Instagram will allow creators to sell their merchandise directly through the platform beginning next month. The Facebook-owned social networking app extended access to Instagram Shopping to more types of businesses with new commerce eligibility requirements.
"Whether you are a candle business making a foray into e-commerce, a musician selling merch or a food blogger expanding into your own cookware line, any eligible business or creator account with at least one eligible product can use shopping tags to drive people to their website to make a purchase,” Instagram wrote in a blog post.
Businesses who are eligible can start selling their products directly on Instagram starting July 9 in all countries where Instagram Shopping is supported, including India. Eligible merchants can tag products they want to sell through organic posts or stories or have them surface on the Search and Explore tab. The tags will highlight the product that’s on sale from the photo, and clicking on it will redirect to the merchant’s website where users can purchase the product.
The products must be tagged from a single website which is owned by the business, so ensure a consistent and trusted shopping experience.
Shopping tags was first rolled out by Instagram in 2016, followed by shopping tags in Instagram Stories in 2018. Instagram also opened up shopping features for celebrities and influencers in 2019. But so far, Instagram had largely left out creators from the shopping experience. The updated eligibility requirements also brings them into the fold.