According to Instagram data, 42% of women on Instagram say they love to shop and consider it a hobby. With over 300 million shoppers using Instagram Stories every day, Instagram’s recent rollout of shoppable stories is big news for brands and consumers.
Brands using shoppable stories can tag their stories with specific products that Instagram users can then click on to see more information about the product. This includes a link to the brand’s website so they can purchase. Genius.
Instagrammers are a savvy breed. In a recent survey, 33% of users said interest in brands or products grew after customers saw their Stories. With the recent introduction of shoppable stories, engaged users can now shop directly from brands in Instagram Stories.
Getting the Story Straight
Different to traditional Instagram posts, stories operate in a format similar to a slideshow of photos and videos which last 24 hours, then disappear. Since launching stories, around 400 million daily users interact with the content.
The temporary nature of Stories makes them impactful in so many ways. Tapping into the psychology of FOMO (fear of missing out), users connect with the in-the-moment, ephemeral feel of the content and react to the sense of urgency. Getting this combo right from a brand’s perspective can have a seriously positive impact on conversions and engagement.
The foray into shoppable Stories changes the playing field for both users and brands, pushing the media into a super-charged, visually driven shopping platform. If you’re a brand with a store and a story, it’s time to get on board the Shoppable Story train.
How it Works
To use Shoppable Stories as a brand, you need to set up a business account that’s approved for shopping. Once this is done, you can add a shopping tag to any story and customise it. When a shopper or user taps on that product sticker, they’re directed to a product details page. Here, they can see additional product images, details and similar items, as well as a link to your mobile site where they can complete a purchase.
With stats showing almost 60% of consumers purchased a product they first saw on social media, the potential for brands to capitalise on Shoppable Stories is tremendous.
Earlier this month, BigCommerce announced the Shopping in Instagram Stories is now available for all BigCommerce customers. Not only is the rollout seamless but it gives brands more organic opportunities to push traffic to their websites and close the loop on their customers.
Shopping in Explore
In addition to Shoppable Stories, Instagram will be rolling out a ‘shopping channel’ inside Explore. Like other suggestions in Explore, the content would be personalised to each user, ultimately providing a curated feed of shoppable posts from various sellers. While still in its infancy, the feature takes personalisation to the next level and presents an enormous opportunity for brands to reach the rights users at the right time.
Because the channel is based on each user’s specific interests, brands with Shoppable Stories have a greater chance of being discovered by a group of active and engaged users. It’s the ultimate scenario of right place, right time.
Last year alone, over 35% of eCommerce sales happened on mobile, and considering Instagram is a mobile app, the potential is huge. With more brands offering mobile-first shopping experiences, it’s only a matter of time before social shopping takes over.
