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Selling Food on Instagram

Social media is one of the best ways to promote your food, sell food to customers, and also grow a huge customer base. There's lots of great ways to use the power of social media, and there's no better way than through Instagram! This is one the best social media sites for selling homemade food online. 

For tips on selling food on Instagram, benefits of other social media platforms, and selling food on social media, read on below!

Research Cottage Food Law

Before you open up an Instagram food shop, it's best to look up specific information on cottage food laws in your state. These are the laws that allow you to sell homemade food online, and are good to know if you're wondering how to sell food from home legally.

Cottage food laws will generally only allow the sale of non-perishable foods. These include foods that don't include dairy or meat products. These foods will remain safe to eat even if they're not refrigerated.

These include foods such as:

Laws For Selling Online

Before you start wondering how to make money selling food from home, it's also important to figure out whether or not your state will allow you to sell food from the internet. Some states, such as Illinois, will only allow you to sell through farmers markets or outside stands.

Fortunately, many other states do allow you to sell food directly to a customer online, either through delivery or pick-up. If your state does allow the sale of foods online, here are some tips to help you!

Choose the Best Social Media Platform

In order to sell your food online, make sure you use various social media platforms to spread the word on your business. For instance, if you're wondering can you sell food on Facebook, the answer is absolutely! However, keep in mind that Facebook doesn't have as many features as Instagram.

On the plus side, Facebook does have a larger number of users, including users over the age of 65! Make sure to choose the best platform for your business. Instagram is great to advertise to younger generations that are somewhat tech-savvy and know how to use story highlights, comment, and like pictures online.

Choose the Best Pictures

Instagram is an excellent way to promote the quality of your products through high-quality photos. Choose only the best photos, and make sure they are formatted appropriately so they can be displayed appropriately on your Instagram page. This will make shoppers' mouths water and entice them to buy online!

Use your pictures to show your menu on Instagram, highlight your daily life and efforts to satisfy your customers, and of course, showcase your best creations.

Link to a Website

To make the most of your Instagram page, use your bio to link to your cottage food website. Remember, you won't be able to link to your website through Instagram captions. Instead, use your captions to remind customers to navigate to your bio and visit your website to fulfill orders.

Use Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads are a hot new trend, and the are able to easily promote your products and reach out to new customers. Make your ads beautiful and eye-catching by hiring a professional ad-designer. Ads can be a great way to add revenue and customers, so don't be afraid to invest a little bit of money into them.

Make the Most of Story Highlights

One of the best features of Instagram is story highlights! These appear at the very top of your Instagram page, and can help your customers view upcoming sales, events, and navigate to your website. If you're wondering how to sell food on Instagram, using story highlights is one of the best ways to do so. Add a highlight for your menu, holiday specials, upcoming product previews, and even to introduce yourself to your customers.

Use Your DMs Wisely

If you're wondering how to start an Instagram shop, don't forget to also use your direct messages. One of the best Instagram food business ideas for home-based artisans who are running low on time is to hire a social media manager to manage your DMs, respond to customers through their comments, and provide quick customer service. 

Hire Professional Help

If you're still unsure of how to sell food on Instagram, there's no shame in hiring a social media manager to help you design and create your platform. This will help you focus on what you do best — making delicious food!

Use Castiron for Added Support

Castiron can help you create a website and online shop you can promote easily on Instagram or other platforms! With the power of social media and Castiron, you can enjoy being a home-based entrepreneur and grow your food business online.

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