We are all shopping online more than ever before and will continue to do so heading into 2021. So, it is without a doubt an incredibly beneficial addition to any brand to capitalise from the new Instagram shopping feature.
Every day 200 million people visit at least one business profile on Instagram, so let’s make sure that yours is one of them!
How it works
First of all, it’s important to note that anyone can take advantage of Instagram Shopping by viewing products through tags on posts. However, to be able to promote your own products, or those of a business partner, you must have a business or creator account on Instagram. Once you have learnt how to change your Instagram to a professional account, you can start to use Instagram shopping to its fullest as a brand or influencer.
After a business or creator profile is set up with a connecting Facebook account, there’s just a few clicks to go:
1.Connect a product catalogue to your account by
- using the Catalogue Manager found within Facebook Business Manager, or
- using an e-commerce platform partner like Shopify or BigCommerce.
2. Submit your account to be reviewed:
- Go to settings on your profile.
- Sign up for shopping, and then follow the next steps.
- Revisit this page to see when your account has been verified or if additional information is required.
3. Get tagging!
After you have followed these steps, you’ll be ready to go. You can also check out this Instagram shopping set up guide for more detail.
Following the usual steps for uploading a post, by adding a photo and a caption, you then just need to tap tag products – you can tag up to five. You will be able to search for a product within your catalogue and add these accordingly. Finally, share your post!
Similarly, if you want to tag products in a story, begin by following the usual steps to upload a new story. After selecting a photo for your story, tap the sticker icon, select the product sticker, then choose the product from your catalogue. You can move the sticker around and change colour and style too.
Instagram Shopping as a brand
By following the steps outlined above, Instagram users will be able to click the tags on your posts, see the product name and price, and follow through to checkout or view on website.
As a brand, Instagram shopping is undeniably one of the best ways to get recognised in 2021. Not only can you attract Instagram users through your own content, but you can find influencers to tag your products in their posts too. This way you can have a much wider reach, beyond just your own followers.
Want to get your posts to stand out? Think about these tips for your next product tagged post.
- Use eye-catching snaps! Whether it’s for shopping or not, your Instagram posts should always aim to make an impact with quality and colourful visuals!
- Emphasize the product. Make sure the focus of the post is clearly the product, without being too forced!
- Use hashtags. This is what helps your post to spread. Check out the top hashtags of 2020, and learn how to use hashtags effectively.
- Sale or promotion. Entice users by promoting a discount or sale on this or other products.
- Be unique! Think of inspiring ways to attract customers so that they won’t just scroll past.
- Reflect the user. Be inclusive and diverse to be relatable to a whole range of different customers.
- Show user generated content. Let’s face it, everyone likes to see products in action!
So, you’re well on your way to acing Instagram Shopping, but next, you might want to consider using influencers to really boost your goals!
Instagram Shopping as an influencer
In a recent IG Shopping update, the product tagging feature became available for influencers to benefit from too. When collaborating with brands, influencers can now also tag products in their posts, rather than just stating in their caption where the product is from. We all know that product reviews and seeing something in action are what really sells the product to us!
For an influencer to tag products from a business partner, the brand must first have approved this influencer through their Instagram shopping settings. The influencer must also have a professional creator account. This prevents any Instagram user from potentially tagging products incorrectly or causing damage to a brand with false or negative information. Once an influencer has been approved by the business, they can follow the same steps for uploading a post or story, by selecting tag products, selecting a brand from their partnered brands, and then choosing a product from their catalogue.
As the move into e-commerce from Instagram has driven more sales for small businesses, it’s no surprise that it has also encouraged the use of nano and micro influencers too. These small brands are showcasing the benefits of using Instagram as a platform for their products and have spotted the need for influencers to promote their brand. These businesses do not require celebrities or macro influencers. So, we are beginning to see the rise of shopping local, sustainable, and of course, using influencers to suit this image.
Let’s have a look at an example
Zara is one of the businesses that has really focussed on social media and influencer marketing for their growth strategy. The Spanish fast-fashion giant has been the centre of debate surrounding their lack of promotional advertising. With very little spend on traditional methods like magazine advertisements, Zara was a pioneer of social media and influencer marketing. They thrive from being a reputable high street retail brand, which is displayed by their use of influencers that customers can relate to. As Zara’s target audience is within the 18-35 age range, the majority of whom regularly use social media, Instagram is undeniably an excellent platform to promote their shop.
@pau_eche is a Spanish influencer that has a partnership with Zara, regularly tagging the brand in her posts. The majority of Pau’s followers are located in Spain, and between 25 and 35 yrs. With 3.5 million followers, she’s an excellent choice of macro influencer to promote Zara products, with her follower audience being aligned to that of Zara’s target.
Conclusion
Instagram is constantly providing us with exciting new updates, but this one is unquestionably the most beneficial to both brands and influencers in collaboration.
By using an influencer marketing platform like Heepsy, you can create a campaign with influencers to promote your products and gain value from Instagram Shopping.
