Update - December 15, 2023: Product Launches, also known as Drops, has been removed, as well as Product Launch-specific insights, and is no longer available. This decision was part of an ongoing commitment to evolve our offerings to provide the most valuable products and features.

Update - February 14, 2023: Live Shopping is no longer available as of March 16, 2023.

Congratulations! After much hard work, your business has a new product launching! Now what?

It’s time to shout about your new product and share the big news with your followers! Product launches — a feature currently available for checkout-enabled Instagram businesses in the U.S. — are a way for businesses to announce an upcoming launch and to build anticipation in the lead-up to a launch using native features on Instagram.

Also known as drops, product launches are a way to sell that taps into fandom, cultural relevance, exclusivity, and a strong call to action. The product launches feature empowers businesses to reach these new shoppers who are waiting to discover the latest products on Instagram. You can generate buzz and awareness for your new products with:

1. Product Launch Tags
Product launch tags can be used across all formats including Instagram Feed, Stories, Live and Reels.

Hill House Home (@hillhouse) shares a product in feed.

2. Product Launch Stickers
Countdown and reminder stickers can be used in Stories so that shoppers can easily set reminders to be notified when your product drops.

3. Notifications
Shoppers can get a reminder for an upcoming product launch through notifications in the Activity Tab and push notifications.

4. Product Detail Pages
Shoppers can also learn more about the product, see more images and set reminders in Product Detail Pages.

Businesses also have the opportunity to gain additional exposure and reach new users when using product launches. A new “Drops” destination within the Instagram Shop tab features current, upcoming and past product launches. 44% of people surveyed strongly associate Instagram with discovering local/small brands¹, so make sure you’re getting your products in front of as many people as possible.

To get started, here’s a sample promotional timeline for how to launch a new product on Instagram:

5-7 Days Out
Build buzz by tagging your new products in any type of Instagram content. We recommend using a blend of feed posts, stories and video content. Once products are part of a scheduled product launch, they will not become available for sale prematurely even if you are tagging them in pre-launch media.

3-5 Days Out
The product launch tag in Feed and product launch sticker in Stories allows shoppers to set reminders for your launch. To keep the momentum going, be sure to post about your new product(s) daily like Hill House Home (@hillhouse) does in the clip below.

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1-3 Days Out
Partner with creators to create additional buzz and reach within their audiences for your product launch. Product launches that are promoted by creators perform better on average than similar launches that don’t involve creators.

Launch Day
Live Shopping lets you celebrate in real time with your followers. Go live and pin your launch product(s) in the final minutes before launch, when a countdown timer will display. At launch time, a celebratory “confetti” animation will appear, as you can see in the example below from Hill House Home (@hillhouse).

After Launch
Using the product launches feature allows you to reach new users, so make sure to engage your growing community even after the launch using shoppable media. Continue to sell through remaining launch inventory, if applicable, by using ads with product tags to find shoppers most likely to be interested in your launch.

Looking to learn more about Instagram Shopping? Learn how to prepare your shop on Instagram for the holidays or to create collections that make it easier for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for.