A Complete Guide to Facebook and Instagram Shopping

Marketing Insights

With the rise of e-commerce, one of the most popular ways to shop online is through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. These platforms allow businesses to showcase their products in an eye-catching way, and reach a wider audience, while also providing customers with all the necessary details they need to make an informed purchase decision. 

However, in order for shoppers to purchase from these platforms, as a business owner, you must first learn how to properly set up the shopping channels. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of how you can leverage Instagram and Facebook for shopping!

What is Facebook and Instagram Shopping?

Facebook and Instagram shopping is the process of creating a store within these two platforms. This allows users to browse products directly from their Instagram or Facebook feeds. By utilizing both platforms, businesses are able to reach more potential customers and increase sales with minimal effort. 

How You Can Get Started

Before you move on to the next steps, you must first check your eligibility. In order to sell on Facebook or Instagram as a business, your Facebook account and Page or your Instagram professional account must meet the following requirements:

  • Comply with Meta’s policies.
  • Represent your business and your domain
  • Be located in a supported market.
  • Demonstrate trustworthiness
  • Provide accurate information and follow best practices

01 Setting Up a Shopping Channel

The first step for businesses wanting to sell on Instagram or Facebook is setting up a shopping channel. This involves creating separate business/professional accounts for each platform, as well as connecting it with an existing e-commerce platform or website. Make sure to fill out all necessary information such as contact details, store policies, payment methods, etc., before proceeding further. 

02 Creating Your Product or Services Catalog

Once the account has been created and linked, you can start adding products and input product details every time you add an item. These details include the product’s name and description, photos and videos, price, inventory, shipping options, and visibility.

Pro tip: Be sure to use high-quality images that accurately represent your products; this is key when it comes to attracting customers!

03 Submit Your Account for Approval

It’s important to make sure all information is accurate before submitting it for Instagram and Facebook’s approval. Review all information to ensure all fields are correct. Read and accept the Seller Agreement. After submitting your account for review, it may take a couple of days to get your account authorized and once it’s been approved, the shop is all yours!

04 Start Promoting Your Products or Services

Now, the next step is promoting your product or service via posts or ads on both platforms. 
On both platforms, you can use hashtags and stories to help increase visibility for your product or service. Additionally, you can create ads using the Meta Business Suite feature in order to target potential customers based on demographics such as age, gender, interests, etc.

05  Tracking Performance & Analyzing Results

Once you have promoted your product or service across both platforms it’s time to track performance and analyze results in order to understand which methods work best for reaching potential customers. Luckily both Instagram and Facebook offer Insights features that allow you to track metrics like engagement rate and impressions over time so that you can better understand how your campaigns are performing and what areas need improvement moving forward!

What’s the Role of A Website In All This?

It’s important to note that while Instagram & Facebook Shopping are powerful tools for boosting sales, websites are still essential for any successful e-commerce business as they provide a centralized hub for all of your efforts and operations. Having linked your website on your Facebook and Instagram shop, your website remains the main hub where customers will go to buy from you so make sure that your website remains up-to-date and optimized for conversions! Luckily at TAS, our team of professionals is ready to help you in that arena and ensure that your website visitors have the best possible experience.

We Are Ready to Help!

Instagram & Facebook Shopping are invaluable tools for small businesses looking to reach a wider audience, boost their sales, and drive traffic toward their websites. By setting up a shopping channel on each platform, promoting products through posts/ads, tracking performance/analyzing results, coupled with a well-maintained website, you can maximize your success online.
With so much potential for success at stake, schedule a free consultation today and let us help you in realizing the maximum potential of your online presence with our social media services and website services!

Tell Your Story. Reach More People. Close More Sales. Allow our TAS Belize team to support your business throughout the entire marketing process.

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