Every month, over 90 million Instagram users utilize the product tags on Instagram posts. As they are scrolling through their feed, they see something they like and click to learn more. However, these easy-to-use tags were only available on an Instagram post—if a brand used Instagram Stories to promote a product, the tagging was not available, until now. Instagram has introduced product stickers that can be added to a brand’s story, making it effortless for customers to purchase the products they love.
Instagram has two ways for users to interact with a brand: through posts and stories. Posts are a great option because they stay on the page until they are deleted, but stories provide a more intriguing approach. Brands make posts that are only available for a limited time, and when a story is added, that brand is featured at the top of a follower’s feed. To users, a story is a more exclusive look at the brand, and with the new interactive brand stickers, they are even more alluring from a marketing standpoint.
Stickers are a huge part of Instagram Stories. Brands use them to add everything from locations to hashtags, and so the product stickers just make sense. When the product sticker is added to a story, the brand can customize the color of the text to complement the product and then position it on the photo however they want (but the product itself should always be the focal point). Then, when a user clicks on the sticker, they will be taken to a detailed product page within the Instagram platform, where they will see product details, additional images, and a link to purchase the product from the company’s mobile site.
Another exciting feature announced by Instagram is their new Explore option. It is still in the testing phase, but it is expected to roll out globally soon. Explore is essentially a customized feed for users that is comprised of strictly shopping posts. Instagram’s algorithm will determine the style and preferences of the user and show them shopping posts that should be of interest to them. This is a great way for brands to get discovered by people who don’t already follow them. As a brand, you will just want to make sure to tag products in your posts and use hashtags that describe your product so Instagram can show you to the right audience within the Explore feature.
Instagram is already one of the most popular social media sites for ecommerce brands, and with these new features, it is only going to gain in popularity. To learn more about how to use Instagram marketing to your benefit, contact Zero Gravity Marketing today.