Instagram shopping is a fantastic way to make your products more readily available for purchasing on Instagram. This Instagram feature allows for physical products to be sold through shoppable posts. Checkout happens through the app itself, and not offsite.
You can set it up by syncing your product catalog through Facebook Manager. However, if you are on Shopify or BigCommerce, you are a "certified e-commerce platform partner" with Instagram. You should take advantage by syncing your product catalog directly from your e-commerce platform.
Connecting with Shopify is best done on a desktop computer, Follow the instructions on how to connect your store to Instagram below.
You will need to turn your Instagram account into a business account if you haven't already.
Fill out the checkout on Instagram interest form. You will need to be approved before you can participate in the checkout on Instagram beta.
Connect your Facebook account, the Business Manager for your Facebook Page, and your business Facebook Page through the "Facebook" Tab in your Shopify account.
Get your Instagram handle whitelisted. Because this is a beta program, Facebook will need to whitelist your handle to enable the checkout functionality for your account. This is different from submitting the interest form - use the link here.
Set up Commerce Manager through your Facebook Business page. This will give you access to inventory, orders, checkout, and payouts.
You will need the following information to set up Commerce Manager:
Business information: Your legal business name, address, and contact information.
Business Email Address: Receive notifications around shop setup, alerts, summary insights, chargeback notifications.
Business Category
Customer Service Email Address: To relay customer service requests
Business Representative Information: Name and date of birth.
Employer Identification Number (EIN): To set up your payments account.
Banking Information: Account and routing numbers.
State Tax Registration Number: For every U.S. state where you have tax nexus.
Shipping Options
Return Policy
8. Make sure the products you have listed on your store have the correct Google Merchant Codes (GMC) assigned. This is how facebook determines what type of product you're selling.
9. Check your Instagram Page once you've gotten approval that all your products synced properly to Facebook. You should see shoppable products available on your page and be able to put the products into your "cart."
It's a relatively straightforward process, but it's important to note that Instagram must approve businesses before participating in the checkout on Instagram beta. The approval process can sometimes take 24-72 hours, but if it's been longer than that and you haven't heard back, there might be some issues with the product catalog syncing.
Feel free to reach out to us at hi@ansleymediaco.com for any Instagram Shopping questions. Let us know in the comments if this method works for you!