Instagram just expanded its access to Instagram Shopping to more businesses. Individual creators, from musicians to food bloggers, can now sell their merchandise online as long as they meet certain guidelines set by Instagram. For example:
- The Instagram account must represent the store or website
- The Instagram account must also represent the products sold
- The products listed on the Instagram account must be available for direct purchase on the seller’s website or through Facebook or Instagram Checkout.
- The Instagram account cannot act as an affiliate platform to sell products
Similar to Facebook and Walmart’s recent partnership with e-commerce marketplace Shopify, this expansion aims to allow small businesses and individual creators to reach a wider audience. It’s great to see an increasing number of organizations stepping up to provide these small businesses a platform to sell, and for users, more places to shop.
Source: Instagram expands Shopping to more businesses, including creators selling their merch