Within a very short period, Instagram made its place in the e-commerce landscape, but then how is it changing the way the customers shop? The photo-sharing social app features a new shortcut menu, curated shoppable feeds, and loads of tools to support startups and small businesses. Therefore, there is no doubt that Instagram is keen on transforming the app into a smooth shopping experience for your followers.
If you do not know it yet, Instagram has now become a big name as far as e-commerce is concerned. With the current update, the users can now find out about products and shop merchandise from different brands. Did you know that 130 million users tap on the IG shoppable posts each month? Moreover, the Instagram checkout option is now accessible to eligible brands as well as creators in the United States.
According to an article published on Inc.com, the smart brands make the most out of Instagram marketing by creating brand ambassadors, include video, not the sound, delve deeper into audience demographics, and narrate a personal brand story consistently to name a few.
In this article, we are going to discuss how Instagram is changing the way you shop. Here is how:
1. E-commerce for impulse purchases
With the corona pandemic and lockdown creating havoc in the US and all over the world, online shopping witnessed a spike. A study indicates that people started to spend 10 percent to 30 percent more when it comes to online spending on average when the lockdown was imposed in March 2020. Then, the scroll to shop activity did not cease with the lockdown lifted because browsing to shopping on Instagram has become simpler than before, to be candid.
Facebook came up with a new feature Facebook Shops that lets small companies create their online shops on Instagram and Facebook. You can even tag your products when performing live broadcasts. Therefore, do not feel bad when you hear the words Facebook Shop. To be honest, this is the greatest feature to allow e-commerce when it comes to the family of apps owned by Facebook.
Whether it is Facebook business profiles or Instagram pages, businesses can create a list of their products or services that users can browse, share, save, and even buy those products and services.
Instagram supports small businesses by getting their merchandise right in front of their customers. It is a great feature, to be candid. It is not just about the bigger brands; Instagram has declared that its e-commerce and shopping features are also meant for small businesses as well as creators.
No matter whether you sell candles, a music store selling products, or a travel blogger, you can reap the maximum benefits out of Instagram shopping and make sales on this photo-sharing platform.
2. Feeds are completely curated and shoppable
When you saunter into a store and find all the products properly sorted on shelves matching with your taste, preference, and price, there is nothing like it. You will like to buy more from that store, resulting in some serious spending. That is what Instagram seeks to achieve to delight its users worldwide. Similarly, when you have your IG posts sorted and organized to perfection; expect to buy followers for Instagram like never before, to speak the truth.
You need to thank the Instagram algorithm because your home feeds are customized depending on your likes and preferences. In simple words, you will see content or your followers will view posts based on their likes and those appear at the top of the IG feed. When this idea is implemented in the new IG shop feed, the social media site is moving toward a customized, curated, as well as, shoppable objective, which is great news for your business.
The all-new shopping feature lets your followers browse stores, view editor picks, discover guides, as well as, shop products. With the new feature, the IG app has made inspiration as well as shopping more streamlined and organized.
The new IG feed has made it possible for your buyers to view products that they are keen to purchase. It depends on their previous posts, engagement, and the brands they liked or followed. The new IG feed also has a wish list option curating the shoppable items customers have saved on a prior visit.
With the advent of the new feed, your business gains a genuine opportunity to convert followers, both existing and potential, into loyal customers, just by sharing shoppable posts.
3. Influencers play a significant role when it comes to the sales funnel
When you think that Instagram is a place where influencers rule the game, it becomes simple to figure out how impulse purchases occur. In real life, you may tell your best friend, family member, or coworker about a product thatyou used and liked. This is word-of-mouth advertising and is a time-tested and successful marketing strategy. Studies indicate that 92 percent of individuals rely on suggestions from family members and friends compared to other forms of advertising.
Then, when you depend on word-of-mouth recommendations and bring the same into influencer marketing on Instagram, you get a robust marketing tool to induce impulse purchase decisions.
With the combination of IG’s rollout of shopping tools to the creators as well as shopping from the creators, there are very few obstacles for customers to get through before they include products in the shopping cart. In this case, influencers can incorporate a business’ shoppable tags into their IG posts as part of a paid collaboration or partnership.
Therefore, if you own a business or brand, keen on increasing online sales, Instagram is your best bet, no doubt. Make sure, if there is the scope of influencer marketing in your strategy. If so, there is a high chance that you can reach out to new audiences, and customers have a powerful spending ability, which is beneficial for your brand.
Conclusion
The time has come when Instagrammers are looking forward to an e-commerce-based platform, and therefore, you need to test and experiment with the new IG features and tools available. If you own an online business, there are loads of methods to boost sales and reach out to new audiences through Instagram.
