Turn your Instagram profile into a virtual store using the Instagram Shop feature!
For ecommerce businesses, Instagram Shop is a great way to get discovered and sell online. This feature allows businesses to share shoppable products directly to their Instagram account without customers needing to leave the platform.
Keep reading for our step-by-step guide on how to create an Instagram Shop to turn your followers into customers.
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What is an Instagram shop?
Instagram Shop acts as an online storefront where customers can discover and shop your products without having to leave the platform.
The other benefit for businesses with Instagram Shop is that they can also be featured on the Instagram Shop tab—the new shopping destination accessible from Instagram’s main navigation menu.
Like Instagram’s Explore feature, the Instagram Shop tab makes it easy for people to discover new shops and products based on previous engagement and the posts and brands people follow.
Below are the 6 steps your business can take to set up your shop and start selling!
Step #1: Confirm eligibility
The first step in setting up your Instagram Shop is determining your eligibility. If your business checks all of these boxes, you are eligible and able to set up Instagram Shopping.
Your business is located in a supported market
Your business has an eligible product
Your business complies with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies
Your business owns a website domain from which you intend to sell your product
Step #2: Convert to a business account
In order to set up shopping, you need to convert your account to a business or creator account. Convert your account with this guide.
Once you have a business account, you can add in relevant business information like store hours, business address, phone number and a link to your website.
Step #3: Connect your Facebook Page
Follow these steps to link your Instagram business account with a Facebook page.
Go to your business’s Instagram profile
Select “Edit Profile”
Under the “Public Business Information” section, select “Page”
Choose a Facebook Page from your Pages that you'd like to connect
If you do not have a Facebook Page select “Create a New Facebook Page”
Please note: Facebook Page Shop is not required, only a Facebook Page.
Step #4: Upload a product catalog
Your Instagram Shop is powered by your product catalog, a list of products, inventory, descriptions, and prices.
There are two ways to connect a product catalog to your Instagram Business Account:
Catalog manager: The “do it yourself” method found within Facebook Business Manager.
Ecommerce platform partner: An integration through one of Instagram’s certified ecommerce platform partners like Shopify or BigCommerce
Step #5: Complete account review
Once you connect 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.
Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap the menu
Select “Settings”
Sign up for shopping
Follow the steps to submit your account for review.
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 Instagram’s 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 it hasn't been approved for Instagram Shopping.
Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap the menu
Select “Settings”
Tap “Business” then tap “Shopping”
Select the “Product Catalog” you want to connect to your account.
Select “Done”
If you don’t see Shopping in your settings, your account is probably still under review or hasn’t been approved for Instagram Shopping.
Your Instagram Shop will automatically appear on your Instagram profile page, ready to be browsed.
For a successful Instagram Shop, use your content to optimize your marketing. Check out our buyer persona guide and how to drive sales using social media.
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