Whether you sell leather bags or beauty products, you can set up your Instagram shop to let your audience browse through your catalog and explore further without making them leave the application and redirect them to your website.
That’s right! By setting up your Instagram shop, you can let your audience explore your products from within Instagram and also sell them directly.
To help you better understand what an Instagram shop is and how to set up yours, we’ve put together this blog post, where we’ll be covering the following sections:
- What is Instagram Shop?
- How to set up Instagram Shop the right way
We’re so excited to share this information with you.
Let’s dive in.
What is Instagram Shop?
Let’s say you sell leather products online and have a decent Instagram presence. Here’s what your ideal customer journey looks like (one of the scenarios):
You post one of your exclusive leather bag pictures on Instagram. Your audience is generally interested in it and would love to purchase it immediately.
Now they have to head over to your profile and click on your online shop URL in your bio, considering you’ve added your online shop’s URL in your Instagram bio. If not, they’ll have to head over to your online store via their preferred browser.
That’s just too much work.
Setting up your Instagram shop means you don’t have to force your audience to leave the Instagram application. You can deliver an immersive and full-screen shopping experience from within the application. Your customers can easily access your shop by heading to your profile and clicking on the “View Shop” option.
Here’s what a search for “leather bag portland” in Instagram shopping looks like and a profile of an account that uses Instagram shop called Vintage Gentlemen. You can see the shopping bag icon on Vintage Gentlemen’s images that have an item for sale through the Instagram application.
Brands that set up Instagram shops are also featured in the “Instagram Shop Tab,” – which is accessible from Instagram’s navigation menu. By setting up an Instagram shop, you’ll be delivering a great shopping experience and expanding your reach. US brands can set up a checkout option with “Instagram Checkout” to sell directly from within the application – however, that’s not the case for brands from other countries.
If you’re wondering how to set up an Instagram Shop, let us show you how you can do it in a few simple steps.
How to Set Up Your Instagram Shop the Right Way
Follow these steps to set up your Instagram shop:
- Check whether you’re eligible
- Turn your Instagram account into a business or creator account if it isn’t one already.
- Link your Instagram account to your Facebook page
- Upload your product catalog
- Submit your account for review
- Turn on the shopping features
Check Whether You’re Eligible
If you want to set up your Instagram shop, you need to make sure that you’re fully eligible – which is why you need to meet a few requirements set up by Meta. As stated on the Facebook Business page, you need to make sure:
- You comply with Facebook policies:
- You need to own a domain from which you want to sell:
- Your business is situated in a supported market
- Demonstrate trustworthiness:
- Your product information should be accurate and must follow the best practices:
Once you’re eligible, you can start setting up your Instagram shop.
Turn Your Instagram Account into Business or
Creator Account, If Not Already
You can’t set up your Instagram shop if you don’t have a business or creator account. To turn your Instagram account into a business or creator account, follow these steps:
- Head over to your profile.
- Click on the three vertical lines in the top-right corner.
- Click on “Settings.”
- Select “Account.”
- At the bottom, click on “Switch to a professional account.”
From here, you can set up a business or creator account. Upon setting up your account, ensure you’re adding relevant and accurate information like business address, business hours, phone number, and website URL.
Link Your Instagram Account to Your Facebook Page
When you connect this account with a Facebook page, you will get access to Facebook eCommerce tools to help you expand your reach across Instagram and Facebook. To do that, follow these steps:
- Visit your Instagram Business Profile
- Click on “Edit Profile.”
- Under “Public Business Information,” click on “Page.”
- Select from the Facebook pages you’ve set up the one with which you’d like to link it. Make sure it’s your brand’s page.
- If you haven’t set up your Facebook page, set one by clicking on the “Create a new Facebook Page” option.
Upload Product Catalog
Once you link your Instagram account with your Facebook page, the next step is to upload your product catalog. Now, you can do it either from the Facebook Business Manager manually or with Shopify’s or your eCommerce platform partner’s certified integration. Your business manager account will be created automatically when you set up your Instagram shop.
To select a checkout method, choose where you want your customers to complete their purchases. US-based businesses can set it as Instagram. Click HERE to learn how to add products to your catalog manually.
Submit Your Account for Review
Now, it’s time to submit your account for review. You can do this by:
- Visit your Instagram business profile.
- Click on the three vertical lines in the top-right corner.
- Click on “Settings.”
- Sign up for shopping.
- Now, you need to follow the steps in front of you to submit your account for review.
Turn on the Shopping Features
Once approved, the final step is to turn on the Shopping features option. To do that, follow these steps:
- Visit your Instagram business profile.
- Click on the three vertical lines in the top-right corner.
- Click on “Settings.”
- Select “Business.”
- Select “Shopping.”
- Click on the product catalog you want to connect with your account.
- Hit “Done.”
And you’re done.
Set Up Your Instagram Shop Today!
Setting up your Instagram shop is all about delivering a great customer experience. They can browse your catalog without requiring to leave the Instagram application. And if your business and audience are based in the US, they can shop directly from Instagram.
At redfox visual, we’ve been helping dozens of businesses set up and manage their shops on Instagram. And we’d love nothing more than to help you out. Reach out to the #1 digital marketing agency in Boise to set up your Instagram shop.
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