Selling on Instagram just got SO much easier! Gone are the days of seeing “Click the link in the bio.” This is all due to Instagram’s outstanding feature: shoppable posts. These posts take the products directly to your audience.

With Instagram shoppable posts, customers can click, browse, and purchase your products all while staying in the Instagram app. With more than 800 million Instagram users, and 500 million business accounts, it was bound to happen.

The results have been remarkable! Are you ready to take your eCommerce business directly to your customers? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Instagram shoppable posts.

Why Your Business Should Be Using Instagram Shoppable Posts

If you did not know – Instagram is owned by the social media giant, Facebook, so one could have assumed that eventually Instagram would become more of a business oriented platform. In a world where an increasing amount of people are going the DIY route, this new feature is invaluable for businesses.

From discovery to checkout, customers can complete the buying journey all while staying within the app. They encourage sales, increase brand awareness, decrease barriers to buy, and give consumers a direct line to your brand. In fact 60% of Instagram users find new products online, and 75% take action after viewing a post.

How To Get Started With Selling on Instagram

Before you get started with Instagram shoppable posts you need to be sure to meet the eligibility requirements:

• 1. You must be located in one of these countries: United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, or Australia
• 2. You need an Instagram business account
• 3. You must be on the latest version of the Instagram app on either iOS or Android.
• 4. Your business must sell physical goods that comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies.
• 5. Your business profile must be connected to a Facebook catalog. This can be created and managed on Business Manager, directly on your business’s Page on Facebook, or through Shopify or BigCommerce.

If you meet the above requirements, all you need to do is add the Instagram sales channel to your Shopify or BigCommerce store at no additional cost if you decide to go that route, and then, once your store is approved, enable the feature by selecting Shopping under Business Settings in the Instagram app.

If you have questions on any of these steps, we have an in depth How-To video on setting up your eCommerce business for shoppable post.

How to Tag Your Products

Once you have all of these requirements taken care of – you are ready to start selling on Instagram! Tagging products is as easy as tagging people. You use choose your catalog, choose your product, and place it in your picture.

It is crucial to understand your customer’s buying experience. CLICK HERE to view this buying journey and learn how to make the most of your shoppable posts.

Pro Tips for Instagram Shoppable Posts

1. Once you start adding shoppable posts to your feed, let your followers know with an Instagram story! It’s a great way to spread the word and drive more people to your post.
2. While selling on Instagram is the easiest it has been, it’s important to remember your audience shouldn’t feel like they are being sold to. Shoppable posts should feel natural and not forced. They should compliment your brand, and the posts should be attractive and stylized in a way that fits your brand’s non-shoppable posts.

3. With an Instagram Business account, you have the powerful tool of analytics at your fingertips. You can view how many people viewed product information or clicked-through to its product page. This information can help you better understand your audience, what they connect with, and how to improve to sell more products.

As you can see, Instagram shoppable posts is an incredibly useful tool for eCommerce businesses. Keep experimenting with different images, copy, and products while capitalizing on the analytics to boost your digital sales!

It is exciting to see all that Instagram is doing for businesses. Don’t miss out on need-to-know information like this and subscribe to On the Radar.

Click below to view our Instagram Shoppable Post video series!