Instagram Shopping: How to Set up Instagram Shop?
Do you have a business idea, a brand you want to sell on online, you are looking for a place to start, Instagram shopping is a good place to begin. With Instagram shopping, you can grow your business ideas, products or brand.
With over 500 million people all over the world that use the Instagram platform everyday, you can grow your business, brand or products.
Instagram shops are a big opportunity for a small business or brands looking to sell goods or services on the internet.
In this article, I’ll show you how you can set up an Instagram shop to reach the customers you want with Instagram shopping.
You will learn how you can make the products easy to discover and drive more sales.
Ready to learn, I’ll cover everything you need to know to start Instagram shopping immediately for free.
#1. What is Instagram Shopping?
Instagram shopping is a feature on Instagram provided by meta formerly known as Facebook for creators and business owners to create a shopping experience on Instagram. Customers can access your shop directly from your profile, posts or story. When people visit your shop, they can explore your products and take steps to purchase them. The Instagram shop gives brands or small businesses direct access to showcase their products to customers.
But before you can showcase your product to be discovered by users, your business or brand needs to be eligible.
#2. How Do You Become Eligible to Set up Instagram Shopping Account?
There are few requirements that will be needed by Instagram for you to be approved to set up an Instagram shop.
Below are the following requirements your business meet meet to be eligible:
- Your business must agree to the policies of Instagram. If you violate their policies, you will not be approved.
- Your business will have a website domain and must contain product listings that are available for direct purchase from your website.
- Your business must be in an Instagram shop supported location.
- You must not provide a misleading information
- You business must be trustworthy
- If you have been disable before by Instagram, you will not be eligible.
#3. How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for Instagram Shopping?
If your business comply fully to the policies of Instagram, your business will not take more than two weeks to get approved. In most cases Instagram approves businesses on the same day they request for approval.
#4. Is My Business in an Instagram Supported Market?
Shops are available in select countries only. You must be in any of these countries supported by meta to sell on Instagram. If your account is located outside of an available market, you may lose the ability to tag products. Check if your country is supported. Click here to check.
#5. How Do Instagram Shopping Work?
Instagram shops only on the app in your iPhone and Android device.
The shop showcases your products and allows people to see them and buy on Instagram.
Instagram shops allow you to customize your shop and add products to your collection for people to look through and see the most relevant items. Instead of directing your customers to your website, you can use Instagram shopping to show them your products to select and purchase easily from the app.
To see a shop:
- Go to the profile of the shop that you want to browse.
- Tap View shop.
#6. Should I Use Instagram Shopping for My Business?
Instagram is a social media platform with over 500 million users that followers a brand or business. There are many benefits businesses will get with Instagram shops.
- Instagram shopping is quick and easy for users to shop.
- Your product can be discovered by millions of Instagram users.
- You can link your ecommerce platform to your shop and drive more sales
After you’ve confirmed that you meet the policies requirements and are eligible, follow the steps below to set up your Instagram shop and drive more sales.
#7. How to Set up an Instagram Shopping Account?
Step 1: Switch from Personal to Business or Creator Account
If you don’t have a Business (or Creator) account, first, you need to switch your account from personal to professional account and choose what best describes you, a business or a creator account.
To switch to a professional account go to your settings and click Switch account type and select your account type.
- Business accounts are best for brands, service providers, local businesses and retailers.
- Creator accounts are best for influencers, content producers and public figures.
Step 2: Link your Account to a Facebook Page
After your professional account is ready, next, is to link your Instagram account to a Facebook page. You can’t have an Instagram Shop without a Facebook Page. If you don’t have one, you will need to create one.
To link your Instagram account to Facebook page follow these steps:
- On Instagram, go to Edit Profile.
- Scroll down to Profile Information. Under Profile Information, Select Page
- Choose your Facebook page to connect or click Create a New Facebook page
Your business account is now connected to a Facebook Page. Make sure you have permission to add the Facebook page to your Instagram business or creator account. Otherwise the page will not appear in your Instagram account. You must be an admin to link your account.
Step 3: Upload Your Product Catalog
Instagram Shop requires you to have a product catalog. In this stage, you will need to upload your product catalog manually or with an ecommerce partner. The product catalog is what drives your Instagram shop.
How to Create a catalog?
A catalog is where the information about the items you want to advertise or sell on Instagram is stored.
There are two ways you can add a catalog:
- Facebook’s catalog manager
- Ecommerce platform partner
Let’s walk you through each catalog creation step-by-step.
You will need to have your Facebook page account and your business manager account ready. Make sure you’re a business admin.
Facebook’s catalog manager
- Log in to Facebook, click on Facebook business and go to Commerce Manager.
- Click on Get Started
- Select Create a Catalog and click get Started
- Select your catalog type, Ecommerce and click Next
- Choose Upload your products info and click Create
- Click View catalog. It will take you back to the commerce manager dashboard.
- Choose Items
- Click Add Items and choose Add One Item
- Next, Provide basic information. Enter the product image, the title, description, website link, price of product and the condition. Images must be at least 500 x 500 pixels, in JPEG or PNG format and a maximum of 8 MB.
Provide as much information as possible to help customers make a purchase decision. Click on the Advance box to add more information or otherwise leave it and click finish.
- Next, click the Next button and tick the box if you want the items to be seen by people.
- Click Next again to go to the next stage to add Items variants. Variants are variations of the same item in your catalog, such as different sizes, colors or patterns.
- Select Add Variants for this Items and click on Add Attribute
- When you’re done, Select Finish to save the item in your catalog.
Ecommerce Platform Partner
You can create a catalog through an ecommerce platform if you don’t want to use the Facebook catalog manager to add catalog manually.
- Log in to your Facebook account, click on Facebook business and go to Commerce Manager.
- Click on Get Started
- Select Create a Catalog and click get Started
- Select your catalog type, Ecommerce and click Next
- Now instead of you will Choose Upload your products info you will select connect a partner platform
- Select the partner you want to use to import your item. For this tutorial we’ll choose Shopify.
- Next, click Go to Shopify
- You will be taken to the Shopify platform, follow the steps there to connect your account with Facebook and Instagram.
Step 4: Submit Your Account and Wait for Approval
After you have your catalog set up, you’ll need to submit your account for review. Follow these steps:
- Go to your Instagram profile settings
- In your Instagram business profile, tap Settings
- Tap Business
- Then Instagram shopping
- Follow the instructions to submit your account and apply for review.
Step 5: Turn on Instagram Shopping in the App
After you’re approved, turn on shopping for your Instagram account and connect your product catalog. Follow this step:
- Go to your Instagram profile page and tap at the top right
- Go to Settings
- Tap Business.
- Then tap Shopping
Note: Only account that is approved will see the Instagram shopping
- Tap Continue
- 6. Select the product catalog you’d like to connect to your professional account.
- Tap Done.
The review process takes a few days to review, but sometimes can take longer.
#8. How to Customize Your Instagram Shop?
After you’re approved, turn on Instagram shopping on and create a catalog, next is to customize your shop.
You can customize your shop by organizing your collections, choosing a layout, deciding which products to showcase and selecting a button style.
Step 1. Organizing Your Shop’s Collection
Collection allows you to showcase your product to your customers. You can feature one or more selected product collections in your shop.
Visitors are the first to see your collection. When you publish a new collection, your followers will be notified of it too.
How to create a Collection?
Collections help your customers find your products when they visit your shop. Each collection will have a name, a description and cover media and selection between 6 – 30 products.
Step 1. Go to the Commerce Manager.
Step 2. Select your shop.
Step 3. Click Edit
Step 4. Click + Add New
Step 5. Click Collection
Step 6. Click Create new collection
Step 7. Click Confirm.
Step 8. Name your collection and select the products you want.
Step 9. Click Confirm again.
Step 10. Add an Image, title and subtitle.
Include at least one of the products in your collection at a 4:3 ratio with a minimum 800 x 600 pixel size.
Step 11. When you are done, click Publish
Your shop will be reviewed to make sure the products and information comply with Commerce Policies before your customers can start seeing your collection. The review will take within 24 hours to be reviewed.
Step 2. Optimize Your Shop’s Layout
Use the Layout tab to add, remove and arrange collections in your shop.
Optimizing your shop’s layout can help people more easily find products in your shop based on their shopping interests. It can help improve your shop’s performance.
How to Optimize Instagram Shop?
You can customize the layout of your shop in the Shops tab of Commerce Manager, under Layout.
Step 1. Go to Commerce Manager
Step 2. Select your shop.
Step 3. Go to the Shops tab
Step 4. Click Edit Shop.
Step 5. Click Layout.
Step 6. Toggle Optimize Layout. You can choose to toggle layout On or Off
#9 How to Sell Products or Services on Instagram Shopping?
With Instagram Shopping, people can buy your products directly from your photos and videos. In a survey conducted by Facebook, 83% of people said that Instagram helps them to discover new products and services.
Instagram is a widely popular platform with over 1 billion users monthly and 90% of people follow a business account.
#1. Use Reels for Your Business
Reel is a video tool that Instagram introduced for creators and businesses.
The tool helps businesses and creators to create short-form videos on the app. With creative tools such as AR effects, music and text overlays, your business can create videos just like people do.
Use Reel to showcase your products.
You can use Reel to tell stories. The better you tell stories about your brand or product, the more likely customers and your followers are going to understand what your business is offering and what it can do for them. And, in turn, the more likely they’ll be able to buy.
The Reels camera has all the tools you need to create videos for your business straight in the app.
#2. Use Product Hashtag
Hashtags create awareness to your customers and followers about your business and what you deal with. With a hashtag, your products get discovered by people on Instagram and drive more sales.
Hashtag is like a keyword in a blog post, what it does is that whenever a customer is looking for a particular product, the hashtag shows up the product in the feed. Example of a hashtag is #simbablog1. Whenever customers search for a simbablog, Instagram will suggest my product to them.
#3. Use Live Feature
You can start a live broadcast in your story to show your followers the moment a new product is available for them, and answer customer questions about your new product.
#4. Use a Simple Call-to-Action
Write a simple but attractive information about your business and want your customers to stand to gain. Caption their attention with an interesting story, and direct them to your product landing page where you want them to buy from you.
