This past June, Instagram began testing shopping tags within stories. This feature allows brands and advertisers to place a shopping bag icon on products within an image in their story, which upon clicking, provides product information, and links to the brand’s website for purchase.
As it was recently reported that more than 90 million accounts have been using this feature on a monthly basis, and with more than 400 million users engaging in Instagram Stories on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that Instagram is cashing in on more shopping opportunities.
The Instagram Stories shopping feature is now being rolled out globally. And, expanding on this even further, the platform also launched a dedicated Shopping channel within its Explore tab. The Shopping channel will allow users to find products from brands that they follow, and in turn discover new brands as well.
These new platform updates signal a new opportunity and strategy shift for marketers, as Instagram is proving itself to be not only another avenue to reach potential consumers, but also serve as an e-commerce channel as well.