Social media platforms like Instagram have become a popular hub for businesses to promote their products and services. Instagram Shopping, in particular, has emerged as a useful tool for businesses to make their products available for purchase directly on the platform. Instagram boasts incredibly high engagement rates, with over 1 billion monthly active users and 81% of people using Instagram to research products and services (source: Instagram).
Setting up Instagram Shopping for businesses is a simple and intuitive process. Here’s how to get started:
#1 – Meet the Eligibility Criteria
Before setting up Instagram Shopping, your business needs to meet some eligibility criteria. Firstly, you must have an Instagram business account, and secondly, your business must be located in one of the 46 countries that support Instagram Shopping.
#2 – Set up a Facebook Shop
Once you’ve met the eligibility criteria, you need to set up a Facebook Shop. Instagram Shopping is linked to Facebook Shops, which means that you need to have a Facebook Shop set up before you can start selling on Instagram.
#3 – Connect Instagram with Facebook Shop
After setting up a Facebook Shop, you need to connect it with your Instagram business account. This involves going to your Instagram business profile and selecting ‘Edit Profile,’ then tapping ‘Business’ and ‘Shopping’ and following the prompts to connect your Facebook Shop.
#4 – Add Product Tags
With your Facebook Shop connected to your Instagram business account, you can start adding product tags to your Instagram posts and stories. You can tag up to five products in a single post or 20 products in a multi-image post.
Benefits of Instagram Shopping for Business
Instagram Shopping makes it simple for customers to make purchases without disrupting their experience in the app (eg. they don’t need to suddenly open a new browser window). It can also help increase brand visibility and drive sales by making products more accessible to potential customers. A recent survey by Facebook found that 70% of shoppers use Instagram for product discovery, and 87% say that social media helps them decide what to buy (source: Facebook).
Moreover, Instagram Shopping provides businesses with valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences through data analysis. According to a survey by Sprout Social, 79% of marketers say that Instagram is a crucial part of their social media strategy, and 48% use Instagram for consumer insights (source: Sprout Social).
Summary
Overall, setting up Instagram Shopping for your business is a great way to expand your online presence and reach new customers. By following the steps outlined above, businesses can unlock the benefits of Instagram Shopping and take their online sales to the next level.
Ready to streamline communication with your customers?