Are you a brand looking to boost your sales via one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, Instagram? You are at the right place. Instagram is the most powerful marketing platform that has helped everyone, from small businesses to popular brands, sell their products to a wider audience and boost sales. Around 130 million people click on Instagram shopping posts, and 70% of shoppers use Instagram before buying. Its massive audience base, high engagement, and engaging content ideas provide immense opportunities for businesses to present their products and engage with customers.
Instagram Shopping is a powerful built-in shopping tool that allows you to turn your profile into visual storefronts and reach a global audience. However, to get the ball rolling, it’s important for you to understand Instagram shopping in detail and harness its full potential. Therefore, in this blog, we will share a complete guide for businesses to sell their products through Instagram and maximize sales.
What is Instagram Shopping?
Instagram Shopping is a special feature that lets businesses, small & large brands, and creators create and share digital product catalogs directly on Instagram. In this, businesses can tag their products on posts, stories, reels, advertisements, etc., along with detailed descriptions to allow their followers directly make the purchases. Most businesses prefer buying Stormlikes followers at the initial stage to boost their profile authenticity in the market, attract new customers, and bring in more sales.
Instagram also has a secure checkout that allows users to complete the purchase without even leaving the platform. This unique feature transforms a simple Instagram profile into a mini e-commerce site that offers an immersive and user-friendly shopping experience. In a nutshell, it makes it easy for brands and creators to make their products reach a broader audience on Instagram and boost sales.
How to Set Up an Instagram Shopping Account?
Setting up an Instagram shopping account is not a rocket science, but you need the right approach and knowledge to set up the account seamlessly without any confusion. Take a look at the steps to set up Instagram shopping account:
Step 1: Convert to a Business Account
If you have an existing account, simply convert it into a business account to become eligible for shopping posts:
- Go to your profile and click on the menu icon.
- Select Settings & Privacy > Account types.
- Choose ‘Switch to Professional Account’ and select ‘Business’.
If you don’t have an existing account, you should first create a personal account and then convert it into a business account using the steps mentioned above.
Step 2: Connect to a Facebook Page
To use the Instagram shopping feature, it’s mandatory to first connect your Instagram page to Facebook. To do that, follow the steps below:
- On the Instagram app, go to Edit profile>Page.
- Connect with a relevant Facebook page if you already have one. If you don’t have a Facebook page, create one using the same option.
- Sign in to your Facebook account and choose the page you want to link to on Instagram.
Step 3: Upload Your Product Catalog
Product Catalog shows how your product tag, sticker tag, and price tag will look on Instagram shopping posts. There are two simple ways to connect a product catalog to your Instagram Business Account:
Catalog Manager: This feature is present on Facebook Business Manager and allows you to manually upload a product catalog with all the information. You can choose between connecting with an existing catalog or creating a new one. Facebook will guide you in creating a catalog seamlessly and managing your products on both platforms.
E-commerce Platform partner: If you already have an e-commerce site like Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, etc., you can directly upload your products with this feature. To do so, open Commerce Manager>Catalog>Add items and then select Connect e-commerce platform rather than upload product info. Choose the platform and follow the steps Facebook provides.
Step 4: Submit your Account for Approval
Once you connect the product catalog to Instagram, submit it for review by following the below steps:
- Go to settings on the Instagram profile
- Select sign-up for shopping
- Follow the steps and submit for review
It generally takes a couple of days, but you can check the status by visiting “Shopping” in the settings. Make sure to follow up via email too, as sometimes you can get mail asking for additional information.
Step 5: Turn on Instagram Shopping
Once your account gets approved, it’s time to turn on Instagram shopping and start selling your products via Instagram. Follow the below steps to get the ball rolling:
- Go to your profile & tap the menu icon
- Choose settings>Business>Shopping
- After that, select the product catalog that you want to link to your account
- Click Done
Best Practices for Instagram Shopping
Setting up the account and adding products to Instagram are not enough. To maximize your product reach and increase sales, you need to use some effective practices while adding products. Take a look at some of the best practices for Instagram shopping:
High Quality Images: Instagram is a visual platform, and users fall for aesthetics and high-quality images. Hence, make sure to use high-resolution photographs to promote the products.
Detailed Descriptions: Today, users don’t prefer purchasing products just with the name and basic details. They seek clear and detailed descriptions. So, try to add all the important details about the product, including quality, material, features, dimensions, etc.
Engaging Content: Promote and sell your products on Instagram using various methods, including posts, stories, videos, live ads, guides, etc. Versatile content helps you reach more audiences and keep them engaged.
Proper Hashtags: As you know, hashtags play an essential role in increasing the reach of any content on Instagram, and shopping posts and videos are no exception. Make sure to add the relevant and trending hashtags in the shopping posts to reach a wider audience and boost sales.
Share UGC Content: UGC or user-generated content boosts the credibility of your products and enhances the brand’s authenticity. Therefore, add pictures of customers using your products to increase users’ trust and confidence in your brand and encourage them to make purchases.
Conclusion
Instagram shopping is a unique and trendy way to sell your products via Instagram. We have mentioned how you can easily set up a shopping account, add products, and start selling. Make sure to keep your shopping posts aesthetic, along with detailed descriptions, clear CTAs, and proper hashtags. Apart from that, to increase the reach of your shopping posts, you can purchase followers, use shopping ads, try brand collaborations, or promote user-generated content.
Also read: Emberify:6 Instagram Strategies to Generate E-commerce Sales
