In today’s world, technological advances seem to be occurring every day. Whether people are ordering dinner for curb-side pick up, streaming live TV on the go, or catching up on World News, there isn’t much we cannot do from the palm of our hand. Instagram has recently joined the movement with their latest feature Instagram Shopping. Instagram Shopping allows businesses to integrate shopping directly from the posts on their feed. The feature is fairly simply to implement, and currently available in over 30 countries.
Shopping On Instagram Overview
Below, we outline how to add this feature to your profile.
- Must sell physical goods that comply with the Instagram Shopping merchant agreement
- Instagram Account must be converted to a business profile
- Facebook catalog set up & linked to the Instagram Business profile
Shopping on Instagram Eligibility
To determine eligibility, you’ll want to be sure your business sells physical goods that comply with the Instagram merchant agreement and commerce policies. If so, your next step will be to convert your Instagram account to a business profile. Once your business profile is up and running, you’ll need to connect it to a Facebook Catalog. It is important to note that the catalog can be created and managed on Business Manager, through WooCommerce/Shopify/BigCommerce platforms or directly on your business’ Shop page on Facebook.
Once these three steps are completed, Instagram will review your account (usually within a few days) for access to the feature. Once approved, you’ll receive an Instagram notification and can begin your shopping integration.
Tagging Products
Before you begin tagging items in your posts for in-application shopping, you’ll need to enable the product tagging option. To do so, go to the settings option in your profile and select the Get Started alert. Next, select Shopping, Continue, and select a product catalog to connect to your business profile.
To begin tagging products, tap the items in the photo you want to link. Next, simply enter the names of the products you want to tag, then select them as they appear in the search box.
Instagram currently allows you to tag up to 5 products per post, both new and existing posts, or 20 products within a multi-image post. Shopping directly from the Instagram platform is a great way to expand your customer base & increase your revenue. The practicality of not having to link off-site is simple, and convenient – two popular asks from customers of our current generation.
If you need any help setting up your Instagram Shopping profile, linking to your Shopping Catalog, or any other related issue, we’re happy to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Liz is the Director of Marketing at Rare Digital. She has an eye for design and is a talented content writer. Liz uses social media to raise community awareness for the clients that we work with. She loves design, music, and coffee.
