Since launching in 2010, Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app into one of the most robust and business-friendly e-commerce channels. It’s a digital marketer’s playground, and the introduction of the new checkout feature makes it even easier to shop, shop, shop.
Move over sweet, simple photo sharing, Instagram is disrupting the e-commerce scene – and it means big business.
Since it launched its enhanced global shopping solutions in 2018 — which gave us features including shopping stickers for Stories, a shopping destination in Explore, the ability to tag products in posts and a revamp of the shop tab — Instagram has been gradually facilitating the demand for instant online shopping.
And the social media platform’s latest feature — Instagram checkout — has taken it up a notch. Initially launched in the US in March, this new global feature lets Instagram’s 1 billion monthly active users purchase products faster, easier, and more often — without even having to navigate away from the app.
As Instagram puts it:
‘As we’ve continued to invest in shopping, we’ve heard feedback from our community that they want to do even more. When they get that spark of inspiration, people want to do what’s right for them, whether it’s saving a product for later, sharing it with a friend for feedback or buying it then and there.’
Sound simple? It really is.
With Instagram Checkout, all users have to do is tap the product tab to open a product page. From there, shoppers will be able to see variations of the product and make a purchase by clicking the ‘Checkout with Instagram’ CTA button.
First-time users will need to enter their personal information and payment details. But Instagram will securely save and store this information so users can get an even speedier shopping experience going forward.
Once the purchase is complete, buyers will get shipping and delivery notifications directly in the app. They can also track their purchase from the new Orders section of their profile, which not only gives the status of any orders but also offers options to cancel, return, or contact the seller.
What’s next?
Though it’s a brand new feature that’s exclusive to a handful of retailers at the moment, Instagram Checkout is a reliable sign of the disruption to come. Realising the potential to compete with e-commerce sites like Amazon, it’s likely that social platforms will increasingly feature more safe and speedy buying options like this as time goes on.
When it comes to digital marketing, Instagram Checkout is only available for products shown in organic posts at the moment. Nevertheless, this feature is likely to drive more businesses to focus on Instagram as a platform to market their products — which is likely to result in using both organic posts and paid ads.
To find out more about optimising your digital marketing so your e-commerce strategy stays one step ahead of the competition — and the trends — click here to speak to one of our digital marketing experts.
