With Instagram Shop, brands can curate a list of shoppable products that are straight accessible via their Instagram profile. This makes it simpler to sell on the app and be discovered by potential customers too. Do you want to set up an Instagram Shop and start driving sales? Here’s everything you should know.
What Is Instagram Shop?
Instagram Shop provides a way for businesses to showcase their product catalog and reach new customers on Instagram.
Brands can curate a list of shoppable products that are straight accessible via the “View Shop” button on their Instagram profile page.
However, that’s not all. Brands with Instagram Shop may also be featured on the Instagram Shop tab — a shopping destination accessible from Instagram’s main navigation menu.
Instagram Shop is a streamlined method for customers to discover shoppable products on Instagram, with the option to search by categories, see “Editors’ Picks,” and more.
By clicking on a suggested product, users can see more photos that feature the product, pricing information, other products from the same retailer, and the way to purchase.
Moreover, for brands in the US with access to Instagram Checkout, customers can tap “Buy on Instagram” to purchase without even leaving Instagram.
How to Set Up an Instagram Shop
Setting up an Instagram Shop is simpler than you might think. Follow this step-by-step guide that will help you start.
Step #1: Check Your Eligibility
To get set up with Instagram Shop, your business needs to satisfy the following eligibility requirements:
- Your business is situated in a supported market
- Your business has an eligible product
- It meets Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies
- Your business has a website domain in which you intend to sell from
Step #2: Turn to a Business or Creator Account
Before you’ll be able to set up an Instagram Shop, you’ll need to switch to a Business account. These steps will help you switch your account.
Once you have a Business account, you’ll be able to add relevant business information, including opening hours, business address, phone number, and a link to your website.
Step #3: Connect to a Facebook Page
Next up, follow these steps to connect your Instagram business account to a Facebook Page:
- Go to your business’s Instagram profile
- Choose “Edit profile”.
- Under the “Public business information” section, choose “Page”
- Select a Facebook Page from your Pages that you’d like to connect.
- In case you don’t have a Facebook Page, choose “Create a new Facebook Page”.
NOTE: You don’t need to have a Facebook Page Shop, but a Facebook Page.
Step #4: Add Your Product Catalog
Instagram Shop requires you to have a product catalog, which is a list of all of your products, inventory, and descriptions.
There are two methods to connect a product catalog to your Instagram business account:
- Catalogue Manager (The “do it yourself” method discovered within Facebook Business Manager)
- E-commerce Platform Partner (An integration via one of our certified e-commerce platforms partners, such as Shopify or BigCommerce)
Step #5: Account Review
Once you’ve linked a product catalog to your Instagram, you’ll need to submit your account for review by following these steps:
- Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap the menu icon
- Choose “Settings”.
- Sign up for shopping
- Do some easy steps to submit your account for review.
- Go to “Shopping” in your “Settings” to check your status.
NOTE: Account reviews sometimes take a few days but sometimes can take longer.
Some businesses may be notified that additional information is important to prove ownership of your website domain. If you receive this notification, follow these steps to complete a domain verification process to submit your account for review.
Step #6: Turn On Shopping
Once your account is approved, you’ll be able to turn on shopping features.
- Visit your business’s Instagram profile and choose the menu icon.
- Choose “Settings”.
- Tap “Business” and then tap “Shopping”.
- Choose the “Product catalogue” that you need to connect to your account.
- Choose “Done”.
NOTE: In case you don’t see Shopping in your settings, your account is probably still under review or hasn’t been approved for Instagram Shopping.
Your Instagram Shop will automatically appear on your Instagram profile page.
How to Sell on Instagram Shop
When you finish setting up Instagram Shop, a brand new “View Shop” button will appear on your business’s Instagram profile page.
From here, visitors will be able to browse your products, tap to find out extra, and shop:
Additionally, you will be able to start tagging products in your feed posts, Instagram Stories, Reels, Guides, and Live broadcasts — opening up a ton of the latest e-commerce opportunities!
Setting up an Instagram Shop is an effective first step in terms of making sales for your business on Instagram.
However, setting up an Instagram Shop isn’t a guaranteed ticket to success — you also need to think about your content strategy.
Using an Instagram planning and scheduling tool is one of the best ways to get ahead of your strategy, identify opportunities to make sales, and analyze your performance!