With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms today. Given its huge reach and engagement, Instagram has become an extremely effective platform for businesses to market and sell products directly to consumers.
If you have an existing business or are looking to start selling products online, setting up an Instagram shop can help you tap into a massive base of potential customers. Unlike Facebook shops which are free to set up, Instagram requires you to have a Facebook business page and Facebook commerce account to create a shop.
Here are some quick answers to common questions about Instagram shops:
– Do I need a business Instagram account? Yes, you need a business account to be able to set up a shop. Convert your personal account to a business one first.
– Is it free to create an Instagram shop? No, you need to set up a Facebook commerce account which has associated fees for selling.
– Can I sell physical and digital products? Yes, you can sell both physical and digital products through Instagram shops.
– Do I need to create the products in my shop? No, you can connect existing product catalogs from ecommerce platforms like Shopify.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to create a shop on Instagram and leverage it to drive sales for your business.
Step 1: Convert to an Instagram business account
The first step is to convert your existing Instagram account into a business account. You cannot create an Instagram shop without a business account.
Here is how to convert your personal Instagram account into a business one:
1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page.
2. Tap on the three line menu in the top right corner.
3. Select “Settings” from the menu.
4. Tap on “Account” in the Settings menu.
5. Scroll down and tap on “Switch to Business Account”.
6. Select the category that best represents your business.
7. Enter your business contact details like email, phone number and address.
8. Read and agree to the Terms of Use.
Your Instagram account is now a business account!
The key differences between a personal and business account are:
– Business accounts have access to Instagram analytics and insights about followers and posts. This allows you to make data-driven decisions about your Instagram marketing strategy.
– You can convert business accounts back to personal anytime. But you cannot convert a personal account into a business one if you have had it in the past.
– Business accounts have additional features like promoted posts, contact buttons and shop integration.
– There is no change to your followers, posts or engagement when you convert to a business account.
So in summary, converting to a business account opens up crucial business features on Instagram without affecting your existing presence. It is a prerequisite for setting up an Instagram shop.
Step 2: Set up a Facebook business page and commerce account
To be able to create an Instagram shop, you need to first have an active Facebook business page and Facebook commerce account.
Here are step-by-step instructions to set these up:
Create a Facebook business page
1. Go to facebook.com and click on “Create” in the top right dropdown menu.
2. Select “Page” from the menu.
3. Choose the category that best represents your business and click on “Get Started”.
4. Select a more specific category for your business like retail, beauty, etc.
5. Enter your business name and contact details. Make sure to use the same email that is connected to your Instagram account.
6. Click on “Continue” and follow prompts to add a profile picture, cover photo and invite friends.
Your Facebook business page is now created! Make sure to complete all the fields in the “About” section to provide sufficient information about your business to visitors.
Set up a Facebook commerce account
1. Go to facebook.com/commerce/manager and click on “Get Started”.
2. Select the Facebook page you want to associate with your commerce account.
3. Choose the commerce tools you want to use like Instagram Shopping, checkout on Instagram and Facebook Shops.
4. Enter your business address, payment account details and identity verification.
5. Agree to Facebook’s terms and fees. There are no upfront costs but selling fees apply per transaction.
Once approved, your Facebook commerce account will be ready to connect with your Instagram business account!
Key things to note:
– You need a Facebook business page for over 30 days to be eligible for a commerce account.
– It can take 1-2 weeks after submitting for Facebook to review and activate your commerce account.
– Facebook charges selling fees but no setup fees or monthly subscription costs.
Step 3: Connect your Instagram and Facebook accounts
Now that you have a business Instagram account and an active Facebook commerce account, you need to connect the two together.
Here is how to link your Instagram and Facebook business accounts:
1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap on the three line menu in the top right corner.
3. Select “Settings”.
4. Tap on “Account”.
5. Under “Account Information”, select “Linked Accounts”.
6. Tap on “Facebook” under Linked Accounts.
7. Log into your Facebook business account if prompted.
8. Tap “Yes” to confirm linking your Instagram account to the Facebook account.
Once connected, you will see a “Linked” status under the Facebook section in your Instagram Linked Accounts page.
Key pointers for connecting Instagram and Facebook:
– Use the same email address for both Instagram and Facebook accounts you want to link.
– Your Instagram account must be a business account to connect with a Facebook business page.
– You can only link one Facebook business account to each Instagram account.
With your accounts successfully connected, you can now set up your Instagram shop!
Step 4: Enable Instagram shopping
The next step is to enable Instagram shopping in your connected Facebook commerce account. This is what allows you to create product catalogs and sync them to Instagram.
Follow these instructions to enable Instagram shopping:
1. Go to facebook.com/commerce/manager
2. Click on “Instagram shopping” in the left sidebar.
3. Toggle “Enable Instagram Shopping” to on.
4. Select your Instagram business account to link it.
5. Choose the Facebook page you want to sync products from.
6. Click “Finish Setup”.
It can take 24-48 hours for Instagram shopping to be fully activated. Once enabled, you can start adding products to sell!
Key pointers on setting up Instagram shopping:
– Enable Instagram shopping in the same Facebook commerce account connected to your Instagram account.
– You can only link one Facebook page catalog to each Instagram account.
– New Facebook commerce accounts may have a short wait period before they can enable Instagram shopping.
With Instagram shopping activated, your Instagram profile will automatically get a “Shop” tab where your products will be listed.
Step 5: Add products to your Instagram shop
Once Instagram shopping is enabled, you can start adding products to sell through your Instagram shop.
There are two main ways to add products:
Create products directly within Instagram
1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap on “Settings”.
2. Under “Business Settings”, select “Products”.
3. Tap on “+ Add Products” and select “Create new product”.
4. Enter your product name, description and price.
5. Upload at least one photo of your product. Preferably shoot on a plain background.
6. Tap “Add” in the top right corner to create your product listing.
7. Repeat these steps to add all your products. They will sync automatically with your Instagram shop.
Sync products from an external catalog
If your products are in an external catalog like Shopify or BigCommerce, you can sync them directly to your Instagram shop.
Here is how to connect to external platforms:
1. Go to your Facebook commerce account and select “Connected Apps” in the left sidebar.
2. Choose the ecommerce platform like Shopify that you use.
3. Enter your platform credentials and click “Submit”.
4. Return to the “Instagram Shopping” section in commerce manager.
5. Under product catalog, choose your connected ecommerce platform.
All your products from the external catalog will automatically sync with your Instagram shop. You can add variants and edit product info as needed directly within Instagram.
Key tips for adding products:
– Include 5-7 photos per product to give customers more visual information.
– Write detailed descriptions highlighting product features and benefits.
– Correctly categorize your products to make them more discoverable.
– Offer multiple variants like sizes and colors if applicable.
– Keep your product catalog updated with new or discontinued items.
Step 6: Customize your Instagram shop
Once you have products in your catalog, you can customize your Instagram shop to create an immersive shopping experience for customers.
Here are some tips to enhance your Instagram shop:
Shop tab and highlights
– Organize your products into collections in the shop tab via the “Edit” option.
– Create highlights like “New Arrivals” and add products to drive visits to your shop.
Shoppable posts
– Make your Instagram posts shoppable by tagging products that customers can purchase directly via checkout.
– Link specific portions of a post like an outfit to the corresponding product pages.
Shopping stickers
– Use Instagram Shopping stickers on stories to let followers view and buy products without leaving Instagram.
– Link stickers to your shoppable posts and product highlights.
Shopping ads
– Run Instagram Shopping ads to promote your products and offers to a targeted audience.
– Use compelling creatives, promotions and retargeting to boost conversions.
AR shopping
– Tap into Instagram’s AR shopping capabilities to let customers virtually try on and experience your products.
– Make shopping more immersive and derive higher intent from AR interactions.
A creative andConversion
seamless shopping experience will make customers more likely to buy from your Instagram shop.
Step 7: Set up checkout on Instagram
The final step is to enable checkout on Instagram so customers can complete their purchases without leaving the app.
Follow these steps to activate checkout:
1. Go to your Facebook commerce account and select “Settings” in the left sidebar.
2. Choose “Checkout” from the top menu.
3. Toggle “Enable Checkout” on.
4. Pick the default product data like variants and images to use during checkout.
5. Add your shipping rates and tax details.
6. Select the payment provider like Shopify Payments you want to use.
7. Choose the Instagram accounts you want checkout enabled for.
Once checkout is activated, eligible customers will see a “Checkout on Instagram” button on your shoppable posts and product pages.
Tips for optimizing checkout:
– Show optimized product variants like size and color first during checkout.
– Set accurate shipping rates considering factors like location and cart value.
– Offer multiple payment options like cards, wallets and installments.
– Make the checkout flow fast and frictionless to avoid drop-offs.
Checkout on Instagram provides customers with a smooth native experience that increases conversion rates for your shop.
Conclusion
Creating a shop on Instagram opens up immense ecommerce potential through its visual nature and engaged user base. However, it does require some legwork like creating a Facebook commerce account and optimizing your product catalog.
Here are some key takeaways:
– Convert to an Instagram business account and link it to your Facebook business page.
– Activate Instagram shopping and connect external catalogs from platforms like Shopify.
– Curate a catalog with quality photos, descriptions and categorization.
– Make your posts and stories shoppable for seamless discovery.
– Enable checkout on Instagram for a frictionless native buying experience.
– Analyze shopping insights to optimize your product mix and marketing.
– Stay on top of algorithm changes that impact visibility.
– Learn best practices for Instagram shopping ads.
– Provide excellent customer service and post-sales support.
Setting up an Instagram shop represents a major sales channel for your business. With a stellar shopping experience and smart marketing tactics, you can unlock Instagram’s phenomenal commercial potential.