Progression and forward momentum are two driving factors that see businesses thrive – something that has been accelerated during this COVID era. Businesses have been kept on their toes with the constant need for quick and calculated pivots.
With this there are new opportunities emerging for businesses to expand and succeed, one of which being Instagram Shop.
Instagram Shop allows customers to buy the product you offer without leaving the app.
“Instagram and Facebook Shop are a set of features across both platforms that let people shop your products through your photos and videos no matter where they are in the app,” says Charlotte Whelan, Digital Marketing Manager at Wright Social Pty Ltd.
This is different to using the Facebook channel to sync your products to a catalogue on Facebook and Instagram, and create marketing activities directly from an eCommerce platform such as Shopify.
Instagram Shop is an organic feature but can be used as a paid tactic also by promoting product posts (this is in BETA).
“The way the Shop feature works is it allows you to have a storefront and tag relevant posts with your products that allow for a seamless customer journey,” outlines Charlotte.
“When a user clicks on the product tag, they see the product price and description and can then click through to the site to transact the sale. It’s relatively straightforward in terms of set up and involves uploading or manually inputting a product catalogue into Facebook and activating the Shop feature.”
So, let’s break Instagram Shop down:
- This feature allows a business’s profile to tag up to 5 products in one image, or 20 per carousel
- This is on top of being able to tag products on Instagram stories
- By tagging a product it’ll be featured on a new section on your profile specifically related to shopping
- After a customer selects their desired product they’re then taken to an in-platform check out page
This feature is described by Instagram as “an immersive full-screen storefront,” which is allowing its audience to purchase goods on the same platform that they love to scroll on.
In July 2020 there were 10,450,000 Instagram users in Australia, accounting for 40.8% of the total population, making this an invaluable resource that pools together almost half of our country.
Key benefits of using Instagram Shop
Seamless Discovery of Products
– Instagram homes an infinite pool of amazing items, however sourcing them isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
The Edge of Being Authentic
– Buying from a credible and authentic source are invaluable boxes to tick, especially in the world of online shopping.
Condensed Buyer Journey
– Rather than moving from site to site or platform to platform, the buyer is able to locate what they want and purchase it all in the same destination.
Visual Marketing
– Having an image or video associated with your product can boost engagement and sales.
Pros and cons for business using Instagram Shop who already have eCommerce stores
| PRO’S | CON’S |
| Creates an immersive shopping experience | Only suited for highly visual products with strong imagery |
| Seamless Customer Journey makes it easier for people to purchase your products | Customer sees price point before learning more about your brand and the benefits |
| Can turn engaging brand profiles into less valued shop profiles |
While the thought of your Ag products on Instagram Shop might seem two worlds apart at a glance, the opportunity for collaboration is real.
If you’re keen to get started with Instagram Shop check out these simple set-by-step guides!
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Already making the most of Instagram Shop? Let us know in the comments below!
