Before the launch of Instagram Shopping, many small business owners were using Instagram DMs as a way to sell products to their fans. Others were using their feed to direct followers to their Shopify stores.
Fortunately, with the introduction of Instagram Shopping and Shopify's collaboration with Instagram, selling through Shopify on the photo-based social media platform couldn't be easier. Integrating your Shopify store benefits store owners all the while making it easier for your followers to buy directly from the platform.
Getting Started
Instagram is the second most used social media network in the world, right after Facebook. This fact makes it a great platform for engaging with your target audience. For all you Shopify merchants out there, Instagram and Shopify's collaboration has made connecting with your audience easy.
Shopify store owners can sync their online store’s Instagram profile with their Shopify store. Syncing helps put your store content directly on social media and reduces friction in the buying process. Instagram users buy directly from Instagram shops without ever having to directly visit your Shopify store, thereby decreasing purchasing friction and conversion drop-off.
Create or Convert Your Instagram Account to Professional
To connect your Shopify store to Instagram, the first step is to create an Instagram business profile for your brand. An Instagram business account lets users view your store’s products directly from the social media platform.
Upgrading your store’s current Instagram account into a business one is easy. Just head on over to Settings and then select Account – you’ll then have the option to Switch to a Professional Account.
Create a Facebook Business Account
Making a professional account on Instagram requires shop owners to create a Facebook business page for their store. So, if your store doesn’t have a Facebook business page, you need to make one. It’s easy enough to do so – just follow Facebook’s general guidelines for creating a page and pick business as your category.
Add Instagram Shopping to the Facebook sales channel
Merchants can integrate Instagram Shopping into their Facebook sales channel at any point in time. If you haven’t already linked the two when you made the Facebook channel, you can do so by going to the Overview page on Shopify admin. If you already have a Facebook Shop in your Facebook channel, you can connect it to the Instagram Shop by following the same steps. Facebook takes around 1-2 days to review the products you add.
Add your product category to Instagram
The final step is to upload your shop’s product catalog to the Shopping section of your Instagram business profile. Store Owners can easily do this by going to Settings and selecting the Business section. There, you can confirm the linked Facebook account by heading over to the Shopping section and connecting the desired product catalog.
How Instagram Shopping With Shopify Works
Instagram and Shopify are two separate channels. But thanks to the Instagram Shopify collaboration, Shopify store owners can sync the two platforms. Thus, Merchants can now link their Shopify store to Instagram and sell directly from their Instagram account.
Shopify on your Instagram Page
Thanks to Instagram Shopping, Shopify store owners can import their product catalog directly to the social media platform. Linking the Shopify store with your brand’s Instagram Business profile drives traffic to your store and makes it easier for your followers to shop.
Shopify merchants don’t need to set up a separate storefront for their Instagram Business account – Instagram provides you with an existing range of templates to pick from. Customers can then purchase the product and proceed to checkout without ever leaving the site through the shoppable Instagram feed. Instagram also helps you set up a retargeting campaign for customers with abandoned carts, thus securing higher conversion rates.
Instagram on your Shopify Page
Instagram feed is an excellent medium for marketing products to your target audience, and it also adds to your brand’s social proof. Shopify merchants have the option of adding Instagram feeds directly to their Shopify store. This feature helps you increase conversions and drive revenue for your store.
Getting the Instagram feed on your Shopify store requires integrations from third-party apps. These apps use the Instagram hashtags and showcase User Generated Content with hashtags on the Shopify Instagram feed.
Promoting User Generated Content and verified user reviews is a best practice that's proven to overcome purchase doubts.
Benefits of Selling on Instagram With Shopify
Not sold on the benefits of Instagram-Shopify integration? Let’s check out some of the benefits the platform collaboration brings to the table.
Increase Conversions Through Friction Removal
Friction in an ecommerce channel refers to the hassle and inconveniences shoppers face when trying to purchase products. Generally, the lengthier and more onerous the checkout process is, the more friction there is. Too much friction might scare prospects away and consequently lower your conversion rate.
With your Shopify store plugged directly into your Instagram channel, friction is effectively minimized. When your followers see something they like, they can buy it conveniently from your Instagram store – without ever having to leave the social media platform. After saving their buying and shipping information, customers can purchase products with as few as three clicks thanks to Instagram shops.
Reach a New or Wider Audience
Syncing your Shopify store with Instagram is a reliable way to expand your outreach. By using relevant hashtags, you can easily reach a new or wider audience. In today’s age of social media supremacy, social proof has a significant impact on consumer buying decisions. By creating shoppable feeds, you help secure sales for your ecommerce store.
Another benefit of linking your Shopify store with the Instagram app is that it lets you reach an audience pool that you might not have considered before.
Increase links to your Shopify page
Instagram’s strict link policy means that store owners can put only one link on their Instagram business page. With Instagram Shop, this problem is mitigated – merchants can directly link to product listings on as many posts as they want. And of course, shop owners can link their main Shopify page on their store’s Instagram bio.
Marketing Tips for Success
While a cross-platform venture like Instagram Shops can help grow your ecommerce store, you might still need to take some extra steps to meet your business goals. Here are some tips for making your Instagram marketing strategy more effective.
Post on a Regular Cadence
Consistent posting is key to keep your target audience interested in your store. Regular posting also guarantees your posts show up in your audience’s timelines regularly. This is because Instagram’s algorithm focuses on the most recent and relevant content that consumers might enjoy.
A convenient way to stay on top of your posting game is to schedule your Instagram posts in bulk. This strategy eliminates the risks of forgetting to post and strengthens your store’s social proof.
Launch with 9 posts for the best impression
Instagram’s post layout for pages is in the form of a grid. So, when your audience checks your store’s profile on Instagram, the post grid is the first thing they see. Naturally, it is vital to make that first impression a lasting one.
For the best impression, you should have at least nine posts ready to go when you first launch your Instagram store. So, when a customer visits your page, their entire screen will be filled with your content.
Use a Unique Tracking Link in Your Bio
Including a link to your Shopify store in your bio helps drive organic traffic to your ecommerce store. With the help of a unique tracking link, which you can get with the help of a branded link shortener, you can monitor the details of your traffic and gain valuable insight.
Be Consistent in Your Brand’s Aesthetic and Voice Across All Channels
Maintaining your brand’s aesthetic presence across all platforms is essential to retain your target audience’s interest. Random and unrelated content might confuse your audience or put them off entirely.
Thus, your store’s Instagram feed should be compliant with your brand’s digital persona and voice. The content you post on your store’s Instagram should relate to your brand in an obvious way – this involves using the right brand colors, fonts, and maintaining a consistent content style and tone.
Use High Quality Photos and Videos
Instagram is primarily a visual feed – so naturally, having high-quality visuals is of the utmost priority. So, don’t just focus on the volume of content you publish – keep a check on the quality too.
Using high-quality photos and videos for Instagram stories, photos, videos, reels, and IGTV, helps captivate your audience. Sharing your content across multiple channels also guarantees that your audience sees it.
Use The Right Hashtags - Do Research
Hashtags are popular for categorizing content on digital platforms, and with good reason. For example, Instagram’s product tagging and hashtags help users discover content and accounts that they’re actively interested in.
When it comes to using hashtags though, don’t just include any random ones that are trending. The purpose of a hashtag isn’t to pull in random traffic, but to attract your target audience. So do your homework – research about what hashtags are relevant to your niche, and what hashtags your target audience is following to try and find you.
You can use platforms like Google Analytics to research about relevant hashtags. Including the right hashtags in your Instagram posts helps increase your visible and attract prospective customers.
Encourage User Generated Content
User Generated Content (UGC) is a hot new way to do social media marketing. With Instagram, Shopify store owners can find their store’s user-generated content by searching for tagged posts and posts with the brand’s hashtag.
Reposting the UGC makes the users feel good about your brand - it also shows that you care for your audience. Apps like Repost for Instagram are quite handy for quick-and-easy reposting.
Consider Working With Influencers
Influencer marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies today. Influencers have cultivated a personal relationship with their fans, and their followers have come to trust them. Thus, if an influencer promotes your brand, their followers tend to feel more confident about buying from you.
You can reach out to some relevant influencers in your niche and discuss a paid partnership. Then, after negotiating terms, send some products their way for them to review and share with their Instagram following.
Post a Variety of Your Products - More Than Once
With the right Instagram posting strategy, you can showcase your product catalog more than once. This tip doesn't necessarily mean that you should post the same content over and over again. Instead, use different product placements and accompanying captions to highlight unique aspects of your products.
Offer Promotions
Promotions, discounts, coupons, giveaways - what consumer doesn’t love them? Instagram is great medium for sharing promotions. Putting up a simple post mentioning a promotion on your Instagram feed can help you drive serious traffic to your store. These promotions could be a free trial, product discounts, freebies, and even e-coupons.
Foster Engagement in Stories by Asking Questions
One of the best ways to foster engagement with your audience is by taking the first step. Engage with them first – ask them questions in your Instagram stories. 70% of Instagram users view stories on a daily basis, making Instagram stories one of the best ways to put your content in front of your audience.
You can encourage interactions with your followers by posting polls and questions in your Instagram stories. These questions not only increase customer engagement but also help you get to know your audience better. Moreover, with the right captions, you can encourage comments and responses from your audience.
That's a Wrap
Syncing your Shopify store with Instagram couldn't be easier, and doing so brings a lot to the table. With the right marketing strategy, Shopify merchants can use Instagram to increase customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and drive revenue.
Supercharge Your Shopify Store
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