“Tis the season to be jolly!” indeed, because Instagram has recently released 3 brand new shopping features. With Christmas already ringing its bells (literally!), these tools come just in time for you to perfect your Instagram marketing strategy for the holidays. But, besides that, we have a small confession to make: these 3 new shopping features bring us joy not only from a professional standpoint, but also from a personal one. After all, we have so many presents to buy and so little time!

Christmas spirit aside, the 3 new shopping features from Instagram can do your social media strategy tons of good even after the season will be over. Sure, the holidays are the perfect time to test the new shopping features and promote your campaigns even stronger. But think of this as a hard-trial for what’s to come in 2019. We do hope that you’re having one eye on this Christmas’ strategy and another on your social media schedule for 2019. Good! Because we’re going to tell you all about the 3 new features so you can start thinking about how you can work them into your social media plan. This year and the next.

New Instagram shopping feature no 1: The Instagram ‘Shop’ Tab

So far, Instagram has gently danced around the shopping possibilities it allowed brands to play with. Now, things couldn’t be more official: Instagram and shopping go hand in hand with the new shopping feature that allows Instagram Business profiles to add a ‘Shop’ button directly on their profile page. This is HUGE. That means brands will be able to redirect users to all the products used in their Instagram shoppable posts thus far.

New Instagram shopping feature no 1: The Instagram ‘Shop’ Tab
New Instagram shopping feature no 1: The Instagram ‘Shop’ Tab

This new shopping feature brings some well-deserved integration to the shopping experience a business can create on Instagram. Social media managers will now be able to get even more creative with their shopping campaigns and ping-pong the user journey from posts to the ‘Shop’ tab or vice-versa. And, of course, the Christmas campaigns are the best chance they have at making this spark like a firework (please excuse the seasonal metaphor). With followers even more open to shop during this period or actually wanting to do get some goodies inspired by Instagram, the path is clearly opened and the ‘Shop’ button as well.

New Instagram shopping feature no. 2: Shopping tags come to feed videos

Up until now, you could create image shoppable posts. From now on the creative possibilities get even wider with the ability to use video as well. It’s no longer a secret that Instagram has transformed window shopping into an online experience – Instagram product manager Layla Amjadi clearly states this. So, every post, every Story and now every video can get followers into the window shopping mood and move them one step closer to actually purchasing a product.

Creating videos with shoppable products enables brands to tell a more engaging story and capture the followers’ attention in full. Once they have that attention, with the help of the shopping bag located at the corner of the video, brands will encourage followers to click and see the products that appeared in the video. In our opinion, this new shopping feature Instagram enabled is the one that can make the biggest difference in a brand’s social media strategy because it allows for so many creative opportunities. Question is: are you willing to go the extra mile? We hope so, because that’s the only way in which you’ll be able to get that extra customer.

New Instagram shopping feature no. 3: Shopping collection

You might run a social media channel on Instagram as a business, but in other cases you’re also a customer and you know, in the bottom of your heart, that this new shopping feature will hit the sweet spot. Fact is, we all do a little dance around a new product before deciding if we’ll buy it or not. But, if the product catches our eye on Instagram, we’ll like to have it in handy. And here’s where the shopping collection feature steps in. Followers will be able to save their favorite products in a shopping collection.

New Instagram shopping feature no. 3: Shopping collection
New Instagram shopping feature no. 3: Shopping collection

If you look at this new Instagram shopping feature from the perspective of a business, then you’ll soon realise that you might have to shift your strategy a little bit. You’ll, naturally, want more posts about your products, but you’ll also want to keep them fresh in order to always excite the followers. However, having your products in a more permanent selection will drastically increase your chances of making sales. Since it’s Christmas, we’re going to temporarily refer to the shopping collection as the wishlist for the holidays or even present list. See where we’re going with this, right? Good. Then start scheduling your posts. Preppr will help you.

Deck the halls with shopping features!

Overall the new Instagram shopping features are awesome news for your Christmas strategy and social media campaigns. With 3 new features on hand you’ll be able to devise new creative ways for engagement and increase your sales during the holidays.

But, as you might have guessed, there’s a catch. Aas any new feature Instagram announces, these will also first only be available to a selected number of businesses and countries to be tested in full. You’ll also need to get verified before being accepted into the ‘shoppable’ circle of profiles who can use the features. To learn all there is to know about how to set up the shoppable features (and if you can), read the Instagram guidelines.

However, even if you’re not among the lucky accounts who get to play with these features right away, it’s never too early to start planning your strategy for when you’ll be able to. And, in the meantime, if the features are available in your country, enjoy them from the standpoint of a customer.

Deck the halls with shopping features!
Deck the halls with shopping features!

No matter the case, these Instagram holidays will take shopping to a new level. And, if you ask us, we believe that Instagram will continue to introduce new features that will allow businesses to merchandise more through the platform. Maybe it’s a new year’s resolutions. Maybe.

Also recommende read: Instagram Stories | How to make the most out of the shopping tags and Selfie GIFs

Author

Ilona Iftode is a copywriter with a taste for adventure. She lives to write, travel and explore new concepts in the realms of advertising, marketing, SEO and beyond.

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