How to sell products on Instagram using Instagram Shoppable Posts

Did you know? Instagram is also a marketplace now. Yes, it’s more than just a social media and lifestyle application. Business can even sell their products on the platform. And it’s way too easy to do so if you are an first-time seller. Instagram’s shoppable posts can levitate any brand’s presence in a matter of minutes. Here’s how to do it:

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What are Instagram Shoppable Posts?

Shoppable posts are the ones which have “a bag” like icon on the post. By clicking on the post, you can directly go to the shop page of the brand or purchase it from the Instagram itself through its checkout feature. And the best part about them is they can be linked to any kind of post, from a normal photo post to an Instagram reel. But they have a limit of 5 links per photo.

How to get started?

There are several criteria that needs to be followed to get started with the feature. First, Instagram shopping.

1.     Check if your business is located in the select Instagram’s supported business markets

2.     Eligibility criteria of your posts

3.     Compliance with Instagram’s policies

4.     Proper website and domain to sell the products

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If you have gotten these covered, let’s move to the next steps.

1.     Create a business or creator account

You first need to create a business or creator account on Instagram. If you already have an Instagram account but it’s not a business account you can change it from the settings > account > Switch to Professional account > Business account > save.

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2.     Connect your account to a Facebook page

Next, you need to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page. If you don’t have one you are bound to create one.

After creating the Facebook page, got to Instagram business profile > Edit > Select page > Select your Facebook page > Done.

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3.     Upload product catalog

Now you need to list your products on the Facebook page. You need to upload a catalog to your Facebook page with all the details of the products and since the accounts are linked together the products will automatically be updated on Instagram as well.

You can manually add the catalog using Facebook business manager, but it takes its own sweet time. To speed up the process you can try to find an e-commerce platform that can be greatly beneficial like Shopify or BigCommerce.

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4.     Submit Account for Review

Once you’re done with uploading the catalog, you will have to submit the account for review. Instagram will verify your account to ensure it complies with their commerce policies. Now, this process can take a few days to few weeks.

You’ll be notified by the Instagram team once your request is accepted. After approval, you can activate the shopping features by settings> Business > Shopping > Select product catalog > Done.

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5.     Create Shoppable Posts

Now that you are all set to create a shoppable post, let’s see how to do it. First, start by creating a post normally as you would by posting a photo or video. Tap “tag products” before making the post live.

When you select “tag products”, search for the products inyour catalog and select it. Remember, you can only tag up to five products in a single image or 20 products per carousel post. Before tagging, make sure the products are selected and placed correctly to make it easy for the buyer.

Once, you are satisfied with how your post looks with the tags share it with your followers. Viewers will see a shopping bag icon on your post indicating that the post is shoppable. Now, the viewers can click on it andmove to a detail page from where they can make a purchase.

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6.     Use Stories and Reels

You have an option to add products to stories as well and create shoppable Instagram stories. Just add a product sticker and select the product from your catalog when you create a story. This sticker displays the product, its name and price. Additionally, Instagram rolled out this feature for reels as well.

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7.     Optimize Shoppable Posts

The posts should not seem out of place try to blend them seamlessly with the regular content. Any change in your immediate content suddenly can drop the engagement on the posts reducing likes and comments. Make sure to plug in your products naturally. Once set, you can use user-generated content so it’ll act as social proof to your account.

To build up on the same strategy you can onboard the influencers to signify your reach. They create a good promotion for your products using their creativity, skills and expertise which will nudge their followers to purchase the items. Also, using relevant hashtags and captions can help in furthering the reach.

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8.     Promote

Let people know about your shop. Go all out in promoting yourself. You can run exclusive promotions or discounts for your Instagram followers. Limited-time offersand exclusive deals. You can even buy Instagram likes for the initial boost to your post, but make sure to buy them from credible providers like Powerlikes store. Use Instagram ads to share about your launch. These ads are targeted and cater to specific audiences, so only the interested folks are addressed, hence increasing the chances of your post being shared multiple folds.

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Conclusion

Setting up a business on Instagram was a loved strategy and Instagram has made it easy by implementing Instagram shopping posts. They enable businesses to tag products in their posts, like videos and images, and create an online shop-like experience for users. It is now convenient to get what is seen on the screen seamlessly. But, always make sure that you integrate them through natural means and force it on the face of your viewers.

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