Social Media Marketing: Shoppable Posts

Social media marketing already plays a huge role in physical goods’ B2C strategies. Still, the new feature of Shoppable Posts is a complete game-changer, converting followers into leads, and leads into customers, directly on the platform. Instagram users can now scroll into your catalog, click on a product, and get directed to a landing page to complete the purchase – making the sales cycle shorter and faster. 

This is a great new added feature, but it still doesn’t replace the capabilities and marketing opportunities of a custom eCommerce website. Also, the tool requires landing pages to go on effect and paired with paid ads on Instagram. Remember, this should be an addition to your strategy, not a replacement. Tagging your products is only as good as the checkout experience on the site. 

Here are the steps you should take in order to set up your shoppable posts:

Step 1: Open an Instagram Shop

To get started, there are a few steps you must take to meet the criteria:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app
2. Convert your Instagram account into a business profile
3. Have the admin role on a Facebook page or Business Manager account
4. Have a product catalog associated with your Instagram Shop

If you have an eCommerce account with Shopify or BigCommerce, you can easily set up the shopping feature through them. 

It shouldn’t take long for your profile to get approved. 

Step 2: Activate the shopping feature on your account

The way this type of posts works is, like tagging a person on a picture, you tag your products on a post. Only that the products available will be the ones that you add under your “Catalog Manager” on Facebook Business Manager – which is an added feature for your social media marketing strategy since the products can appear on your Facebook page as well. Here are the steps to activate tagging:

1. Open your Instagram profile and click on the menu on the top right
2. Tap Settings
3. Tap Business
4. Tap Shopping (will only be available after the account has been approved for an Instagram Shop)
5. Tap Continue
6. Select a product catalog to connect to your business profile
7. Tap Done

Step 3: Create shoppable content

Now that you have an Instagram Shop and have activated the feature on your account, it is time to start creating content! You can add tags and stickers with your products to either Instagram posts or Instagram stories. You can feature up to five products per post and up to 20 products on carousel posts. 

Step 4: Get Insights

Do you want to know how your shop is performing and track these KPIs along with your other social media marketing metrics? It’s easy! 

1. Open your Instagram profile and click on the menu on the top right
2. Tap Insights
3. Check your status

Through there, you can see how many views your product had and how many people clicked on it. 

You should be all set! Mix and match Instagram Ads, Shopping posts, and landing pages. Get tagging and get selling!

James Ross specializes in building experiences, whether it’s an eCommerce, lead generation, or an informational site. It’s all about the experience.