How to Sell Your Handmade Jewelry on Instagram
Instagram is one of the hottest ways to promote and sell a variety of handmade goods, especially jewelry. Read on to learn how the booming popularity of Instagram sales can boost your jewelry-making business.
Set Up Shop
Before you begin to sell your work on Instagram, it's important to create an inviting, on-brand shop page with your information. You'll also need an appropriate username, a profile photo and a business bio with any relevant information and contact information. If you want, you can also include a company mission statement or a short description of your business' core values. The more information you provide to customers, the more personal and engaging your business page is.
The next step is to photograph your jewelry designs. It's important to take high-quality photos that make your designs the main focus, avoiding distracting backgrounds, out-of-focus details or poor lighting. Some jewelry-makers choose to photograph their designs on a model to show what the pieces look like when worn, some lay them out on a flat surface and others do a combination of the two. No matter how you choose to display your creations, creating a theme or aesthetic throughout your photos is key. Using a consistent background, decorative element or color scheme will make your profile feel cohesive and give an air of professionalism.
Marketing and Customer Engagement
When creating a post, the caption sells your piece almost as much as the image does. A well-written description, short or long, keeps the reader interested. Adding emojis and a question for your readers adds a little fun and makes them more likely to engage with the post.
Be sure to add a few hashtags at the end of your captions. Hashtags act as keywords that users can search and make your posts more likely to be seen by the right people. A standard number of hashtags per post is 5-10. One caveat, though--simple, generic hashtags make your post more likely to get lost in a sea of like-minded images. Using tags more specific to your unique designs and materials is a great way to stand out from the crowd and draw people in.
Although it's important to share quality images of your products regularly, you shouldn't treat your Instagram page like a catalog. Mix in posts with behind-the-scenes information, stories about your process, how you got started in jewelry, or photos of in-progress pieces. Including a variety of materials and information like this grows interest, adds followers and builds a brand personality. Showing the human element of your jewelry-making business creates a stronger, more genuine connection with your followers, making them more likely to keep up with your page and make a purchase.
Another way to add variety to your page is by utilizing all of Instagram's features. Create a Story for shop updates, share a Reel (up to a 90-second video) of a new design or a piece worn by a model, or post a full-length process or how-to video on Instagram video. To build your business and your follower count, consider offering a giveaway, connecting with other jewelry-makers and interacting with your followers in the comments of your posts. The more features you use to connect with customers and other designers the more creative and engaging your content can be.
Ways to Sell
You've got your profile set up, your photos ready to go, and you're ready to start selling. Now what? There are two main ways to sell your jewelry designs on Instagram: through a link in your bio and with shoppable posts.
Instagram allows one hyperlink in a user's biography section. Most Insta-savvy jewelry sellers link to their Etsy, Shopify or a personalized website, directing followers to shop through that link in their captions and stories.
The second method to sell your jewelry is through shoppable posts. Sellers who qualify for the shop feature can insert clickable links called "product tags" that take the consumer to a third-party sales platform. In some cases, clicking on the product tag will open Instagram Checkout and allow the customer to use Facebook Pay to complete the purchase without leaving Instagram. To qualify for shoppable posts, you must meet certain criteria, including having a Facebook Catalog, using an Instagram business account, and operating your business within a supported country. To learn more about whether or not you qualify for a shoppable Instagram business account, visit Instagram's help center for more details.
Selling handmade jewelry online can be daunting, but with the right tools, knowledge and a bit of perseverance, your jewelry endeavors can grow into a thriving business venture.
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