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Instagram
For Pen Makers

Instagram for Pen Turners

Ultimate Guide to Selling Hand-Turned Pens on Instagram

Instagram is more than just a social platform—it's a powerful tool for turning your passion for pen crafting into a thriving business. With its visually-driven design and features like Reels, Stories, and targeted hashtags, Instagram helps you connect with pen enthusiasts, showcase your artistry, and boost sales like never before.

This guide is your one-stop resource for unlocking Instagram’s full potential. Dive into actionable tips, from creating stunning content and mastering Reels to leveraging Stories and Instagram Live. Whether you’re new to the platform or looking to level up your marketing strategy, you’ll find everything you need to captivate your audience and grow your business.

Navigate the guide:

  • Account Types - Business Personal or Creator?

  • Post Types: Learn the ins and outs of Posts, Reels, Stories, and Live sessions.

  • Growth Strategies: From hashtags to cross-platform sharing, amplify your reach.

  • Engagement Tips: Discover creative ways to connect with your followers and build a loyal community.

  • Pen-Specific Hashtags: Research the best hashtags for your niche and increase visibility. Start exploring and watch your hand-turned pen business flourish on Instagram!

Overall, Instagram serves as a powerful platform for showcasing, promoting, and selling hand-turned pen products by leveraging its visual nature, targeted audience, engagement opportunities, storytelling capabilities, brand-building potential, discoverability, and direct sales features. Integrating Instagram into your marketing strategy can help you effectively reach and connect with potential customers, ultimately driving sales and growing your business.

Instagram Account Types

Instagram allows you to switch back and forth between account types.  The options are Business, Personal or Creator.

Creator accounts allow you to access all the trending audio while business accounts are restricted to plain music.

Instagram Post Types

Posts

  • Square images

  • Meant for your current followers

Reels

  • Vertical video (like a youtube short)

  • Gain followers

Story

  • Disappear in 24 hours

  • Can be pinned in a category

  • Interactive features such as polls, quizzes, questions, and sliders

Live

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Instagram Post

Posts are square images sent directly to your current followers.  Its an easy way to announce product drops to customers that have utilized your business in the past. Keep your engagement up or the algorithm won't prioritize your content over other things your follwers are interested in. Ideas include.  Pen feature review Share a struggle Choose this or that. Pens getting prepped for a pen show. pen ink struggle Fail pictures Images of writing the name and details of the pen. Motivational quotes about supporting small businesses

Instagram Reel 

Creating Instagram Reels for selling pens will significantly increase product sales.

Instagram Reels appear on the Explore page, reaching a wider audience beyond your followers. By showcasing your pens in engaging and entertaining short videos, you can attract the attention of potential customers who may not have discovered your products through traditional posts.

Instagram Reels allow you to highlight the key features, craftsmanship, and functionality of your pens in a dynamic and visually appealing format. Whether demonstrating writing quality, showcasing design details, or revealing customization options, Reels provide an effective platform for showcasing your product's unique selling points.

By creating entertaining, shareable, and trend-driven content, you can increase the likelihood of your Reels being discovered, shared, and reposted by users, leading to exponential growth in visibility and engagement.

Reels can be reused as Youtube Shorts and vice versa.  Reels can be longer than to 59 second max used for shorts.

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Instagram Reel Audio

Creating Instagram Reels using trending audio for selling pens can gain visibility and engagement because of their popularity. By adding popular  audio clips into your Reels, you increase the likelihood of your content being discovered by a wider audience.

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Its also beneficial to create reels with audio that isn't necessarily trending, but has been used by others in the same community.  

Mustaches
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Instagram Story

Instagram Stories can be a valuable tool for selling pens by providing a platform for showcasing your products, engaging with your audience, and driving conversions.  The stories disappear in 24 hours unless the are pinned into a category.

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This is a great place to share a peak behind the scenes glimpses of your pen-making process, studio, or creative workflow.  This type of content humanizes your brand, builds trust with your audience, and adds value to your products.

 

There are great interactive features in Instagram Stories to engage your audience and drive action. Use polls, quizzes, or question stickers to solicit feedback, gather insights, or spark conversations about pen preferences, design ideas, or favorite writing accessories. Encourage users to participate and share their thoughts.

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Create a sense of urgency and exclusivity by offering limited-time discounts, promotions, or flash sales exclusively through Instagram Stories. Use countdown stickers or text overlays to highlight the duration of the offer and encourage viewers to act quickly. Limited-time offers can incentivize impulse purchases and drive sales.

Instagram Live

Instagram live is prefect for showcasing products and announcing events.   To best utilize this option, include one product for each live session.

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Go Live For:

  • An announcements the day before the event.  Show the packing process.

  • Arrival at the event and the unset space.

  • Unpacking a few pieces.  Show off one item that's being unpacked.

  • After some customers have arrived.  Talk about what you think will sell well.

  • At the Close of the event.  Talk about the most popular products.

  • Coming back home and putting everything away.  Thanks for a great show, I'll see you at: whatever the next show is.

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Instagram Growth
- Get Views, Likes, and Follows

Internal Instagram Growth

Hashtags, Algorithm hack, Likes for likes, Trending Audio, Comments for Comments Shameless Tag, duplicate accounts.

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External Instagram Growth

Link Your account everywhere

Share to external sites, facebook, X(twitter) and Pintrest.

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Want to connect with more customers without being “salesy” on social media? Use these 4 quote graphics to build brand trust and boost your pen business on Instagram.

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✅ Ready to post

✅ Handmade & small business themed

✅ Perfect for the 80/20 content rule

 

[Download the Quote Pack Now]

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​👉 Read the Blog post

Using relevant hashtags can increase the visibility of your posts and attract engagement from users who are interested in the topic.

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Branding: Creating a branded hashtag specific to your business can help increase brand visibility, encourage user-generated content, and foster community engagement.

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Limitations: Instagram allows users to include up to 30 hashtags per post, but using too many hashtags can make your captions look cluttered. It's best to use a mix of popular, niche, and branded hashtags that are relevant to your content.

Instagram Hashtags

Pen  Hashtag Research

Instagram post are usually created quickly, and in the moment.  It's best to preform hashtag research periodically and keep a list on your phone of the preferred hashtags. 

Hashtags have different volumes of use, and depending on their following.  It's best to select hashtags with high popularity and low popularity ​ for each post.

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The Best preforming pen turner post tag their parts supplier and vendors

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Orange Sand

Instagram Algorithm Hack

This theory uses a 30 day theme post strategy to change how Instagram's algorithm understands your content.    For pen sales, this would apply to focusing on a particular Holiday or upcoming event.
For example, 45  days before fathers day, each post would have a gift for dad theme, hash tag, and text overlay.   Or 45 days before attending an event in a specific city,  each post would have the city name, tag locations in that city. 

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 Instagram Engagement Tips: Build a Thriving Community

Engagement is the heart of Instagram success. The more your followers interact with your content, the more the platform prioritizes your posts in their feeds. Use these tips to create meaningful connections, spark conversations, and keep your audience coming back for more:

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🎨 Post Interactive Stories

Stories are a fantastic way to engage followers with quick, fun, and interactive content.

  • Use polls, quizzes, and sliders to invite feedback.

  • Post behind-the-scenes looks at your pen-making process.

  • Highlight limited-time offers or flash sales with countdown stickers.

💬 Respond to Comments and Messages

Show your audience you value them by staying active in the comments and DMs.

  • Reply promptly to questions about your pens.

  • Engage with comments on your posts to build connections.

  • Use thoughtful responses to turn followers into loyal customers.

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🔄 Encourage User-Generated Content

Get your followers involved by featuring their posts on your page.

  • Create a branded hashtag for your pens.

  • Host contests or challenges to encourage followers to share photos of their favorite pens.

  • Repost user photos to show appreciation and build community.

🏷️ Tag Collaborators and Suppliers

Shoutouts can create valuable connections and increase your visibility.

  • Tag parts suppliers, collaborators, or customers in your posts.

  • Use location tags for events or local promotions to attract nearby followers.

📈 Post Consistently with a Theme

Consistency helps the Instagram algorithm understand your content.

  • Plan a 30-day theme for posts, like a countdown to Father’s Day or holiday gift ideas.

  • Use consistent hashtags and visuals for better discoverability.

🌟 Go Live and Connect in Real-Time

Nothing beats real-time interaction for fostering engagement.

  • Use Instagram Live to showcase new pens, announce events, or answer audience questions.

  • Encourage viewers to ask questions or share feedback during your session.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep your engagement strategies fresh by experimenting with new ideas, tracking what works best, and building on successful tactics.

Ready to engage like a pro? Click on the sections above to dive deeper into each

📸 Creating High-Quality Instagram Content: Stand Out with Stunning Visuals

On Instagram, first impressions matter. High-quality images and videos can make your pen products shine and capture your audience's attention. Follow these tips to create scroll-stopping content that sets you apart from the competition.

🌟 Why High-Quality Content Matters

Instagram is a visual platform, and your photos and videos are the face of your brand.

  • Clear, sharp images highlight the craftsmanship of your pens.

  • Vibrant, well-lit visuals grab attention in crowded feeds.

  • High-quality videos convey professionalism and boost credibility.

📸 Tips for Capturing Amazing Images

  • Use natural light: Shoot near a window or outdoors during golden hour for soft, even lighting.

  • Clean your lens: A smudge-free lens ensures crisp, clear photos.

  • Show details: Highlight unique features like engraving, wood grain, or design intricacies.

  • Frame it well: Use the rule of thirds for balanced and visually appealing shots.

  • Use props: Incorporate stylish photo props, like notebooks, ink bottles, or rustic backdrops, to create a storytelling element around your pens.

🛍️ Looking for the perfect props? Check out our Amazon Shopping Selection for affordable and professional-grade photography accessories.

🎥 Making Engaging Videos

  • Focus on movement: Show the pen in action—writing, assembling, or turning on the lathe.

  • Keep it steady: Use a tripod or stabilizer to avoid shaky footage.

  • Experiment with angles: Capture close-ups and wide shots to showcase different perspectives.

  • Edit professionally: Add text overlays, transitions, or music to make your videos polished and engaging.

✨ Get Creative

Not sure where to start? Head over to our Canva Content Creation Section for expert tips on planning and executing professional-level content.

📢 Pro Tip: Quality doesn’t mean you need expensive gear. A smartphone with a good camera and the right tools can produce stunning results!

Ready to make your pens shine? Dive into our guides and browse top-rated props to level up your Instagram game today.

Amazon Shopping Selection
Film and Photography Accessories from Amazon 

More items:

Overhead Phone Holder

Phone Tripod

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Doodle Bob 3d Pen Holder

Acrylic Pen Holder Display

Cute Crab Pen Holder

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Ready to grow your pen business
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