In this article, we'll show you how to set up online booking via Instagram and Facebook in just a few simple steps.
You need a business page on Instagram and Facebook before you can get started. If you don't have a business page yet, you can easily set up a free business page on both platforms via your Instagram profile.
If you already have a business page on Instagram and Facebook, you can skip this step and set up your booking button on Instagram and Facebook right away.
- Setting up a business page on Instagram
- Connecting your Instagram page with Facebook
- Setting up a booking button on Facebook and Instagram
- What can I do if the setup doesn't work?
Important things to Note Before starting connecting Shore:
- To connect Shore to your Facebook business page and business Instagram account, you'll need to have these both connected in Business Manager on Facebook. You can find out how to do that here.
- Your Business Manager must be verified. You can find out here.
- Your Facebook page must be a Business account.
- Your Instagram account must be a Business account. If you have a 'Creator' account, you'll need to switch this to 'Business' in order to use the booking button process below.
- Make sure you set your Instagram profile to Public. Private accounts can't switch to Business Accounts.
- It's not possible to connect Shore to more than one Instagram account.
Setting up a business page on Instagram
- Open your Instagram profile on your smartphone and tap on Edit Profile.
- Tap on Switch to Professional Account and follow the steps on the screen.
- In the last step you can connect an existing Facebook business page or create a new one. Choose a page from your Pages that you'd like to connect to, or tap on Create a New Facebook Page and follow the steps on the screen.
Done! You've successfully set up an Instagram business page. If you connected a Facebook company page, you can skip the next step and set up your booking button.
Connecting your Instagram page with Facebook
Before connecting your Instagram account with Shore Booking app, make sure your Facebook Business manager is connected with your Instagram account.
Click on link below and login into your Instagram account to connect
https://business.facebook.com/settings/instagram-account-v2s/
Or
Go to your Facebook Business manager
Then Click “Accounts“
Then Click “Instagram-account“
Try to connect your Instagram account
Once its connected, you can continue with Add book now Button and you wont get “Administration Restriction Error“
- Open your Instagram profile on your smartphone and tap on Edit Profile.
- Under "Public business information", tap on Page.
- Select an existing Facebook page or tap on Create Facebook Page and follow the steps on the screen
Great! Your Instagram and Facebook business pages are now connected and you can set up your booking button.
The following example, we'll show you how you can set up online booking via Instagram and Facebook on your smartphone. Alternatively, you can also do this on your computer.
Important: In order to avoid problems during the setup, we recommend setting up the booking button on both platforms on your Facebook business page.
Setting up a booking button on Instagram
- Go to your profile and select "Edit Profile":
- Open your Instagram profile.
- Click the "Edit Profile" button located just below your profile picture and username.
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Select “Action Buttons”:
- Within the Contact Options section, find and tap "Action Buttons."
- This allows you to add a button for specific actions, like booking appointments.
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Choose the type of button:
- Select “Book Now” from the list of available action buttons.
- You'll see a list of booking partners supported by Instagram.
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Select your booking partner:
- Search for your booking tool, such as "Shore," in the list.
- Tap on your provider to start the integration process.
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Connect your booking tool:
- After selecting your provider, you’ll be redirected to your booking tool’s login page.
- Log in and authorize the connection between your booking tool and Instagram.
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Save the settings:
- Once the connection is established, return to Instagram and save the changes.
- The "Book Now" button will now appear on your Instagram profile.
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Test the functionality:
- Tap the button in your profile to ensure it properly redirects customers to your booking page.
Setting up a booking button on Facebook and Instagram
- Open your Facebook page and tap on the three lines in the lower left corner. Select the page on which you'd like to show your booking button.
- Tap on Add Button.
- Select the option Book Now.
- Then select Link Another Tool to connect with yor Shore account.
- Select Shore Booking from the list of providers and tap on Continue.
- If you're prompted to log in to your Shore account, enter your email address and password.
- Select a location (optional) and tap on Connect.
- Confirm the connection with Shore by tapping on Continue as.... The connection is being set up (this can take up to 1 minute).
Done! Your booking button has been implemented on both Facebook and Instagram, so your customers can now book appointments with you on both platforms.
What can I do if the setup doesn't work?
It is possible that errors occur when setting up booking via Instagram and Facebook. To prevent errors, we recommend connecting your Instagram and Facebook pages before setting up your booking button, and to carry out the setup for both platforms on your Facebook page.
If you still cannot finish the setup, follow the steps in this article to reset all configurations and then start over.