Instagram Shop is official: what is it and what is it for

Instagram Shop has been confirmed: a post on the official blog announces the arrival of the new feature to sell on the social network

A new section on Instagram will allow companies, influencers and professionals to sell their products directly on the social network. In a post on the official blog, it was announced the arrival of Instagram Shop, a space dedicated to sales that will transform the social into a digital showcase.

The Shopping feature had been announced for the app in the spring of 2018: soon in the Explore section we will instead find Instagram Shop, whose purpose is to simplify the possibility of making purchases from brands and creators directly in the social network app. Then the access to this function will be simplified thanks to the arrival of a button that will be integrated into the navigation bar of Instagram.

Instagram Shop, what is it and what is it for

The section dedicated to shopping on Instagram will allow professionals, influencers, brands and creators to sell their products directly in the app. Users will see appear in the navigation bar a tab dedicated just to Instagram Shop, where there will be three sections.

Recollected, that is a set of products grouped by type by the social. Brands, which is a list of brands that you follow or that you can follow to buy what you want. And finally Suggested for you, a section diversified according to the tastes and preferences of the user through an analysis of the activities of his account. In the post published on Instagram's official blog, brand development lead Gord Ray explains, "We want to help businesses and creators of all sizes grow on our platforms and Instagram Shop represents a new way to show people new and trending brands and products."

Instagram Shop, how to sell

If you're a brand or creator interested in selling your products on Instagram Shop, the minimum requirement is to have a business profile. The other basic requirements are selling physical goods, complying with Facebook's sales regulations, and having a business account linked to a Facebook page. Instagram Shop will then provide instructions for linking your catalog to the app, if the latter is already on Facebook or a partner site. After receiving the enablement from the social network, you will activate the tab to which users will be able to access your virtual storefront, where they will be able to directly buy products from the published catalog.