Many businesses have been using Instagram to sell their products. The company noticed this and decided to act accordingly. Since they were getting a major chunk of their revenue from this avenue, they decided to introduce more shopping features. The features are built to allow different creators and businesses to upload and sell their products and services on Instagram.
Shopping features aren’t the only ones that got an upgrade; simultaneously Instagram decided to upgrade other features as well which included their new commerce eligibility requirements. When a page is created by a creator or any business they get the option to tag their page with shopping tag. The tags help in pulling the right audience to their page and subsequently increase their sales.
Helping small businesses and creators
Ever since the pandemic hit, a lot of small businesses and creators have been impacted. There have been little to no sales, and big advertisers and businesses have taken over the industry. In an attempt to help them boost their sales without having to spend a bunch of money, Instagram has introduced some ecommerce features. The best part about these features is that they are not limited to businesses only; creators of different types can use them as well.
It doesn’t matter what type of content you have or what you are selling. Whether you are a business person or an influencer or a creator, if you make something and want to sell it, then you can use the shopping tags to make sales through Instagram. You can be a creative blogger making and selling your own paintings, or shoemaker looking to sell via Instagram, these tags are going to work wonders for you.
However, you need to qualify Instagram’s requirements to be able to use these tags and make your sales. The Commerce Eligibility Requirements need to be filled by all new or old people who are looking to use these tags. The form is then reviewed by the company and they pass whoever they deem fit.
You do not need to wonder any more about the updated requirements; for your ease we have listed them below.
You need to comply with Facebook’s policies
The Facebook page of your business needs to conform to all the community standards, conditions and commercial terms. Same goes for your Instagram page; it needs to follow all the community guidelines and terms of use. This ensures that the products or services that you have put up for sale are all legal and regulated. It’s a standard for all businesses so there is nothing for you to worry about.
Your domain and business needs to be represented
Another requirement from Instagram is that all the products that you plan on tagging, need to be present and uploaded on your website. If you do not have your own domain, then it is best to create one and upload all products if you want to tag them on Instagram. You cannot tag images of products that are not available on the website.
Your business needs to be present in a supported market
You need to make sure that your business is located in a market that is supported, only then you can use the tags. This means that the shopping feature is only limited to a few markets all over the world. If you are not in one of those then you will not be able to avail the services. An example is that of Instagram’s checkout features which are only available to businesses that are operating in the United States. The list of the markets is easily available online. It is best to check if your country has made the list before you make the effort of trying to register for the shopping tags.
Show that you are trustworthy
Your account should have some positive feedback from the clients and the overall aura and feel from your page should be that of a trustworthy brand. You can also create that feel by making sure that your presence is properly established and authentic. If you have a good base of followers, even then you can qualify for the requirements of this feature.
Make sure you follow all good practices and correct information is provided
All the products that you have uploaded on your page need to have all the details listed. They need to provide all the knowledge that a customer may seek for the product. The pricing needs to be accurate, and you need to have all the information available (you cannot leave the space below the image blank). Make sure that none of the information you have provided is misleading in any way.
You need to have proper and clear return or refund policies. These polices need to be written on your Instagram, Facebook page or website and should be located in a way that a customer can easily navigate to them.
Everything about the new features
It does not end here. Instagram has some more requirements with regards to what the businesses need to do if they want to use these tags. The sign-in flow will be updated as well so that the business have a clear guidance about what they need to do and what they are getting themselves into.
If you have a new business, you will go through these steps which have already been updated so it will be a part of the sign up process. However, if you have an existing business then you will get an in-app notification which will list all the instructions on how to register; complying with them will allow you to start using the tags.
Conclusion
It is a hard time especially for small businesses and creators. The new feature introduced by Instagram is a way to provide all newcomers as well old businesses a way to increase their sales and fulfill their needs. Without this, the owners risk losing their businesses just because they do not have enough to put into advertising. It is a great initiative and, if used properly, will allow businesses to expand rapidly and be able to use Instagram to its full potential as a selling platform.
