Picture this: you’re doom scrolling Instagram and suddenly you’re starving. Luckily, a local pizza joint you’ve just discovered through the Explore button has an ‘Order Food’ button, conveniently located on its Instagram profile.
A few clicks later and you’re eagerly anticipating hot and fresh pizza from a new go-to spot.
Gaining a sale from a new customer can be that simple and seamless with the integration of the ‘Order Food’ button on your Instagram profile, or by leveraging the food order stickers on your Instagram stories.
Adding an ‘Order Food’ button can be an easy win for your business. Follow this guide to learn how to add an ‘Order Food’ button to your Instagram profile and learn why you should in the first place.
Why add an ‘Order Food’ button to your profile?
According to a Global Media Consumer Research Study commissioned by Facebook, 50% of people use Instagram to discover new brands, products, or services.
This means that while Instagram is great for viewing #foodporn, it’s now a far more powerful tool for discovery – and conversion.
An Instagram Trends Research Study commissioned by Facebook states that 44% of people use Instagram to shop weekly using features like shopping tags and the Shop tag. There are no extra fees for the addition of the ‘Order Food’ button either, making it a low effort and low cost implementation, making it a great way to attract new customers to your restaurant.
Read: 4 Ways Restaurants can Boost Engagement on Instagram
What are the requirements for adding an ‘Order Food’ button?
It’s important to note that to add this button or to leverage it in your stories, you must be located in an eligible country, and be partnered with an eligible delivery service.
The ‘Order Food’ button is applicable for businesses in both the United States and Canada among other countries, the list can be found here.
Eligible partners in Canada include Caviar,, DoorDash, Ritual, SkipTheDishes, and Uber Eats. Find out more about eligible partners here.
Note that, you must also have an Instagram business or creator account. It’s also key to mention that this feature is still rolling out and may not be available to you yet.
How do I add the ‘Order Food’ button to my Instagram profile?
Adding the food order button is a pretty simple process, follow the steps below to get started:
- Go to your Instagram profile and click on Edit Profile
- Under ‘Public business information’, find ‘Action buttons’. This may be under Contact options where you will then click ‘Add an action button’
- From ‘Select a button’, choose ‘Order food’
- Select your business’ food delivery partner
- Log into your partner account and confirm the connection
- Select or create an Ad Account and Facebook Pixel
- Once finished, tap Done (iOS) or ✓ (Android)
How does the ‘Order Food’ button work?
Food ordering features are available for customers through the Instagram mobile app on iPhone and Android. Customers are redirected to one of our partner’s websites (example:SKipTheDishes or Uber Eats) to complete their purchase.
How do I use the food order sticker for an Instagram story?
Let’s say your business is launching a new lunch special. A quality photograph that showcases your dish is a great piece of content.
Take it to the next level by adding a Food Order sticker to your image that allows a customer to order that lunch special directly from the story. Here’s how:
- Select a photo or video to upload to your story as you normally would
- Swipe up to select the “FOOD ORDERS” sticker
- You will need to add your delivery partner for your business’s food orders
- Add the partner link for the food orders service you selected then tap Done
- You can move the Food Orders sticker on your story and you can tap the sticker to change its color
- Share your story with your audience
Only one Food Order sticker can be added per story. Viewers can reshare your Food Orders sticker to their own story.
Customers are hungry for new and exciting food options. According to the 2022 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends report by Restaurants Canada and DoorDash, in Q1 2022, 47% of Canadian consumers ordered from a new merchant they hadn’t previously ordered from on DoorDash.
It’s also clear that consumers are more and more dependent on their mobile devices and digital services. That same report explains that in 2022, 35% more consumers started their food ordering journey by turning to a food delivery app or website, and 24% more turned to a restaurant’s app or website.
Instagram allows your restaurant to be discoverable by consumers by meeting them where they’re spending their time and by creating a convenient way for them to quickly and seamlessly order food. If your business is not taking advantage of Instagram’s ‘Order Food’ button, you’re missing out on potential sales and new customers.
Once you have been able to acquire your new customer, you’ll then be able to move them over to your first party platform by offering such things as a free item, or engaging them into your loyalty program.
About Smooth Commerce:
Smooth Commerce is an all-in-one digital commerce and customer marketing platform for restaurants that combines online and mobile ordering, delivery, loyalty, and powerful marketing tools to help you grow your business, while giving you access to your customer data to help grow your restaurant.
If you would like to learn more or talk to a representative from Smooth Commerce about how our platform can help you meet your loyalty goals, contact us at learnmore@smooth.tech.
