Instagram has recently announced that it will make Instagram Shopping available to more businesses. The company's new "Commerce Eligibility Requirements" are a set of guidelines that any business or brand interested in Instagram selling must comply with. These guidelines will be effective from July 9 in all regions where Instagram Shopping is accessible.
One of the guidelines includes that the Instagram account must represent the online store where the products are listed and not act as a store itself. Users can have their products listed on their own website or via Facebook or Instagram Checkout.
The account on Instagram must also appear to be a genuine account with a decent follower count and a good presence on the platform. Instagram has also stated that the accounts must not show fake pricing or availability information, it also says that all accounts must have a transparent refund and return policy. Sellers must also live up to all of Instagram policies including its Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
Once a business signs up, Instagram will review and notify them if it is approved so they can start tagging products. For any reason, if the business does not get approved, the company will give them a clear response about how they did not meet the requirements.
Instagram will notify all existing businesses within the app about the new policies shortly and for new businesses, the process to get on board will be updated.
The social media giant wants to get more creators to make use of its platform. From musicians selling their merchandise to bloggers who have any product to sell, Instagram aims to facilitate as many businesses and individuals as possible. This expansion comes after Facebook's biggest competitor Google has started to allow YouTube creators to sell their merchandise in a shelf below their video.
YouTube also charges a little commission for this feature and Instagram intends to charge selling fees as well. Expanding Instagram Shopping to more creators is a great way to allow more users to shop via the platform. Moreover, it is a great part of Facebook's monetization strategy.
