Integrating Shopify with Instagram offers multiple advantages:

• Social media, especially Instagram, is a powerful tool for businesses. Over the years, Instagram has truly emerged as the most effective tool for marketing your products and services.
• On Instagram, your target audience could easily discover your products and services. Your potential buyers can just click on the bag icon and explore the product details. Therefore, a Shopify Instagram integration provides a seamless shopping experience for users.
• Instagram offers high-quality product marketing options. High-resolution authentic images and videos are posted on Instagram which can directly drive sales to your Shopify store.
• You can capture customer attention and build a loyal and regular customer base with special offers, promotions, and discounts showcased on Instagram feeds, stories, and posts.
• By tagging your products on Insta stories and posts, you can spread awareness about your products for effective brand building

How to Integrate Your Shopify Catalog to Instagram

Over the past 10 years, Shopify has evolved greatly. It has become one of the biggest e-commerce platforms to sell goods and services. You can sell anything on Shopify, no matter if you own a jewelry store or you are a musician, Shopify will serve your purpose. 

With powerful integrations, Shopify and Instagram let vendors promote and advertise products that can be bought directly from the Instagram platform. When you connect Instagram to your Shopify, you can promote your products to a wider audience and build personalized and customized ad campaigns.

Today, Instagram is one of the most used and well-known social networking platforms across all age groups globally, and it’s always good to expand your sales channels. 

1. Check eligibility for using the Instagram sales platform

Determining whether you are eligible to use the Instagram sales platform is a crucial step.

Below are the criteria that need to be met to use Instagram Shopping:

• You must be a member of the listed countries for shopping on Instagram
• Complying with Facebook’s commerce plans and abiding by its merchant’s contract is mandatory

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2. Switch your personal Instagram account to a Professional Account (if you haven’t already)

Once your eligibility is verified to use the sales platform of Instagram, you need to log in or set up your Instagram Business profile. 

Here we’ll use Business profile and Professional Account interchangeably. 

With your Business profile on Instagram, you get access to statistics and analytics, which help you to understand your target audience and how effective your posts are. 

Here’s how to switch to a professional IG account:

• Go to your Instagram profile by selecting the button on the lower right of the screen
• Click the menu icon in the top right corner, it has three parallel lines
• Select Settings
• Now that you’re in settings, click Account
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Switch to Professional Account”
• To connect to a Facebook Business Page, select a business category, then verify your contact information. If you don’t have a Facebook page for your business yet, learn how Facebook’s Help Center recommends you set one up.

Having trouble setting up an Instagram Business profile? Learn more about setting up an IG business profile in the Facebook Help Center.

3. Connect Instagram Shopping to the Facebook sales channel on Shopify

When you install the Facebook sales channel in your Shopify, you can immediately connect to Instagram Shopping, but you can also connect it at any time from the overview page of the Facebook sales channel.

Here’s how to set up the Facebook sales channel and set up your Instagram Shopping:

• Log into your Shopify admin account 
• Go into Settings
• Select Apps and sales channels
• If you don’t have a Facebook channel already installed, select Customize your store

• In the search bar, type “Facebook channel”, select the app, and select Add app

• Once the app is added, select it from the Apps and sales channels tab in Shopify
• Click Open sales channels
• Select Overview
• In the Instagram Shopping section, select Set up to start
• Connect your Facebook account to your sales channel
• After reviewing the terms and conditions, select Request approval

You’ll need to wait 24-48 hours for Facebook to review your products.

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4. Add your catalog to Instagram

You’ll be able to add your products to Instagram through the Shopping section in the settings of your Instagram business profile. 

Here’s how to add your product catalog:

• Go to your Instagram profile and select the menu at the top right
• Select Settings
• Select Business
• Select Shopping and verify your Facebook account
• Select your product catalog
• Click Done

Now you are all set to sell, promote, and expand the reach of your products among people on Instagram.

If you don’t see Shopping section, you’ll need to verify your Facebook Business Page is connected by selecting Edit Profile. Additionally, you won’t see the Shopping section if your account is still pending Facebook’s approval or Facebook has denied your account for Instagram Shopping.

Conclusion

Instagram is extremely popular all across the globe.

Over 1 billion active users access Instagram every month and over 80% of them follow at least one or two brands.

So as a seller, you must take advantage of it and promote your products extensively on Instagram.

This Shopify and Instagram integration makes selling through social media effortless, so why not try it out?