So now that you know all the benefits that the Instagram Shop feature has to offer, you want to know how to set up an Instagram Shop for your e-commerce store. This takes a long time to do, as it involves sticking to a moving piece and also seeking Instagram permission to get up and running. But don’t worry it’s a little hassle and in the end, it’s worth it!
Starting your e-commerce store’s Instagram Shop
The first thing you need to do to start your Instagram Shop is a Facebook Shop, which is the source of all the information that Instagram takes to make your Instagram Shop work well. If you don’t have a Facebook store, here’s how you can set it up:
- Free Facebook Buy: The first option you can find is to start a free Facebook Buy. However, this can be frustrating, as you have to create the product list from scratch and work with the economy in many ways.
Facebook’s e-commerce navigation system is getting some serious reviews, as it doesn’t offer as many features as the offerings on dedicated e-commerce platforms. However, it boils down to your liking. If creating a stand-alone Facebook Shop is worth it, there's no reason not to go with it. However, if you have trouble keeping separate inventories and orders, there are two options to look for as well.
- Finish your e-commerce store with Facebook: If your e-commerce store stands on a platform like Shoplift, Big Commerce, or Magneto, you’re in luck. You can add your entire product list in minutes and the best thing about this option is the list shopping process.
If your item is simple, we recommend choosing this option, because you can navigate all your orders from one place (Shoplift or Big Commerce dashboard). This will also allow you to focus on increasing sales as well as increase Likes on Facebook Page.
Getting started with your Instagram Shop
Your Facebook Shop is up and running, you need to do the following to get your Instagram Shop started:
- Update your Instagram app: If you are using a previous version of the Instagram app, you will not be able to access the Shop feature. So the first thing you need to do is update the software to the latest version.
- Link your Instagram and Facebook page: Once your Instagram app is upgraded, link your Facebook page between Facebook and Instagram. Just allow the ‘Linked Account’ option in your Instagram settings to link directly to pages.
- Add Instagram as a salesperson: You can set up Instagram as one of the sales channels in your e-commerce store. For example, if you have a shoplift store, go to the menu and select Instagram in the Add -one's box, which you can access by clicking the add-on icon.
- Waiting for approval: Currently, Instagram has to lead a review process, which can take several days. When done, Instagram will send you a notification, and you will be set to start using the various Instagram Shop features.
- Make sure Facebook Shop is integrated: The final step is to make sure the Facebook Shop you want is integrated with your Instagram business profile. You can do this by going to the 'Shopping' page after opening the 'Business Setting' option.
Now that your Instagram Shop is up and running, you can see the ‘Tag Products’ option if you want to create a new post. Click on it to enter the desired products.
Finishing off your Instagram ad
Setting up an Instagram Shop is not enough. Now that it works, you need to look at Instagram marketing to spread the word. Below, you’ll find some tips to help your Instagram Shop become more relevant to your audience.
- Ad Run: Your ads can run as ads on Instagram and you can do so through Facebook Ads Manager. Posts should have specific labels, descriptive hashtags, and high-quality images. Optimizing posts doesn’t fail, so remember to increase posts as much as you can.
- Create niche hashtags for your posts: You can’t expect to be successful on Instagram without hashtags. To create and use niche hashtags in your local markets. See how your competitors are doing on Instagram and get inspired.
- Use product tags: You can create sales posts using the Instagram Stories feature. It also combines product labels in four styles, so you can edit the words and colors.
- Tag products in past posts: If there are past posts with products, don’t forget to review them and bookmark them. This will ensure that if the Instagram user sees an old post, it won’t be a problem in buying the products.
