Buying online is considered as a logical way of doing shopping. Facebook nowadays has been increasing its focus on commerce by creating Marketplace where users can purchase and sell goods.
Also, it also introduces the ability to send money directly using its Messenger app. Now, it's not just Facebook that has the capability to sell and promote products online.
Instagram now allows brands to promote products with the use of ad format. However, there's a new shopping feature which can be applied to the regular posts.
According to James Quarles, Instagram's VP of monetization, there is "Shop Now" button in the mini shops and hitting it will direct to a checkout web page for the products that buyers are looking in the Instagram.
People have been doing shopping on Instagram without a correct way of buying things. Company researchers have noticed that people take screenshots of the products that they love, save it or direct-message them to themselves.
Instagram users before who wants to sell products online have tried putting a "purchase link in bio" to the photos of something that you can buy. But now, you do not need the purchase link in bio in every picture that you post just to sell your products.
Instagram will install a white icon on the lower left corner of shoppable photos to make it easier for sellers to sell and buyers to buy products.
So, how it works?
According to Instagram for Business Blog, tapping the icon will reveal the items in the photo which are available for buyers to purchase. Clicking it will take them to the product's description page and the retailer's website.
The new shopping feature can be applied to any regular posts, and it's partnering with retail brands such as Warby Parker at launch, J.Crew, and Kate Spade. Instagram's product is trying to fill the gap in mobile shopping.
For Jenna Lyons, J. Crew's president and creative director, Instagram is an image-based platform that inspires people to buy products and promote brands. Furthermore, it has the capability to take its customers from the point where they are interested in a product to making a purchase.
