With over 2 billion monthly active users, social media platforms have moved to position themselves as not just places to see what your bestie had for brunch, but powerful platforms for ecommerce.
Instagram has proven to be one of the best at social selling, but they’re not alone! With the success of Instagram, other platforms have quickly followed suit and want to make their mark in the world of social commerce.
Earlier this month, Twitter announced it was throwing its hat into the ring with its own Twitter Shops feature. Let’s dive in and explore what these two platforms can do for your e-commerce business.
What is Instagram & Twitter Shopping?
Available beginning in 2020, Instagram Shopping launched as a way for consumers to shop and explore different brands on the platform. Brands can showcase their products through in-feed shoppable posts, Stories, Reels, live streams and within the Shopping tab on the app.
From these posts, you can tap to explore the variety of products within their Instagram shop, add products to a cart, and even check out without ever leaving the app.
Twitter Shops gives brands the opportunity to select up to 50 products to feature on their profile. Currently available only to U.S. iPhone users who use Twitter in English, users will be able to see a “View shop” button near the top of the brand’s profile. Tapping this button opens the select catalog of products. From there, you can learn more about a product or make a purchase.
Why Is Social Media Shopping Important to My Business?
With 82% of users claiming to have discovered a product on social media and purchased it directly on their phone, according to Social Media Today, the demand for in-app shopping is higher than ever. Being able to share your product catalog within multiple platforms can quick increase the eyes interested in your products (a strategy made possible by the arrival of headless commerce).
Implementing Instagram Shopping also can help your business work hand-in-hand with Facebook’s Ads Manager, expanding your paid social strategy. For example, within Ads Manager, you can create and launch a dynamic carousel ad that retargets users with the exact items they viewed or added to cart (but didn't purchase), putting the items in front of them once again.
Although Twitter Shop is still in its early days, the platform is promising to explore ways to make shopping more accessible on Twitter and give brands more variety to showcase themselves and their products.
How Do I Set Up Twitter & Instagram Shopping?
With Twitter being new to the world of social commerce, the platform is currently testing this new feature with a select group of businesses, so updates are expected to come soon. As for Instagram, here's how you can set up your brand's Instagram Shopping functionality:
Step 1: Make sure you're eligible
Check to see if your business complies with Instagram’s commerce policies
Step 2: Switch over to a business account
This can be done within your Instagram account settings.
Step 3: Link your Instagram account to your Facebook profile
In your profile settings, select “Page” under the “Public business information” section and from there you’ll be able to choose your Facebook page to connect.
Step 4: Upload your product catalog
This can be done yourself through Facebook’s Catalog Manager or integrated through your ecommerce platform partner, like Shopify or WooCommerce.
Step 5: Submit your account for review
Through your Instagram settings you will be able to “Sign up for shopping”. From there, Instagram will review your account and see if you meet their Commerce Eligibility Requirements.
Step 6: Connect your product catalog
Once your account is approved you will be able to connect your catalog through your business settings.
And voila! You’re ready to enter the world of social commerce. Still seem a little daunting? Don’t worry, our social media experts are here to help you build and execute the perfect strategy. Reach out today, and we’ll get your shop up and running.
