How to Set Up Instagram Shop: The Ultimate Guide

Are you a creator looking to expand your reach and sell your products seamlessly? Instagram Shop is the ultimate tool to grow your business and increase sales. Instead of linking your website in your bio or on your ads, Instagram now allows you to use the shop feature where supporters can purchase your product directly on the app. 

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know to set up and optimize your Instagram Shop effectively to provide the most seamless shopping experience for your supporters. 

What is an Instagram Shop?

Instagram Shop is a comprehensive and free feature that enables customers to purchase products directly on the app instead of navigating to your website. Instagram Shop provides a seamless shopping experience to your followers, where customers can swipe through product catalogs, and interact with product detail pages. Additionally, you can feature your products in posts, stories, and even live videos with the integration of product tags.

Here are some key features of Instagram Shop:

• Product Detail Pages: These provide essential product information, such as descriptions, costs, and pictures. Additionally, your followers can access tagged photos of your product, allowing customers to visualize the product before purchasing.

• Collections: This feature allows you to present your products in a curated group. For example, if you’re a content creator, you can break out your products on Instagram Shop by item type (such as hats, tops, sweats, etc.), collection drops, or even a specific theme or vibe like “Spooky Fits for October”

• Shopping Tag: These tags will provide a clickable tag internally linking to the products on your Instagram Shop. You can use shopping tags on paid ads or organic posts including stories, reels, and grid posts.

• Shop Discovery Tab: This is a discovery tool where users who do not follow your page can still be reached by your Instagram Shop posts. 

• Checkout: Instagram Shop offers an integrated purchasing system, increasing the chance of customer conversion. This functionality helps to shorten the checkout process and eliminates the need for consumers to leave the app.

• Customer Insights: Instagram Shop provides detailed information on customer behavior, such as page views, traffic sources, and demographics. With access to these insights, creators can tweak their strategy and offer customized marketing campaigns to target customers better.

How to Get Approved for Instagram Shopping

First, you need to meet Instagram’s requirements before you can set up your Shop. Here are some requirements you should know:

1. You must own a business account on Instagram.
2. Your business must comply with the commerce policies of Facebook.
3. You must be in one of the eligible countries to sell on Instagram.

4. Your business must have a website domain where your goods are sold. If you don’t already have a website, you can build and launch your online shop in just a few steps, check out how to get started on Fourthwall.

If you're interested in selling digital products, check out the 10 best digital products to sell in 2023. Fourthwall also offers tons of product options in our catalog to help get you started on curating products for your Instagram Shop.

Once you meet these requirements, you can proceed with the setup process.

How to Set Up an Instagram Shop

The process is relatively simple and takes less than an hour to get started. Follow these steps to set up your Shop:

1. Create a business or creator account on Instagram/Facebook

If you already have an Instagram account, you can convert it to a creator account or link your existing business page under the account settings.

2. Connect your e-commerce store to a Facebook page

Link your Facebook business page with your e-commerce account to manage your product catalog better. The products under your catalog automatically sync and update regularly, saving you time and resources.

3. Add products to your catalog

You can add your products manually or import them automatically from your e-commerce platform.

4. Get approved for Instagram Shopping

Submit your Shop for approval, where Instagram will verify if your account complies with the commerce policies.

5. Turn on the Instagram Shop feature

After being approved, go to your business profile and tap the settings tab. Choose the Business option followed by shopping, and voila. You're all set.

If you’re looking for an even more in-depth walkthrough of setting up your shop on Instagram, plus setting up a Tracking Pixel to see how your supporters interact with your store, check out our help center article. 

How to Sell on Instagram Shop

Now that you have set up your Instagram Shop, it's crucial to understand how you can start Selling. The "View Shop" button on your page enables your followers to purchase your products, similar to an e-commerce website. Additionally, you can tag products in your posts to promote your latest launches and personalized products. To do so, go to your post's caption, tap the "Tag Product" option, select the appropriate product, and save changes.

Benefits of Setting Up Instagram Shopping

Setting up Instagram Shopping has numerous benefits that can help elevate your online business. 

1. Seamless Shopping Experience 

It provides a seamless shopping experience to your followers, where they can quickly navigate and check out products on the platform. The traditional method requires linking your Instagram bio with your website, Instagram Shopping expedites the buying experience by allowing your audience to shop directly on the platform; making it frictionless and increasing conversions as a by-product.

2. Making the Algorithm Work For You

Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes the visibility of Instagram Shops globally in dedicated sections, increasing your visibility to a vast and diverse audience. Additionally, when you use a product tag, Instagram automatically adds you to their discovery page, bettering your chances of reaching those that don’t already follow you.

3. Monetizing Your Creations

Instagram Shop is one of the many ways you can monetize what you create. If you’re interested in learning about other ways to monetize your Instagram, check out this article: Instagram Monetization in 2023: A Complete Guide.

10 Tips for Selling More on Instagram Shopping

Now that you have set up your Instagram Shop and are familiar with the basics, it's time to optimize your selling strategy. Here are some tips to hit the ground running:

1. Hashtags: Hashtags help you categorize your content and promote your product essentials, enabling you to span across a broader audience in the vertical.
2. Stickers: Instagram Shop has different product stickers you can use to draw attention and create clickable content for users to engage with.
3. Instagram Shopping Ads: Use Instagram's Ad feature to target specific demographics and reach a more diverse group of customers.
4. Create engaging and personalized product captions: Captions are key in communicating an intimate understanding of your product, making it more relatable to your audience.
5. Host giveaways or offer discounts: Showcasing your generosity adds value to your brand and creates a sense of loyalty amongst your followers.
6. User Generated Content: Encourage your followers to share their in-product experience with you, and promote their photos to showcase your products' social proof.
7. High-quality images and videos: High-resolution and visually appealing images and videos help showcase your products effectively and attract followers. 
8. Collaboration: Collaborating with fellow creators within your niche can increase your brand's visibility to a broader customer base, tap into their followers, and increase sales. 
9. Highlight exclusive and limited-edition products: Offering exclusive or limited product runs creates a sense of urgency with your followers, encouraging them to act fast. 
10. Instagram Stories: Instagram Stories have many interactive features like polls, questionnaires, and GIFs, which help captivate your followers' attention and spark interest in your product. 

Let’s Get Started

Instagram Shopping is an exciting and convenient way to sell your products and grow your business effectively. This guide has covered everything you need to know about Instagram Shop, from the approval and setup of your shop to tips to best sell on the platform.

If you're interested in selling products on Instagram, but aren't sure where to start, check out Fourthwall. For an additional level of customization, and the ability to build and personalize your products to match your brand all in one place, get started on Fourthwall today.