Are you planning to set up an online store on a budget? Fortunately, there is a way to reduce your costs to zero, and the name of this method is Instagram. Follow this step-by-step guide from Freepps Website Experts, you can create your own online store for free on this popular image sharing network.
According to Mention, over 70% of US companies are resident Businesses use Instagram, while over 200 million users visit at least one sales profile every day. Read on and learn what an Instagram shop is, how it can impact your ecommerce project, and how you can create one for free.
What is the Instagram online shop?
Instagram-Shop is a feature that allows you to sync your Insta profile with an external product catalogue. Next, you can use it to promote articles through Instagram Explore, Stories, the Shop tab, and regular posts. It’s also an excellent field for cross-promotion.
A product page on Instagram can provide users with comprehensive information about each item, including:
- real pictures;
- Actual product name;
- Detailed or brief description;
- price tag;
- Similar Items;
- Links to your store’s website or other resources.
Advantages of the Instagram shop
So what makes Instagram an ecommerce powerhouse? First of all, it is a way to reduce the level online noise and to allow users to reach your store without leaving the social network. By reducing such friction, you can improve conversion rates and build closer relationships with your customers. Finally, your tagged posts will be visible to audiences in the Shopping Explore section. This will lead to higher engagement rates and attract high-intent customers.
Steps to start an Instagram shop
Step 1 – Shop Options
To start an Instagram shop, you need to set up a Facebook shop account to sync your product information to the Instagram shop. There are 2 ways to do this:
- Standalone Facebook Shop – You can create a product listing with item descriptions on your Facebook business page. You can also use it to manage orders and process payments directly. This option is a way out if you don’t already have an ecommerce website.
Example of Facebook shop admin panel home page. - Synced eCommerce website – With Shopify, you can link a catalog from your website to a Facebook account and avoid creating listings manually. Create a Shopify store (free), sync it with Facebook Shop or a business account, and connect it to your Instagram business account. Now you can set up your new Instagram shop!
Home page of the Shopify sales channels.
Step 2 – Meet requirements
You must ensure that the goods you are selling are legitimate and that your business complies with Instagram’s Commerce Policy requirements. Next, make sure the feature is enabled available in your country and update it to the latest version of the app. If you see shop bag icons on posts, keep going.
You must also have an Instagram business account to continue. You can create it from scratch or convert your checking account to a business account. To do this, go to the Instagram app settings, tap “Switch to Professional Account” and then tap “Business”. Then go to the Account Settings menu and link your Facebook Page using the Linked Accounts option.
Step 3 – Create Catalog
Now add products to your Shopify website, Link it to your Facebook page, and add the catalog to Facebook by making products available on Shopify. Go to Products, tick all items in the list, click Make promotions and products available. This stage is pretty easy, but you can watch tutorials on YouTube if you have trouble.
Step 4 – Set up sales channel
Next, you need to make your Instagram Shop Page visible to your Shopify account. On the dashboard, click the plus icon next to sales channels and select Instagram from the pop-up menu. Sync platforms with your credentials and continue.
Step 5 – Account Verification
You need to pause at this stage as account verification can take up to several business days. Use this checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered:
- You have an Instagram business profile (Step 2);
- You synced it to your Facebook business page (Step 2);
- You have linked your Facebook account to the Shopify store page (Step 3);
- You have synced the Shopify product listing to your Facebook account (Step 3);
- You have synced the Shopify store with the Instagram business account (Step 4).
When everything is done you have to wait for the app to show you a notification saying Start Tagging Products on Instagram. Once you receive it, you can add product tags to any photos and stories on your profile. They will also be visible in the Explore feed. However, there are still 2 final steps to be taken.
Step 6 – Choose the right Facebook shop
When you get the notification, you need to verify the Facebook page to properly connect it to Instagram. Go to your Instagram Shop Options, find Business Settings and tap Shop. Select the Facebook shop from the list (if you have more than one) and you will see that all your Shopify products are synced across all 3 platforms.
Step 7 – Tag products
Now that all the preparation steps are done, you can unlock the true potential of the Instagram shop feature. Follow the simple steps below to tag your products in posts and stories.
- Create a new post;
- Below the label field, tap Tag Products and select the product that matches the post.
- Now you can add and post hashtags and captions. The product tag with a price is displayed to users.
You are free to add up to 5 tags to a single post/story or up to 20 tags to posts that contain multiple images. Make at least one post for your shop’s feed to unlock the shop tab on your profile. Congratulations! Now you have a fully-fledged Instagram shop with all its functions at your disposal for free.
time to grow!
Although it takes a while to set up the shop properly, the end result is definitely worth your time. Now you can set up an effective ecommerce store for free and start generating revenue right away. However, Freepps.top team recommends you to study popular online marketing strategies to make your Instagram business account a success faster. Instagram is a platform for everyone, so the best advice is for you for now start using it!
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