How to Set Up Instagram Shop for Online Business?

Instagram has been introducing new features every now and then, and one can guess it’s to boost up eCommerce. Instagram is expanding into shopping and selling on the platform. It has now become a usual thing on Instagram. Instagram shopping tags, direct checkout on Instagram, shoppable clothes promoted by influencers, and product stickers on Stories, Instagram has taken many things into consideration into making Instagram Shopping easy and accessible.

What is an Instagram Shop?

Instagram Shop lets you add your products into a catalog and showcase it on your Instagram profile. This allows easy and direct promotion of your products through posts, Stories, Explore, and Shop tab. It makes accessing your products much easier.

Let’s look at some examples of how Instagram Shops work.

The Instagram Shop tab in action. This allows users visiting their profile to see all of their products without leaving the Instagram app.

You can also tag Instagram Shop products in your posts in the same way you would tag a friend.

You can tag up to five items per image or twenty items per carousel. 

You can even promote your products in Instagram Stories.

Why Should You Use Instagram Shopping?

• Instagram shopping makes it easier for your customers to view the different prices of your products. They would no longer need to ask for prices in the comments. Alternatively, this is easier for you because you won’t have to spend time replying to comments and DMs about prices.
• With specific products already tagged in your post, your customers won’t have to scroll through your website to find what they like.
• With Instagram’s new update, it lets customers make in-app purchases. They won’t have to exit Instagram. But this feature is available for select items and companies right now.
• Instagram shopping setup allows to tag up to 5 products on a single image and up to 20 goods within a carousel.
• Your posts may appear on the Explore Page organically, which will boost your traffic, sales, and profile statistics.
• You can add Shoppable Stories in Highlights and this will help your audience easily access your new collections.
• Instagram Shopping localizes the products and their currency based on which country the product is being viewed in.
• You’ll also be exposing your products to your target market because these shopping posts are personalized and based on users’ interests and past engagement. 

Steps To Set Up Your Instagram Shop

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Instagram has certain eligibility criteria before you can set up your Instagram Shop. Make sure to get your boxes ticked.

• Your business is located in a SUPPORTED MARKET
• Your business has an eligible product
• Your business complies with Instagram and Facebook’s MERCHANT AGREEMENT and COMMERCE POLICIES
• Your business owns a website domain in which you intend to sell from

Step 2: Switch To A Creator/Business Account

You need to switch to a creator/business account.

To do so, go to your Instagram Settings. Tap on Account. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see Switch to Professional Account. Follow the following steps to complete your profile switch.

Select Continue. Then you will be asked to Select A Category that your business will represent.

Next, you will be asked to choose between a business account or a creator’s account.

Once you have a business account, you can add in relevant business information, such as opening hours, business address, phone number, and a link to your website. Enter those and you will be all set.

Step 3: Connect To A Facebook Page

Follow these steps to link your Instagram business account to a Facebook Page.

1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile
2. Select “Edit profile”.
3. Under the “Public business information” section, select “Page”
4. Choose a Facebook Page from your Pages that you’d like to connect.
5. If you don’t have a Facebook Page, select “Create a new Facebook Page”.

Step 4: Upload Your Product Catalogue

There are two ways you can connect a product catalog to your Instagram business account. And this is the most important step to setting up your Instagram shop.

You can follow CATALOGUE MANAGER is the “do it yourself” method found within Facebook Business Manager.

Alternatively, you can use E-COMMERCE PLATFORM PARTNER, which is the integration through one of Instagram’s certified e-commerce platform partners, such as Shopify or BigCommerce. You need to create an account on one of these platforms.

Step 5: Account Review

Once you’ve connected a product catalog to your Instagram and have products in your catalog, submit your account for review by following these steps. Account reviews typically take a few days but sometimes can take longer.

1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap 
2. Select “Settings”.
3. Sign up for shopping
4. Follow the steps to submit your account for review.
5. Visit “Shopping” in your “Settings” at any time to check your status.

Some businesses may be notified that additional information is necessary to prove ownership of your website domain. If you receive this notification, follow the steps to complete your domain verification process to submit your account for review.

Step 6: Turn On Shopping

Once your account is approved, you can turn on shopping features. Note: If you don’t see Shopping in your settings, your account is probably still under review or hasn’t been approved for Instagram Shopping.

1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap 
2. Select “Settings”.
3. Tap “Business” and then tap “Shopping”.
4. Select the “product catalog” that you want to connect to your account.
5. Select “Done”.

Step 7: Start Tagging

Now that you’ve enabled Shopping, you can use shopping tags to highlight products in your photos and videos across feed and Stories.

How To Tag Shopping Tags

Shopping Tags In Posts

To tag products within an Instagram post, start by uploading a photo as you normally would and follow the below instructions before posting:

1. Tap “Add photo”.
2. Add a caption.
3. Tap on “Tag products”.
4. Tap on the photo.
5. Search for a product.
6. Select product.
7. Tap “Done”.
8. Tap “Share”.

Shopping Stickers in Stories

Immediately after you’ve chosen an image for your story, follow the below instructions before posting:

1. Tap the sticker icon in the top right-hand corner.
2. Select the product sticker from the sticker tray.
3. Select the product from your catalog that you want to feature.
4. Move the product sticker to where you would like it to appear in your story.
5. Change the text color of the product sticker by tapping the sticker.
6. Share your story

How to Promote Your Shop on Instagram

Here are a few tips as to how you can promote your shop on Instagram:

• Use Hashtags: Hashtags are singlehandedly one of the most effective ways for you to make your content discoverable. By adding the right hashtags, it reaches potential customers who might be interested in your hashtags.
• Take advantage of the Product Sticker Feature in Stories: You can also tag your products in Stories. Simply use the ‘Product’ sticker.
• Instagram Shopping Ads: You can promote your products by running Instagram Shopping Ads.