How Instagram is Changing the Way We Shop

Almost in the blink of an eye, Instagram has become an e-commerce space, but how does it change how we shop?

With a new menu shortcut, carefully selected shopping channels, and a range of tools designed to support small businesses, Instagram's mission is to make the app a convenient shopping app.

We share all the details about the latest updates on Instagram, as well as what to expect from Instagram's transition from social networks to e-commerce:

How Instagram is changing the buying experience

In case you missed it, e-commerce is now very popular on Instagram.

With the latest application update, users can now find items that can be bought directly from the main navigation menu, which makes it easier to find goods and purchases from brands.

Every month, 130 million people click on Instagram shopping messages, and Instagram Checkout is now available for all eligible companies and authors in the United States.

Posts on Instagram is a great way to visually show products and increase sales for business.

And with Instagram Checkout, users can move from inspiration to purchase without even leaving the Instagram app.

This is an ideal alliance for small businesses looking to increase their Internet revenue stream.

And that's not all. Instagram constantly introduces new features that help users shop in the app.

Instagram recently announced the global deployment of Instagram Shopping on IGTV and announced that this year they will begin testing purchases on Instagram Reels - Instagram's response to the viral video application TikTok.

With this in mind, users will soon be able to view and buy products from almost any part of the application: Instagram from messages in the feed, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, IGTV and Reels.

Instagram has also released several tools and features to help small businesses stay afloat during COVID-19. While the IRL shopping experience was suspended due to isolation and social distancing, social media quickly became a valuable source of income for retailers, brands, and small businesses around the world.

Here are just a few of the e-commerce features Instagram released this year:

Instagram Store (including a new Quick Access button in the main navigation menu)

Gift Card Stickers and Food Orders

Facebook Pay

Spread Instagram purchases to more small businesses and authors

Live shopping on Instagram

IGTV Purchases

With this significant shift towards e-commerce, it is not surprising that online shopping behavior is also changing.

How Instagram is changing shopping # 1: Discovery channels are fully available for shopping and carefully selected

Imagine that you go into a store where everything on the shelves corresponds to your personal style, list of desires and price - this can lead to serious expenses!

And this is what Instagram is striving for.

Thanks to the already installed and super-advanced Instagram algorithm, our home feeds are adapted to our sympathies and antipathies - the content that the algorithm believes we will like most is displayed at the top of our home feed.

 When we move this concept to the new Instagram Shop feed, we get to a carefully selected, personalized place to buy.

The new shopping location allows users to "browse stores," "watch editors," "learn guides" and "buy collections," which makes it much easier to find inspiration and buy directly from the Instagram app.

By viewing Instagram Shop, you may be surprised at how much you want to add to the cart. And it's no coincidence.

Thanks to this new channel, Instagram has found a way to show you more what you are likely to buy - all based on previous interactions, posts and brands to which you are subscribed, as well as user interactions similar to you.

There is even a convenient "Wish List" collection, which collects purchased goods that you previously saved.

As a brand, you can assume that if a user stumbles upon your post about buying in a new Instagram store feed, his intention to make a purchase will be quite high. So you have a real opportunity to turn your subscribers (old and new!) In customers, simply by posting messages about purchases in your feed.

How Instagram is changing shopping # 2: the path to e-commerce is designed for impulsive spending

When the world found itself in isolation at the beginning of 2020, it is not surprising that the number of purchases on the Internet has increased sharply.

In fact, the Engine survey found that people spent an average of 10-30% more online when social distancing just began in early March.

And the nature of scrolling to the store did not stop after lifting COVID-19 restrictions, especially on Instagram, where the path from viewing to buying has become easier than ever.

In early summer, Facebook launched its largest step in the direction of e-commerce: Facebook stores!

Facebook stores

Do not be embarrassed by the name (or not embarrassed by Instagram Shop above) - this new feature allows small businesses to create online stores on Facebook and Instagram, and you can even tag goods during live broadcasts!

According to Zuckerberg: "This is the biggest step we have taken to ensure commerce in our family of applications."

On Facebook business pages or Instagram profiles, brands can create a catalog of products and services that visitors can view, save, share, and even buy.

Perhaps Instagram has no equal when it comes to submitting inspirational shopping content - they essentially offer an individual approach to buying what you want when you want it.

By supporting companies in presenting their product to the right audience, Instagram also reduced the time and effort needed to spend money - this is the ideal option for e-commerce.

In addition, this goes beyond only mega brands. Instagram also announced that shopping and e-commerce features will be available for small businesses and a completely new category of users: creators.

According to the announcement, "whether it's a candle business engaged in e-commerce, a musician selling goods, or a food blogger expanding their own dishes line," you can use Instagram Shopping for Instagram sales.

How Instagram changes shopping # 3: influencers are a key part of the sales funnel

Considering that Instagram is a world dominated by influence, it is easy to understand how impulsive purchases are made.

In the real world, we can tell our best friends, family or colleagues about the product we bought and liked.

This oral marketing has already been established and has proven to be effective. In fact, one report says that 92% of people trust the recommendations of friends and family to any other type of advertising.

But when we take word of mouth and transfer it to the world of influential marketing Instagram, we have a much more powerful tool to induce an impulsive decision.

Combined with Instagram's deployment of Instagram shopping tools for creators and creator purchases (where influencers can add brand tags to their messages through paid partnerships), consumers have very few obstacles to overcome before they add to the shopping cart.

So if you are a brand or business looking to increase online sales, Instagram should be your first portal.

And if you can integrate influence marketing into your strategy, there's a good chance that you can attract a new audience with high purchasing power!

How does Instagram change shopping # 4: cloud Tele shopping return?

There is no denying that Instagram Live has experienced some revival in recent months.

In fact, Facebook reported a 70% increase in real-time views from February to March, as creators and brands found new ways to use the platform during social distancing.

For Instagram, it seemed like a natural step forward to release Instagram Live features that help support small businesses and communities at this time.

Brands and creators who have access to Instagram Checkout can now tag products from their Facebook store or catalog before they are published. Recommended products are shown at the bottom of the video, so people can easily click to find out more and make a purchase.

This one small change means a major shift to a direct shopping channel like QVC! Now viewers can get shopping tips from the host, which means you can answer questions from your audience in real time, share product details or showcase product demonstrations, all with a live link to buy at the bottom of the screen.

Remember that Instagram Live streams can now be viewed on a desktop computer, which brings this television experience one step closer.

Tina Craig (@ bagsnob) was one of the first to use the new Live feature, promoting her latest product releases from her brand @ ubeauty.

And since the opportunities for marketing influencers on Instagram are only growing, it will soon become the norm to shop live on Instagram.

This is a win-win option for both sides.

As for brands, they can rely on influencers who promote and recommend their products to a new interested audience.

And for consumers, this gives us the opportunity to communicate with both brands and influencers supporting products in order to make much more informed decisions about buying.

Don't forget the added benefit of a simple customer journey to purchase. This channel-style experience could be the next big thing for brands.

As Instagram prepares to create an ecommerce-friendly future, it's time to try out some of the new tools and features available. If you're a brand or creator, there are a whole host of new ways to increase your sales and reach new audiences, so stay ahead of the competition as the number of purchases on social media isn't slowing down.

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