Earlier this year, Instagrammers were rejoicing with news that shoppable Instagram posts are finally available Down Under. We can neither confirm nor deny dancing at Woven HQ when this news broke… jokes aside, here’s why business owners around the country are thrilled.
Back in 2016, Instagram announced plans to trial a range of ecommerce focused product tags - this allowed retailers in the US to tag items with relevant product and pricing information. From there, once a customer clicked on an image on Instagram, they were taken to an online store so that they could go ahead and view and purchase the product.
Before Instagram Shopping’s launch, if people wanted to buy products directly from the social media platform, they would need to leave the App and search for the item online or via a third party tool. The shoppable tags make for a seamless user experience via Instagram given buying a product is now only a few clicks away.
Finally, in March this year, Instagram confirmed that Instagram Shopping is now available in Australia.
“We’re thrilled to be the first international market outside of Europe and the Americas to enable ‘Shopping’ for our local community, providing businesses and retailers of all sizes with the tools to connect with customers in a fresh, immersive way,” said Naomi Shepherd, Group Industry Director, Facebook and Instagram ANZ.
If you’re a regular on Instagram, you may have already noticed that brands such as Country Road, Myer and Peppermayo are already taking advantage of their new-found access to Instagram shopping tags.
So, how can you set-up your account to enable Instagram Shopping? Check out Social Media Examiner for a more in-depth explanation but here’s a quick-start guide:
- Your profile must be set to your business account.
- Ensure you’re the admin of the page.
- Use your Facebook shop to upload products or do so via your product account through a business manager (for example, your ecommerce provider).
Still tossing up whether to test the waters with Instagram Shopping? Consider these statistics from Instagram who contend that globally, over 200 million users visit a business profile each day. Additionally, 80 per cent of Instagram users follow at least one business on the platform - pretty incredible statistics… think about how you use Instagram. We’re sure you’re following at least one brand on the platform (even if you don’t realise it).
If you ask us, Instagram’s latest move packs a lot of potential and is well overdue for retailers with a decent and loyal Instagram following. A couple of drawbacks at this stage include that a shoppable tag can only include a link out to one site and that shoppable Instagram posts can’t be scheduled, which is of vital importance to most marketers these days. There’s a good chance these issues will be addressed in good time.
Looking for tips to maximise your Instagram presence? While we’re talking about Instagram, keep these three tips in mind when looking at your Strategy for the social media platform:
#1: Consistency
Try not to go MIA on your followers. Establish a posting schedule and stick to it as much as possible and never go more than a couple of days without posting. Your consistency will be rewarded in the long-term.
#2: Engage with your customers
Social media is all about being… social! When customers comment on your posts, get in there and engage with them. As with any social media channel, you need to monitor Instagram and ensure you’re responding where relevant. Be pro-active and think about creating a clever hashtag for your brand.
#3: Measure
There are plenty of options out there for tracking your statistics and it’s incredibly important that you are measuring everything so that you can monitor your performance week-to-week and month-to-month. Yell out if you need a hand finding the perfect measurement tool for your business’ social media needs.
If your target market is likely to be active on Instagram, reach out and we’ll get you started with a Social Media Strategy that incorporates Instagram Shopping and generates tangible results for your business.
