How to Sell on Instagram with Shopify

Turning your Instagram grid into a powerful sales channel for your Shopify store is easier than you think. This guide is your complete roadmap, walking you through everything from connecting your accounts to creating stylish, shoppable content that converts followers into loyal customers. Let's get your products discovered and sold directly on Instagram.

Why You Should Absolutely Be Selling on Instagram with Shopify

There are over a billion people using Instagram every month, and a huge chunk of them are looking for products just like yours. By integrating Shopify with Instagram Shopping, you close the gap between discovery and purchase. Instead of seeing a cool product and having to navigate away to a website (which many people won't do), your customers can tap on a post, see the price, and head straight to checkout. It's about meeting them where they already are and making the buying experience as smooth and simple as possible.

This integration transforms your visually-driven Instagram profile into an immersive, interactive storefront. It's a natural fit for e-commerce brands, helping you to not only build a community but also drive direct revenue from your social media efforts.

The Essential Checklist: A Few Things You Need First

Before you get into the fun stuff, you need to make sure your business ticks a few boxes to be eligible for Instagram Shopping. It's mostly straightforward stuff, but it's important to have it all lined up before you start the setup process.

• A Live Shopify Store: You'll need to be on a basic Shopify plan or higher with a published online store.
• An Instagram Business or Creator Account: Personal accounts can't use these shopping features. It's a free and simple switch in your Instagram settings if you haven't done it yet.
• A Connected Facebook Page: Your Instagram professional account must be connected to a Facebook Business Page.
• Your Business is in a Supported Region: Make sure your business operates in a country or region supported by Instagram Shopping. Most countries are, but it's always good practice to check the official list.
• You Sell Physical Goods: At the moment, Instagram Shopping is primarily designed for physical products. Your products must also comply with Meta's Commerce Policies.
• Website Domain Verification: You must have verified your website domain through Facebook Business Manager to prove you own your store.

Getting these ducks in a row first will make the upcoming steps a whole lot smoother.

Step-by-Step: Connecting Instagram to Your Shopify Store

Once you've run through the checklist, it's time to actually connect everything. The "Facebook & Instagram" app within Shopify is the central hub for managing your product catalog and sales channels. Here's how to set it up:

1. Add the Sales Channel: From your Shopify admin dashboard, look for "Sales Channels" in the left-hand navigation. Click the `+` icon, find the "Facebook & Instagram" app, and add it. You'll be prompted to start the setup.
2. Connect Your Facebook Account: You'll be asked to connect the Facebook account that has admin access to your brand's Business Page and Business Manager. Authenticate the connection and grant the necessary permissions.
3. Select Your Business Assets: The setup wizard will guide you through connecting the right assets. This includes selecting the correct Facebook Business Page, Instagram account, and Facebook Ad Account you want to associate with your Shopify store.
4. Sync Your Shopify Products: This is the neat part. The app will automatically create a product catalog in Facebook Commerce Manager using the products from your Shopify store. It keeps everything - pricing, images, inventory, descriptions - synced up. You have some control over which products or collections you want to make available for social selling.
5. Agree to Terms and Submit for Review: Finally, you'll need to accept Meta's terms and conditions and submit your account for review. Meta's team will do a quick check to see if your account and products meet their policies. This approval process typically takes 24-48 hours, but it can sometimes take longer.

Once you're approved, you'll get a notification, and you can then enable Instagram Shopping in your Instagram app's settings. Head to Settings > Business > Shopping and confirm your business account.

Building Your Instagram Storefront

After your account is approved, an exciting new "View Shop" button will appear on your Instagram profile. This is your brand's dedicated storefront within the app, where users can browse all your products in one place. You can even organize this shop just like an e-commerce site by creating "collections."

For example, a clothing brand could have collections for "New Arrivals," "Summer Styles," and "Best Sellers." A skincare brand might create collections like "Hydrating Heroes," "Anti-Aging Routines," or "For Sensitive Skin." This makes the browsing experience clean and user-friendly, helping customers find exactly what they're looking for without endless scrolling.

Mastering the Art of Shoppable Posts and Reels

Just having a shop isn't enough, you need to bring it to life in your content. Product tags are the tools that make this happen. They allow you to overlay product information directly onto your images, videos, and Reels, turning a tapping experience into a shopping experience.

Best Practices for Shoppable Feed Posts

Your Instagram feed is your digital lookbook. Every post is an opportunity to sell, but you want to do it in a way that feels authentic and adds value, not just pushes products.

• Show Products in Context: Don't just post white-background studio shots. Show your products being used and enjoyed in real-life situations. If you sell home decor, show it in a beautifully styled room. If you sell activewear, feature someone actually working out in it.
• Use High-Quality Visuals and User-Generated Content (UGC): Great photography and videography are non-negotiable. Also, encourage your customers to tag you in their photos and ask for permission to re-share their content. UGC is social proof gold and shows potential buyers that real people love your products.
• Craft Captivating Captions: Your caption should support the visual. Tell the story behind the product, share styling tips, or ask a question to get a conversation going. When you're direct, use a clear call-to-action like, "Tap the photo to shop this look!"
• Tag Products Thoughtfully: You can tag up to five products per image or up to 20 in a carousel post. Place tags directly on the product they represent and make sure they don't cover up important visual details.

Unlocking Sales with Shoppable Reels and Stories

Video is the king of engagement on Instagram right now, and both Reels and Stories are perfect formats for selling without feeling "salesy."

How to Sell with Reels:

Reels are all about entertainment and education. You can tag products in your Reels to catch viewers' attention while they're engrossed in your video content. Great Reels ideas that sell include:

• "How-To" Demonstrations: Show your audience how to use your product. A coffee company could do a Reel on "how to make the perfect pour-over."
• Behind-the-Scenes: Show the process of designing a new item, handcrafting a piece, or packing an order with care. This builds a human connection with your brand.
• "Get Ready With Me" or "Style It 3 Ways": Perfect for apparel, beauty, or accessories brands. Show how your products fit into someone's everyday life and give them inspiration.

How to Sell With Stories:

Stories are casual, immediate, and perfect for creating a sense of urgency and interactivity. Use the "Product" sticker in your Stories to make an item shoppable. Ideas include:

• New Arrival Alerts: Show off brand-new products as soon as they drop.
• Q&As about Products: Ask your audience for questions and then answer them in your Stories, tagging the products as you go.
• Polls and Quizzes: Create interactive Stories (e.g., "Which color do you prefer?") that lead into a product showcase.
• Limited-Time Offers: Use the countdown sticker to announce a sale or special offer, creating excitement and urgency.

Driving Traffic and Closing the Sale

Finally, even with the best shoppable content, you need to actively promote your shop and bring eyes to it.

Consider offering exclusive discounts or promotions for your Instagram followers to make them feel like VIPs.

Another great strategy is collaborating with influencers or creators whose audience matches your target demographic. Their endorsement and content can drive high-quality traffic to your products.

Also, don't forget to cross-promote your Instagram Shop. Mention it in your email newsletter and other social channels to drive existing customers and fans to your shoppable profile.

Final Thoughts

Integrating shopping with Instagram turns your social presence into a discoverable, interactive storefront. By setting up the sales channel correctly and creating engaging, shoppable content, you shorten the path from discovery to purchase and build a thriving sales pipeline right inside the app.

We know that creating all this shoppable content - especially Reels and Stories - across multiple platforms can feel like a full-time job. With Postbase, you can build a content calendar that aligns the entire process simply, group plan your content calendar visually, upload and schedule your shoppable videos and posts ahead of time, and manage all your customer interactions in one place. Let us help you stay consistent so you can focus more on selling and less on constant execution.