social strategy Archives | Trek Marketing

It’s one thing to have an Instagram account for your business allowing your target audience to interact with your brand. It’s another thing to curate a list of shoppable products and services that are directly accessible for purchase through your profile. Instagram for business is more than relatable posts, it’s about using the app to make it easy to sell and be discovered by potential customers too! Are you looking to learn the basics of setting up an Instagram shop to drive sales? Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s Instagram Shop?

Instagram Shop is part of the Instagram for business setup, offering brands the ability to showcase their product and service catalog to reach customers on the platform. By allowing business owners to curate a list of shoppable products that are directly accessible through the “View Shop” button on their profile page, Instagram is making it easier for these brands to increase traffic and sales on their websites.

Instagram Shop is also featured on the app’s Instagram Shop tab—a part of the main navigation menu that filters items based on user interest. As a streamlined way for users to discover shoppable products on Instagram, it’s a great tool for any sized business.

How to set up Instagram Shop

Setting up an Instagram Shop is quite easy, but here’s a step-by-step guide for reference:

Step #1: Make sure you’re eligible

Your business profile needs to meet the following eligibility requirements to set up with Instagram shop:

Your business is located in a supported market
Your business sells eligible products
Your business complies with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies
Your business owns a website domain in which you sell from

Step #2: Convert to a business account

Congrats! You’re eligible. Now you will need to switch to a business account to set up Instagram Shop. Follow these steps to convert your account. Once your account has made the switch, you can then add relevant business information, including a link to your website.

Step #3: Upload your product and/or service catalog

Instagram Shop requires you to have a product/service catalog that consists of all your products, inventory, and descriptions.

There are two ways to create this catalog:

Catalog Manager: The “do it yourself” method that’s found with Meta Business Manager
E-commerce Platform Partner: An integration through a certified e-commerce platform such as Shopify

Step #4: Account review

Once you’ve connected your product/service catalog to your Instagram, you will then need to submit your profile for review.

To do this:

Go to your Instagram profile and tap the menu icon
Select “Settings”
Sign up for shopping
Follow the steps to submit your account to be reviewed
Visiting “shopping” in your settings to check on your status—account reviews typically take a few days to complete

Step #5: Turn on shopping

Once your account is approved, you can then turn on shopping features:

Go to your profile and tap the menu icon
Select “Settings”
Tap “Business” and then tap “Shopping”
Select the “product catalog” that you want to connect to the account
Select “Done”

And just like that your Instagram Shop is live for all to see. If you need help with Instagram for business or you have more questions, please contact the Trek team!

Have you ever purchased anything off Instagram? Drop a comment below to let us know what it was!

Alex Wilks

Alex Wilks has been working as a copywriter and digital marketing strategist since 2018, with added specialties in social media and email marketing. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Communication, she is a natural content writer with the ability to connect well with her target audience.

Why is important to write well for social media?

Anyone can post, write, and share content on social media, but crafting compelling copy takes skill and thoughtfulness. So, whether you’re in charge of writing the content for your business’s social pages or you’re starting a career that requires you to write for various social networks, it’s important to invest your time in the task so that you can reap the rewards and benefits.

What are the mechanics of writing for social media?

While essential elements of good writing involve well-developed diction, punctuation, grammar, and editing, there are some other technical considerations that you need to consider when you’re writing posts across an assortment of social media platforms.

Character limits: Each social channel has its own character limit, which means that you may have fewer opportunities to get your point across. For example, Twitter allows 140 characters, whereas Facebook can have 63,206 characters per post.

Hashtags: These social media phenomena allow users to follow a trending, grouped hashtag or simply look for certain themed posts. Keep in mind that you should be using them on Twitter and Instagram where they’re popular and sparingly sprinkling them through your Facebook or LinkedIn posts, as they’re becoming more popular on these networks.

Purpose: Understanding why people use a particular social platform is one of the key things to consider when you’re crafting creative content. For example, Instagram is a highly visual platform, which means that you should stick to graphics and write copy that’s short and sweet when you’re posting on this network.

Voice and tone: Just like you want to assert your voice as a leader in your niche industry, you also want to create a consistent experience for your audience on social media. To determine this, ask yourself questions like, “is my target audience local or widespread, professional or casual, young or old.”

Emotional language: While you want to write your content using words understood in mainstream social interactions, it’s important to also consider emotional language to drive a more thought-provoking engagement.

How do you sell your product or services on social media?

The main reason that you’re on social media as a business owner, aside from conducting your own personal affairs, is because you believe that life would be better if everyone used your product or service. So, when you’re writing on social platforms, it’s important to assert that connection among your followers. For example, when you’re composing a new post, consider talking about what your audience’s life is like, then explain how the secret to something better is your product. Next, show them how your product is making your statement a reality. Ensure that you’re also grabbing their attention by provoking an interest, making them intrigued to learn more. When you take the time to generate desire, your readers will feel inclined to take action, which leads to further growth for your company and more social media conversions.

All this being said, are you lacking the ability to compose writing that’s clear, concise, compelling, and credible? If your business affairs could benefit from less hassle, then it’s worth investing in a social media agency service that will handle your copywriting and push your posts to the next level. Contact Trek Marketing today!

Which of the above technical considerations are you wildly creative with? Drop a comment below to spark a conversation with other readers.

Alex Wilks

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