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How to buy stuff on instagram


What Is Instagram Shopping? Everything You Need To Get Started

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Nearly half of people say they use Instagram to shop, weekly.1

So, what is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram Shopping is a set of features that allow people to easily shop your brand’s photos and videos all across Instagram.

It all starts with your shop, your storefront on Instagram.

People can shop your products throughout Instagram.

How to set up Instagram Shopping:

Open your shop by completing the set-up process below in Commerce Manager.

1. Make sure selling on Instagram is right for your business.

  • Review our Commerce Eligibility Requirements to ensure you sell eligible products and comply with our policies, like our commerce policies, terms of use, community guidelines and more.
  • Make sure your business has its own website domain. Your shop must contain product listings that are available for direct purchase from your business’s website, and you must represent the store or website associated with the domain provided.
  • Check to see if you are in a supported market.
  • Confirm that your Instagram profile is a business or creator account. You will need to connect it to a Facebook Page if you plan to sell on both Instagram and Facebook.
  • If you don’t have one already, set up a Business Manager account. You'll need a Business Manager account to set up your shop in Commerce Manager. Business Manager lets you manage your ad accounts, your pages and the people who might be working on them.

  • Review our Commerce Eligibility Requirements to ensure you sell eligible products and comply with our policies, like our commerce policies, terms of use, community guidelines and more.
  • Make sure your business has its own website domain. Your shop must contain product listings that are available for direct purchase from your business’s website, and you must represent the store or website associated with the domain provided.
  • Check to see if you are in a supported market.
  • Confirm that your Instagram profile is a business or creator account. You will need to connect it to a Facebook Page if you plan to sell on both Instagram and Facebook.
  • If you don’t have one already, set up a Business Manager account. You'll need a Business Manager account to set up your shop in Commerce Manager. Business Manager lets you manage your ad accounts, your pages and the people who might be working on them.

2. Pick a tool to start the onboarding process.

You can choose to onboard onto Instagram Shopping by setting up your shop in Commerce Manager or a supported platform. Or, you can get started directly within the Instagram app.

You can choose to onboard onto Instagram Shopping by setting up your shop in Commerce Manager or a supported platform. Or, you can get started directly within the Instagram app.

3. Fill out your shop details in Commerce Manager.

  • First, choose how you want your customers to complete their purchase by selecting a checkout method.
  • Next, choose your sales channels by selecting whether to have your shop on Instagram, Facebook, or both.
  • Add products to your shop by connecting your existing product catalog or by creating a new one.
  • Finally, review your shop, then submit it to Instagram for review!

  • First, choose how you want your customers to complete their purchase by selecting a checkout method.
  • Next, choose your sales channels by selecting whether to have your shop on Instagram, Facebook, or both.
  • Add products to your shop by connecting your existing product catalog or by creating a new one.
  • Finally, review your shop, then submit it to Instagram for review!

GET STARTED IN COMMERCE MANAGER

Get the most out of shopping on Instagram.

@instagramforbusiness

How to Use the Shop Feature on Instagram to Buy Products

  • You can use the Shop feature on Instagram to buy products directly featured on your Instagram feed.  
  • The easiest way to use the Shop feature is with the @shop Instagram account, which curates these products and allows you to buy them without leaving the app. 
  • You can also use the Shop feature anytime you see a small shopping bag icon on an Instagram post, but sometimes you will have to go to the product's website to complete your purchase. 
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

If you are a frequent Instagram user, chances are you may have noticed some posts in your feed with a small shopping bag icon, tucked in the lower left-hand corner. 

This is Instagram's Shop feature, which includes products offered by hundreds of brands and retailers across the world — and it's a wise investment from the social media platform.  

Analysts told Business Insider that Instagram's move to shopping will be so successful that it will generate $10 billion in revenue by 2021.

Using the Shop feature is easy, too. Any post with a shopping bag icon has a product or products linked to it — just tap on the product name, and you're taken to the description page where you can save it for later, or buy it now. 

Some products are available to purchase without even leaving the app, while others take you to the retailer's website to finalize the transaction. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:
iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)
Google Pixel 3a (From $399.99 at Best Buy)

How to use the Shop feature on Instagram

Some retailers partner with Instagram to provide a check-out process within the app. Most of those retailers are featured on Instagram's @shop account. 

Instagram's @shop account features many retailers that have items available for purchase on the app. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

Here's how to use it.

1. Launch the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android. 

2. In the search bar, type in @shop or visit the page by clicking here, or locate any other account with featured products. 

3. Scroll through the @shop feed and find the item you wish to purchase, or find a specific product post from another account, designated by a small shopping bag icon at the lower left-hand corner of a post.  

4. Tap the photo to reveal the item name and price. Select it. 

Tap the photo to reveal the item, and tap on the item description. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

5.  In the product description page, you can choose the color and size of the item. 

In the product description page, choose the color and size of the item you wish to purchase. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

7. Once you've finished, tap "Proceed to Checkout." 

Select "Proceed to Checkout." Meira Gebel/Business Insider

8. If you are new to Instagram's shop feature, the app will ask you to enter your contact information, shipping address, and credit card information. 

9. After you've filled in the details, select "Place Order" to buy. Shipping details will then be sent to you via email. 

Tap "Place Order" to buy. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

Sometimes, you will have to exit the Instagram app to complete a purchase. If this is the case, you'll tap "View on Website" in the product description page.

In the product page, tap "View on Website" to complete the purchase. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

This will take you to the brand's website where you can make changes, choose a size, and buy.

 

  • How to get your account verified on Instagram using the mobile app

  • How to contact Instagram for help with your account, or to report other accounts

  • How to edit an Instagram post to change the caption, tag people, add a location, or edit the 'alt text'

  • How to delete your Instagram account on an iPhone, or temporarily disable it

Meira Gebel

Meira Gebel is a freelance reporter based in Portland, Oregon. She writes about business, culture, and technology for Insider. Her work has been featured in Digital Trends, Willamette Week, USA Today, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and San Francisco State University.  Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter, where she can be found most of the time, @MeiraGebel.

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Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

"Answered in direct." How to buy branded items through Instagram, VKontakte and Telegram?

Sometimes you scroll through your Instagram feed and see a jacket worn by an incredibly beautiful Instagram diva. Overcoming the torment of embarrassment and doubt, you decide to ask: "Where did you buy the jacket?" and you get annoyed: “What, have you been banned in Google?” Social networks have figured out how to preserve the gentle psyche of bloggers, and at the same time benefit people and businesses: take and add a store option to Instagram or VKontakte. We tell you where to get a bag, like from a celebrity, and not run into unflattering answers in the comments. nine0004

Shop on the phone: Instagram Shopping

According to Instagram, 70% of people use the social network to find products, and 87% buy things under the influence of influencers. So, if the conditional Olga Buzova posted a photo with a cool handbag, you can not torment Olga with questions, where can I get the same one? Just click on the photo and a tag with a price tag and a link to the store account will appear.

The brand of the bag can be found using the Instagram Shopping option. This is a separate tab inside the official brand account: with products, descriptions and prices. The seller can collect goods in collections, for example, "TOP 10 sneakers for spring" or "How to please a father who is a fisherman." nine0005

Nike Instagram Store section. Photo: Vyberu.ru.

But sellers are in no hurry to connect the label option. To activate it, you need an Instagram business account and a link to a Facebook business profile. Most do not want to bother with new algorithms yet. And even if the brand marks a price tag on the handbag, you will have to go to the seller’s website to buy - there is no built-in payment inside Instagram in Russia there is no .

The difference between the US and Russia

The functionality of the Russian segment of Instagram Shopping turned out to be rather limited. This caused discontent among business representatives, who are already not enthusiastic about Facebook's policy.

In Instagram Shopping, you can deploy a large-scale advertising campaign. But only to stores registered in the States. Many options are not yet available to Russian companies. For example, American brands can sell products during a live broadcast, prepare promotions with new product launches, and mark products in the text for publication. nine0005

And most importantly, sell products directly through Instagram, without switching from the application to other sites.

Whether these options will be available in Russia is not yet known.

How to buy in Russia?

Now you can go to the store, explore the virtual showcase with goods, find out the price, choose an interesting product and read the description. Or find with the help of tags on photos of celebrities where they bought an interesting thing.

Payment - only through the seller's website . There are no built-in purchases through Instagram for Russian buyers.

For example, we logged into the Nike account. In the "Shop" section there are selections of goods. We open, study the description and price. To buy, you need to click "Watch on site" and go to the official Nike portal.

Get Ready for Ads

After visiting a brand page, you will be followed by ads of the viewed products. The ads will have price tags.

In theory, advertising should lead the user to the page and allow them to buy the product directly from the promoted publication. But in Russia, this functionality, again, is curtailed. Therefore, you can get from the advertisement to the product details page. And then you have to go to the seller’s website using an external link: from Instagram to, say, mirobuvivalery. rf. nine0005

Let's recap : On Instagram, Russian buyers can find collections of products with brand descriptions, prices, and a link to the seller's website.

So far, sellers are in no hurry to set up the tag option and collaborate with bloggers. Therefore, in most cases, you still have to ask where the handbag or jacket is from, if the photo does not have a manufacturer's account mark.

Payment and delivery will take place outside the social network. You won't be able to shop inside one app. nine0005

Pizza via messenger: Telegram "Payments 2.0"

The other day Telegram has money transfer system "Payments 2. 0" . The payment service has been working for the messenger since 2017, but in the updated version, you can pay for purchases in any chat. Payment for takes place in the application, there is no need to go to third-party sites.

Payment for purchases via Telegram. Photo: kod.ru.

Purchases are paid using one of eight built-in payment systems: YuMoney, Sberbank, Stripe, Tranzzo, Payme, Click, LiqPay and Ecommpay. "Payments 2.0" works in the mobile version and in the web version of the "cart". You can not only pay for the purchase, but also leave a tip .

Payments go through the Telegram bot. The seller needs to connect YuKassa in order to use the service. This means that customer will receive an electronic receipt for payment .

What are the risks?

According to Telegram developers, the service is safe and free. Messenger does not charge a commission for money transfer and does not store payment details of . Payment is sent directly to the seller.

However, if the phone is infected with viruses, application algorithms will not protect payment details , says Roman Romachev, CEO of the R-Techno agency. Hackers will be able to intercept payment details through an infected phone, a BFM.ru expert said. Therefore, it is better to pay for purchases from a separate card for online payments .

To summarize : purchases are paid within the application, it is convenient and fast. No need to click on third-party links. The application does not store payment details and sends checks. nine0005

Choose and pay: VKontakte store

The VKontakte online store is perhaps the most convenient trading platform within the social network for Russian buyers and sellers.

The service has a basket with a reminder, product selections, the option to pay with a bank card or VK Pay.

You can buy in several ways, depending on the settings of the seller's product cards:

You can pay for the goods upon receipt. The money goes to the store administrator's bank card, the payment history is stored in the "Money transfers" section: both the buyer and the store have it. nine0111 Purchase through the shopping cart from the seller. Photo: Vyberu.ru.

2. On the seller's website. For example, the store did not want to connect the internal payment service from VK and set up a transition via an external link from the social network to its website. You browse products, choose an interesting one and click on an external link. Go to the seller's website and make a purchase.
Purchases through the seller's website from Honor in VK. Photo: Vyberu.ru.

3. By agreement. The seller has no payment through the VK services and his website. Instead of a payment button, there will be a "Contact seller" button. You can ask if the item is in stock and how the seller accepts payment. Perhaps the store does not have payment by bank card number, only a current account.
Purchases through a merchant. Photo: Vyberu.ru.

Where can I find a shop?

Brands place purchases under a "header" with a description of the group. For example, several cards with price and product information. nine0005

You can also go to the "Purchases" service and scroll through the feed, explore the offers and choose an interesting store. Basically, you will be offered hundreds of similar product pages from AliExpress or similar sites. But you can find Russian clothing stores, handmade stores, or official communities of major brands.

What are the risks?

The main danger when shopping in VK is scammers who pretend to be sellers . Usually, users who write in comments in the store community or under product cards become their victims. The crooks respond to the buyer in private messages, give their card or e-wallet number, and allegedly complete the purchase. As a result, they receive money and disappear. Usually they “sit” on one-day pages with fake names. nine0005

Therefore, ask questions about the product in private messages to the group or administrator .

The golden rule of online shopping in social networks is to buy on the official pages of brands. They are marked with a tick in a blue circle .

To summarize : it is better to write to the seller in a personal to ask questions about the product, rather than leave comments in the group. Purchases in VK have many payment methods. If you do not trust online payments, choose payment upon receipt of goods. nine0005

Many offline stores and companies have a page with goods on VK. If you do not want to buy on the Internet, you can go to the community on the social network, get acquainted with the assortment or ask the seller questions. And then go to the usual shopping.

It's normal that shopping through social networks is not yet credible. Perhaps there are purposeful scammers who create store pages to fish out money. But such accounts are unlikely to live long: they are blocked.

Read the comments and reviews of other users before buying. And when paying use a separate card for online shopping .

How to buy things on Instagram without risk — Modnoe.TV

Where to start?

In general, first you need to find out from the seller himself the conditions for returning goods, the terms and procedure. After all, it is better not to fall for the tricks of scammers than to defend your rights in court later. If the seller is initially categorically set, then you should choose another one, serious companies usually value their customers and the procedure for returning low-quality goods is necessarily determined by them. nine0005

What if you already have the goods?

To begin with, let's determine how these relations are settled. The sale of products on instagram falls under the category of "remote selling" and is regulated by the law of the Russian Federation "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" (Article 26. 1). A significant disadvantage of this kind of purchase is the impossibility of a potential buyer to evaluate the goods with their own eyes, personally. We see only a picture and a description of the product, often embellished, but we don’t have the opportunity to hold it in our hands, test it, try it on. Serious companies strive to provide the client with as much additional, useful data as possible, attaching photos, videos, consumer reviews and a detailed description of the position to the description. Such exhaustive information eliminates the possibility of a selection error, which means that it significantly saves the costs of both parties for the return or exchange of goods. nine0005

What products can be returned?

You can return any non-food product that does not meet the declared quality or has a defect.

Some companies, misleading customers, prefer to refer to a special list of non-food products that cannot be exchanged or returned, even if they have quality defects. IMPORTANT! Article 26.1 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights in the Russian Federation regarding distance selling does not contain anything of the kind, which means that you have the right to return such products back. nine0005

Which products cannot be returned?

Returned products must retain their consumer properties and presentation. Traces of use or breakage, scratches, dents are absolutely unacceptable. If the receiving party has any doubts, an independent examination will be able to resolve them. Another extremely important nuance: a return will not be possible if the products were purchased by the company under the order especially for you.

What can we demand from the seller? nine0171

If the items purchased on instagram turned out to be of inadequate quality, then buy in accordance with the Consumer Rights Protection Law, demand from the seller:
- pick up the defective item and issue a similar sample in return;
- replace with another product with cost adjustment;
- repair the item or reimburse the cost of the repair;
- markdowns of goods in accordance with the degree of marriage;
- money back.

The question necessarily arises: what caused the breakdown, is it the fault of the consumer or is it a consequence of a factory defect, and only a commission of specialists who will conduct an examination can resolve this issue. However, the exchange and return of goods on instagram is quite possible. nine0005

How to make a return?

We draw up a claim in writing, in 2 copies.
In the header of the claim, we indicate our first name, last name, patronymic, postal details, telephone number for communication. We also indicate the name of the recipient's company (for example, IP ____ or LLC ____) and their legal address, as well as the postal address (you will need to find out all this from the seller).

We call this document Claim . In the introductory part of the claim, we indicate the circumstances that caused you the need to return the goods. ( I ______ , date _____, ordered goods from you _____, date ______, received the goods. The received goods do not correspond to the declared qualities, wrong size, defective, etc.

In the reasoning part, we refer to Article 26.1 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights in the Russian Federation regarding distance selling and other norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and substantiate our claim from the standpoint of the law.

And at the end of the claim there is a pleading part. I ask: to return the money, exchange the goods for another, etc.
your signature;
date.

Next, we send a claim to the seller's address by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt, in which case the company can no longer avoid an official response. Among other things, you may also need documents such as technical data sheets and warranty cards, of course, if available. A copy of the check must also be attached to the letter. By the way, please note that all of these documents, except for the claim itself, are sent to the responding party in the form of a copy, and not the original, so do not be careless, save the available evidence. nine0005

Where should I go if I haven't received a response to my complaint?

The deadline has passed and you haven't received a response? It's time to go to court.

Documents for the court are no longer being prepared in two, but in three copies. Attach to the statement of claim all the documents you have that confirm your correctness (when filing a statement of claim with the court office, attach copies of the documents, and present the originals directly during the court session). Be sure to keep one sample for yourself, which will indicate the date your documents were accepted for production. nine0005

Terms and procedure for the return of goods

Return of goods via the Internet is made within a certain period of time. The minimum period for such an operation is 7 days. If information of this nature does not appear anywhere on the store’s page on instagram and in the documents received, then the procedure for returning goods can be started even in a longer time frame.

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