch periods can be so intense).
Have a play around with all of the features that Instagram offers and see what fits best for you! There are reels, your usual feed, stories, and lives that you can use, so try them out, see what you like best and what your audience resonates with the most and use it!
However, if you aren't sure straight away what your audience likes and what gains traction, look at the data! Audit the content you have done and what is working the best. Look at the saves, comments, shares, and how you can create more of that content. This is when evaluation is so important, through this you’ll be able to see what content people are not responding to and ask yourself what you can do to change it.
Content is progressive, you learn more everyday about your audience. Who they are now can be different from when you started. Review the process and make changes as you go (we recommend doing this quarterly).
Ways to sell on Instagram
Selling on Instagram doesn't have to be as tricky as it may seem. When you are entering a new launch period, it isn’t about how much you can throw at people, it is about the quality of the content you are creating and the service you are providing.
You are answering the question “Why does my audience need this”
So to do this, you need to start by giving value and leading them to what you have to offer. Remember that selling = serving, this process isn't just about earning money from what you offer, it’s also about what your offer can give the people who are purchasing it.
Start showing up and telling your audience, it’s okay to trust in your service and be direct about why it can provide value - you worked hard on it! At the end of the day, you need to remember that you’re not just selling, you are also helping your audience by giving them guidance, support, and help in whatever they are doing!
Remember to keep this value consistent, however, through all stages of business - not just in launch periods. This helps when you have CTAs that may ask your audience to DM you, click a link, or sign up for something. You’ve established that trust and connection with them through your business already, so they are more inclined to follow what you ask.
How to not feel “salesy”
One of the biggest reasons why business owners don’t like selling is because it can sound ‘unauthentic’ or ‘salesy’ - but don’t worry, we can help change this.
Sometimes it can be as simple as framing how you talk about your product or service. Instead of explaining simply what it is, when it’s launching, and how to purchase - try going into more depth about the impact of what you are launching.
The client needs to know how you are going to get them from A to B and how this one thing will impact their life and business.
Sales is about communication and communicating your product and services in a way that is helpful for your audience. For this to work, make sure you're working on our copywriting skills to help you convert and look at your sales pages to see what you can repurpose to your social media captions - this ensures your messages are clear and consistent.
What if I don’t like to sell?
Without selling you don’t have a business, it’s as simple as that.
Whenever you’re selling or launching, it doesn't have to be sleazy. You just need to find a way that best suits your business and what feels most authentic to you, shift your mindset to look at selling as a part of business, as something you have to do because it’s your livelihood, not as something that you’re doing just for the money.
Of course, like everything in business, this takes time and practice. Use your own experience of what you didn't like with selling and find the best fit for you, think back to launches or sales you’ve seen, and remember what you liked and didn’t like to see as a consumer - how can you take this on or avoid it?
Just make a start and learn along the way, that’s the best way.
Instagram launch plan
Here are some helpful tips that Claudia and myself covered in our Content Queen podcast episode all about launching and selling to your target audience.
Look at data website clicks rather than just likes, comments, and saves on your posts
Take polls on your IG stories and ask if people want to work with you
Ask your buyers where they have come from and how they found out about your launch (this is a form of market research)
Remember that your audience is on a journey, they are all at different stages of getting to know/knowing your business so don’t expect to build the same level of trust with all of them straight away
Warm-up your audience to what you are selling and how you are launching, this can start a few weeks out from your actual launch date.
This is then the content you can create to support your launch:
6 weeks out from launch is when the actual launch period starts, the content you create can be informative content and lead generation, shareable infographics, and reels - think about what can draw eyes to your profile.
Then one month to two weeks out, you can start going live and creating IG stories around your offer.
The week of launch where you are promoting will include sales-type content like IG stories and feed content explaining your product/service.
Doing market research on Instagram
Market research is important to do before any launch because you want to know the people you are selling to. But how can you conduct market research on Instagram as a focus? Well here are some ways to get valuable results from your research:
Polls and using stories
Looking at comments
Messaging followers directly through DMs
1:1 market research
Look at how the platform is changing as well as your audience. Utilize the features of Instagram and have that research hub for Instagram changes and stay on top of it! A great way to do this is through one of our offers at content Queen, our membership offers all the guidance and advice you need on navigating IG, selling, promoting, and keeping up with recent updates/changes on the platform. So if you want to check it out, join the waitlist for our relaunch here
Things to remember and final thoughts
Selling is all a part of business and your target audience knows this. You should never feel guilty for selling, marketing, or launching in your business because how else would you make sales? Your brand, business, products, and/or services are something you should be proud to promote, so it's time to change your mindset if you think any differently.
All people, whether they are in your specific niche or not, have different buyer behaviours so they won’t make up their minds straight away if they trust you, you need to give them time to learn about you and your offer. Make sure to keep promoting it, get comfortable with selling your one thing, and just find different ways to talk about it.
Create that trust and reliability with transformation and social proof on how your product/service has affected clients and got them from A to B in their businesses.
Have little things to help you along the way like strong CTAs, an easy process to buy, a link in your bio, and of course a landing page with your offer! Dedicate these things to what you are launching for the entirety of your launch period and, trust me, it will help gain that traction and eventual sales.