How to Sell on Instagram and Facebook

Facebook’s updated ‘Shops’ feature for both Facebook and Instagram emphasizes eCommerce on each platform and makes it easier for SMBs to upload the catalog and sell items directly from the posts.

Instagram allows users to find the products they love easily. On the platform, about 83% of Instagram users discover new products and services.

With the Instagram Checkout feature, eligible customers can select a lot more products.

The Checkout Feature

The ‘Checkout’ feature allows customers to buy selected products without having them leave the app. It creates a more streamlined checkout and helps easily convert Instagram followers into regular customers.

It works by customers tapping and viewing a product from a shopping-based post. Once they click it, they can continue the payment process. It’s all done without leaving the Instagram app. The only information required from shoppers is their name, email address, shipping address, and billing information.

Checkout Benefits

When a user clicks on the “Shop” tab, several edits will show them products from Instagram Checkout brands.

Instagram helps users discover new products and brands, but online stores find it hard to market their products effectively. Many utilize Instagram stories and swipe-up features to lead customers to products.

The only problem with this feature is that the users must be verified or have large followers on the platform. So, converting traffic from Instagram stories to products is very complicated.

Plus, the shoppable Instagram posts feature does not need users to have an extensive list of followers to market to customers on Instagram. It is helpful for any sized eCommerce store.

Working of Checkout Feature

Here’s how the Checkout feature works on Instagram:

• As the user sees a checkout-enabled product in the feed, they will see an option to checkout on Instagram.
• Users fill in their contact, shipping, and payment information. Later, they can place an order in the app itself.
• Once the order is completed, they can view the order status and track the order. Users can also cancel the order, create a return, or ask for support.

Read about: How to create a High Growth Instagram Marketing Strategy for your eCommerce Brand

Facebook Marketplace has drastically transformed Facebook from a social platform into a way for users to connect with businesses and purchase their favorite products.

The Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Selling or Facebook Marketplace lets customers discover, buy or sell their items on the Facebook platform. While listing Marketplace, you can reach buyers where they are.

Facebook Marketplace Benefits

Facebook Marketplace helps businesses to reach users where they already are. People can filter their results by location, price, and category. 

Facebook includes various categories for users to choose from, and they can view all categories, specific categories, or search the products. Facebook Marketplace allows extended reach and a personalized customer experience.

Working of Facebook Marketplace

Here’s how the Facebook Marketplace feature works on Facebook:

• From the News Feed, click Marketplace in the left menu.
• Click “Create New Listing” and later “Item for Sale.”
• Click “Add Photos” to upload a picture of your item from the computer.
• Enter the information about the item. To mark an item to be Free, enter 0 as the price.
• Click “Next.” If Next is grayed out, ensure you have entered the information that is required.
• Click “Publish” to post the Marketplace listing.

For retailers thinking to use Checkout on Instagram, there are a few details to consider:

• New product tags use checkout. For U.S. customers, you can’t tag products using links to external websites.
• With Checkout, ensure that you use products with prices in USD. Checkout doesn’t support products in other currencies and gets linked to external websites.
• Checkout makes you subject to merchant terms and Instagram policies. For more information, go to Facebook’s Commerce Policies page. 

Instagram has many requirements for your professional account to sell on Facebook Commerce surfaces:

Be located in a supported market

Using Facebook Commerce surfaces would mean that your Instagram professional account must be located in a supported market. Currently, Checkout is available only in the U.S.

Agree with Instagram Policies 

If you have an Instagram professional account, it must comply with Instagram guidelines.

Provide accurate information and follow best practices

If accurate information is not given and requirements are not met, your account would lose access to Facebook Commerces features, surfaces, and it may get disabled.

Facebook Commerce surfaces would consist of Facebook shops, Marketplace Stores, Facebook Page Shops, Live Shopping, and Instagram Shopping.

Represent your business and domain

Facebook and Instagram must-have products that are available for direct purchase from the business website or Checkout.

While directing buyers from Facebook Commerce Surfaces to any website, Facebook would need a single non-shortened domain. 

The Facebook Page and Instagram professional account must represent the store with the provided domain. You may verify your domain by completing the Domain Verification process.

Additional requirements for Facebook Marketplace

You are automatically placed into Facebook’s Marketplace review process. It provides them time to determine whether your products are suitable to sell on the Marketplace. The process would take less than a week.

The Facebook marketplace rules are as follows:

• Certain items can’t be sold. The list is found on Marketplace.
• You must sell a physical item.
• The item description must match the image.
• Before and after pictures are not allowed.

Read more: How to get Started with Marketing on Facebook

Some businesses can easily create Shop type listings on Instagram and Facebook. The new, updated process looks to streamline the process, but the points mentioned above give you an idea of how the system works and an overview of the current eCommerce set-up to sell products on Instagram and Facebook.

Are you looking to know more about selling on Instagram and Facebook? Our Orderhive team will be more than helpful to you. 

We are an eCommerce automation platform that would save your time and focus on growing the business. Our team makes it easy to automate tasks within your operations and across the apps.