Are you a creator looking to expand your reach and sell your products seamlessly? Instagram Shopping 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'll 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 Shopping is a comprehensive and free feature that enables customers to purchase products directly on the app instead of navigating to your website. Having an 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 Shops:

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• 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 - as of press time, these are Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
4. Finally, 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 for free in just a few steps with Fourthwall! Fourthwall offers a long list of product options to get you started on curating products for your Instagram shop. You can choose physical products like stickers, T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and posters - or if you're interested in selling digital products, you can do that on Fourthwall, too.

Once you meet the above four requirements, you can proceed with your 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:

Step 1: Create a business or creator account on Instagram/Facebook

If you already have an Instagram account, you can easily convert it to a creator account or link your existing Facebook page under the account settings. This conversion will provide advanced features designed for business use, such as detailed analytics and promotional tools.

To get started, simply navigate to the settings in the Instagram app, select "Account," and choose "Switch to Professional Account" to access either a business or creator profile. Similarly, ensure your Instagram business account is linked to your Facebook page to streamline cross-platform promotions and take full advantage of social media marketing tools.

Step 2: Connect your ecommerce store to a Facebook page

Linking your ecommerce store to your Facebook page is essential for efficient product management and seamless integration. By connecting your Facebook business page with your ecommerce account, your product catalog will automatically sync and update in real-time, ensuring that your inventory and product details are always current.

This integration not only streamlines the process of managing your product listings but also enhances your ability to create targeted ads and promotions directly from your Facebook page. Additionally, it allows you to leverage Facebook's shopping features, providing a more cohesive shopping experience for your customers and saving you valuable time and resources.

Step 3: Add products to your catalog

To effectively manage your inventory, you need to upload your products to your product catalog. You can do this by manually adding each item, which allows for detailed customization and individual updates. Alternatively, you can streamline the process by importing products automatically from your e-commerce platform.

This method ensures that your catalog is always up-to-date, reflecting the latest product information and inventory changes. By maintaining an accurate and comprehensive product catalog, you enhance the efficiency of your sales operations and provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

Step 4: Get approved for Instagram Shopping

To start using Instagram Shopping, you must first submit your shop for approval, a process where Instagram reviews your account to ensure it meets their commerce policies and guidelines. This step involves Instagram verifying that your product catalog is correctly set up, your business complies with its terms, and your account adheres to its standards for selling and promoting products.

During this approval process, Instagram checks aspects such as the accuracy of your product listings, your adherence to their advertising policies, and the overall quality of your business practices. Once approved, you'll gain access to features like product tags and shop links, allowing you to effectively showcase and sell your products directly through the Instagram app.

Step 5: Turn on the Instagram Shop feature

Once your account is approved, you can activate the Instagram Shop feature by navigating to your business profile and tapping the settings tab. From there, select the Business option, then choose Shopping, and follow the prompts to enable the feature. This activation allows you to start tagging products in your posts and stories, offering a seamless shopping experience directly within the Instagram app.

For a more detailed guide on setting up your shop, including advanced features like configuring a Tracking Pixel to monitor how your supporters interact with your store, be sure to check out our help center article. This comprehensive setup will enhance your ability to track performance while optimizing your shopping experience on Instagram. 

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 ecommerce 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.

Seamless Shopping Experience

It provides a seamless shopping experience to your followers, where they can quickly navigate and check out products on the platform. While 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.

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 who don’t already follow you.

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.

11 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: Leverage Instagram's product stickers to create engaging and clickable content, driving user interaction with your shoppable feeds.
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: Use interactive features in Instagram Stories, such as polls and GIFs, to engage your audience and generate interest in your shoppable feeds.
11. Instagram Reels: Leverage Instagram Reels to create short, engaging videos that showcase your products in action, drawing attention and driving traffic to your shop.

Let’s Get Started

Instagram Shopping is an exciting and convenient way to sell your products and grow your business effectively! And we've covered everything you need to know about Instagram Shop, from the approval and setup of your shop to tips for selling on the platform. If you're interested in selling products on Instagram, but aren't sure where to start, check out Fourthwall!

You'll get an additional level of customization, a huge amount of high quality products to choose from, and the ability to build and personalize your products to match your brand all in one place. Get started on Fourthwall today, and maximize your customers' Instagram Shopping experience!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get approved for selling on Instagram?

To get approved for selling on Instagram, ensure you have a business or creator account, a linked Facebook Page, and a product catalog on a site like Fourthwall. Make sure your business complies with Instagram’s commerce policies, then submit your shop for review by going to your business profile, tapping "Settings," selecting "Business," and choosing "Shopping." After Instagram reviews and approves your submission, you can activate the Instagram Shop feature to start tagging and selling products directly within the app.

Why is my shop button not showing up on Instagram?

If your shop button isn’t showing up on Instagram, it could be due to several reasons: your account might not be approved for Instagram Shopping yet, or there may be issues with your product catalog or business settings. Ensure your account is set up as a business or creator account, linked to a Facebook Page, and compliant with Instagram’s commerce policies. Additionally, double-check that your shop has been approved and properly activated in your settings. If issues persist, consult Instagram's help center or support for further assistance.

Can anyone create an Instagram Shop?

Not everyone can create an Instagram Shop. To set up an Instagram Shop, you need to have a business or creator account, be located in a supported market, and comply with Instagram’s commerce policies. Additionally, your account must be linked to a Facebook Page and have an approved product catalog. If these criteria are met, you can apply for Instagram Shop and, upon approval, start selling directly through the platform.

What's the best way to promote my products on Instagram Shop?

The best way to promote your products on Instagram Shop is to utilize a combination of engaging content and strategic advertising. Start by creating high quality, visually appealing posts and stories highlighting your products. Use Instagram’s built-in features like product tags and shoppable feeds to make your items easily accessible. Additionally, consider boosting your posts to reach a wider audience and increase visibility. For detailed steps on how to effectively boost your Instagram posts, check out this article here.