Shoppable Posts in 2021

We’re all glued to our phones, scrolling through social media, checking out the latest Instagram posts. It’s no secret capitalizing on social media has an enormous impact on businesses, and with Instagram’s new shoppable post feature, this is all the more true. They have made it easy for customers to shop for their favorite brands, all from one app. Shoppable posts have endless benefits for brands, influencers, and consumers as well, and here’s how your business can capitalize on this feature.

For Brands

If you’re a brand in 2021, you better have a killer social media presence. Not only for brand awareness but for sales! Your followers can now buy your products directly on Instagram. Your brand can list their products in the “IG Shop,” and users can then check it out in the shop or navigate your brand’s website to finish their transaction. For brands, this means each post has a much higher chance of leading to a sale.

screenshot of Gillz Instagram profile with arrow pointing to "view shop" button

Once an item has been added to a user’s cart, Instagram will even send them reminders to finish their purchase. This helps with conversion rates and creates a seamless shopping experience. Users can also save items to their wishlist for purchases at a later date. As a brand, you can also tag products in your in-feed posts. They’re marked with a shopping bag logo in the top right-hand corner of the post. When the tag is clicked on, it takes the user directly to the product featured in the post.

screenshot of Instagram shop with Gillz apparel/ Arrow and text highlighting shop and wishlist features,
screenshot of a shoppable instagram feed. Arrows highlighting shoppale post iconsin upper right hadn corner of each post
In-feed Instagram post with arrow highlighting product tag

The Downside

There are some downsides for brands. Instagram charges a transaction fee of 5% per shipment or $0.40 per order. All customer communications and data are kept by Instagram. Brands do not have access to it. Instagram is a business, after all. The app has created a way for brands, influencers, and Instagram to make a buck off your scrolling habits. 

Influencers

We’ve preached before about the value of influencers in a previous blog post, and we all know social media influencers can be very powerful. Influencers can now create shoppable posts themselves. When an influencer makes an in-feed post, they can tag the brand featured. When users click on the “paid partnership” disclaimer, they will be taken to said brand’s Instagram page. The brand will even be able to see the metrics and insights from the influencer’s post.

Collaborating with influencers produces content for the brand and increases the likelihood of a post showing up on the discovery page. Influencers can now even tag brands in stories, posts, and reels. Making this user-generated content valuable to businesses and sometimes reposted to their social media accounts. 

White screen with text and product lays for apparel. Screenshot highlighting "in this video" feature for shapable posts on instagram.

Need some help?

When curating your social media strategy, make sure your brand uses social media to the fullest extent. Features like shoppable posts are a great way to engage your customers in a familiar space on a platform they already use.

Read more about shoppable posts via this step-by-step guide to shoppable posts, or contact us here at James Ross if you’re looking for a social media marketing agency to help elevate your online presence and incorporate this absolutely required tool into your business’s social media strategy.