Why Instagram is Building a Standalone E-commerce Site Entrepreneurs and Bloggers get ready

Instagram is one of the most popular apps in the world. Available on both Android and iOS users, the app has over 1 billion downloads. That is a seventh of the world’s population. Now not many apps have been able to conquer that feat, but Instagram is one of them. Among other popular apps like Facebook and WhatsApp, among others.

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The site is popular for its photo filters, and assembling beautiful pictures online through their photo editing software. Fans get to follow their favorite celebrities and search and follow the accounts covering their interests. Over time, the opportunities for Instagram grew, as with any other popular social media platform. Instagram users including entrepreneurs and bloggers started becoming influencers in their communities from their increased following. As a result, companies started reaching out; and they have since become brand ambassadors and unexpected entrepreneurs.

In a more purposeful way, posts shared by influential fashion bloggers, do-it-yourselfers and the likes became a platform to sell what they were wearing or provide links to the websites that sold them to make an extra buck. With increasing success, some have continued to go and launch their own clothing lines or collaborated with clothing labels and brands. To the delight of their fans, followers and collaborators, some of these social media personalities, and those who are not have also had success in using Instagram as a marketing tool.

After years of this, Instagram has recognized the power held within, and they have gone from launching their own streaming service IGTV, to launching their own e-commerce site. With figures like 60pc of the Instagram users, seek and discover new products on Instagram, it is no wonder they had to launch IG Shopping. A soon to staple for brands that want to make a social connection with their customers and make an impact with online selling, through the most popular photo sharing app.

Quality photos have always been what sets Instagram apart, and for influencers, an interesting and consistent feed is important to keep followers coming back. Initially first launched in February of this year, by midyear Instagram had updated IG shopping by introducing select brands to shop from through their IG stories. An estimated 400 million users watch stories on the app each month, making this a resourceful way to sell through the visual inspiration for every brand.

Instagram shopping is easy to set up for the purpose of driving sales and making new prospects for business. It also gives you the chance to identify if you have a shoppable brand through increased engagement and impact. Through Facebook, businesses get approved, and they can sell physical items (for now) through IG shopping. All businesses must follow the merchant agreement and commerce policy to be enabled thereafter, a product catalog needs to be set up on Facebook using the Canadian Shopify or Big Commerce.

The catalog serves as a visual for what you will be able to tag when you make a post for the items available for sale to your customers through Instagram. The catalog set up through Facebook will allow you to add a shop section on your Facebook page. It is then reviewed by Instagram and approved for shopping! In a few quick and easy steps, your introduction into e-commerce is set up and ready to go. Instagram users can now shop from their accounts and get their orders delivered.

Now while this process has worked overtime, Instagram is making plans to launch their own site. Given that one in every five users follows a business, launching their own full-blown platform does make sense. Since several businesses have made their debuts and their money by using Instagram alone it will be no surprise should they move their accounts altogether or have them moved automatically via their business accounts. This new move will give entrepreneurs who are building their brand on the platform a chance to grow, whilst directly challenging other platforms.