Instagram Shopping: What is it and how does it work?

Various social networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram have remained on the sidelines of the commercial sector due to their innovations and updates on their platforms.

This is mainly due to the fact that more and more companies, brands and businesses seek to expand their horizons through these channels .

A special case is what happens with Instagram, since for some time it has promoted Instagram Shopping, a window that helps businesses and brands sell their products or services with the same experience of using this social network.

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram Shopping is a tool from the same social network that helps to sell products through the same Instagram formula, that is, through photographs or any audiovisual resource.

It looks like a normal post, however, you have the option to tag up to 5 products per image and up to 20 different products per carousel.

Within the same publication it is possible to create shortcuts to know the prices and descriptions of the product. There is also a way to go to the store's website to purchase it.

In short, Instagram Shopping operates as a set of functions that allows users to easily purchase the products of the brands or businesses that interest them.

They can do it from the photos and videos of any brand with an Instagram profile.

How does Instagram Shopping work?

This Instagram tool has a functionality that can be described as follows:

1. Creation of a commercial account.
2. Design and creation of a product catalogue.
3. Labeling of products to be able to buy them.
4. Acquisition of products by the client.
5. Making payment and shipping the product to the customer.

In a certain way, the buying and selling experience is facilitated , since it makes it much more dynamic, innovative, creative and easy to live with.

Likewise, it appeals to the visual sense to stimulate the customer to purchase something from our catalogue, that is the magic of Instagram Shopping.

Benefits of Instagram Shopping

Instagram Shopping takes advantage of the experience of browsing the social network itself to develop unique benefits of this tool. Some of these advantages are:

• Improve reach and traffic. Instagram enters the ranking of the most used and popular social networks in the world. You can naturally expand the audience size of any brand or business, as long as the right strategies are used.
• Greater sales. In addition to the previous point, sales can increase due to the reach that the publications can have.
• Better visibility. The products will have greater relevance and visibility in the feed of active users. This will make it easier for potential customers to quickly identify a business.
• Improved customer experience. Instagram, by itself, is usually a social network that is characterized by visual resources and materials, that is, almost no text predominates. So directly seeing the products without other resources that steal your attention can improve your experience.

Available Instagram Shopping Features

According to the official Instagram Shopping site, some of its main functions are the following:

• Purchase labels. These are badges that are included in the publications so that the user can buy the product from the application or through the website.
• Stores. They are digital and fully customizable storefronts where it is possible to buy the products from the business profiles.
• Collections. As the name indicates, they are sets or groups of products that share characteristics or elements, so that customers can easily find their favorite products.
• Ads with product labels. It is about advertising where the publications with are shown at the beginning of possible clients or people who are interested in the product.
• Page with product details. It is a site where the complete and relevant information of an article is displayed; from the price to the description.
• Product's release. This feature allows businesses to announce their item releases on Instagram. This option is complemented by reminders that customers can schedule.
• Live shopping. Follow the Live Shopping formula, where products can be purchased while the brand or business broadcasts live on Instagram. This generates a hook and improves the relationship between the audience and the company.

As business needs evolve, new features, tools, and benefits may be added to Instagram Shopping.

In conclusion

Without a doubt, this application is one of the fundamental ideas and tools that every business should have, as long as its products, articles, and population suit it.

The customer experience is able to improve, as well as the sales rate, through an innovative tool such as Instagram Shopping.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After being in charge of several digital businesses and advising several other businesses; I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.

If you want more information on this topic or you are looking for other options to profile your ideal client, at MHA you will find the solution you need. Schedule a call