Instagram Shopping allows users to easily select and purchase products from within the app, without having to redirect customers’ Instagram accounts to the corresponding website to shop. Instagram shopping posts allow consumers to easily discover and purchase the products they need.
1. Introduction to shopping features
With Instagram shopping, merchants can provide an immersive shopping experience. Users get product information through homepage posts and stories, and can also find products in “Search and Discover”.
When users tap on a product tag in a post or a product sticker in a story, they will be redirected to the corresponding product description page, which will display the merchant’s product information: product image, product description, product price, and a purchase link directly to the website.
2. Steps to set up Instagram shopping posts
Step 1: Set the shopping conditions that your Instagram account meets. Before setting up Instagram shopping, you need to ensure that your business meets three conditions: First, the account needs to be located in an available country or region to have permission to use this feature. Instagram now supports shopping features in multiple countries and regions. If the account is not in an available region, it may not be able to tag products. In addition, only physical products can be sold. Second, you must have a business account on Instagram. If you have a personal account, you only need to switch to “Business Page” in “Settings”. Third, your business must sell physical goods and comply with the following policies:
(1) Facebook Business Transaction Policy, see the relevant page for details.
(2) Facebook Merchant Agreement, see the relevant page for details.
Step 2: Create a product catalog on Facebook. Once you have added products to your catalog, you can tag them in Instagram posts and stories. When adding product names, you need to be slightly descriptive so that users know which products have been tagged in the photo for purchase. For example, “Khaleesi” is just a brand name and does not describe the products sold, while “Khaleesi Leather Vest” is more helpful for shopping. You can upload a catalog through the catalog management tool. The creation process can refer to the catalog creation process of dynamic ads. At the same time, if you want to use product tags and stickers, please select the e-commerce catalog category. Another way to create product destinations is to add a [Shop] section through a Facebook public page. Visit the Facebook public page’s [Settings] → [Modules and Features Menu], select the [Shop] feature option, and then go to the [Shop] page to set up the relevant settings and upload products.
Step 3: Pass the Instagram Shopping Review. After setting up the product catalog, you can submit the account for review. Go to “Settings”, click “Business”, and then click “Register for Instagram Shopping”. After completing the above operations, you can submit the account for review. The review process usually takes a few days or longer. Merchants can check the review status at any time through “Shopping” in “Settings”. After the account is reviewed, the merchant will receive a notification from Instagram. At that time, you can complete other related settings under “Shopping” in “Settings” and start tagging products in posts and stories.
Step 4: Turn on shopping in the Instagram app. After approval, you will see a new tab called “Shopping” under “Settings and Business”. Click it to jump to Instagram Shopping in the Instagram app.
Step 5: Create an Instagram Shopping Post. After completing the preliminary preparations, enter the official sales process. First, upload the picture like uploading a normal post. Then, click the product you want to tag. You can tag up to 5 products per post. Enter the names of the products you want to tag, which must correspond to the names in the product catalog. As you enter the names, the corresponding products will appear in the search box, just click on them.
In addition, a “shopping bag” icon will appear in the upper right corner of Instagram shopping posts to distinguish them from other ordinary posts. All tagged products will be displayed in the “Shopping” tab of the profile, where users can also make purchases.