Instagram Shoppable posts are a huge opportunity for any brand or business looking to sell products online.
And the good news is, it’s really easy to get started!
Discover how to drive sales and make money with Instagram Shoppable posts today:
What are Instagram Shoppable Posts
Instagram Shoppable posts are one of the easiest ways to turn followers into customers on Instagram.
With Instagram Shoppable posts, businesses can tag products (listed in their Instagram Shop catalog) directly in feed posts, Instagram Stories, IGTV videos, Reels, Guides, and Live broadcasts.
With Product Tags, users can tap to discover product details, visit a brand’s website, or make a purchase directly within the app with Instagram Checkout.
NOTE: Instagram Shoppable posts are currently available to Business accounts in 46 approved countries, and Instagram Checkout is currently only available to eligible US-based businesses and shoppers.
Want to know how to make more sales on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok? Check out our examples of social selling now!
Instagram Shoppable Posts: The Pros
Instagram Shoppable posts are an incredible way to sell products online, as you can combine valuable context (such as sizing, fit, or styling inspiration) with a direct route to shop.
This ultimately streamlines the buyer journey and increases the chance of conversion.
Plus, brands can now partner with influencers or creators to tag products directly in influencer marketing posts, opening up even more opportunities for users to discover and shop products.
And by regularly creating Instagram Shoppable posts, businesses stand a greater chance of being featured on the Instagram Shop discovery tab.
Landing a spot in the Instagram Shop discovery tab is a huge plus for brand exposure as anyone searching through the tab can stumble across your products and make a purchase.
Instagram Shoppable Posts: The Cons
Despite obvious advantages, Instagram Shoppable posts might not be for everyone.
For brands with Instagram Checkout enabled, Instagram’s transaction fees may be a cause for concern. According to their Business Help Center, the selling fee is 5% per shipment or a flat fee of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less.
And Instagram Checkout can also mean brands lose out on valuable customer data (such as emails) as all communications are handled by Instagram rather than the brand directly.
Luckily, there are additional ways to drive traffic and make sales on Instagram!
For example, the link in your bio is super easy to find and readily clickable, making it one of the most valuable traffic-drivers on your Instagram profile.
With Linkin.bio by Later, you can create a clickable version of your feed that you can link to from your Instagram bio.
With a fully optimized link on your bio driving traffic to your website and the easily shoppable Instagram Checkout feature (when it rolls out internationally), you have all grounds covered for making sales on the app!
Ready to start driving more traffic and sales from your link in bio? Start using Linkin.bio by Later today — it’s free!
How to Set Up Instagram Shoppable Posts
In order to start tagging products on your Instagram, you’ll first need to set up an Instagram Shop.
Find out how to get set up in our step-by-step guide: How to Set Up an Instagram Shop.
6 Creative Ways to Make Money with Instagram Shoppable Posts
Ready to make more money for your business? Here our top 6 creative ways for driving sales with Instagram Shoppable posts:
#1: Showcase Products in Action
Lights, camera, action — it’s time for your products to shine and take center stage on your Instagram feed.
With the ability to tag your products almost everywhere on Instagram, there are so many creative ways you can do this.
For example, if you’re a bakery and you sell original cake mix, you could share a video of you baking a cake on Reels with your products tagged.
Check out how popular bakery @milkbarstore did this with their famous Milk Bar pie:
Any baking-lover who finds their Reel will also discover their product information — the perfect pairing of inspiration and shoppability.
#2: Round Up Shoppable Posts in an Instagram Guide
Using Instagram’s new feature, Instagram Guides, is a great way to round up seasonal favorites, new releases, must-haves, and gift guides.
Rounding up shoppable posts into a guide is a great way to curate and organize content for your followers.
Take sustainable fashion brand @alohas “Looking For Shoes in Black?” Guide for example. This is a short and snappy guide that is straight to the point. Their audience knows exactly what they’re getting.
Each pair of shoes are tagged below the image — the perfect way to inspire audiences and offer a direct route to purchase.
Instagram Guides also open up new opportunities for influencer partnerships, as anyone (including influencers and brand ambassadors) can use this tool to curate a list of recommended products
#3: Collect and Share UGC
If you have UGC content that your followers have shared that feature your products, why not use them as shoppable posts?
User-generated content (or UGC) is a great way to show off your brand while letting customers be the spokespeople for your products!
Let’s look at ethical fashion brand Kotn for example. They regularly share UGC posts of their fans and followers wearing their products:
They’ve tagged the products in each of the UGC posts, making it easy to showcase their products and drive sales.
If you’re looking for an easy way to streamline how you discover UGC, Later has some great tools and features to help you find, organize and schedule user-generated content in minutes!
From easily finding content you’ve been tagged or mentioned in, to reposting content from your brand’s fans and loyal followers, Later’s got you covered!
Ready to gain more momentum with your UGC strategy? Later makes it easy for you to plan, manage, and schedule your user-generated content posts!
#4: Offer Exclusive Promotions
One of the best ways to make money with Instagram Shoppable posts is by offering a special promotion to your followers.
Special promotions are great around holidays, at the end of season, or when you’re looking for some quick win sales.
Not only does offering a limited-time offer or an Instagram-specific promo code create urgency, but it’s a great way to build community.
With your tagged product, strong imagery, and a clear CTA in the caption, you’ll be on track to make sales in no time.
SoulCycle shares limited edition product drops that are only available through Instagram, creating a unique offering, especially for their audience.
TIP: If you’re tagging multiple products in one post, remember to space out the product tags so they don’t overlap and disrupt the information on the tag.
#5: Partner with Creators
With Shopping from Creators, you can now partner with an influencer or creator and allow them to tag your products directly in their posts.
A creator’s followers can then tap “view products” and purchase the tagged products.
The process is simple for both parties. If you’re a business, you can curate a list of approved creators who can tag your products. And, if you’re a creator, you need to be on the brand’s approved list and have a business or creator account.
The only downside? Shopping from Creators is only available for brands with Instagram Checkout enabled, which is currently limited to eligible brands in the US.
#6: Experiment with Multiple Instagram Shop Formats
We’ve spent a lot of time covering Instagram Shoppable posts on the feed, but, thanks to Instagram’s growing e-commerce features, there are a number of formats to experiment with.
One of the best ways to make sales with Instagram Shopping is by using a number of different e-commerce features like, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, IGTV, and Instagram Reels.
No matter big or small your Instagram account, you can drive serious sales from Instagram Reels and Instagram Stories.
Instagram Reels content casts a large audience net, going beyond your Instagram followers — meaning people who don’t even follow you could be tapping the “View Products” button.
And don’t sleep on Instagram Stories! Adding product stickers to your Instagram Stories is a great way to gain extra clicks! Share a takeover, go behind the scenes, or simply share a video of your product in action.
On Instagram Stories, there are 2 ways to share products. You can either add a product sticker or a “swipe up” link that directs viewers to a product listed in your Instagram Shop.
Learn more about all of Instagram’s shopping formats here.
With so many businesses already using Instagram to promote products, the ability to send direct traffic to your website or Instagram Shop is a game changer for businesses on Instagram.
Now that you have some tips and tricks up your sleeve, we have no doubt you’ll be making money with Instagram Shoppable posts in no time.
Whether you implement all or even just one, planning your content in advance is one of the best things you can do for your brand or business.
Ready to kickstart your Instagram strategy? Sign up to Later and start planning your content strategy in advance — it’s free!
