Insights
Head of Creative
Social Media
Instagram has released Instagram checkout, an update to its shopping tool, to a select number of brands. The update means that users are able to buy directly from the brand’s Instagram page without having to leave the app.
After clicking through a brand’s shopping post, users will be shown the product page with the price, colour and size options. They will also see a ‘Checkout on Instagram’ button, where they are able to enter their payment details and pay within the app. Payment details will be saved securely for future in-app purchases, and all delivery notifications will be received within Instagram.
Instagram checkout has benefits for both brands, and consumers. Being able to buy without needing to leave the platform delivers a quicker and easier purchase path for customers, which reduces the likelihood that they will abandon the checkout, while saved payment details makes it even easier to make future purchases.
Many brands have still yet to utilise Instagram in their marketing strategy, preferring instead to rely on Facebook as the results are quicker and easier to see. However, with a rapidly growing userbase and the launch of several ecommerce-friendly updates, it’s a tool that should not be ignored.
Getting on Instagram is a huge priority for brands without a current presence. For those who are on Instagram, ensuring you are set up as a business account, posting regular content, engaging with customers and utilising the shopping features is the next step.
Instagram’s move to a more commercially-focused model means brands can now use Instagram to generate sales, rather than solely to drive brand awareness and engagement.
It’s important to review your strategy and make sure it is aligned with this model; you should have business-led goals and objectives, as well as audience-based KPIs. Tying up the gap between your posts, and your products, should be the aim of your social strategy for ecommerce brands on Instagram.
It’s not just the overall strategy that brands need to shake up; this update is a stark wake-up call that social content needs to be more than just an image and some copy. Every post should have a goal, with the visual and the caption working together to sell a lifestyle or dream. Each post is an opportunity to sell a product, why waste it?
Instagram has stated the change will be rolling out to more and more business pages, so make sure you have Instagram shopping set up and working correctly so that you’re ready to hit the ground running when the update arrives for you.
Insights
Insights
Insights