Instagram wants to create a simplified shopping experience for its users.
Today, they have tested out "shoppapble photo tags" in the US for the very first time.
This first trial run was only a test, and big brands like Macy's, Kate Spade and Abercrombie participated.
And this is how the new feature works:
The retailer posts a picture with one of his products, and a "tap to view" button will appear on the bottom.
When you tap on it, then the tags will appear on the picture - displaying the title, price and description.
The user can then tap on the "Shop Now" Button and will be taken to the company's mobile website to purchase it directly.
This shopping experience is integrated into the Instagram app itself, so it loads much quicker than a redirection to the browser.
And if you don't like what you see, you can return to your Instagram feed with a simple swipe.
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While Instagram doesn't charge a fee for this service, they plan to earn revenue for it through another way:
Later on, they want retailers to pay for this feature and display it in feeds of users who are not following them.
That way, Instagram will give the businesses a whole new possibility to reach customers.
Instagram currently already offers product ads, but the difference is that a customer doesn't always want to buy on impulse.
The current ads directly link to a checkout site in the browser (not in the Instagram App itself) - but the shoppable tags feature lets you compare different colors and see the price with a single tap.
Instagram is also thinking about a "save for later" feature, so that customers who are unsure about buying can return to their product more easily.
The design of the shoppable tags is light and unobtrusive - on purpose.
Instead of presenting the users with a product and a price right away, the "tap to view" button must be activated first, revealing additional information about the product.
Since Instagram doesn't allow clickable links in picture descriptions, sellers always had to refer to the link in their bio if they wanted the customer to shop. The new shoppable tags function makes that much easier for the user.
While today's test run was nothing more than that, Instagram is planning to expand the new shopping function in the future.
They are planning on offering it in different countries, videos and photo carousels as well.
It's always been obvious that Social Media Giant Instagram would find a way to integrate ads and shopping - especially since being owned by facebook, and expert in advertising.
But it's nice to see that they chose such a clean and unobtrusive way to integrate shopping into the user experience - without taking away from the beauty of the pictures.
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