Instagram extends shopping access to artists

Last month, the Facebook-owned platform announced that it would be escalating its shopping access through advertising on IGTV.

Musicians are some of the creators who will benefit from the initiative, provided they adhere to Instagram’s updated commerce eligibility requirements, which will be effective from 9 July in countries where Instagram Shopping is supported, including South Africa.

The new commerce policies require businesses to tag products on Instagram from a single website “that they own and sell from”. According to Instagram, the initiative was designed so “people have a consistent and trusted shopping experience.”

Businesses that intend to use Instagram Shopping need to apply and will be notified upon approval. Instagram said it would provide reasons to businesses that are not approved so that creators can take the necessary action or appeal.

"New businesses will go through our updated onboarding flow and existing businesses will receive an in-app notification in the coming weeks with instructions about how to come into compliance,” an Instagram blog post reads.

“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.”