How to open an instagram store


How to Set Up an Instagram Shop

Instagram Tips & Resources


By Jillian Warren

Updated on June 13, 2022

5 minute read

Instagram Shop is a major e-commerce tool. We're breaking down how to set up your own & drive sales 💸

Published January 25, 2021

With Instagram Shop, brands can curate a list of shoppable products that are directly accessible through their Instagram profile.

This makes it easier to sell on the app, and be discovered by potential customers too.

Ready to set up an Instagram Shop and start driving sales? Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Instagram Shop?

Instagram Shop offers a way for businesses to showcase their product catalog and reach new customers on Instagram.

Brands can curate a list of shoppable products that are directly accessible through the “View Shop” button on their Instagram profile page.

But that’s not all. Brands with Instagram Shop can also be featured on the Instagram Shop tab — a shopping destination accessible from Instagram’s main navigation menu.

Instagram Shop is a streamlined way for users to discover shoppable products on Instagram, with the option to search by categories, see "Editors' Picks," and more.

By clicking on a suggested product, users can see more images that feature the product, pricing information, other products from the same retailer, and how to purchase.

Plus, for US-based brands with access to Instagram Checkout, shoppers can tap “Buy on Instagram” to purchase without even leaving Instagram.

TIP: Capitalize on your opportunities to drive sales by making the link in your Instagram bio shoppable too.

With Later's link in bio tool, Linkin.bio, you can create a clickable version of your Instagram feed and add it to the link in your bio.

And if you’re on a Later Growth or Advanced plan, you can connect your Shopify account to Linkin. bio and tag products directly on your page.

Ready to turn followers into customers with a shoppable Instagram feed? Start using Linkin.bio today!

How to Set Up an Instagram Shop

Setting up an Instagram Shop is easier than you might think. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Step #1: Check Your Eligibility

To get set up with Instagram Shop, your business needs to meet the following eligibility requirements:

  1. Your business is located in a supported market

  2. Your business has an eligible product

  3. Your business complies with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies

  4. Your business owns a website domain in which you intend to sell from

Step #2: Convert to a Business or Creator Account

Before you can set up an Instagram Shop, you’ll need to switch to a Business account. Follow these steps to convert your account.

Once you have a Business account, you can add in relevant business information, such as opening hours, business address, phone number and a link to your website.

Step #3: Connect to a Facebook Page

Next up, follow these steps to link your Instagram business account to a Facebook Page:

  1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile

  2. Select “Edit profile”.

  3. Under the “Public business information” section, select “Page”

  4. Choose a Facebook Page from your Pages that you’d like to connect.

  5. If you don’t have a Facebook Page, select “Create a new Facebook Page”.

NOTE: Facebook Page Shop is not required, only a Facebook Page.

Step #4: Upload Your Product Catalog

Instagram Shop requires you to have a product catalog, which is a list of all your products, inventory, and descriptions.

There are two ways to connect a product catalog to your Instagram business account:

  1. Catalogue Manager (The “do it yourself” method found within Facebook Business Manager)

  2. E-commerce Platform Partner (An integration through one of our certified e-commerce platform partners, such as Shopify or BigCommerce)

Step #5: Account Review

Once you’ve connected a product catalog to your Instagram, you will need to submit your account for review by following these steps:

  1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap the menu icon

  2. Select “Settings”.

  3. Sign up for shopping

  4. Follow the steps to submit your account for review.

  5. Visit “Shopping” in your “Settings” at any time to check your status.

NOTE: Account reviews typically take a few days but sometimes can take longer.

Some businesses may be notified that additional information is necessary to prove ownership of your website domain. If you receive this notification, follow these steps to complete a domain verification process to submit your account for review.

Step #6: Turn On Shopping

Once your account is approved, you can turn on shopping features.

  1. Go to your business’s Instagram profile and tap the menu icon.

  2. Select “Settings”.

  3. Tap “Business” and then tap “Shopping”.

  4. Select the “product catalogue” that you want to connect to your account.

  5. Select “Done”.

NOTE: If you don’t see Shopping in your settings, your account is probably still under review or hasn’t been approved for Instagram Shopping.

Your Instagram Shop will automatically appear on your Instagram profile page.

PSA: You can add product tags when you schedule your posts in advance with Later! Join 4M+ marketers and sign up for a Later account today.

How to Sell on Instagram Shop

Once you’re set up Instagram Shop, a new “View Shop” button will appear on your business’s Instagram profile page.

From here, visitors will be able to browse your products, tap to find out more, and shop:

You will also be able to start tagging products in your feed posts, Instagram Stories, Reels, Guides, and Live broadcasts — opening up a ton of new e-commerce opportunities!

Setting up an Instagram Shop is a good first step when it comes to making sales for your business on Instagram.

However, setting up an Instagram Shop isn’t a guaranteed ticket to success — you also need to consider your content strategy.

Using a social media management tool for Instagram is one of the best ways to get ahead of your strategy, identify opportunities to make sales, and analyze your performance — all from one easy to use dashboard!

Ready to kickstart your Instagram strategy? Sign up to Later and start planning your content strategy in advance! Plus, you can now tag products from your Instagram Shop directly in Later.

About the Author

Jillian Warren

Jillian is Later's Editor. A go-to expert in social media strategy and content marketing, she has worked in both London and New York. Next up? Lisbon and Paris! You can reach out to her on Instagram here: @jillwrren.

Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.

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The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up an Instagram Shop in 2022

Instagram marketing is essential to ecommerce businesses.

Not using Instagram to promote your products would be like a carpenter deciding wood saws just aren’t that useful.

Crazy.

Especially when you consider that more than 500 million Instagram users use the platform daily and 50% of them follow at least one business. .

Plus, Instagram is hell-bent on moving deeper into ecommerce.

Whether it’s the constant Instagram Shop updates or the introduction of a checkout button, it’s clear that ecommerce stores must keep up or risk being left behind.

But what exactly is an Instagram Shop, how will it help you grow your business, and how can you set one up?

Read on to find out.

What is an Instagram Shop?

An Instagram Shop lets you integrate your product catalog with your Instagram profile. In turn, this allows you to promote your products directly to Instagram users through posts, Stories, in the Explore tab, and in a special Shop tab on your profile.

Let’s look at some examples of how Instagram Shops work.

The image below features watch brand MVMT and shows the Instagram Shop tab in action. This allows users visiting their profile to see all of their products without leaving the Instagram app.

You can also tag Instagram Shop products in your posts in the same way you would tag a friend.

This adds a little shopping bag icon to your image.

Then, when users tap the photo, they can view the prices of the products featured and tap the product labels to view product pages.

You can tag up to five items per image or twenty items per carousel. 

Every time you tag an image with your products, that content will appear in an exclusive shopping feed on your Instagram business profile. 

You can even promote your products in Instagram Stories

The image below shows a user viewing a Story, tapping a product sticker to get more information about the product, and then making a purchase. 

Product stickers are only available to businesses in certain countries. If you’re based in one of these markets, you can use the stickers with images, videos, highlights, and even swipe-ups. 

Instagram Shop product pages feature everything a user might want to know before purchasing an item, including:

  • The name of the product
  • Product images
  • A product description
  • The price of the product
  • A link to view the product on your website
  • Related products

3 Key Benefits to Setting Up an Instagram Shop

As mentioned, Instagram is fast becoming an ecommerce powerhouse.

Shari Lott, founder and CEO of kids apparel brand Spearmint Love, said, “When we launched the feature [Instagram Shop], we experienced a 25 percent increase in traffic and an 8 percent increase in revenue attributable to shopping on Instagram.”

Okay, so Instagram Shops work – but what exactly gives them such power? Here are three key reasons:

1. It Reduces Friction and Makes Shopping Easier for Consumers

There’s a lot of noise online.

With so many businesses competing for attention, it can be extremely difficult to get customers to leave what they’re doing on social media and visit your store.

The solution? Don’t try to get them to come to you – take your store to them.

An Instagram Shop removes friction from the purchasing process by making it easier for shoppers to browse your catalog, check prices, or learn more about a particular product.

Plus, once they’re ready to purchase, they can visit the product page on your website with just one tap.

They can even save the product to come back to later by tapping the label icon on a product page – here’s an example from sunglasses brand Shwood:

Instagram’s new checkout feature further enhances the shopping experience. 

Shoppers can tap it to choose from various articles, sizes and colors, and then proceed to payment — without leaving Instagram.

And after they place their first order, their information (name, email, billing information, and shipping address) is saved in Facebook’s database, allowing you to send them notifications about processing and delivery.

2. It Allows You to Promote Products Directly

Instagram has always been a fantastic place to connect with your target audience and deepen customer relations.

However, Instagram hamstrung businesses by only allowing them to have one measly link on their profile. Still, to this day, you can’t add clickable links to Instagram post descriptions.

This made it extremely difficult to promote individual products.

For example, if you feature a product in a post, your call-to-action would have to point viewers to the  link in your bio – which increases friction and massively hurts your conversion rate.

It gets worse.

Remember, you only get one link in your bio.

Sure you can update each time you share a new post, but what about all of your previous posts that no longer have a link to your store?

Enter the Instagram Shop.

An Instagram Shop lets you seamlessly integrate all of your Instagram content with your store. This is awesome – especially when 65 percent of top-performing brand posts feature a product of some kind.

Now, you can weave your product promotions into your posts and Stories and avoid the annoyance of nagging your followers to “Click the link in our bio!”

Savannah Boysen, marketing manager at Tyme, said, “It’s a clean and simple way to show your product in a lifestyle setting, without affecting the user experience.”

It’s easy to use too.

As Instagram explains, “Once a business has a product catalog connected to their account, tagging a product is as simple as tagging a person in a post.”

3. Expose Your Products to Users with a High Purchase Intent

When you tag a product in a post, that post will be included in Instagram’s new Shopping Explore tab.

By increasing Instagram engagement through practices like optimizing your hashtags, you can get your products to appear in the Shopping Explore tab.

You’ll also be exposing your products to your target market because these shopping posts are personalized and based on users’ interests and past engagement.  

This is fantastic because users viewing the Shopping Explore tab tend to have a high purchase intent. 

In other words, they’re likely to buy. 

Think of it this way: Aside from the occasional window shopper, it’s fair to say that most people go shopping to, well, shop.

The same is true of the Shopping Explore tab.

These users could be browsing photos of koala bears – but they’re not. Instead, they’re actively choosing to browse Instagram Shop posts. This is an opportunity to attract their attention while they’re in “buying” mode. Major brownie points if you can get your products on their wishlist. 

Bottom line, Instagram Shops are a powerful way to boost your sales. So how can you start an Instagram Shop?

How to Start an Instagram Shop for Your Store

To start an Instagram Shop, you first need a Facebook Shop. This is because Instagram actually pulls your product information from Facebook to create your Instagram Shop.

There are a few moving parts that you need to integrate and it can take time for Instagram to approve your account. However, as you now know – it’s totally worth the hassle.

So let’s dive in.

There are two main ways to create a Facebook Shop:

Facebook Shop Option 1: Create a Standalone Facebook Shop

information to your Facebook business page.

Depending on the country your business is based in, you might also be able to manage your orders and take payments on Facebook directly.

We don’t recommend this.

Firstly, Facebook’s ecommerce manager isn’t great and you’ll lack many of the awesome features that are commonplace in a dedicated ecommerce platform provider.

Secondly, it’s likely you already have a website for your store. So, if you create a standalone Facebook Shop, you would have to manage two separate stores with two sets of orders. This means tracking inventory can get extremely complicated.

Instead, we recommend option two:

Facebook Shop Option 2: Sync Your Ecommerce Website to Your Facebook Page

When using a solution like Shopify, you can simply sync your entire product catalogue with Facebook – this means there’s no need to manually create product listings.  

Plus, this way, inventory tracking is automatic and you can manage all of your Facebook Shop orders from your Shopify dashboard. 

It keeps things simple and far less time consuming. That way, you can focus on the important stuff like growing your sales.

For this reason, this guide will show you how to create a Instagram Shop that seamlessly integrates with your Shopify ecommerce website.

Sound good?

In short, to set up an Instagram Shop you need to connect and sync these three things:

  • Shopify Store
  • Facebook Page/Shop
  • Instagram Business Profile

Alright, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts.

Steps to Set Up Your Instagram Shop

Step 1: Meet The Eligibility Requirements and Lay the Groundwork

Before you can start an Instagram Shop, you need to meet all of Instagram’s requirements.

To start, you can’t use an Instagram Shop to sell services, only eligible physical goods. Plus, your business must comply with Instagram’s commerce policies.

Your business must also be located in a country with access to the feature. To see a list of the countries with access to the Instagram Shop feature, as well as the countries it’s gradually being rolled out to, visit Instagram’s Shop page here.

Now, you need to make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app to use the Instagram Shop feature.

If you do, you should see the little shopping bag icons on shoppable posts:

If you don’t see any Instagram Shop tags when using the app, head to your device’s settings to update the app.

Next, to start an Instagram Shop, you must have an Instagram business profile.

Thankfully, it only takes a minute to convert your Instagram profile to a business profile. Plus, you’ll gain access to other business tools, such as Action Buttons, Instagram Insights, and Instagram ads.

To do this, head to Instagram’s settings:

You also need to link your Instagram business profile to your Facebook business page – to do this, you must be a Facebook page admin.

Once again, you can do this in Instagram’s settings:

For more detailed instructions on how to convert to a business profile and link it to your Facebook page, read the guide: How to Optimize Your Instagram Profile to Skyrocket Growth.

Okay, all done?

Step 2: Add your Product Catalog to your Facebook Shop

Remember, Instagram Shops pull product information from Facebook Shops.

So, now that your Instagram account is linked to your Facebook page, you need to create a Facebook shop and sync your product catalog to it.

This will also allow you to promote your products directly on Facebook. Here’s an example of a Facebook Shop product page from makeup brand KKW Beauty:

If you haven’t already, you first need to create a Shopify store and add some products to it.

Then, to connect your Shopify store with your Facebook page, click the plus icon next to  “Sales Channel” in the left-hand sidebar within the Shopify dashboard.

Once your accounts are connected, you need to add your product catalog to Facebook.

To do this, head to the product manager in the Shopify dashboard, select your products, click “Make Products Available” in the dropdown menu, and select Facebook.

For detailed instructions on how to setup your Facebook Shop, check out our full guide: How to Set Up a Facebook Shop: The Quickstart Guide for Beginners

Step 3: Set Up the Instagram Sales Channel

Next, you need to set up Instagram as a sales channel in the Shopify dashboard in the same way.

Again, just click the plus icon to add a sales channel, then add Instagram:

Step 4: Wait for Your Account to Be Approved

Okay, at this point you should have:

  • Converted your Instagram profile to a business profile.
  • Linked your Instagram business profile to your Facebook business page.
  • Linked your Shopify store with your Facebook page.
  • Created a Facebook Shop and synced your products to it.
  • Linked your Shopify store with your Instagram account.

All done? Awesome – it’s all downhill from here!

Now that you have a Facebook shop linked to your Instagram profile, Instagram will automatically review your account before allowing you to create an Instagram Shop.

Sit tight.

The review process can take a few days and Instagram notes that the process can take longer.

When your account has been approved, Instagram will show you a notification:

Step 5: Confirm Which Facebook Shop to Add to Instagram

Once you receive the approval notification, all you need to do is confirm which Facebook Shop you want to connect to your Instagram profile.

To do this, tap “Get Started” on the notification or head to Instagram’s business settings and tap “Shopping.”

Then, simply select the Facebook Shop you want to use with your Instagram profile.

Now, all of your products are synced across Instagram, your Facebook Shop and your Shopify store.

Congratulations, you now have an Instagram Shop!

Step 6: Tag Your Products in Your Instagram Posts and Stories

Now that you’re all set up, you can begin tagging your products in posts and Instagram Stories.

Even if it was a bit of a maze getting here, this part couldn’t be simpler.

When you create an Instagram post, you can now tag your products in the same way that you usually tag people:

Then, your posts will include the shopping bag icon and shopping tags for the products featured in your posts. Here’s an example from apparel brand Finisterre:

As a reminder, Instagram allows you to tag up to five products per single image or up to 20 products per multi-image post.

It’s also worth noting that you need to create at least one Instagram Shop post to activate the “Shop” tab on your business profile:

An Instagram Shop won’t do anything on its own. You have to place it in front of a relevant audience in order to make people aware of your products. Here are a few tips:

1. Use Hashtags to Gain Exposure

 As for regular posts, Instagram hashtags are an effective strategy for boosting the discoverability of your content.

Not to mention, they can help you appear in the Search & Explore tab, which has an exclusive “Shop” section and is used by more than half of Instagrammers each month.

Plus, if a group of shoppers decide to follow your hashtags, you get a free marketing channel that you could use anytime to reach out to that audience. 

Eiger Adventure, for example, captures the interest of people by using niche hashtags in its shopping posts.

To learn more about how to use hashtags gain traction on Instagram, revisit the post: How to Optimize Your Instagram Profile to Skyrocket Growth.

2. Leverage the Product Sticker Feature in Instagram Stories

To tag products in Instagram Stories, simply use the “Product” sticker. The app allows you to pick from 4 different sticker styles: a sticker with the product name in grey or rainbow, translucent text, and a shopping bag icon (the most popular style). You can even edit the sticker’s color and text.

What’s more, you can tag products in both new and existing posts.

So to get the most from your Instagram Shop, it’s worth revisiting your previous posts and tagging products where appropriate.

Unfortunately, you can’t edit Stories that have been published. So if you forget to add a product sticker, you’ll need to delete the Story and re-publish it.

3. Run Instagram Shopping Ads

Instagram has also introduced the option to run organic shopping posts as ads.

People who tap on these ads will be taken to an item description page on Instagram and can proceed to buy from your mobile shop.

 To set up an Instagram Shopping Ad, open your Facebook Ads Manager and follow these steps: 

  • Click “+Create” and select an objective from “reach, brand awareness, link clicks, post engagement, or conversions.
  • Choose the audience that you wish to target. (here’s a detailed guide to audience targeting)
  • Select “Edit placements” and choose “Instagram Feed” as the only place where you wish to run your ads.
  • During ad set customization, choose “Use Existing Post.”
  • Select the Shopping content you’d like to run as an ad.
  • Complete the information for your ad and click “Continue.”

Pro tip: Make sure the posts you run as ads include high-quality images, descriptive hashtags, and accurate tags. That’ll make consumers more receptive towards your business.

Summary: Guide to Setting Up an Instagram Shop

Although an Instagram Shop can be a pain to set up, the effort is well worth it.

Integrating your store with Facebook and Instagram is a powerful way to grow your ecommerce store.

Remember, to start an Instagram Shop you need to:

  • Convert your Instagram profile to a business profile.
  • Link your Instagram business profile to your Facebook Page.
  • Link your Shopify store to your Facebook page.
  • Create a Facebook Shop by syncing your products from your Shopify store.
  • Link your Shopify store with your Instagram account.
  • Wait to be approved by Instagram and then select the Facebook Shop you want to use with your Instagram account.
  • Start selling on Instagram!

Have you set up an Instagram Shop for your store? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to Learn More?

  • How to Use Instagram Insights to Accelerate Your Growth
  • Everything You Need to Know to Schedule Instagram Posts
  • The Instagram Algorithm: An Ecommerce Guide
  • 29 Eye-Catching Instagram Post Ideas From Successful Brands

FAQs on Setting Up an Instagram Shop

How do I set up an Instagram Shop? 

Setting up an Instagram store is an easy five-step process:

  1. Switch your Instagram profile to a business profile
  2. Link your Instagram business profile to your Facebook business page
  3. Link your Shopify store to your Facebook business page
  4. Create a Facebook shop and sync your products
  5. Link your Shopify store to your Instagram account
Is Instagram Shop free?

Yes, Instagram Shopping is completely free to use. All you need to get started is a Facebook business page and an Instagram business profile (both of which are free) and connect the two.

After that's done, simply upload your business product catalog, turn on the Shopping feature, and you're ready to start selling on Instagram.

What is Instagram store?

Instagram store, also known as Instagram Shopping, is a feature that allows businesses on Instagram to incorporate their product catalog into their accounts.

In doing so, they can list, promote, and sell their products to Instagram users on the platform itself by creating product pages and tagging their products in their posts and Stories.

All you need to get started is a Facebook business page and an Instagram business profile(both of which are free) and connect the two." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What Is Instagram Store?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Instagram store, also known as Instagram Shopping, is a feature that allows businesses on Instagram to incorporate their product catalog into their accounts. " } }] }

Done! Instagram Shopping in Russia - an overview for beginners, how it all works - Social networks on vc.ru

Be the first to know everything and understand the nuances in order to be clever in the companies of SMMs and sell more than others.

49 107 views

Instagram Shopping is an Instagram feature that allows users to buy products directly from your photos or videos in any section of the app.

When creating a store, you can choose how purchases will be made: on your website, on Facebook, on Instagram, or via private messages. nine0010 But there is a nuance ⬇

The nuance is that in Russia you cannot sell inside the application. So we are forced to only show tags, information about the product in the "card" and then take it to the site. But thanks for that. And now about everything in order.

Answering questions:

  • What is a store?
  • Is it possible to buy goods inside Instagram
  • What are collections? nine0024
  • What are product tags?
  • Is it possible to mark a product in the text for publications and in the biography?
  • Is it possible to pin a product live?
  • Is it possible to make a collab with a blogger so that our product is tagged in his photo?
  • Can I set up ads with product tags?
  • Where do we transfer a person from advertising? nine0025
  • Is it possible to announce the appearance of a new product?
  • Assortment management in Instagram Shopping
  • Steps to create a store
  • Useful links

As Instagram Product Director Ashley Yuki told , a small number of Russian business accounts will get access to the features at random , and in the coming months Shopping will be available to others.

What is a shop?

Shops on Instagram create a showcase on your profile so people can easily find your products.

Customers can go to the store through the company's Instagram profile, feed, and stories. In the store, you can explore the range and go to your favorite products.

What does the user see?

In the search on the "shops" tab, a person will see:

  • shops
  • editor's choice
  • selections
  • guidebooks
  • video

And you can buy goods inside Instagram...

...in Russia?

— No, in Russia you cannot buy goods inside the app and arrange delivery. The button on the product details page will redirect customers to your site to complete the checkout. nine0003

...in the USA?

- Yes, Instagram checkout is available (Currently checkout is available for all sellers in the US and some companies in other countries).

Instagram's checkout feature allows U.S. businesses and creators (that qualify) to sell their products directly within the app. It works on the basis of the Facebook Pay service.

Companies decide for themselves whether or not to enable the checkout feature on Instagram. If they decide not to connect, they will be able to transfer the user to the site, and use Instagram solely as a showcase. nine0003

Your company and bank account must be registered in the US. 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 may take up to 2 weeks.

What are collections?

- You can group products by topic in the same way as categories on the site or by topic, season, and even events, helping people find exactly what they need. nine0003

It is not necessary to be limited to dry category names, as well as "big sale", "black friday", "premium", "new", "bestsellers", "best deals", "buy in time". Analyze foreign competitors and create your own collections, for example:

  • TOP 10 gifts for mom
  • the fisherman dad will love it
  • all for spring
  • hygge time! creating a cozy home
  • nine0023 Top 30 Body Products

What are product tags?

- By clicking on the label (tag), a person will be taken to a page with information about the product, from where they can go to your site and make a purchase.

Is it possible to mark the product in the text for publications and in the bio...

...in Russia?

— No. Until there is a function for registering and paying for goods in the application, most likely it will not be possible to configure this. nine0003

...in the USA?

- Yes, if the business uses Instagram's checkout feature.

You can pin the item live...

...in Russia?

— No. Until there is a function of registration and payment for goods in the application.

...in the USA?

- Yes, if the business uses Instagram's checkout feature.

Can I pin a product on IG TV? nine0003

Yes.

Is it possible to make a collab with a blogger so that our product is tagged in his photo...

...in Russia?

— No.

...in the USA?

Yes. A blogger can put a product tag on his photos and people will be able to buy this product directly on Instagram. Of course, if checkout is set up.

Can I set up ads with product tags?

- Yes. You can promote in the feed and in the popular existing publications with tagged products or create ads from scratch in Ads Manager.

Shopping ads

In Russia, only 1 option is possible so far (on the left).

See Shopping ads guide.

Custom Audiences

You can create custom audiences for advertising - segments of buyers who performed certain actions, for example, clicked on a product tag, viewed / saved the product. Thus, we catch a person who wanted to buy, but something went wrong. nine0003

If you're already running Shopping ads, you can create a new custom audience in Ads Manager to reach new buyers.

This will allow you to find new people who are similar to your most valuable customers, have not yet interacted with the content, but might be interested in the company's products.

See the audience setup guide.

Where do we transfer a person from advertising?

nine0021

...in Russia?

- By clicking on an ad with a product tag, a person will be taken to a page with information about the product, from where they can go to your site and make a purchase.

...in the USA?

- Tagged ads direct users not only to the website, but also to checkout on Instagram. But let me remind you that just placing an order on Instagram is currently only available in the United States.

Is it possible to announce the arrival of a new product...

...in Russia?

- No, because you can't sell inside Instagram.

...in the USA?

Yes. Companies will be able to announce the arrival of new products or the start of a sale on Instagram, and users will be able to set reminders when sales begin. But this feature is currently only available to businesses that use Instagram checkout.

Assortment management in Instagram Shopping

nine0021

To sell products on Facebook and Instagram, you need to upload them to the catalog. This will require the Commerce Manager tool. The service helps to create a catalog, process orders, and so on. With Catalog Manager you can change the following information (and more) at any time:

  • Product images: Each product must have at least one image.
  • Product name: if the names do not match the site, it may be that they will be removed from the catalog. nine0025
  • Price .
  • Link to the site: URL of the product, by which information about it is checked.
  • Product Description : It must be short, clear and understandable. You can use rich text or HTML.
  • Product options : sizes, colors. Product group IDs help you manage product variants.
nine0002 Important! Product information in Facebook Commerce Solutions must contain accurate pricing and availability information. Your return policy must be clearly stated and available on your website or on Facebook or Instagram.

Steps to create a store

Step 1: Check eligibility

Step 2: Convert your profile to a business account

Step 3: Connect your Facebook Page

Step 4: Upload the product catalog

Step 5: Get your account verified

Step 6: Enable Instagram Shopping

Step 7: Start creating content that you can interact with

Useful links:

  • Adding a Facebook Store Using the E-Commerce Platform
  • Requirements for trading activities - from the interesting: "Your professional Instagram account must demonstrate its reliability, authenticity and activity (for example, have a sufficient number of followers)." nine0025
  • Rules of trade
  • About ordering on Facebook and Instagram
  • Assigning permissions in Commerce Manager
  • Domain validation process

Detailed video instructions will be recorded later and posted on the "Marketing Tools" channel. We will also post checklists there, so sign up so you don't miss out.

nine0013

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 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0025
  • 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

  1. 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 replica brands 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.
  2. 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. nine0025
  3. 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.
  4. 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. nine0025
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

Sign in to Commerce Manager, also found in your ad account.

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.

The next step is 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. nine0003

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 in one of the following ways:

  • 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. nine0025
  • 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 upload 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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 check, 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". nine0003

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:

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

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

  1. Select an image to publish and click on the sticker icon in the upper right corner of the screen. nine0025
  2. Select the product sticker and the desired product in the catalog.
  3. 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. nine0003

We especially recommend this tool for e-commerce: the user immediately sees the price and all information about the product.


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