Instagram Shopping is expanding to include more types of businesses, publishers and for the first time, creators.
Any eligible business or creator account with at least one eligible product will be able to use shopping tags to drive people to their website to make a purchase.
The expansion is part of Instagram’s updated Commerce Eligibility Requirements, effective 9 July 2020, to improve access to Shopping, increase transparency for people and businesses, and provide a more trusted shopping experience.
Now when businesses sign up for Instagram Shopping, they will be notified as soon as they are approved and ready to start tagging products. If a business is not approved, there will now be a clear reason so they can take necessary action or appeal.
In addition to expanding access, Instagram is providing more transparency. For consumers, this means being redirected to a trusted website when they tap from a product detail page, and for businesses, it means clear guidance on how to onboard to Shopping and maintain access.
This new policy will require businesses to tag products on Instagram from a single website that they own and sell from. New businesses will go through Instagram’s updated onboarding flow.
If a business that uses Instagram Shopping is not compliant, Instagram will send an in-app notification with instructions about how to come into compliance over the next six months. During this time, the seller will be able to continue using Shopping tools as normal.
Facebook Australia director of sales, Naomi Shepherd, said this update will give more businesses the power to sell on Instagram, and help the platform’s thriving creator community turn their passion into a living,
“Businesses of all kinds will now have access to our Shopping tools, which is especially important in light of the economic challenges many are facing this year. We’re also ensuring that our updated commerce policies make shopping on Instagram more transparent for businesses and people alike,” she said.
This article first appeared on retailbiz.com.au.