The short answer
To sell on Instagram, switch to a professional account, put one link in your bio that opens a page where people can buy, post products with the price in the caption, and answer "price?" DMs with a link instead of a long chat. You don't need an Instagram Shop: most small sellers sell through posts, DMs and a bio link.
On this page
Step 1: Switch to a professional account
In Instagram settings, switch your account to a professional account. Choose business or creator; both are free. You get insights on what people engage with, contact buttons on your profile, and saved replies, which you will use for DMs in step 5.
Pick a category that says what you sell, and make your name field searchable: “Little Oven Bakes | Custom cakes” is easier to find than “Little Oven”.
Step 2: Make your bio do the selling
Someone who lands on your profile should know in a few seconds what you sell, where you deliver, and how to buy. A good bio covers:
- What you make or sell, in plain words.
- Where and how you deliver: “Ships across Canada” or “Pickup in Leslieville, Saturdays”.
- One action: “Order below” or “Shop the latest drop”.
- One link that lets people buy.
That last point matters most. A link-in-bio page with ten buttons sends people off in ten directions. A link that opens your products, with prices and a checkout, turns a profile visit into an order without a single DM.
Step 3: Post products people can buy
- Put the price in the caption. “DM for price” loses the people who won't ask.
- List the choices: sizes, colours, flavours, and how many are left if it is a small batch.
- Say how to order: “Tap the link in bio, or DM me ‘tote’ and I'll send you a link”.
- Show it in use. Photos and short videos of the product worn, held or in a room sell better than flat product shots alone.
- Keep story highlights for How to order, Shipping or pickup, and Reviews. They answer the questions people would otherwise DM.
Step 4: Decide how people will pay
Instagram closed its in-app checkout in 2023, so buyers finish the purchase somewhere else anyway. The options, from most to least work for you:
- A checkout page. The customer picks options, pays by card or PayPal and gets a confirmation. You get an order with everything filled in.
- A payment link or transfer. Fine for small numbers, but you match each payment to an order yourself.
- Cash at pickup. Easy for local sellers. Take a deposit or keep it to regulars, so no-shows don't cost you.
Step 5: Answer DMs with a link
DMs are where most Instagram sales happen. Keep them short:
- Set up saved replies for your common answers: prices, sizes, shipping times.
- When someone says yes, send a link instead of typing out the order. An order link opens a cart with their item and size already chosen.
- Write every order down in one list as soon as it is confirmed. Our guide on how to stop losing orders in DMs has a simple routine.
Step 6: Turn buyers into posts
- Ask happy customers to tag you, and share their posts and stories to your highlights.
- Ask for a short review after delivery, and repost the best ones.
- Tell followers before a new batch or restock, with a date and time, so they are ready to order.
Common mistakes to avoid
- “DM for price.” It adds work and loses quiet buyers.
- A bio link with no way to buy. If people can't pay from it, it is a menu, not a shop.
- Confirming orders from payment screenshots. Check your bank or payment app first.
- Keeping orders only in DMs. If it isn't written down outside the chat, it will get lost eventually.