Shoppable posts are a feature of Instagram which allows businesses from around the globe to embed shopping links into their native posts. This has been a boon for Instagram business accounts and e-commerce retailers from a variety of industries. The value add of shoppable posts comes from the convenience to the end user and the organic nature of the posts. Rather than needing to purchase ad space or send users to a separate website, this integration allows e-commerce businesses to leverage their social media presence into sales.
Of course, shoppable posts are not perfect for all businesses. By understanding exactly what shoppable posts are, how Instagram business accounts can benefit e-commerce companies, and how to implement shoppable tags, you can determine whether Instagram shoppable tags can improve your customer experience and drive sales moving forward.
What are Instagram Shoppable Posts?
Shoppable posts from Instagram are virtually identical to any normal post at a glance. As with all Instagram posts, they are either a photo, video, or a series of photos/videos with a description below including hashtags and other related information. The primary difference is that shoppable posts include additional tags on items which can be followed by users to check out in the app. For example, major retailers such as The Gap or Nike can label each individual item of clothing in a post for purchase.
Previously, shopping on Instagram had been about pushing customers to the retailers’ webpages or to their Instagram profiles. The old system was extremely inefficient as users generally would have to click at least two links before being taken away from the app to a different website to make a potential purchase. Starting in 2018, shoppable posts have streamlined the shopping experience for users and for e-commerce retailers.
Potential Benefits of Shoppable Posts
So what are some of the reasons businesses should consider adopting shoppable posts on Instagram? Here are just a few of the benefits businesses and consumers can reap from shoppable posts.
Instagram shoppable posts allow for creative tagging on posts
With shoppable posts, creators and businesses are able to use tags as both visual representations and ways to express information about a potential product. Tags are generally collapsable within the image and can be used creatively to jive with an existing brand identity.
Shoppable posts combine organic posts with sales opportunities
Modern consumers are savvy. They understand when they are being pitched something, particularly when that sales pitch is occurring in the middle of their social media feed. Rather than buying ads on Instagram, brands can use their existing social media presence to show new products and/or services in a way that both drives potential sales and continues with the accounts general message and feel.
Instagram has a very high rate of conversion
Much like many of us use Google to answer simple questions, a large percentage of consumers search hashtags on Instagram to find content within a certain hobby or interest. Furthermore, Instagram shoppable posts and advertisements have a sky high rate of 75% when it comes to users taking action after seeing an ad or shoppable post on Instagram.
Instagram Shoppable Posts are native and allow for quick and easy sales
One of the best ways to lose a customer in the e-commerce space is to make them wait and/or navigate a series of links. The average consumer spends less than four (4) minutes on e-commerce sites on average. Three in four consumers also make a purchase decision within half an hour of their initial click. Combine these behaviors and it becomes easy to see why pushing for fast and convenient check-outs is so vital in the e-commerce space.
How Instagram Shoppable Tags Work
Once your business account has been approved as an online retailer, you can begin using shoppable tags on your Instagram posts. Businesses can use shoppable tags both on posts and in their Instagram stories. The key to shoppable tags is their connection to your Facebook catalog. The engine that powers shoppable posts runs through the catalog of product you establish through Facebook/Instagram. This enables tagging, online sales, and checkout.
The four primary categories available through the cataloging system are e-commerce, travel, real estate, and auto. It is possible to either upload product information directly through Facebook or connect your Facebook/Instagram e-commerce catalog to an existing e-commerce platform. In either case, entries must exist for every product you intend to tag through shoppable posts or shoppable stories.
Once you begin using shoppable tags, Instagram will provide sales figures, reach, interactions, impressions, and other brand metrics measurable per item, post, and tag. The bottom line is that incorporating shoppable posts into a pre-existing Instagram account is a great way to leverage social media followings into sales.
Social Media Marketing from Clock Tower Insight
Clock Tower Insight is proud to work with a wide range of B2C and B2B industries, including retail, CPG, food service, and advertising organizations. We believe in using powerful, cutting edge research to offer brand-specific insights. With this insight, we work with brands to turn the data into actionable information, and eventually into business growth. Our services include brand positioning, customer experience management, social media marketing and much more.
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