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Instagram is the world’s leading mobile photo-sharing app that enables over 800 million people worldwide to take and share quality photos. The demand for Instagram content has led to a rise in how-to guides, but these are often complicated or outdated over time. This blog will provide an updated guide on what you need to know about selling your products so they reach their target audience.
With shoppable Instagram posts (Instagram Shopping) and integration with Facebook Shops, learning how to sell on Instagram has never been simpler. To sell on Instagram, you’ll need to create a business profile, connect it to your Facebook page, and either create a product catalog or link it to an existing webshop. Finally, since Instagram is such a visual medium, you’ll need a strong marketing plan that includes excellent pictures.
1. Determine whether you qualify for a shoppable Instagram account.
Shoppable posts on Instagram have a restriction on who may sell goods. Before you start setting up Instagram Shopping, make sure you have the following things in place:
Also, keep in mind some of Instagram’s limitations:
- You may lose the ability to tag goods if you travel to a market that is not on the list of permitted nations, even if it is just for a short time. You may need to wait up to two weeks to recover tagging privileges.
- A shoppable post cannot be used to offer digital products and services. To make purchases, you’ll need to refer visitors to the link in your profile.
2. Change your Instagram account to a business one.
If your company uses a personal Instagram account, you’ll need to switch it to a business account in order to make shoppable posts.
To turn a personal Instagram account into a corporate account, follow these steps:
- Tap the three horizontal bars in the upper right corner of the screen from your profile.
- Select Settings from the menu bar. at the bottom of the screen.
- Then choose Account.
- After that, choose Switch to a Professional Account.
- Finally, hit Done after selecting Business.
Connect your Instagram account to a Facebook business page by following these steps:
- Click Edit Profile from your Instagram profile.
- Select Page from the Public Business Information area.
- Select the Facebook Page you wish to link to this Instagram account or Create a New Facebook Page if you don’t already have one.
You now have a Facebook business page and an Instagram business account. Instagram advertising is now available, as well as the ability to make shoppable posts.
3. Create an Instagram store.
You may manage your shop from the combined Commerce Manager since Facebook and Instagram are linked platforms. Set up and configure your Facebook Store, enable Instagram Shopping, manage your product catalog, build product groupings, monitor shop analytics, and more with Commerce Manager.
To open an Instagram store, follow these steps:
- Follow these steps to set up a store in Commerce Manager if this is your first time selling on Instagram.
- If you already have an Instagram profile store, if you haven’t already, update to the new shop experience.
- You’ll also have to choose a product catalog to link to your commerce account (more on this in the following step).
You may now manage your company assets in your Commerce Manager settings once you’ve established your shop.
As viewed via the Instagram app, an example of an Instagram Shop. In Commerce Manager, you may personalize your storefront.
Keep in mind the following:
- Commerce Manager can only be used on a computer.
- Your Business Manager account must be linked to your commerce account, Instagram account, and Facebook Page.
4. Add a Catalog to Your Instagram Account
You may link a catalog to your Instagram account in a few different ways. You may go via an authorized Facebook partner like BigCommerce or Shopify or utilize the manual approach using Facebook Catalog Manager. Another option is to utilize Square Online, which, although not an official partner, is excellent if you want a free option without having to build up a big inventory.
While you’ll be able to make shoppable posts using the Instagram app on your phone in the future, the initial setup, which includes establishing your items and catalog, will need a computer.
You link your Instagram account to your Facebook Shops catalog if you already have one. It will automatically build your Instagram shopping catalog after you’ve joined. You won’t be able to alter it afterward, so be certain you want the same catalog on both platforms. In order to keep track of inventory, most businesses utilize the same catalog.
In Commerce Manager, you can see and manage your linked Instagram account and catalog by going to:
- Go to Settings in Commerce Manager.
- To see the catalog associated with your commerce account, go to Catalog.
- Choose your company’s assets. Select Instagram from the Ad and Sales Channels drop-down menu. Here you may see your linked Instagram account. When you link your Instagram business account, it shows on the Shops page as a sales channel.
Use Catalog Manager to manually add goods by uploading product data such as pictures and information. You may do this one at a time, in bulk using a spreadsheet, or by using a Facebook pixel to import goods from your website. (When we add goods to a Facebook Shop, we use the same procedure.)
You may utilize Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or Magento, which are all Facebook-certified third-party eCommerce systems.
You’ll see the available partner platforms when you attempt to sign up for Instagram Shopping on your mobile device. You’ll see the instructions for each platform after you’ve chosen one.
Because Facebook and Instagram use the Commerce Manager to run their stores, the procedures are the same for each supplier. To link your account with Instagram, follow the instructions on your partner’s website. Depending on the platform you’re using, you’ll be prompted to finish the setup.
To add items to your catalog, choose Partner Platform from the Data Sources menu.
1. Go to Commerce Manager first.
2. Select Data Sources from the Catalog tab.
3. Click Add Items, then Use a Partner Platform, then Next.
4. Choose your preferred platform.
5. Click the link to go to the partner platform’s website and connect your account with Facebook there.
In just a few minutes, you can establish an online shop using your current Instagram posts with a Square Online store. The greatest aspect is that you don’t have to pay anything until you sell anything. Then it’s only 2.9 percent + $.30 per transaction in normal payment processing costs.
To get started, go to your Square Online dashboard and add Facebook Shops as a sales channel.
Click Sales Channels, then Facebook Shops, from your Square Online dashboard. You’ll be asked to sign in with your Facebook account. To sync your Square Online shop with a Facebook Shop or an Instagram Shop, you must first have goods put up in your Square Online store.
5. Submit your account for approval.
You’ll need to seek account permission after you’ve linked your catalog to your Instagram account.
- Go to your profile in the Instagram app.
- On the upper right, click the hamburger menu.
- Business is the best option. from the drop-down menu under Settings.
- Set Up Instagram Shopping is located at the bottom of the page.
- To submit your account for review, follow the procedures outlined.
Approval usually takes three business days, but it may take longer. To check the progress of your approval, go to Settings and choose Shopping.
6. Enable Instagram Shopping.
Instagram will send you an approval notice, and after you get it, you may proceed to set up product tagging on Instagram. To do so, go inside the app and switch on Instagram Shopping. Make sure you’re using the most recent Instagram app.
Follow these procedures to enable product tagging:
- Go to your profile and choose Menu from the drop-down menu.
- Tap Settings
- Select Business
- Select Shopping from the drop-down menu. Note: Once you’ve been authorized for Shopping, you’ll see this option.
- Continue by tapping the Continue button.
- To link your professional account to a product catalog, choose one.
- After that, click Done.
7. Sell
It’s time to start selling once you’ve enabled Instagram Shopping in your app. Tagging goods in posts, putting product stickers to Stories, and using the Shop experience on your profile are all methods to sell your products on Instagram.
You may also include product tags or store URLs in your IGTV and Instagram Live videos. People may see the product detail page by clicking on a product tag, and they can also check out without leaving the platform.
When product tags are enabled on an Instagram account, this is what it looks like. Product tags link to detailed product pages on your website (store) or Facebook page.
In Instagram Stories, posts, Live, and IGTV, product tags highlight items from your catalog and let buyers discover more about what you’re offering. People will be led to a product description page when they tap the product tag on a post or article.
A product detail page contains all of the pertinent information about a product, including price, a description, and more pictures. Product detail pages are excellent because they bring in any media where the product has been tagged on Instagram, so users can see how it’s been utilized in various ways.
How to use hashtags in Instagram photos to tag goods (Source: Instagram)
Use product tags
To make your Instagram posts shoppable, follow these steps:
- To make a new post, use the + button.
- Add a description, effects, and filters to a picture or video. Next should be tapped.
- Select Tag Products from the drop-down menu. Select the items you wish to tag in the picture or video. Note: For single-image and video posts, you may choose up to five items; for multi-image posts, you can choose up to 20 products.
- Select the items you wish to tag in your catalog after searching for them.
- Tap Done, then Share.
In an Instagram Story, an example of a product sticker (Image credit: Instagram)
Include product stickers
To make your Instagram Stories that are only visible for a short period of time shoppable, follow these steps:
- To add a tale, click on your profile image.
- Choose a picture or video to use in your article.
- From the sticker tray, choose the product sticker.
- Choose the product you wish to highlight from your catalog.
- Tap Done
- Place the product sticker on your narrative where you want it to appear. Note: You may modify the style of the product sticker by touching it.
- Select your audience and tap Send To, then Share.
From your account, you may tag items in both new and current postings. When you share a post on Instagram with product tags, you may share the same post on Facebook with the same product tags. Toggle Facebook before publishing to do this.
Selling on Instagram: Some Tips
Because Instagram is such a visual medium, your Instagram profile and posts must reflect your business. There shouldn’t be too many selfies or product-only photos in your postings. In fact, if you’re showing a product, it’s better to show it in action so it doesn’t come off as overly salesy. Encourage your consumers to tag you in posts that include your product for a chance to be featured—these posts may experience a 30 percent boost in interaction.
Selling on Instagram has never been simpler, thanks to shoppable posts—especially if you already have a following. Here are some Instagram marketing ideas if you don’t have a big network of purchasing consumers.
- Retargeting using advertising: If someone visits your online shop but does not complete a purchase, you may use social media ads to retarget that person. Before making a purchase, this individual may just need more exposure to your brand.
- Instagram stories: Five to ten Instagram stories each day are a great way to humanize your business and get important insights into your consumers. Tips, testimonials, how-tos, surveys, and GIFs are all good things to share. Use a call to action like “swipe up” or “DM for information” to get them to take action.
- Use hashtags in your posts and stories: It used to be recommended to use 30 hashtags for each post, however, this is now considered hashtag spam. Instead, all you need are a few well-targeted hashtags that are very relevant to your article.
Conclusion
Having your goods available for purchase on Instagram is a fantastic method to reach out to a large audience that is already inclined to buy. It’s simple to learn how to sell on Instagram; the hard part is marketing your shoppable Instagram posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest thing to sell on Instagram?
A lot of people are trying to sell clothes, shoes, and other types of clothing on Instagram.
