Instagram for boutiques

Sell from the DM, because that is where the post sent them

A post does the selling and the DM closes it. Small fashion retailers lose most of that traffic to an unanswered sizing question.

What they actually ask

Do you have this in a 12?
I'm normally a 10 in Zara — what size here?
Is this still in stock in the green?
How long is delivery?
Can I return it if it doesn't fit?

What makes this different from any other business

Sizing is compared against other brands, never against yours

Nobody knows their size in your label. They know it in Zara, in M&S, in whatever they bought last. A size guide in centimetres answers a question they did not ask. The useful version states how your sizing runs relative to high-street sizing, and an agent that says 'this runs small, size up if you are between' converts where a measurements table does not.

Stock questions are asked about posts from weeks ago

Instagram posts keep selling long after the item sold out, so a steady share of DMs are about things you no longer have. Connected to Shopify, the agent can search the catalogue and offer what is actually available instead of delivering disappointment.

Returns policy is the last objection before purchase

For clothing bought without trying, the returns terms are the purchase decision. How long, who pays postage, whether sale items are included. Stated plainly at the moment of hesitation, it closes the sale that a link to a policy page does not.

Setting it up

1
Write sizing relative to high-street brandsNot just measurements. 'Runs small, size up if between' is the answer people are asking for.
2
Connect ShopifyThis gives the agent your live catalogue, so it can offer what is in stock rather than guessing.
3
Put the returns terms in plain wordsHow long, who pays postage, whether sale items are included.

What it does not do

Cart actions work on the Shopify storefront widget, not inside a DM
It cannot judge fit from a photo of someone
It does not process returns or issue labels

Questions

Can it tell someone whether something is in stock?: With Shopify connected, it can search your catalogue and tell them what is available, including offering alternatives when the item they asked about is gone. Without it, it answers from whatever you have written.
Can it complete the sale in the DM?: It can point to the product and answer everything around it, but checkout happens on your store. Cart actions are available on the Shopify storefront widget rather than inside an Instagram thread.

Where the rules come from

Instagram Messaging documentationMeta's reference for what a business account can and cannot do in DMs.

Other businesses like yours

Answer the sizing question while they still want it

Connect Shopify and your size guide. Free plan, no card.

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