If you’re looking to take your jewelry business to the next level, Instagram is the perfect site to start selling your homemade goods and crafts online. Instagram provides plenty of tools for jewelry designers to launch a store and a built-in community of buyers shopping for artisan goods. But how can you tap into this popular market?
Using Instagram for your jewelry business may seem overwhelming at first glance, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the platform and worried about competing brands. Luckily, Instagram allows you to easily build a beautiful business profile and start making money off of your passion.
In this article, I’ll guide you through all the steps you need to take to sell jewelry products on Instagram, with plenty of tips and tricks to ensure you build the best profile possible. Let’s dive in!
Why Use Instagram For Your Jewelry Business?
Instagram is a popular photo-sharing app with more than 1.3 billion users and is one of the leading social media sites in the world. People can use the platform for various purposes, including connecting with friends and family, sharing news and updates, and, most importantly, promoting businesses or products.
In addition to the massive amount of Instagram users, there are many benefits of using Instagram to sell your jewelry. Instagram is a visual platform, making it perfect for showcasing your products. You can easily post photos and videos and behind-the-scenes footage of your business. The social media aspect of the platform will help you more easily connect with and build trust with potential customers, which results in more sales.
Instagram also has plenty of built-in features that help you promote your store, like hashtags and advertisements. Best of all, Instagram is a free platform, so there’s no cost to using it for your jewelry business.
In the next section, I’ll walk you through how to sell jewelry on Instagram step-by-step, so that you’ll be prepared to launch your business in only a matter of hours!
How To Sell Jewelry On Instagram
Selling jewelry on Instagram is an increasingly profitable business niche and for a good reason. The platform is streamlined and accessible, making it possible to launch your page in just a few easy steps. I’ll detail everything you need to know to sell jewelry on Instagram, from brainstorming your brand identity to promoting your products. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Find Your Niche
If you’re just getting started with your jewelry business, it’s essential to consider what market trend you want to tap into. Having a niche will allow you to reach customers looking for the exact product you’re selling and help you stand apart from competitors. There are plenty of different kinds of popular jewelry right now, including the following niches.
Affordable Fashion Jewelry
Selling affordable jewelry is a fantastic option to reach a larger audience and tap into emerging trends at a lower cost. Because affordable fashion jewelry is accessible to most buyers, tapping into this market is ideal if you want to grow your potential audience without spending a lot of money upfront. If you decide on this niche, you won’t be creating your own products but instead will be sourcing and reselling products.
However, keep in mind that the quality may not be optimal if you sell cheap fashion jewelry. While most customers who buy affordable jewelry products expect the items to be cheaply made, you want to make sure what you’re selling isn’t too flimsy or easily broken. Finding the right wholesale manufacturer is critical in this case, as is addressing any customer concerns that may arise regarding the quality of your products.
Vintage Jewelry
Vintage jewelry is another profitable niche you can tap into, especially if you’re passionate and knowledgeable about vintage items. Defining what is vintage can be subjective, but in general, it refers to jewelry that is unique and has a history or story behind it. Many buyers love vintage jewelry because it has a special meaning or significance, and it’s not as common as modern jewelry. Additionally, vintage pieces often have more character than newer pieces due to their unique designs.
However, there are also some disadvantages to selling vintage jewelry online. You’ll have to consider the condition of your pieces and, if possible, have your products cleaned and polished before putting them up for sale. Additionally, it can be challenging to get an accurate sense of how much your pieces are worth. Not all vintage jewelry pieces are created equal, and developing a price point can be difficult with rare or unique items. Researching the current trends in vintage jewelry can help you better understand what buyers are interested in and help you price your pieces accordingly.
Body Jewelry
Body jewelry refers to any jewelry used with piercings, including earrings, nose rings, belly button rings, and eyebrow studs. Because there are so many trendy options to choose from, selling body jewelry is a fantastic niche for your online store.
If you want to sell many types of different products, this niche may be the best fit for your business. However, selling a wide variety of jewelry means higher upfront costs, and you’ll likely need to source your products from multiple manufacturers. Using different suppliers means more quality control for you but also more flexibility when it comes to expanding your inventory.
Fine Jewelry
If you’re knowledgeable about quality jewelry and have access to reliable suppliers, selling fine jewelry may be the right niche for you. Fine jewelry typically refers to pieces made of precious metals and gemstones that are often quite expensive, unlike affordable or costume jewelry, which is generally made of less valuable materials.
Many people choose to purchase fine jewelry because it holds its value over time. While it is more expensive to source, you can also make a much higher profit margin than with cheaper options.
However, selling fine jewelry on Instagram may prove difficult if you don’t already have a reputable brand since buyers making such a significant investment may feel uncomfortable making the purchase on a social media site.
Handmade Jewelry
If you’re crafty or have the skills necessary to make your own jewelry, launching an Instagram page featuring your handmade goods is a great way to monetize your hobby. Handmade jewelry is incredibly versatile and can be tailored to fit any style or occasion. Additionally, because each piece is unique, there’s a certain level of exclusivity that comes with owning a handmade piece of jewelry.
There is no doubt that handmade jewelry has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially on social media platforms like Instagram. While this popularity may be partly because handcrafted jewelry is unique and often more affordable than mass-produced jewelry, it’s also essential to consider the time it will take to produce your pieces. You’ll have to price your stock accordingly to account for your time and labor, without pricing potential buyers out at the same time.
Step 2: Convert To A Business Account
Once you’ve chosen your niche, it’s time to create your Instagram profile! To sell products on Instagram, you’ll need to convert from a personal Instagram account to a business account. To do this, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to your Instagram profile and click on the three lines on the upper right-hand side of your screen, which will take you to this page.
2. Click on settings and then account. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the option to switch to a professional account.
3. Select the option and then choose which category best fits your business type. For jewelry, I suggest selecting shopping and retail.
Click done and you’re set.
That’s all it takes to switch to a professional account that you can use to run your business! Make sure to also check out Instagram’s merchant agreement to ensure you abide by the platform’s regulations.
Now that you’ve switched to an Instagram business account, you’re ready to start designing your profile and posting content to share with your audience. In the next step, I’ll give you tips on how to fill out your user profile.
Step 3: Fill In Your User Profile
Designing a visually appealing Instagram profile is essential if you want your business to succeed. You’ll need professional photos, a clean design, and a cohesive theme (the image above is a fantastic example of how your page should look).
Another vital element of your profile is your Instagram handle or username. While you can change your handle at any time, staying consistent is essential for brand recognition. Make sure you choose the right handle for your profile before you start accumulating followers and posting. Ideally, your handle should include your brand name and the type of product you’re selling.
Choose a profile picture that contains your brand’s logo or a professional photo of your products if you make handmade goods. When filling out your Instagram bio, state where you are based and your company’s mission. You’ll want to keep it short and sweet, but have a bio link to any applicable social media sites or digital storefronts if you have them.
Step 4: Build Your Store
Now that you’ve filled in your profile, it’s time to build your Instagram store! There are two significant steps to follow: syncing with a business Facebook page and setting up Instagram shopping.
Sync With Your Facebook Page
Once your profile is customized, you can start creating Instagram posts that include images of your products. However, Instagram doesn’t let you link to outside sites directly in captions, so you’ll need to set up an Instagram store to import and tag your products.
To build your store and make shoppable posts, you will need a Facebook business page on which you are the designated business admin. Once you have your Facebook business page set up, you can connect it to your Instagram profile and start uploading your product catalog.
To import items to your Instagram, you will first have to upload them using the Facebook commerce manager. Also known as the Facebook catalog manager, this tool lets you upload photos and descriptions of all the products you wish to sell directly on your Instagram.
Luckily, integrating your Facebook page with your Instagram account is simple. Once your products are uploaded to the catalog manager, go to your Instagram profile and click on edit profile. Then, select page which will bring you to this screen:
Choose connect existing page to sync your catalog with your Instagram and you’ll be ready to set up shopping.
Set Up Shopping
To make a shoppable Instagram, you’ll have to turn on the shopping feature. To do so, go to settings and click on business. Click on shopping, which will automatically give you access to the Instagram shopping feature. Your profile will now have an extra tab with your products and a view shop tab.
Additionally, you’ll now be able to start tagging your products in photos on your Instagram feed, making it simple for buyers to shop directly from your page! However, the work isn’t over quite yet—you’ll need to properly market your store to start attracting loyal buyers, which I’ll cover in the next section.
Step 5: Market Your Store
When it comes to using Instagram to sell jewelry, you’ll need to build brand awareness, reach your target audience, and gain followers. Marketing your store is essential if you want to be a real competitor in the Instagram game, and there are a few steps you can take to ensure you will make more sales and attract new customers.
A free way to market your store is by using Instagram #hashtags. Hashtags are an easy way to get your jewelry store in front of a broader audience on Instagram. When you include popular hashtags in your Instagram posts, your photos will appear when people search for those terms. You can use hashtags to target specific audiences or broaden your reach to new followers.
The key is to use hashtags relevant to your business and the products you sell. For example, if you sell necklaces, you might use the hashtag #necklaceaddict. Or, if you’re targeting brides-to-be, you might use the hashtag #ringinspo. It would be best if you also created a hashtag that is unique to your brand that you use in every post you make.
Partner With Influencers
Influencers on Instagram run accounts with a large following that can help promote your jewelry store. Typically, when partnering with these influencers or brands, you will have to pay them—the more followers they have, the more expensive these partnerships will be. However, if it increases engagement with your page, the fees may be worth the cost.
However, finding the right fit for your brand and getting them to promote your store can be difficult. One way to discover influencers who may be interested in your product is to look at similar brands and see who promotes them. If they partner with like-minded businesses, they may be interested in partnering with your jewelry store. You can find similar stores by searching applicable hashtags on Instagram’s explore page.
Create An Instagram Advertising Campaign
Instagram advertising campaigns can be incredibly beneficial for businesses of all sizes. A paid Instagram advertising campaign allows users who don’t follow you to see your posts. You can target these potential customers by location, age, gender, interests, and other demographics.
One of the great things about Instagram advertising is that you can use creative visuals to catch people’s attention. You can also include a call-to-action (CTA) button on your ad to direct people to your website or landing page.
Before launching a paid Instagram advertising campaign, it’s essential to set some goals and create a strategy for how you want to achieve them. When creating a campaign, you can select different goals, like “brand awareness” or “conversion.” For more information, check out my article on using ads for eCommerce.Tips And Tricks For Selling Jewelry On Instagram
Now that your shop is set up, you’ve started making engaging posts, and you’ve begun to market your store, you can still implement a few more aspects to attract followers and boost your brand’s image. This section will get into additional ways to ensure success with your Instagram shop.
Be Active On Your Feed
You may have heard that you should post to social media regularly to keep your followers engaged. But how often is too often – and how often is not enough?
To help your followers feel connected to you, remaining active on your profile is essential. Ideally, you should be posting new content multiple times a week and engaging with any comments customers leave on your posts. When you’re not dedicating time to posting and customer concerns, you can check out other accounts for inspiration and work on your advertising campaigns.
Of course, you don’t want to bombard your followers with incessant posts, so make sure that the content you share is high quality and relevant. Jewelry store owners can keep their followers engaged by posting images of their latest products, writing exciting blog posts about trends in the industry, and running contests and giveaways.
Use Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are a feature on the app that allows users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. They’re a great way to share what you’re up to with your followers without worrying about filling up your feed with too many photos and videos.
You can use Instagram stories to share sneak peeks of what’s going on behind the scenes at your business, give tips or advice related to your products or services, and feature user-generated content.
Interact With Your Customers
It’s essential to interact with your customers to build more engagement with your posts. Answering direct messages, liking comments, and following loyal buyers back are just a few ways to create a sense of community for your business. You can also reward customers with special discounts when they refer your business to friends or tag other users in your posts.
Another way to engage followers on Instagram is by running contests. For example, you could ask followers to post a photo of themselves using your product or service for a chance to win a free prize. You can also offer discounts and sales by announcing promotions on your Instagram stories and posts.
Create A Community With Other Businesses
Instagram is a great way to build relationships with customers and followers, but it’s also a fantastic way to connect with other business owners and jewelry designers. By reaching out to other businesses on Instagram, you can share engaging content, collaborate on projects, and build relationships that will benefit both companies. Additionally, you can use other community platforms to engage with like-minded business owners.
You can also use other accounts for mentorship and guidance when you’re starting. Don’t be afraid to contact business owners you admire through a direct message to connect and ask for tips and tricks!
FAQ: How To Sell Jewelry On Instagram
Yes, it is legal to sell jewelry on Instagram but you’ll have to make sure that you are following Instagram’s merchant agreement and following their community guidelines. You will also have to wait for your business account to be reviewed and approved by Instagram, which can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
The first step to running a successful store is to create a profile that showcases your work. Be sure to include high-quality photos of your pieces, and make sure the descriptions are accurate and informative.
Next, start following other users interested in jewelry to help expose your work to a broader audience. You can use applicable hashtags for free advertising or paid partnerships with influencers and Instagram ads to gain more followers.
Final Thoughts
While selling jewelry on Instagram may take some work upfront, once you’ve set up your store, it is easy to manage your orders, customize your profile, and communicate with buyers.
When creating your store, make sure to create a solid and consistent brand identity. Utilize high-quality images, and be sure to engage with your followers by answering questions and providing feedback. You can also use hashtags to reach a wider audience and consider investing in paid advertising to boost your reach.
By following the tips and tricks from this article, you can maximize your success as a jewelry seller on Instagram. Are you ready to take the leap? Get started with your jewelry shop on Instagram today!
Further reading on MikeVestil.com: Have you ever considered starting a business that sells clothes online? Here's my article on starting an online boutique that might be of interest.