Social media is extremely prominent in the business world, and its presence will only continue to grow. Companies have been continually utilizing social media platforms to market themselves, and with social media marketing still on the rise, businesses are turning to shoppable posts to make buying their products even easier.

Platforms of Use

It’s important to note that there are certain platforms that work well with social media marketing. Keep in mind both the popularity and accessibility, and you’ll be able to better represent your products. Consumers often use Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for both entertainment and shopping. According to Forbes “Top Marketing Trends for 2020,” 72% of Instagram users have purchased a product on the app, and more than 4,000 Pinterest users found that 70% use Pinterest to find new and interesting products, demonstrating that social media platforms are an easy point-of-sale for businesses.

How to Start Selling on Social Media

One of the easiest ways for you to create a shoppable post is by connecting your Instagram business profile to your Facebook page. Here are some easy-to-follow steps:

• Set up your business's Facebook page - Go to facebook.com/business and in the top right-hand corner, click the menu bar, and then click “Create a Page”. Follow the prompts from Facebook to finish setting up and customizing your business page.
• Create an Instagram business profile - Visit instagram.com and sign up with your personal information. Once your account is created, go to settings, and scroll down to “Switch to Professional Account” where you can add your business information.
• Submit your Instagram account for review - While logged in to your Instagram business account, locate the settings and click “Business” and then “Shopping on Instagram”. Follow the prompts to submit your account for review. (This process may take a couple of days)
• Create a product catalog for your shoppable posts - Go to facebook.com/products. Follow the prompts to upload your product information and create your Business Manager.
• Connect your Instagram business account to your Facebook page - While logged in to Instagram, locate the settings, click “Business” then “Shopping” and choose the Product Catalog from your Business Manager.

Now it’s time to make your first shoppable post! Once you have completed all the steps above, head on over to your Instagram profile and compose a post by hitting the plus sign button. Choose a product photo, click “Next”, add a filter if you choose, and click “Next” again. Write your post caption, and click “Tag products”. Next, locate the product in your product catalog and click on it. Then click “Share” and you have just created your first shoppable post! If you have done this correctly, you will see an icon with a shopping bag at the bottom left of your post.

For more help on creating shoppable posts, you can visit Newsfeed.org for “The complete guide to creating shoppable posts and stories on Instagram”.

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