Shopify is one of the trendiest e-commerce platforms available today. This subscription-based service allows users to start an online store and sell their products. It allows for great customization, making it adaptable for businesses of all sizes across various industries.
Meanwhile, Instagram has also been a frontrunner for the social media app of choice, especially among younger generations. Its visual-heavy interface allows businesses to showcase their products and services, attracting new customers and collaborating with other creators.
Shopify has been a leading player in the e-commerce space since 2018, ending 2021 and entering 2022 with a 29 percent market share. Instagram has been doing equally well. It was the most downloaded app during the fourth quarter of 2021, surpassing its third-quarter figures by ten percent.
Many businesses mainly use Instagram to promote their Shopify store and not the other way around. However, it can also be a good idea to dedicate a space on your Shopify site for your Instagram feed. It's an amazing way to show off your brand's personality and company updates.
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Why Add Instagram Feed to Your Shopify Website?
Your Instagram feed is an excellent outlet for your brand to showcase a bit of personality and relatability. It helps you appeal to your audience personally, and it establishes a specific look and feel for your brand.
Instagram is also one of the most preferred platforms for promoting a business. It allows you to interact directly with your followers and visually communicate what your brand is all about. It effectively drives sales, making it the most popular social media platform for marketers worldwide.
Many Instagram users scroll through their feeds or Discover page to look for new people to follow and products to try out. A well-curated Instagram account will attract people's attention and entice them to know more about your brand.
Adding your Instagram feed to your Shopify site is a great way to diversify your website content and promote your products more creatively. It helps you show off some social proof and user-generated content from loyal customers.
According to a 2022 survey by brightlocal, 98 percent of people read online reviews for local businesses. People believe other people, especially when it comes to spending their hard-earned money.
Showing off positive reviews of your business helps possible customers trust your brand and be more willing to do business with you. According to a paper presented at the ACM Conference Series, brands that display customer reviews could experience a 270 percent increase in conversion rates, giving businesses more incentive to provide a platform for customer feedback and user-generated content.
How to Add Instagram Feed On Shopify
There are different ways to add your Instagram feed to your Shopify store. Each method has distinct looks, features, and costs you may want to consider depending on your company's needs and budget.
Using a Shopify App
Shopify has a dedicated app store where you can find apps to customize your Shopify experience to better suit your needs. There are apps for store design, conversion, marketing, customer service, store management, and shipping/delivery.
By browsing these categories or using the search bar, you can find various apps to help in multiple scenarios. Here's how you can add your Instagram feed to your Shopify store by using an app.
1. Install the app of your choice. If you haven't settled on a particular app yet, you can browse the Shopify app store home page first. Using the search bar, input the term "Instagram feed" and look through the results.
You can also filter through the results by checking or unchecking the categories on the left side of the screen. The filter sidebar also helps you to choose between free and paid apps.
Once you've chosen an app that appeals to you, install it by clicking the "Add App" button.
2. Create your Instagram feed. Each app usually has different instructions for customizing what you want to show on your online store. Most apps require you to connect your Instagram account with the app, so you gain access to your feed posts.
Some apps are also flexible enough to let you add posts from specific hashtags instead of being limited to the posts on your profile. This helps you show user-generated content or other brand-related posts.
Aside from adding relevant Instagram photos or videos, many apps also allow you to create a unique title and customize the formatting and arrangement of the images. Some apps also allow you to tag your photos with certain product pages from your Shopify site.
Play around with the settings and customize your Instagram feed to your heart's content.
3. Embed your feed on your Shopify site. After customizing your Instagram feed for your Shopify site, you can then save this new section. Some apps would have a "Save" or "Publish" button.
Each app may have minor variations to this step, so read the instructions when saving your work. And voila! You've just added a customized Instagram feed to your online store!
Not Using a Shopify App
If you're not overly fond of using a Shopify app for this purpose, you can also go the manual route. This method will require a bit of beginner coding, so it could be a bit more challenging for complete beginners.
The free code that is widely available only offers limited functionality. It could only show posts on your actual feed, so you won't likely be able to include posts from other accounts unless you have access to them.
If you or someone you know has sufficient coding knowledge, you could also come up with or customize existing code to suit your needs. Here is how you add your Instagram feed to your online store without installing a Shopify app.
1. Download the free code, or create your own. Go on Github and search for "instafeed_shopify," or use this link to get the free code. You can also try other keywords like "Instagram feed Shopify" or similar variations, but the instructions may differ.
Suppose you have previous coding experience. You can also create your own code or customize any existing code to your liking. For this tutorial, we will concentrate on a more basic method.
2. Get your Instagram access token. An access token is a completely unique string of characters that identifies a user, a page, or an app. It allows different applications or services to access accounts or pages without logging in or providing other identifying information.
You can generate an Instagram access token through Meta for Developers. Once you have your Instagram access token for your Shopify site, copy and paste it somewhere you can readily access.
3. Edit Shopify theme code. On the Shopify admin page, select "Themes." Click on "Actions" and select "Edit code" from the drop-down list. Add a new section to your page and name it as necessary.
An input field will pop up with the default code already provided. Then, delete this default code and replace it with the code you copied from Github earlier.
Find the line that says “YOUR_INSTAGRAM_ACCESS_TOKEN_GOES_HERE” and replace it with the Instagram access token you generated from the Meta for Developers website. Click on "Save."
4. Customize your Shopify theme. Go back to your admin page and select "Themes" once more. Click "Customize" on the theme you edited in the previous step.
Click "Add Section" on the left sidebar of the screen. The right side will serve as your site preview. You will then find a list of sections that you can add to your website. Find the section you previously added, click on it, and click "Add" when the button appears.
The section will automatically appear at the bottom of your selected page. You have just added your Instagram feed to your Shopify store.
Manually Creating Your Feed
This method involves manually adding photos and videos to your website. It isn't as sophisticated as the previous methods, but it is relatively easy and fully customizable.
Since this method doesn't use your Instagram account, your Shopify Instagram feed also would not automatically update like it would using other methods. However, it gives you complete creative control of how the feed will appear on your Shopify site.
1. Choose an appropriate theme. This particular method is dependent on the theme you choose for your Shopify site. Try looking at your current theme if it allows you to create a social proof or an Instagram section. An option that enables a custom photo/video gallery could also work.
Browse through the official selection of Shopify Themes to find one that works for your brand.
2. Manually add images. Add your social proof or gallery section to your theme by clicking on it on the sidebar. Once added, you can then customize this particular section.
Upload the photos or videos you want to feature on your faux Instagram feed for Shopify. You can add as many images as the theme would allow.
3. Add little tweaks. Once you upload all the photos or videos you want, you can add minor tweaks to this section. You could customize the page layout, such as the number of rows and columns you want to feature.
Some themes also allow you manually to add "likes" to the photos in your section, so it looks more like an accurate Instagram profile.
Be careful with this feature, though. Some of your website visitors might check your real Instagram account, and if the numbers don't match up, it could come across as untrustworthy.
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Best Shopify Apps for Instagram
If you'd like to use a Shopify app to add an Instagram feed to your online store, you have many options. These apps have standard functions, but they also have a few quirks that set them apart.
Below are some of the top apps you might want to try out and add your Instagram feed to your online store.
Archive App: Instagram UGC by Archive Technologies
Archive App for Shopify might be a newcomer to the scene, but it boasts a unique, effective service that you wouldn't want to miss for your Shopify website.
It allows you to monitor user-generated content across Instagram and even TikTok. As soon as a customer or influencer tags your account or uses your official hashtag in a post, story, reel, or TikTok, you will receive a notification, and the app will collect the content for you.
You can then choose to do with this content whatever you like. You could use them in advertisements and marketing campaigns. And, with this Shopify app, you can easily curate an Instagram feed specifically for user-generated content to serve as social proof for your online store.
Archive App is free for up to 100 posts saved. If you want to save more posts, it will cost you $9.99/month for a 500-post limit, $19.99/month for 1,000 posts, and $34.99/month for 2,000 posts saved.
Instafeed Instagram Feed/Story by Adevole
Instafeed by Adevole is a straightforward way to add an Instagram feed to your Shopify website.
It allows you to link your Instagram account so your store visitors can see your Instagram posts, stories, and highlights on your site. Just make sure that your Instagram profile is set to public and doesn't have any age restrictions.
This Shopify app is free to use. However, if your profile exceeds 1,000 views, you will need to pay $4.95. The developers also offer excellent customer service. App users could often request customizations to the base code if they want additional features.
Instafeed — Instagram Feed by Mintt Studio
Instafeed by Mintt Studio allows you to create a shoppable Instagram feed for your Shopify website. Your website visitors can scroll through your Instagram photos and videos and view likes and captions, just like the Instagram app.
This app stand out because it allows users to shop your products by viewing your Instagram posts. Say someone clicks on an Instagram photo featuring one of your products. They can find a "Shop Now" button on the sidebar that immediately leads them to your product page.
This app has three pricing tiers ranging from free, $4.99 per month, and $19.99 a month.
Shoppable Instagram & UGC by Foursixty
As the name suggests, Shoppable Instagram and UGC by Foursixty allows you to add a Shoppable Instagram feed to your Shopify website. You can shorten the customer journey by enabling site visitors to easily shop from your store by browsing the Instagram feed embedded on your website.
Aside from your own Instagram content, the app's functions also extend to user-generated content. You can track brand tags and mentions from Instagram and add them to your online store. Like your regular posts, your user-generated content could also be shoppable.
However, this selection of excellent features doesn't come cheap. Shoppable Instagram & UGC doesn't have a free plan. Its Core plan costs $50/month, its Complete plan costs $300/month, and its Complete Plus plan costs $500/month.
Instagram Feed, Story & TikTok by Socialhead
This Shopify app by Socialhead allows you to create a shoppable Instagram feed on your website, driving social proof and boosting your sales without needing coding knowledge.
It automatically syncs your Instagram feed with your Shopify store, so you don't need to update the Instagram feed embedded on your site manually. Aside from Instagram images, you can also use the app to sync with your TikTok account and display your content on your online store.
The free version allows you to sync one Instagram feed to your Shopify store. It also includes analytics and access to one feed layout and product tag. The standard paid version costs $9.90/month and gives you access to more templates, feeds, and TikTok synchronization.
Instagram Feed, UGC, & TikTok by Growave
This Instagram feed app allows you the flexibility to create and customize an Instagram or TikTok feed for your Shopify site. You can choose from different accounts or hashtags and curate your feed, helping you highlight the content that matters.
With its shoppable Instagram galleries, you can tag products on each photo or video on your feed. Store visitors can then shop immediately from your Instagram feed, making the purchasing process more accessible and streamlined.
Instagram Feed, UGC, & TikTok by Growave currently has three pricing tiers. It has a free plan, a starter plan that costs $9/month, and a professional plan that costs $49/month.
Instagram Feed + Photo Gallery by Space Squirrel
Space Squirrel's Instagram feed and Photo Gallery app helps you create a shoppable feed that best shows your brand's strengths. It displays your Instagram uploads, allowing you to upload unique and original photos for a cohesive and attractive feed.
Aside from its usefulness and customizability, this Shopify app is perfect for people that need to manage multiple Instagram accounts. Depending on the pricing plan, you can create up to a hundred galleries from ten unique Instagram accounts and hashtags.
The app has four pricing tiers for different budget levels. You can get it for free for its essential functions or go higher at $14.99/month, $29.99/month, or $49.99/month.
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Pro Tip: Adding Instagram feeds on Shopify stores is a great way to add engagement elements. So optimize your Instagram for success today!
Tips on How to Market Your Shopify Store on Instagram
Instagram's large customer base and Instagram shop integration make it an ideal place to promote your Shopify store. However, simply posting whenever you want to without a clear goal or strategy could make it difficult for your brand to see results.
We've gathered five tips below to help you market your Shopify store more effectively on Instagram.
- Post consistently. Have a consistent schedule for your posts. It's recommended to post around two to three times per week and no more than once a day.
- Use hashtags. Instagram hashtags are an excellent way for people to find your business according to their interests. Find the relevant hashtags for your business and use them in your posts and stories.
- Interact with your audience. Practice the social part of social media and engage with your community. Get to know them and make sure that they feel comfortable and appreciated.
- Partner with influencers. Influencers already have a significant following, so working with them will expose your business to a broader audience, further driving your sales.
- Utilize Instagram stories. You might be limited to a post a day, but you can create as many stories as possible (but not too many!). These temporary posts are a great way to build personality and show what goes on behind the scenes.
Get Started on Using Your Instagram Feed to Your Advantage. Check Out Archive App Today!
Many businesses work hard to craft strong Instagram and other social media marketing strategies to promote their Shopify stores. Using Shopify apps for Instagram, such as Archive App, helps you bring the two worlds together, creating consistency and building strength for all your online channels.
Archive allows you to leverage user-generated content from your fans and community to build social proof and attract more clients or customers. You can also visit our blog for practical community marketing tips to increase conversions and help your business grow.
Your Instagram feed can boost customer engagement, loyalty, relationship, and conversions. Check out Archive App today to make it all happen!
FAQs on Instagram Shopify Apps
Can you use Shopify on Instagram?
No. Shopify and Instagram are different platforms with separate functions. However, you can use both to promote your business and increase sales.
What is the best Instagram app for Shopify?
The best app for you will depend on your budget and needs. However, if you want to leverage user-generated content from Instagram posts, stories, reels, and TikTok videos, Archive offers the best value for money.
How do I add an Instagram app to Shopify?
To add an Instagram app to your Shopify store, go to your desired app page on the Shopify app store. Then, click the green "Add App" button.
