If you are an Instagram fan then you may have noticed that the platform rolled out SO many new features in 2020 including Instagram reels, guides, and also a huge focus on shopping.
Instagram shopping is just another huge reason I think you need to be utilising the platform whether you are a consumer or in business. It’s all about giving people a quick and easy way to shop. This is a game-changer for product-based businesses to build their profile on the platform.
Instagram describes it as:
‘… a set of features across Instagram that let people shop your photos and videos no matter where they are in the app.’
For business that sell products, it provides shopping features that turn your Instagram account into a shoppable storefront. And as consumers we can ‘see, tap and shop’ by seeing products we are interested in, tapping for information, and shopping via the businesses shop. We can even save products for later.
130 million people tap on Instagram shopping posts to learn more about products each month (Facebook)
With 65% of consumers visiting a brand’s website or app after seeing a product on Instagram (Sprout Social).
To set up a shop you must have a business or creator account and your business has to sell physical products that comply with Facebook’s polices. It’s worth a giggle to have a look at the things you can’t sell.
The exciting update coming soon is that IN-APP checkout is coming to the UK so you won’t even need to leave the app to purchase. Currently shoppers are directed to your website directly to purchase.
It is amazingly easy to set up your Instagram Shop- in fact I have a FREE guide which you can download here which takes you through the steps. You can set up your shop via the Facebook Catalogue Manager by creating a new catalogue or by using a Facebook partner.
Once you have a shop set up you have the ability to add tags to any posts in photos, videos and stories. Shoppers will be able to see the ‘tag’ on the post and click to be sent directly to the item to purchase.
One of the features I love is that shops can create ‘collections’ which are where you can group related products. This is great to create themed seasonal collections like perfect gifts for her, stocking fillers, mothers day gifts etc.
There are so many cool ways that you can use Instagram shopping strategically in your marketing and social media content and I have LOTS of ways in which can help you.
My Instagram Shopping Masterclass guides you through:
- Why you should use Instagram Shopping
- How it works
- How to set up your shop
- How to strategically use shopping tags
- Using Facebook ads with your shop
You can get in touch to book a 1:1 session or sign up to my newsletter here to keep updated with the latest workshop.
As a consumer I am excited about new products that I can discover, particularly those from small businesses. I would advise any small business who sells products to be maximising this feature for 2021 and beyond- the opportunities are huge.
If you want some help with getting started, get in touch to arrange a natter.
