How to add view products on instagram

How To Set Up Shoppable Posts on Instagram

2018 is already pumping out marketing game changers.

Similar to finding an item on sale or watching your sports team pull off a hail mary, Instagram went for the kill with shoppable posts.

If you don’t already know about shoppable media, oh, do you need to catch up.

Shoppable media gives eligible businesses the ability to tag products in their posts. Check out Instagram’s explainer video through Vimeo for an illustration of user experience.

Essentially, consumers can view product details through Instagram then complete the transaction on a separate landing page.

However, there’s hype around eliminating the need for a separate landing page. In other words, consumers would be able to buy while remaining in the Instagram app. Leaving room for a new level of marketing.

Unfortunately, info on Instagram’s shoppable posts is kind of hard to follow. No worries though, we cracked the code right from Instagram itself.

UPDATE! – It’s Happening:

Yahoo Finance reports: Instagram is becoming an e-commerce platform! Payment features were recently introduced allowing users to add debit and credit cards to their profiles, set up security pins, and start purchasing products without leaving Instagram. Note that this is currently in a test phase, so it’s only open to select users.

REPEAT: People will be able to buy items on Instagram!

UPDATE! – Need to know:

Instagram announced mid-March that these shopping features will open to thousands of businesses that sell apparel, jewelry, or beauty products! And this is no longer a feature in the US. Now, Instagram offers the same shopping experience in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and in the UK.

Want to get ahead of the curve? Here’s how to prep for Instagram shoppable posts.

The Beginning

Back in 2016, Instagram introduced the idea of shoppable media from researching the rise in mobile use, buyer behavior, and digital shopping experience.

Why Instagram? Consider this:

Instagram feed, Stories, and Live become big opportunities for retailers to make an impression and inspire.
According to Instagram Business, “80% of Instagram accounts follow a business to feel a closer sense of connection to it—making many feel like they’re part of an exclusive group as a result.”
Plus, data gathered in 2016 showed, “Consuming 2X more content than non-shoppers, people shopping on Instagram spend 85% of the week exploring the newest products and services.”

Sold on this yet? Good, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

Insta-Shop Eligibility

So, how do you know if your business will get approved to take the leap of Insta-shop? The criteria:

Make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app.
Convert your Instagram account into a business profile.
Be an admin on a Page or Business Manager account.
You must have a product catalog associated with a shop on Facebook.
You must sell eligible physical goods, meaning no services.

Words of wisdom from Instagram, “We’re giving businesses the power to create and tag a post with products directly from their iOS mobile phone. Once a business has a product catalog connected to their account, tagging a product is as simple as tagging a person in a post.”

Note: If you use Shopify or BigCommerce, you can easily set up shop on Instagram through those platforms.

Pending Approval

Next question: How do you get approval?

After you complete the steps above to gain eligibility, Instagram will automatically review the account for feature accessibility.

Don’t get too excited though because next comes…waiting. According to Instagram, this review process could take “a few days,” or just “longer” if the review needs completing with higher detail.

You’ll receive a notification on your business profile when approved for product tagging.

Probably won’t take too long, but just saying, prepare to wait in line like it’s a grocery store at noon on a Sunday.

Okay, so you fit the eligibility criteria and set everything up for the review process, and holy target lady you’re a match!

Enable Product Tagging

Here’s your next move: Enable product tagging through your Instagram account.

These product tags provide discoverability and help users buy through posts. Below shows the steps taken by consumers during the product tag experience.

Here’s how to get set up with product tags:

Go to your profile.
Tap the Get Started alert at the top of your profile.
If you don’t see the alert in the image above, tap options or the gear wheel.
Tap Products.
Tap Continue.
Select a product catalog to connect to your business profile.
Tap Done.

Note: If these options aren’t available to you then you have not been approved yet. Take the rain check and try again another sunny day.

Tagging Your Posts

Now, let’s turn the set-up process into a completed process. To tag products in Instagram posts, here’s your to-do list:

After you’ve selected a photo and added a caption, effects, and filters, tap Tag Products from the Share screen.
Tap the products in the photo you want to tag.
Enter the names of the products you want to tag, then select them as they appear in the search box.
Tap Done.
Tap Share.

Note: Instagram recommends your tags touch directly on the related product. You can also preview tagged products or save a draft.

Other product tagging rules and guide to success:

From your business profile on Instagram, tag products from new and existing posts.
Tag 5 products per one single image post or 20 products per multi-image post.
You can not tag boomerangs, videos, or animated gifs.
When a user taps on a product tag they will see an image of the product, a description, its cost and lastly, a link directing them to your website for purchase.

What happens if you went through all these steps, and Instagram just says no? First of all, it will be okay. Deep breaths.

Time for the What Ifs

What if you’re approved, but for some reason, you can’t tag products to your posts? Well, Instagram has a few suggestions to why this may be occurring:

If you receive a message that says “No Products Found” after you tap “Tag Products” in the post creation flow or don’t see “Products” under settings:
1. Make sure you have the latest version of the iOS or Android app.
2. Make sure your Business Manager catalog or shop catalog is properly associated with the Instagram account through the Facebook Page.

Each Instagram account can only be associated with one Facebook Page and catalog at a time.

If you don’t see the Tag Products option in the post creation flow, make sure you’ve enabled shopping on your account.

Note: Make sure you’ve enabled the feature by going through the steps given in this article. It never hurts to review your work on a clear head.

Getting rejected after trying to tag a product?
1. The most likely answer is that your tag probably went against Instagram’s broad-level policy.
2. A set of commerce policies dictates whether your tagged product gets approved. This process is the equivalent to pending ad approval through Facebook ads.
Make sure you’re tagging correctly from the get-go to avoid frustration when you actually do it.

Ohhh, the Insights

As marketers, we love to see our hard work pay off. Instagram set up the shoppable feature with metrics attached. Because what’s a feature without data? Worthless.

Posts with tagged products can collect data involving engagement and clicks. With the view insights option, you’ll access data on impressions, reach, likes, outbound clicks, etc.

Want to filter top posts by metric?

Instagram’s insight tool allows you to sort top shopping posts on various metrics. Here’s how:

Go to your business profile.
Hit (insert insights icon) in the top right corner.
Click See More in the Posts section.
Tap the header of the next page.

Strategies to Mention

Stay in the know about this feature! It’s too good to not be the first using it.
User-generated content already fairs pretty well on Instagram. Imagine how much it could explode with shoppable tags.
According to TechCrunch, “Instead of taking a cut of the purchase amount, Instagram plans to monetize the feature by letting business accounts pay to display their shoppable photos in the feeds of users who don’t follow them already.

Okay, you’re all set. Happy tagging!

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Product Tagging on Instagram

Image source: Getty Images

Shoppable Instagram tags can dramatically increase your website visitors and increase conversions. Learn how to experience increased revenue with product tagging.

Instagram has over 1 billion active users. Using Instagram for business is a great way to get your product in front of many consumers. Instagram now supports businesses with Instagram shoppable tags, which takes interested users directly to your website to make a purchase.

The ease of driving traffic with shoppable Instagram tags can dramatically increase your website visitors and boost sales. Natori was able to increase the traffic to its website by 1,417% using the product tagging feature. Magnolia Boutique saw a 20% increase in revenue when it used Instagram product tagging.

Overview: What is Instagram product tagging?

Instagram shoppable tags is an Instagram business feature that allows shop owners to tag products in their social media content. These tags then link back to a sales page. This allows users to make purchases from your Instagram store with just a few clicks.

Instagram product tagging is similar to the Swipe Up Instagram feature. It's a way to engage followers and direct them to your website or Instagram shop. Instagram shoppable tags direct customers to a product page where they can purchase items. Users no longer have to type in your website and find the products on their own.

How to create a shop on Instagram to tag products

Before you can start tagging away at all the wonderful products you sell, you must be eligible to use Instagram shopping. You will need to set up a shop and get it approved through Instagram first.

1. Determine eligibility

The first step will be to read and agree with Instagram e-commerce policies. You must represent your business and domain, demonstrate trustworthiness, and follow best practices. These criteria must also be met.

You must be based in a country where Instagram shopping is available. Check the list.
You must sell physical products.
You need to have a business profile on Instagram. Change your settings to business.

2. Connect to your Facebook page

Once you have qualified and agreed to Instagram’s policies, you need to connect your Instagram business account to a Facebook page. This step maximizes the benefit of having an Instagram shop. Consider the benefits of linking your Facebook page to Instagram.

Run Instagram and Facebook ads.
Post efficiently. The linked accounts allow you to post on both platforms in one step. Your Facebook ads will reach more people because they also run on Instagram.
Easily manage your messages. When Facebook and Instagram are linked, you can manage your messages from a single inbox.
Sync business contact information.
Gain access to cross-app tools. You'll gain access to appointment booking buttons, donation stickers, and camera effects for both platforms.

3.

You'll need to sign up for a Facebook Business Manager account to set up your shop in Facebook Commerce Manager. This lets you manage your ad accounts, pages, and the people who may work on them.

4. Set up your shop

Set up your shop in Facebook Commerce Manager. Select the checkout method and the sales channels to have a shop on Instagram or Facebook.

If you run your store with one of Instagram’s e-commerce platform partners, such as Shopify or BigCommerce, you can connect your catalog through them. This will automatically sync the product listings. Connecting your store through an e-commerce platform is recommended. It makes inventory tracking and managing orders much easier.

5. Add products to your shop

Once your shop is set up in Commerce Manager, you can add products by connecting to an existing catalog or add them individually.

During the setup in Commerce Manager, you will select an existing catalog or create a new one to hold inventory. Then you may add a catalog and products.

Go to www.facebook.com/products.
Click on Add Catalog.
Select the inventory type. Click Next.
Choose how you want to add items to your catalog. You can upload them yourself or connect to the e-commerce platform you use.
Select the Business Manager account associated with the catalog. Assign permission to people to work on the catalog.
Enter a name for the catalog.
Click Create.

6. Submit for review

After you have products in your online shop, it's time to submit it to Instagram for review. The Instagram review process only takes a few days.

Go to your business Instagram profile and tap the three lines indicating the menu.
Select Settings.
Sign up for shopping.
Follow the steps listed to submit your account for review.
Go to Shopping in Settings to check your status.

Sometimes businesses may need to provide Instagram with additional domain details. If you receive a notification, complete the domain verification process.

7. Turn on shopping feature

Once Instagram approves your account, you can turn on the shopping feature. Follow these simple steps.

Tap the three lines on your business Instagram profile.
Select Settings.
Tap Business and then Shopping.
Choose the Product Catalog you want to connect.
Select Done.

8. Upload and tag photos

Upload photos as you would for a regular post. You can tag up to five products for each photo.

Type the names of the products you want to tag. They must correspond to the product name in the catalog. Select them as they appear in the search box.

Tap Add photo.
Add a caption.
Click on Tag Products.
Click on a photo.
Search for a product.
Click on the product from the catalog.
Tap Done.
Click Share.

Finisterre UK tagged their insulated jacket with a shoppable tag. Image source: Author

Tips for creating engaging Instagram product posts that convert

The last thing you want is to create a ton of Instagram product posts that no one cares about. Before you plan out your social media content strategy, make sure you're following some simple guidelines that boost the conversion rate of product posts and increase your post visibility.

Create a lookbook with carousel posts

You can tag up to 20 products in a carousel post with ten photos. That gives you a chance to showcase a lot of great products at one time. A carousel post can function as a lookbook for a new collection. You can also use it for a special campaign and incorporate shoppable tags.

Use descriptive hashtags so your products are searchable

Help users find you with descriptive hashtags. Hashtags ensure the post is searchable on the Explore page. Many Instagram users follow hashtags, so when you use them they're more likely to show up in their newsfeed.

Saythelees used the hashtags #NARSissist to help users discover the radiant creamy concealer. Users can easily click on the link to put the concealer in the cart and purchase it. Image source: Author

Promote a giveaway

Giveaways are a great way to hook your target market. People love to get something for free. When you create a promotional giveaway, include a hashtag to make it searchable. Include instructions for followers to share the giveaway with their friends. This will increase your reach and drive traffic to your promotion.

Giveaways are a great way to feature the products you want to sell with shoppable tags. Not everyone will want to wait until the giveaway ends. Some people may want to purchase it right away. Tag the products you plan on giving away to allow followers to purchase them immediately.

Share user-generated content

Many businesses share user-generated content to build their brand on Instagram. They ask customers to share product reviews or photos featuring real buyers using the products. Then they share these posts on their profiles and mention the customer. The products in the pictures can be tagged with shoppable tags.

User-generated content increases social proof for your business. It increases customer loyalty, expands reach, and establishes trust for the business.

Post consistently

Create a regular posting schedule. The Instagram algorithm displays posts of companies with regular engagement and interaction with their followers. Schedule Instagram posts when your target market is most likely to be online and able to interact with your posts. Social media management tools can help you keep track of what and when you post.

Instagram product tagging boosts sales

A social media strategy that includes Instagram shoppable tags can be a great way to grow your business. Tagging user-generated content demonstrates social proof. It shows off your products in context. This can help the customer envision themselves using the product.

Instagram product tagging also shortens the steps customers have to take to make a purchase. Customers no longer have to leave Instagram to find the product they're interested in on the company website. They can simply click on the product from the picture from their mobile device. These additional conveniences increase customer sales.

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How to add a product catalog to Instagram, how to tag products

Elena
Sergeeva Targeted advertising specialist

According to Facebook Ads, 70% of users learn about new products from Instagram. To help sellers promote them, Instagram created the Instagram Shopping tool, which became available in Russia in March 2021. We will tell you why to connect this tool and how to set it up.

What is Instagram Shopping

Instagram Shopping is a tool that allows you to tag products in your posts and Stories. Instagram takes information about products from the catalog that the seller uploads.

The profile with the option enabled looks like this:

There is a bag icon on the photo, which means that if you open a post, goods will be marked in it. Source: COS

Several items can be noted in the photo. When clicking on shopping tags, users will see the price and description of the product, and will also be able to follow the link and place an order on the site.

In addition to prices and the products themselves, the user also sees additional information about them: in the description, you can specify the composition of the fabric, size, available colors, etc. The user can also view the item from different angles in the gallery or learn about other products of the online store All this without leaving Instagram.

To get to the catalog with goods, you need to click on the "View store" button. Inside the store, products can be grouped into thematic collections, such as new arrivals or gifts.

US residents can pay for items within the app using Facebook Pay. In other countries, including Russia, this option is not yet available: users follow the link on the product to an external site and pay for the order there.

Why include Instagram Shopping

The selling element is integrated into the content, which is convenient for both the buyer and the seller. The buyer does not need to switch between applications and communicate with the seller to select a product and find out its characteristics. And the seller can do without the same type of posts in the “follow the link in the description” format.
Sellers don't have to create multiple posts for different products: they can be placed on one photo. Adding products does not take much time, and you can mark them not only in posts, but also in Stories.
Also can be found in automatic recommendations in the "Shop" tab, which appeared for some users. You can keep up to date with the latest from your favorite brands.

Setting up Instagram Shopping: Getting Started

Read the Facebook Ads Trade Agreement : it describes the requirements for goods, the responsibility of the parties, etc. For example, Facebook prohibits the sale of brand replicas and any products with copyright infringement, and in order for the system algorithms to work correctly, the advertiser must consent to the transfer of data from his site. Violation of the trading agreement can result in account suspension.
Create an Instagram account - for business or for the author. You can't post items on your personal profile. How to set up a business account on Instagram, we tell in the instructions.
Link your Instagram account to your Facebook business page . For more information on how to do this, we have described in the article. If you don't already have a business page, create a Facebook Business Manager account first, you'll need it to set up your store in Commerce Manager. With Business Manager, you can manage your Facebook and Instagram accounts and pages, and assign people who can work with them.
Download product catalog . The new catalog is created in Facebook's Commerce Manager, a section within the social network where you can manage your inventory and sales. If you already have a catalog, you can add it using one of the partner platforms: OpenCart, WooCommerce, Shopify, etc. We will talk about this when we go through the setup.

In the catalog you can

Manage products: create them, edit the image, description, price and other important characteristics.
Combine products into collections to show customers exactly what they are interested in.
Give access to product management to other people or partner companies.
Set the country and language so that buyers see the correct information and the correct prices.

How to add products to Instagram through Commerce Manager

The system prompts you to create a shop or catalog. The store is a single storefront for Instagram and Facebook, which is available to companies with physical goods. To promote products on Instagram, click Add Catalog. Choose the type of catalog depending on the subject of your business, e-commerce is suitable for online stores.

In the next step, you need to configure the parameters and method for loading products. From the drop-down list, select the advertising account to which the catalog will be linked.

You can create a catalog yourself - by uploading a spreadsheet or by connecting a pixel - or through integration with one of the partner platforms. In the second case, the goods will be loaded from an existing online store.

Click the "Create" button - the catalog is ready.

Important : the catalog must contain exact prices and information about the availability of each item. In addition, the rules for returning goods must also be indicated - on the store's website or in the Instagram account.

To proceed with product creation, select the desired catalog in Commerce Manager and then click Add Products.

Add products using one of the following methods:

Manually - this method involves filling out a form for each product and is suitable for companies with a small assortment.
Via a data feed (spreadsheet). You can download many products at once and set up regular updates. Files in CSV, TSV and XML (RSS/ATOM) formats are supported, as well as Google Sheets.
Automatically - through integration with one of the partner platforms. In this case, the goods will be loaded from the existing store.
Using the Facebook pixel. If you haven't installed the pixel yet, we recommend contacting the webmaster.

If you choose to download manually, a form will open. In it you need to add the name of the product, its description, images, link to the site and price. The system will tell you which data is not required.

After completing the form and uploading, the products will appear in your catalog.

How to create a collection with products

Inside the catalog, products can be grouped into collections: for example, by subject, season, upcoming holidays, etc. Collections help sellers to get to the user's interests more accurately, and users to quickly select goods.

You can create not only the standard collections, but also those that will attract more attention, such as "Top 10 coats" or "Gifts for best friends".

You can combine products into groups manually or using filters, for example, if there are a lot of products.

At the final stage, specify the name of the collection and click the "Create" button.

After creating a product catalog, you need to send an account for verification. The verification may take several days.

How to add products to Instagram

To add a catalog to Instagram, go to the "Settings" section in the application and select the "Company" tab.

Then click "Set up Instagram Shopping" and follow the prompts.

If the catalog passes the verification, a "Purchases" section will appear in your Instagram account. Once your account is approved, turn on Instagram Shopping. To do this, in the "Purchases" section, select the product catalog that you want to connect, and click "Finish".

How to tag an item

To tag an item in a post, start posting as usual - add a photo and post text, and then follow these steps:

Click Mark Items.
Find the product you need and select it from the catalog.
Click "Done" and share the post with your followers.

You can also mark the product in Stories. To do this:

Select an image to publish and click on the sticker icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
Select the product sticker and the desired product in the catalog.
Tag a product with a sticker and share your story with your followers.

Up to 5 products can be tagged in one photo, up to 20 in total in the gallery. In Stories, a sticker is added to only one product, but you can change its color and text.

In conclusion

Instagram Shopping will increase sales and user engagement in your account. The product catalog can be used not only to familiarize subscribers with the assortment, but also to set up targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

We especially recommend this tool for e-commerce: the user immediately sees the price and all information about the product. True, if a product or service involves preliminary communication with the client and a long transaction cycle, then the published price may scare the user away. Therefore, before using Instagram Shopping, consider whether the tool suits your product and the behavior of your target audience.

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How to connect Instagram Shopping | Manual

Since March 2022, Instagram has been banned in Russia. In other countries, all its features are still available.

Instagram Shopping allows users to buy directly from photos or videos in any section of the social network. At the same time, there are different opportunities in different countries. About all the nuances - in this article.

Instagram Shopping Features

When creating a store, you can choose a sales scheme. On the website, on Facebook, on Instagram or through private messages. There are limitations here.

Somewhere you can’t sell inside the application - only show tags, information about the product in the card, and then go to the site, from where you can already place an order.

In the US and a number of other countries, full functionality is available - placing an order directly in the application. It works on the basis of the Facebook Pay service. Companies decide for themselves whether to connect the checkout feature on Instagram or not.

If they decide not to connect, they will be able to transfer the user to the site, and use Instagram solely as a showcase. The company and bank account must be registered in the United States.

If you're temporarily in a country where Instagram Shopping isn't available (for example, while traveling), you may lose the ability to tag products. Restoring access takes up to 2 weeks.

How to connect Instagram Shopping

Consider a variant with limited functionality when sales go through the site. The feature is available on business accounts that are connected to a Facebook page.

MySklad already has integration with Instagram Shopping and Facebook — you can automatically upload products, current balances and prices to social networks, and add product links directly to posts.

Create a catalog on your page on the social network, and unload the goods, their modifications, photos, prices and balances from My Warehouse. The data is synchronized automatically - you can set the interval or start the update yourself at a convenient time.

A link to the main online store is attached to each product - the buyer follows it and places an order. Integration is available free of charge on all tariffs of MoegoSklad. You can set it up if your business account on the social network has the Instagram Shopping feature. See video instructions for more details.

How to set up Instagram Shopping

Create and link a directory. Can be done using the Commerce Manager tool, a desktop platform for managing sales on Facebook and Instagram. The service helps to create a new catalog or connect an existing one, process orders, etc. To use product tags and stickers, select an e-commerce catalog.
Connect Instagram Shopping in your profile settings and submit your account for verification. It usually takes several days. The verification status can be found at any time in the "Purchases" section in the settings. As soon as the account is approved, a notification will be sent from Instagram.

After that, you can create a post with a shopping feature. Up to five products can be added to a post with one image, and up to 20 products can be added to a post with multiple photos or videos. You can only add one product sticker per post in Stories.

Thus, you use Instagram Shopping as a storefront - a buyer on the social network will examine the product, but will go to the site to purchase.

Instagram Shopping Tags and other opportunities to promote

Instagram Shopping has a set of tools that make trading easier.

Collections of goods. You can collect products into groups by topic. At the same time, it is not necessary to make collections that are familiar to everyone, for example, “New Products” or “Hits of Sales”. Categories can be any and convenient for customers. You can create "10 Gifts for Grandma" or "All for the Holidays".

Product tags. Instagram Shopping Tags are special tags. The user clicks on them and gets to the page with information about the product. From there, he can go to the site and make a purchase. Thus, the number of clicks decreases, and the client does not postpone the purchase.

Advertising. You can set up ads with product tags. You can promote already existing publications with tagged products in the feed or popular, or create new ads in Ads Manager.

You can also create custom audiences for advertising: select groups of users who have performed a specific action. For example, those who viewed or saved the product. How to set up ads - we tell below.

You can attract new customers by creating new custom audiences or expanding old ones. Create a user group from both Facebook and Instagram. You can include more sources if you choose audience expansion.

For example, you can create a shopping custom audience that includes people from both Facebook and Instagram. You can also create a shopping custom audience based on multiple events. For example, based on the Add to Cart and View Product Details events.

For whom and for what niches Instagram Shopping is suitable

To understand which product is easier to promote on Instagram, you need to look at the portrait of the platform's audience. It's more of a female audience. Age category from 18 to 34 years.

Hence the assumption of which products will sell well on Instagram:

Things that reflect the lifestyle - clothes, jewelry, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, perfumes, sporting goods.
Trendy products that reflect the spirit of the times. It can be anything from a case for wireless headphones to masks and sanitizers.
Visually appealing products whose purchases are dictated by emotions. For example, decorative interior items or handmade.

The list can be supplemented with household appliances, car parts and pet products. We will talk about limitations in the next section.

The US was among the first to gain access to Instagram Shopping in 2018. And there, entrepreneurs can already draw conclusions about its effectiveness.

Magnolia Boutique women's clothing store owner Susan DelPriore told Big Commerce that after publishing 117 tagged posts, traffic from Instagram increased by 4% and revenue from the social network increased by 20%. She advised telling subscribers about the new feature in the feed and stories, as well as doing cross-promotion in other social networks. In addition, it is important to give instructions on how to place an order correctly.

John Lott, director of children's clothing store SpearmintLOVE, said that after 208 posts on Instagram Shopping, traffic from the social network increased by 12.61%, and revenue from Instagram increased by 8%. He also noted that it was important to tell subscribers about the new feature - the store published instructions in stories for two weeks.

Do not forget that in the USA the option of ordering and paying directly from the social network works.

What not to sell on Instagram

Instagram is owned by Facebook and is part of its advertising network. The same rules apply for paid publications of both sites.

For example, you cannot advertise and sell tobacco and tobacco products, as well as prescription drugs, drugs, and wiretapping devices.

We have put together in a table a list of all products that cannot be advertised on Instagram. Download and study it.

Fragment of table

Download Facebook and Instagram trading rules

How to manage the range of products in Instagram Shopping

On Instagram, just like on Facebook, you need to upload the products you are going to sell to a catalog. There are two ways to link a catalog to your social network account:

Via Commerce Manager. This is a do-it-yourself tool available in Facebook Business Manager.
Through a partner e-commerce platform. For example, Shopify or Big Commerce.

By the way, if you have a store on Shopify, you can connect it to the MyStorage service. This is how you add data on orders and counterparties from the platform for launching an online store to a single accounting system, where there is everything for online trading.

In My Warehouse, you can always see information about the balances that will be automatically uploaded to Shopify.

Try MySklad

With the catalog you can:

Add and manage product details. You can upload an image, write a description, set a price, change color or size. And also - add several positions at once and a link to the store's website.
Group ads. This is useful if you need to combine different posts with a common theme. For example, information about discounts and promotions.
Create selections for shops. To show customers all the products that may be of interest to them.
Assign permissions. Then other people or partner companies will be able to work with your catalog.
Download country and language information. This way, buyers will automatically see the correct information and prices for items in the ad or in the store.

Read also: 7 problems that prevent trading on the Internet

It is not necessary to create multiple directories. All product data can be stored in one. You can change information about a product in the catalog at any time. But it is important that it always contains accurate data on prices and availability of each item.

Also, the rules for returning goods and funds should be written either on your website or in the store's Instagram account: for example, in current stories or in a separate post.

Sometimes sellers do not indicate the cost of goods and call it only in private messages. But not everyone does this. For example, the NeBabushka yarn store does not hide prices, says its owner Natalya Maltseva. The ability to put a price tag directly on a photo in a post is convenient for her.

We have never closed prices. The price in the label in the post will not scare anyone away. And if this happens, then this is not a representative of our target audience.

Natalia Maltseva

shop owner "NeBabushka"

See also: How to tie big money: the success story of the Nebabushka yarn store

According to Natalia Maltseva, Instagram Shopping tools will help meet spontaneous demand: “Now it’s traditional for us — follow the link in the profile description. And the person is forced to either leave the post and follow this link, or enter the name of the site in the browser.”

But for some sellers, the main disadvantage of Instagram Shopping is precisely that live communication with the client is lost. Sellers say that sometimes, with the format “answered the price in PM”, a dialogue is started with the client, which ultimately leads to a sale. Indeed, in a live conversation, the seller can always offer an alternative or resell something else.

Firstly, you can use visual content to attract potential customers, and secondly, you can immediately get feedback.

“If you break Instagram down into elements, then there will be no unique tools for promotion in the social network,” says Ekaterina Pyankova, a target specialist at MoegoSklad.

Hashtags, targeting, bloggers, smart feed - all this is also available in other social networks. Taken together, the social network continues to be one of the best for business. There are probably almost no brands left that do not have an Instagram account.

Ekaterina Pyankova

targetologist of My Warehouse

The owner of the NeBabushka store believes that the secret of Instagram's effectiveness is that communities of people with the same interests are quickly formed there.

People come to see what's going on in the store. And through Instagram, we convey the atmosphere that residents of other cities and countries cannot feel when they come to the store. For them, this is a kind of window.

Sales in social networks are suitable for those who want to receive orders online and at the same time do not invest in the creation and promotion of an online store. Watch our tutorial to learn where your products will sell best, how to process orders, and how you can save money.

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Targeted advertising

There are three main ways to promote your store on Instagram:

targeted advertising,
advertising with bloggers,
advertising in thematic communities.

Ekaterina Pyankova considers target to be the most effective of them. This is an advertisement that is shown to an audience according to predetermined parameters: user behavior on the network, their age, interests and field of activity.

It is easier for those who use it to increase sales, because in this way the publication is most likely to be seen by those who are interested in buying. To run targeted advertising, all you need is a business account.

There are no fixed numbers on Instagram. Sometimes it's expensive and good, sometimes it's cheap and bad, sometimes it's expensive and bad, sometimes it's cheap and good. Any result is useful information for further work.

To run targeted ads, you need to set up a campaign in your Ads Manager dashboard. Through it, for example, you can run ads on:

people who "similar" to your customers in terms of age, occupation and hobbies;
all visitors to your page or site;
regular customers;
visitors who added items to their cart but did not purchase them.

Most stores stop at targeting or working with bloggers.

We review our products and engage bloggers to talk about our products. We didn’t work with targeting for a while, but now we have changed a specialist, and we will launch this type of advertising again.

Shopping ads and posts tagged with Instagram Shopping Tags

Instagram Shopping tools complement existing types of advertising. For example, you can promote posts with tagged products or create ads from scratch in Ads Manager.

Product tagged ad For a business that has been promoting their products on Instagram for a long time, the button to go to the site under the publication is a chance to increase sales even more.

The ability to place a link to buy under the post will significantly increase the conversion.

What hinders the promotion of goods

Since 2016, Instagram has had an algorithmic feed, so the time of publication of advertising posts does not affect their effectiveness in any way. But the cheating of subscribers, which is still sometimes used by both business and bloggers, will not lead to anything good. In the worst case, you can lose your account.

There are other difficulties that a business may face.

If you don’t have a constant influx of new subscribers, the number of outreaches decreases. Our task now is to ensure a constant influx of fresh subscribers.

“The audience has high requirements for brands. The account must comply with trends and actively adapt to new ones. And at the same time, there are high requirements for sincerity and openness,” explains Ekaterina Pyankova.

The influence of Instagram is based on visual imagery and on conveying emotions through text and video. If a person did not immediately respond to your offer, it is likely that in a second he will be distracted and fly away somewhere else.

For example, it’s not enough for a clothing brand to simply post a photo. The audience expects videos from production, promotions, contests, high-quality videos, user-generated content.

The audience of the social network is spoiled, any “respite” threatens with replies and loss of interest.