Shopify + Instagram: The Ultimate Guide to Visual Commerce

Who among us hasn't fallen victim to the algorithm? You're on the couch, casually scrolling Instagram, when there, sandwiched between a photo of your college roommate's new baby and your pub trivia teammate's dinner, you see it: An irresistibly eye-catching product. With just a few taps, you can purchase it, without ever leaving the app.

If you dream of offering this sort of seamless shopping experience to your Shopify brand's customers, you should know it's well within your reach. For Shopify business owners, integrating with Instagram is easier than you think. More than that — it can be a game-changing, revenue-driving move that helps you connect with your current customer base, engage with new buyers, and set your brand up for even more long-term growth and success.

How visual commerce took over

Visual commerce has revolutionized the way consumers shop online.

Instagram alone has over a billion active monthly users (and 500 million daily). More than that, 90% of Instagram account holders follow at least one business, and 80% use the platform to research products and services before making a purchase.

So it's really no wonder that 77% of Shopify brands have a social media presence — and that nearly 79% of Shopify Plus businesses are active Instagram users.

What is Instagram Shopping?

The smartest brands go beyond simply setting up an Instagram profile. Instagram Shopping transforms your business profile into a visual storefront. It allows you to:

• Tag products in your posts and stories
• Create shoppable posts that link directly to your Shopify business
• Provide a seamless shopping experience without leaving the app

Why integrate Shopify and Instagram?

As a Shopify brand owner, leveraging visual commerce on Instagram helps you set your business apart and reach audiences where they are — both your existing audience and new ones who may not have discovered your brand yet.

You can reach new audiences

By integrating Shopify and Instagram, you tap into a massive user base eager to discover new products. Instagram's more than one billion active monthly users mean potential buyers you may never have even considered. Around 30% of the platform's users are aged 18–24, and 34% are aged 25–34 — two of the most valuable purchasing demographics in ecommerce.

Your customers are already engaged with Instagram

Your target audience is likely scrolling through Instagram daily — the platform has the highest engagement rate of any social media platform at 1.22%. While that may not seem like a great number, compare it to Facebook, which comes in at 0.09%.

Additionally, 130 million Instagram users per month click on at least one shopping post. Meeting these users where they are will likely increase engagement and conversions.

The more ways people can find your brand, the better

Expanding your presence across platforms enhances brand visibility and can help drive traffic to your business. Instagram offers new paths to your Shopify storefront: ads, hashtags, influencers, the Shop tab, linktrees, and more.

It's a great way to invest in your brand

Instagram lets you reach existing customers and new ones, building new revenue streams and shoring up your brand's long-term financial health. This is just one crucial consideration if you ever consider selling your Shopify brand so you can pursue your next dream business.

You can offer better support through Instagram

Integrating Shopify and Instagram isn't just about boosting sales; it's also a powerful way to improve your customer support. Many customers prefer reaching out via social media for quick questions or support requests. By handling support inquiries directly through Instagram, you can provide timely assistance, build stronger relationships, and showcase your brand's commitment to customer satisfaction.

With OpenDesk, you can streamline customer support across platforms. OpenDesk allows you to manage all your customer messages — including those from Instagram — in one unified inbox. This means faster response times and more efficient support, which can lead to higher customer loyalty and more positive word-of-mouth.

How to set up Instagram Shopping for your brand

Integrating your Shopify business with Instagram is straightforward. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Convert to an Instagram Business Profile

• Go to your Instagram settings.
• Tap on Settings and privacy, and select Account type and tools.
• Select Switch to professional account.
• Choose the category that best describes your brand.
• Follow the prompts to finish setting up your profile.

Note: you'll also need a Meta Business Manager account since you'll have to upload and manage your products in Meta Commerce Manager to add them to Instagram. But once you start your account, you can also sell your Shopify products on Facebook.

Step 2: Upload Your Product Catalog to Facebook

You can manually add your products, or integrate your Shopify business with Facebook.

To manually upload a product catalog:

• Go to Meta Commerce Manager, and click Add catalog.
• Choose the type of catalog you want to create.
• Select Upload product info and add the required information for each product.

To sync your Shopify business:

• Install the Facebook and Instagram app.
• Connect your accounts.
• Wait up to 48 hours for Instagram to review your products.

Step 3: Turn On Shopping Features

• Go to your Instagram profile.
• Tap Business > Shopping.
• Connect your product catalog.

Tip: If you run into issues, make sure your products meet Instagram's commerce policies.

Mastering visual content creation

Creating engaging visual content is the key to standing out on Instagram. Here's how you can make visual posts to help sell your products or services.

Create high-quality images and videos

High-quality visuals grab attention and convey professionalism.

What to do:

Tips:

• Optimize for Instagram: Use the recommended image sizes (e.g., 1080x1080 pixels for square posts).
• Show multiple angles: Provide different views of your products to give customers a comprehensive look.

Tell a story through your posts

Storytelling creates an emotional connection with your audience.

What to do:

Tips:

• Use emojis and line breaks to make your captions readable and engaging.
• Include calls to action to encourage comments, shares, or visits to your Shopify business.

Maintain brand consistency

Consistency builds brand recognition and trust.

What to do:

Tips:

• Use content planning tools to schedule posts.
• Regularly review your feed to make sure it aligns with your brand identity.

Leverage Instagram's creative tools

Utilizing more of Instagram's features can increase engagement and reach.

What to do:

Tips:

• Use Stickers and GIFs to make your content more engaging.
• Tag locations and people to increase discoverability.

Have a content strategy

A strategic approach ensures consistent and purposeful content.

What to do:

Tips:

• Mix promotional posts with educational and inspirational content.
• Set goals and define your desired outcomes with each post (e.g., engagement, traffic, sales).

5 ways to sell on Instagram

Instagram is a powerful sales platform, offering unique opportunities for Shopify brand owners to reach and engage with their target audience. Let's explore five effective strategies you can use to boost your revenue by integrating your business with Instagram.

1. Run (and optimize) ads

By setting up targeted advertising campaigns, you can reach the Instagram users who are most likely to be interested in your products.

Begin by creating a compelling ad that features high-quality visuals of your product. Think about what makes your product unique and how it solves a problem or fulfills a desire for your customers. Craft a narrative around this, highlighting the benefits and features that will resonate with your target audience.

But it's not enough just to create a great ad — supercharge its effectiveness by ensuring it appears in the feeds of the right Instagram users. Instagram offers powerful, easy-to-use targeting tools, so business owners should take advantage. Define your ideal customer by selecting demographics such as age, location, interests, and behaviors. For example, if you sell eco-friendly yoga mats, you might target users interested in yoga, fitness, and sustainability. By narrowing down your audience, your ads will be more relevant and effective.

As your ads run, monitor their performance closely. Pay attention to metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. If you notice certain ads perform better than others, analyze what makes them successful. Is it the imagery, messaging, or call to action? Use these insights to refine your ads, optimizing them for even better results.

2. Use videos (especially Reels)

Consider the impact of a short, captivating video that showcases your product in action. Videos, especially Instagram Reels, offer an engaging way to connect with your audience. They allow you to tell a story, demonstrate products in use, and convey your brand personality in a dynamic format.

Start by brainstorming creative concepts for your videos. Maybe you could create a behind-the-scenes look at how your products are made, or feature customer testimonials to highlight your offerings’ real-world benefits. Keep your videos concise and focused, and deliver the key message within the first few seconds to grab viewers' attention.

Leverage the popularity of Instagram Reels by tapping into trending topics or challenges that align with your brand. For example, if a popular Reel trend showcases quick transformations, you could demonstrate how your makeup products can create a stunning look in minutes. This not only engages your audience but also places your products within the context of current trends.

3. Tag your products

Imagine a potential customer scrolling through their Instagram feed and coming across a beautiful image of your product. By using product tags, you can turn this moment of interest into an immediate shopping opportunity. Product tags allow users to tap on your post and view product details directly within Instagram, streamlining the path to purchase.

To implement this, you need to sync your product catalog with Instagram through your Shopify business. When you create a post, tag the products featured in your images. This adds a shopping bag icon to your post, a signal that users can buy the products.

But it's not just about tagging products; it's about context and storytelling. Create posts that showcase your products in real-life situations or styled settings. For example, if you sell home decor, post images of a beautifully arranged living room featuring your items. This helps customers visualize how your products fit into their lives.

In addition, make strategic use of hashtags to increase the discoverability of your posts. Research relevant hashtags that your target audience is likely to follow. By combining product tags with effective hashtags, you amplify your reach and make it easier for new customers to find and purchase your products.

4. Partner with influencers

Consider the influence of a trusted voice endorsing your products to their followers. Partnering with influencers can significantly boost your brand's credibility and reach. To start, identify influencers whose audience aligns with your target market. Look for individuals who genuinely resonate with your brand values and whose followers may be interested in your products.

Reach out to influencers with a personalized message expressing why you think a partnership would be mutually beneficial. Propose collaboration ideas like product reviews, unboxing videos, or lifestyle posts that incorporate your products naturally. Give them the creative freedom to create posts that resonate with their audiences.

An effective influencer partnership is more than a one-off post. Consider building long-term relationships that foster ongoing engagement. Continuous collaboration keeps your brand in front of the influencer's audience.

Here’s an example of a collaboration between dental hygiene brand Tuski and skincare influencer Yenilka Ortega (@certifiedskinbestie).

5. Source content from real users

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool that not only provides authentic testimonials but also creates a sense of community around your brand. Encourage your customers to share photos or videos of themselves using your products.

This can be prompted through calls to action on your social media posts, email campaigns, or even packaging inserts. Create a unique branded hashtag that customers can use, making it easy for you to find and share their content.

Sharing UGC on your Instagram feed or stories provides you with fresh content and validates your brand through social proof. When potential customers see real people enjoying your products, it builds trust and can significantly influence their purchasing decisions.

Always remember to get permission before reposting customers' content, and give credit to the original creator. This makes customers feel valued and strengthens their connection to your brand.

Frequently asked questions about selling on Instagram

What should I do if my products aren't displaying correctly on Instagram?

Make sure your product catalog is synced properly and meets Instagram's commerce policies. Check your Shopify Facebook Shop settings and your Shopify Instagram integration setup.

How can I use hashtags effectively to reach my target audience?

Research popular hashtags in your niche and include them in your posts to increase visibility. Tools like Hashtagify and RiteTag can help you find relevant hashtags.

Can I manage my Facebook and Instagram shops from Shopify?

Yes, through Shopify's integration with Facebook, you can manage both platforms. This simplifies the process of selling on Facebook and Instagram.

Sync Shopify and Instagram today

Integrating Shopify with Instagram and Facebook opens up a world of potential customers — and opportunities. But beyond increasing sales and revenue, it's also about providing exceptional customer support where your audience spends their time.

With OpenDesk, you can seamlessly manage support requests that come through Instagram, so customers get the help they need faster and on the platforms they know and love. OpenDesk consolidates all your customer communications into a single platform, making it easier to respond promptly and effectively. This enhances customer satisfaction and frees up your time to focus on growing your business.

Ready to elevate your Shopify brand's presence on Instagram while delivering top-notch customer support? Try OpenDesk today and see how it can transform how you connect with your customers.