How to set up Instagram Shopping for your business

Last updated on: August 1, 2023

Instagram Shops bridge the gap between social media and ecommerce. Each month, over 130 million instagram users tap on a shopping post to learn more about the product. A successful Instagram shop can help a wide range of businesses grow their digital presence.In this article, we’ll go over exactly how to set up Instagram Shopping and what you can use it for.

Summary

What is an Instagram shop?
How to set up an Instagram shop
Frequently asked Instagram shopping questions

What is an Instagram Shop?

Instagram Shop is a set of features that allows you to sell products by uploading a catalog, tagging products in posts, and accepting transactions in the app. Here’s an overview of the different features available with Instagram Shopping:

Shops: Showcase your product catalog in a shoppable storefront.
Shopping tags: Create shoppable posts by tagging items in photos.
Instagram Shop: A central place where shoppers can explore new items and stores.
Collections: Stores can arrange products into themed collections.
Product detail page: Showcase features, benefits, and more on a page that also loads other media on Instagram featuring the product.
Ads with product tags: Drive shoppers to your website or Instagram checkout with tags in ads.
Checkout on Instagram: If eligible, your shop can support Facebook Pay, which allows users to pay directly on Instagram.
Shopping from creators: Shoppers can purchase from posts made by creators/influencers who partner with brands. (Checkout-enabled only)
Product launches: Create a buzz for an upcoming product with announcements on Instagram. (Checkout enabled only)
Live shopping: Checkout-enabled businesses can feature and sell products in live videos.

That’s a wide range of capabilities. With Instagram shopping, users can see something they like in a photo, get more information on that product, and make a purchase, all with minimal effort.

How to set up an Instagram shop: A step-by-step guide

Let’s look at what you need to do to set up an Instagram shop now yourself.

Step 1: Meet eligibility requirements

Before you can create an Instagram shopping account, you need to meet these eligibility requirements:

Step 2: Create Instagram and Facebook business pages and link them

If you can meet the basic requirements, you can move on to starting your Instagram shopping profile. Since Instagram Shops is a part of Facebook Shops, you need to create a Facebook business page. Ideally, you’d create a Facebook Shopping page and set it up with a shopping template.

Next, you can change your personal account into a business account. You can convert your account by going into your settings and clicking

Switch to a professional/business account.

After that, you can connect Instagram to Facebook and then choose a Facebook page to run your store through. Follow these steps:

Select Edit profile
Tap Public business information
Tap Page
Choose a Facebook page to connect

Step 3: Upload your product catalog manually or with an ecommerce partner

The product catalog is what drives your Instagram shop. There are two main ways you can add a catalog: use Facebook’s catalog manager or connect a third-party ecommerce platform.

There are pros and cons to each. If you use Facebook’s manager, you can set up Facebook Pay and allow people to use Instagram Checkout. However, if you also sell from your own website, you’ll have to manage multiple inventory flows. Facebook’s business manager also lacks some features compared to catalog tools like BigCommerce.

Facebook Shop can connect with a host of ecommerce tools to make things easier. That means you can use an ecommerce platform to manage your products through Facebook. This method works well for brands that sell in higher volumes and on multiple platforms.

Step 4: Apply and wait for approval

After you have a catalog of products on Facebook that is connected to Instagram, you can submit your profile for review. Follow these steps:

In your Instagram business profile, tap Settings
Tap Business then Instagram shopping
Follow the instructions to double-check your account and apply

The review process can take a few days to a couple of weeks. You’ll receive a notification if your account has been approved. You might also receive a notification that Instagram needs more information, and that will come with further instructions.

Step 5: Turn on shopping and tag products

After you’re approved, you can turn on shopping for your Instagram account. Go to Settings, tap Business, then tap Shopping. Choose which product catalog you want to connect, then tap Done.

Now, you can draw people to your catalog through shopping posts and stories. You can add tags in images that lead directly to products, so shoppers can always find out more about what they see. You can also use stickers in stories, which also lead to products in your catalog.

Conclusion

If you have a web store, it’s easy to start using Instagram to expand your business. Social shopping promises to grow in the future, and Instagram offers a great way for businesses to take advantage of that.

In your journey to establishing your online brand, it’s important that you develop a strong brand protection strategy. Keep your brand safe on social media by detecting and monitoring fake profiles and counterfeits on social media platforms. Contact us for more information.

Frequently Asked Instagram Shopping Questions

Why is my Instagram not eligible for shopping?

Make sure your products follow Instagram’s guidelines and that you have a website and Facebook Shopping page. If you still get errors, disconnect everything and try starting fresh with a manual catalog. Third-party catalogs can sometimes cause issues if they have all-caps product titles, links in product descriptions, problems with pricing, and missing size/color variations.

How many followers do you need for Instagram shopping?

There is no minimum number of followers required to have an Instagram shopping account. You can start tagging products on your Instagram even if you have no followers. If you have 10,000 followers, you can use the swipe-up feature in your stories, but that isn’t related to a shopping account.

How long does it take Instagram to approve shopping?

Usually, it takes a few hours to a few days for an account to be approved for product tagging. In some cases, it can take up to two weeks. If you haven’t heard back after two weeks, it’s a good idea to get in touch with Facebook and see if there is an issue.

How to set up Instagram Shopping for your business - Red Points (2024)