Facebook owned Instagram announced the launch of shopping on its long-form video platform IGTV earlier this month. Brands and Influencers can now tag products in their videos, which are then available to purchase from within Instagram. From the consumer UX, viewers can tap items they see in videos and complete their purchase either through Instagram’s direct checkout feature or the seller’s website, per the announcement. The social platform is also expected to begin testing shopping on the short-form video platform Reels later this year.
According to new data from IBM’s U.S. Retail Index, the pandemic has accelerated the shift away from physical stores to digital shopping by roughly five years, signaling to retailers and social platforms the need to ramp their efforts to cash in on social selling.
Here is a quick snapshot of online shopping trends as of October 2020:
“By bringing shopping to IGTV and Reels, we’re making it easy to shop directly from videos. And in turn, helping sellers share their story, reach customers, and make a living,” Instagram Chief Operating Officer Justin Osofsky said in a press statement.
With the addition of IGTV Shopping and the test market for Reel launching in the next few weeks, Instagram is also considering giving real estate on the app’s navigation bar to further entice consumers to shop their favorite brands directly from the app.
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