Instagram Rolls Out 3 New Shopping Features

Instagram is ever-changing – with a whole host of tools making their debut on the platform every month, it can be hard to keep up with the what’s what of new features. In June it was IGTV, October saw a crackdown on bots – and November’s offering? Three convenient (and with Christmas fast approaching, conveniently timed) shopping features. If, like us, you’ve only just got to grips with the Instagram Stories of yesteryear, worry not – we’ve done our homework and condensed it all down into easy-to-digest chunks so you can spend less time fiddling and more time shopping (or more importantly, selling). iPhones at the ready..

SHOPPING COLLECTION

Praise the social media lords – the days of having folders upon folders full of screenshots are coming to a close. No longer will users have to trawl through a myriad of photos to find the skirt they saw on their favourite influencer – this new feature means that Instagrammers will be able to save products directly from Stories or their Feed to a ‘Shopping Collection’ of self-curated goods, ready to be bought at their disposable.

@attpynta

@attpynta

SHOP TAB

Originally launched in September, Instagram’s Shop Tab has had a makeover. Browsers can access it by visiting a business profile and tapping on the ‘Shop’ button to have a look at all the things on offer. This is great news for product-based businesses, as it offers yet another avenue through which people can buy their goods. After all, the platform reported that last year 80% of users followed a brand by choice.

@finerylondon

@finerylondon

THE SHOPPING IN FEED VIDEOS

Long-gone are the days that Instagram was just about photos – 2018 has gone all out on the moving image. Ever the opportunist, the platform has devised a new feature in which users can buy products directly from videos – simply click on the shopping icon in the bottom left hand corner of the post to see the products in question.

So, if you’re not using Instagram’s shopping features yet, now is as good a time as any to start – make the most of the Christmas period and turn your followers into frequent shoppers, with a multitude of purchases to prove it.

@allbirds

@allbirds

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Rosie Davies