The functionality of Instagram has slowly over the last few years become more adaptable for businesses to use, with new shopper experiences appearing with most updates. And now with Instagram’s new checkout feature, which lets you buy products directly on Instagram without ever leaving the app, there’s never been a better time to set up shop!
A huge 90% of Instagram users follow a business, and 81% of people use Instagram to help research products and services. In fact, brand stories have been reported as having an 86% completion rate*, so is Instagram shopping the new way forwards for brands?
You can currently tag up to 5 products on an Instagram feed post, and up to twenty on a carousel post. On stories, you are also no longer limited to “swipe to shop” as you can add product stickers to learn more about a featured product. Every time you tag a post or story with a product, that post will appear in its own dedicated shopping feed on your profile, making it super easy for consumers to shop your product or service.
And what’s great for small businesses, is that you no longer need to hit the 10,000 follower mark to “swipe to shop” as these shopping features are available to all that meet Instagram’s requirements, no matter how big or small.
BUT! Its Instagram’s latest shopping feature that will likely have the biggest impact for both brands and shoppers, as it gives consumers the ability to buy products without ever leaving the Instagram app. Now when you tap to view a product from a brand’s shopping post, you’ll see a “Checkout on Instagram” button on the product page, making the purchasing process super seamless.
So how can I set up? If you can answer yes to each of these questions, then you are absolutely good to go!
- Is your business located in a supported market?
- Does your business sell physical goods?
- Does it comply with Instagram’s commerce policies?
- Is your Instagram account a business account?
- Is your account connected to a Facebook Page?
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/business/instagram/shopping/guide
Our consumer PR agency specialises in connecting everyday brands with everyday people across four core sectors; Consumer PR, Food and Drink PR, Retail PR and Sport, Health & Wellbeing PR.
