How to write a post that sells: structure, 3 examples, checklist

How to write a selling post: a six-part structure, three example posts for a clothing brand, a salon and B2B, seven common mistakes and a checklist before you publish.

A selling post isn't “buy now, we have a discount”. It's a short conversation with someone who already has a task: something to wear to work, a manicure before a party, lunch for the office. The post has to answer three questions quickly: do I need this, why from you, and how do I buy it. Below: the structure, three examples, common mistakes and a checklist for before you publish.

The structure of a selling post: six parts

• Hook: the first line, the one people see in the feed before “more”. It speaks to the buyer's task or wish, not to your brand name.
• Problem or desire: a sentence or two about the buyer's situation, in their own words. They should recognise themselves.
• Offer: what exactly you're selling and how it solves the task. Turn features into benefits: not “heavy cotton” but “not see-through in the sun”.
• Proof: why they can believe you, such as materials, process, a guarantee, photos of the real item, genuine reviews.
• Price and how to buy: the amount, the options, delivery or booking. One clear path.
• Call to action: one specific thing to do right now, like sending a word by DM, tapping a link or picking a time.

You can change the order: sometimes the price is the strongest hook. But all six parts should be in the post, because an unanswered question is a reason to put the purchase off.

Hook and proof: where most posts fall short

A hook works when it's specific. Four formulas that work:

• The buyer's pain: “Does your shirt look crumpled by lunchtime?”
• The result: “Lunch for the whole office in one delivery.”
• A surprising detail about the product or the process, as long as it's true.
• Calling out your audience: “For everyone who books a manicure at the last minute.”

Proof is easier than it looks. Don't make up reviews: it's deception, and it gets found out. Show what you have: fabric against the light, a video of the process, a certificate, the guarantee terms, a photo from a real parcel, a screenshot of a genuine review shared with the customer's permission. If you have no reviews yet, offer an honest way to lower the risk: a fitting, an exchange, a trial week.

Selling post example: a clothing brand

All three examples were written for this article. The brands are made up, and the prices and details are only there for illustration, so swap in your own.

• Hook: One dress for the office and for dinner, no change of clothes needed.
• Problem: No time to plan an outfit in the morning, and in the evening you don't want to look like you came straight from work.
• Offer: A shirt dress in heavy cotton: sharp with the belt, relaxed without it. Real pockets that fit a phone.
• Proof: The carousel shows the fabric against a window and the dress on women of different heights. Measurements for every size are on the last slide.
• Price and how to buy: $65, sizes XS to XL, three colours. Next-day delivery in the city, nationwide by courier.
• Call to action: DM us your height and usual size and we'll tell you which one to pick.

Selling post example: a beauty salon

• Hook: Saturday manicure, slots open, for everyone who decides at the last minute.
• Problem: The party is on Sunday and your usual nail tech is booked up until the end of the month.
• Offer: A gel manicure with Dana: removal, shaping, strengthening, a colour from a big palette.
• Proof: Dana's work is in the “Work” highlights, shot in the salon in ordinary light, no filters. Instruments are sterilised, and the sealed pack is opened in front of you.
• Price and how to buy: $35 for a gel manicure, about two hours. Free on Saturday at 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00.
• Call to action: Comment or DM the time that suits you and we'll hold it for you.

Selling post example for B2B: office lunches

• Hook: Lunch for the whole office, without a “who eats what” list in the group chat.
• Problem: Every day someone collects the orders, gets them mixed up and ends up without lunch themselves.
• Offer: A menu a week ahead; each employee picks their meals through a link, and everything arrives in one delivery at 1 pm, boxes labelled by name.
• Proof: Ingredients and calories for every dish are in the menu. You can try the first week without a contract to check the timing and the taste.
• Price and how to buy: $8 for a three-course lunch, from 10 people, invoiced once a week.
• Call to action: DM us “office” and your headcount and we'll send next week's menu.

7 mistakes that stop a post from selling

• Starting with yourself: “We're delighted to present our new collection.” Readers are looking for their thing, not yours.
• Hiding the price behind “DM for price”. Some people won't ask and just scroll on; those who ask have to wait for a reply.
• Selling everything at once: three products and two offers in one post. One offer, one post.
• Listing features without benefits. “100% cotton” means nothing until you explain what it gives the buyer.
• Not saying how to buy. Links in Instagram captions aren't clickable, so say where the link is or ask people to DM you.
• Fake scarcity: “only two left” when there are twenty. Get caught once and nobody believes you even when it's true.
• Making up reviews or using someone else's before-and-after photos. Besides losing trust, you risk complaints: fake reviews and misleading ads are banned in many countries.

Checklist before you publish a selling post

• The first line makes sense without the picture and without your brand name.
• There's one offer in the post, not three.
• There's a price, or an honest “from” with a clear range.
• It says how to buy, and there's one path: DM, link or booking.
• The call to action is one action, at the end, not lost in the middle.
• Every piece of proof is true: photos of the real product, genuine reviews shared with permission.
• No promises you can't keep on timing, stock or results.
• You've read it out loud and cut wherever you stumbled.
• Emojis and hashtags don't get in the way of reading.
• If the model in the photo is AI-generated rather than a real person, that's disclosed.

How VIT TEAM does it

The content maker writes selling posts and, before you see one, checks it against its own checklist: a hook, one idea, a call to action, no more than three emojis. The designer makes AI product photos from the description in your brand profile. Nothing goes out under the brand's name without your approval, and a rejection with a reason becomes a lesson: in our test, after the lesson “shorter, no emojis”, the next post went from 460 to 290 characters and the emojis were gone.

You can hire the content maker for a 24-hour shift at $29 or for a month at $229, and the whole clothing brand & resale factory starts at $59 a month. You can try it free for 7 days, and in the clothing factory the trial also includes a week of content.