How to promote your POD store on Instagram

Learn how to use Social Media to boost sales.

 

If you start a Print on Demand Business, you must find a way to promote your products and reach customers. Promoting your products can be a time-consuming task. For this reason, you should always prioritize the channels that provide more benefit.  Print on Demand is a visually based business, and so is Instagram; this social media platform is a great way to promote your products.

This post is a guide to the main tasks that you must accomplish if you want to promote your store on Instagram. Follow the steps and learn how to boost your print on demand sales with digital marketing.

You can read more about this business model in our Ultimate Print on Demand Guide. If you are searching for graphic design elements for your Print on Demand Store, check our growing library of assets. 

 

On this article:

How to add data to your Instagram Account
How to set up Instagram Business
How to publish an ad on Instagram to promote your Print on Demand store.
How to add product tags to your Instagram posts.

 

How to add data to your Instagram profile?

 

Instagram is a visual platform, so it’s always good to start by setting a profile picture with the logo of your Print on Demand brand. This way, your logo will be visible in all your interactions with potential clients and competitors.

The second thing you should do is to update the name of your Instagram profile. We are not talking about your user name (your @); we mean the name of your profile. This name is searchable, so if you include the right keywords, you can quickly boost your visibility on the platform.

The third thing you must include is a link to your website. Instagram does not allow you to include links in the product descriptions, so it’s essential to link to your e-commerce in the bio. Otherwise, your potential customers won’t be able to visit your store and purchase your products.

 

 

The last thing you must do is to write your Instagram bio. Try to be as transparent as you can. Make a descriptive pitch for your business, so anyone that finds you on the platform can get to know what to do.

There are a lot of things that you can try on your Instagram bio. It’s all about strategy! If you think that it is good to link your Print on Demand store to your personal profile, you can mention your account on your description.

If you want to add social proof, you can create a brand hashtag and include it here. Make sure you add some content to this hashtag: otherwise, an empty search result will create a negative impression.

If you want to edit the appearance of your bio text, create it in a separate app and paste it on Instagram afterward. The platform does not allow you to break lines or to introduce spaces. You can solve this technical gap by creating the text on your phone notes and pasting it in the form.

 

 

 

How to setup Instagram Business for your Print on Demand Store?

 

To be able to use Instagram as a professional tool, you must upgrade your account to Instagram Business. This way, you will get access to statistics and tools that will help you improve your business. The more data-driven insights you get, the better decisions you’ll make in your project.

To setup Instagram Business, go to Settings > Account > Switch to Business Account.

 

 

If you want to upgrade your Instagram profile, you need to link your account to a Facebook page. Our advice is always to create a Facebook page, even if that channel is not a priority for you.

If you don’t want to put any effort into your Facebook page, you have some alternatives.

• You can add your essential branding elements and include visible links that redirect to other channels. This way, potential customers can access your Ecommerce store or your Instagram page through your Facebook.
• It’s also possible to be active on Facebook without updating your page. You just have to program your Instagram posts to be published on Facebook automatically.
• In case you don’t want to be found on Facebook, you can always unpublish your page. It’s easy: go to the page’s settings, and select General > Page visibility > Page unpublished.

 

How to publish an ad on Instagram to promote your Print on Demand Store?

 

Creating ads on Instagram is straightforward! Grab your phone, open the app, and follow the next steps.

Go to a post that you’d like to promote. Select “Promote Post.”

 

 

Instagram will ask you where do you want to send your new audience. You can direct people to your profile, to your website, or your inbox.

 

 

The next step is to create an audience. Instagram will provide some product categories that will help you narrow the profile of your potential customer.

 

 

After choosing categories, it is time to set locations. If you know where is the potential audience that you want to reach, set a specific area for your ad. You can also set a ratio around your current area (e.g., Amsterdam and a 14 km ratio).

 

 

The next category you’ll have to complete is  “Interests.” If you know any other brand or influencer that your customers like, you can add their profile here. This way, Instagram will show your posts to people that are already interested in these profiles. The platform will also provide some recommendations that fit the information you’ve added.

 

After setting these audience preferences, you have to include the age and gender of the profiles that you want to reach.

 

 

The last things you have to set are the budget and the duration of your campaign. After you’ve set these data, Instagram will calculate how many people you can reach with your campaign. You can adjust the length and budget until you get an audience that fits your preferences.

 

When you consider that everything has been set up correctly, you can publish your promotion. Don’t forget to check your statistics to assess if it has been successful!

 

How to add product tags on Instagram Posts?

 

To tag your products on your Instagram posts, you need to upgrade your account to Instagram shopping. Instagram shopping is a feature that allows you to list a product catalog on Instagram. This service aims to reduce the friction that the customer experiments during the buying process.

 

 

How to apply for Instagram shopping?

 

According to Facebook Business’ official page, there are five requirements that you must meet to be eligible for Instagram shopping:

1. Your business must operate from a supported market. You can find the official list of supported markets here.
2. Your products must be physical goods. In the case of Print on Demand companies, this point is covered. All good!
3. There are some commerce policies that your business must comply with. You can check the official guidelines here.
4. Remember to turn your Instagram account into a business account. Even if you don’t want to upgrade to Instagram Shopping, you should always do this.
5. You must connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page.

Once your Instagram profile meets all these requirements, you are good to go!

The next step is to connect your account to a product catalog. There are two ways to do this:

1. You can use a catalog manager. You can create a catalog manually or use an existing one.
2. You can contact a certified Facebook partner. If you feel that setting up a catalog takes too much time, this option will make the process more agile. Here’s more info about this process.

After you’ve connected your account and your catalog, go to the Instagram app and sign up for Shopping. You will always be able to manage your Shopping features in Settings.

 

 

How to tag your Print on Demand products on Instagram?

 

If Instagram Shopping is active, you can start tagging your products on your posts and stories. It’s possible to tag up to five products on a picture or in a video. If the post has several images, you can tag up to twenty different products.

To learn more about customer habits and product performance, you can visit your Shopping insights. Doing this will help you learn more about your audience and improve your strategy.