Are Social Media New Shopping Platform: Things You Should Know

There was a time when we used to use social media to connect with our friends and family members. Chatting and posting images of ourselves were the only ways we could engage with each other. 

Nonetheless, the scenario has changed pretty massively since then. 

Now, thanks to the rise of digital marketing, social media platforms have become eloquent marketing tools – and this is especially true for Instagram. 

Like Facebook, Instagram, too, began its journey as a typical social media platform, but with a unique twist. Instead of focusing too much on writing or chatting, it made sharing images the focal point of the forum.

However, due to its visual aesthetic, the platform soon became a place of marketing. To fuel the engine, even more, the application integrated a brand new feature called Instagram Shop. 

You can find the same feature on Facebook too. However, it’s not as well-designed and decorated as Instagram. 

Hence, to understand this issue efficiently, we’ll talk about Instagram Shop as a shopping platform and learn more about it.

Instagram Shop – An Overview 

The Instagram Shop, like the Facebook Marketplace, enables a business or a brand to turn a normal Instagram post into a shoppable cheer. Therefore, as a buyer, if you click on the link, you will be able to buy the product directly. 

However, to use the same, you will need to create a business profile of your organization. Besides, the amount of revenue you generate will depend on your profile’s engagement rating and the number of followers instagram you have. 

Why Should You Use The Instagram Shop Feature? 

The Instagram Shop can be beneficial for you in several aspects. Here’s what you need to know about it – 

Better Discoverability

Unlike any other social media platform, the overall discoverability of Instagram is pretty high. On this platform, you can create shoppable tags for your consumers, and they can buy your products just by clicking on them. The procedure is pretty quick and straightforward as well. 

Visual Marketing

Instagram is all about creating a visual aura regarding a subject. Due to this reason, it becomes easier for you to market on this platform, as you can show your products directly to a customer. Using videos is yet another way to improve your sales on Instagram. 

Quicker And Simpler

You can buy whatever you’re looking for on Instagram with just a simple click. If you’ve already added your online wallet with the platform, you can check out without spending too much time. Having such a short procedure can be ideal for streamlining a buyer’s journey. 

How Should You Set Up Your Instagram Shop?

You can take two different routes while setting up a shop on Instagram. Let’s keep reading to learn more about them. 

Choice – 1: Opt For A Visual Commerce Platform

As the name implies, a visual commerce platform can help you turn your social media posts into shoppable links. You can create a well-designed feed with it, too, to make it easier for your consumers to buy your products directly. 

Aside from this, a visual commerce platform can also aid you in adding –

Product details, 

Shoppable tags, 

Price, etc. 

… on your profile. Aside from the account posts, you can also curate user-generated content and promote your business organically. 

Finally, the shoppable link created in a visual commerce platform can also be shared on your wall,

Choice – 2: Instagram’s Shoppable Post 

The “shoppable post” feature, in essence, works a little differently than the previous option. With it, you will need to tag your product in a post and add a link to its checkout page respectively. Besides, you will also need to add –

The product’s images, 

Price,

Product description, and 

Checkout link, 

… separately. However, to use this feature, you will need to have a valid Instagram Business account and connect it with Facebook.

Final Thoughts 

As mentioned before, almost every social media platform available out there has a shopping feature to streamline a consumer’s buying journey. However, amongst them, Instagram is the best and most prominent option. 

In any case, if you want to learn about the other alternatives, too, make sure to let us know in the comment section below. We’ll help you out in any way we can.