So your favorite fashion blogger posted the most AMAZE outfit lineup for Fashion Week 2017 and you literally want to purchase like..all of it. But you’re not going to send her a message asking for every detail and she’s probably too busy reorganizing her shoe closet (oh, the life!) for her next blog post to answer you. So, what’s a girl to do?!
Enter: Instagram Shoppable Tags.
Since November 2016, Instagram has been testing a shopping feature that allows for business accounts to link apparel, jewelry, and beauty products directly to their Instagram pages. When hovering over a product in a photo, followers are able to see the name of a product, as well as the price. After clicking on the product, more details are revealed, such as a description, where to purchase it, as well as links to the details of other products (if any) shown in the post.
And just like that! Blogger’s, businesses’ and consumer’ lives alike are a little easier, sales and site visits get a quick boost, the lack of true communication between real people takes yet another dip (who needs to actually communicate with people anyway?), and it’s excitingly and alarmingly easy to empty your wallet with a few clicks.
At LMS, we jumped on the Shoppable Tags boat early and have been utilizing this feature for some of our clients, including our coconut powered beauty brand, Kopari and the top brand for plus-size beauty, Ashley Stewart, to much success!
So what’s the low down on this hot new tool?
PROS:
Pro #1— Simplify followers’ access to products: Rather than your followers constantly posting in your comments “Where can I buy this?,” you can include the link to the product directly in your post, allowing for them to click and buy within the app itself.
Pro #2— Tag multiple products in one post: This feature allows for you to tag up to 5 products in your post, giving your followers access to separate links to each specific product shown.
Pro #3— Increased site traffic: With discover to purchase as easy as ‘click, click, click” businesses are seeing a jump in sales through the platform. Companies like Kate Spade, J. Crew and Warby Parker have been loving the new feature and the experience it gives their consumers. According to the VP of Marketing for clothing brand, Lulus, they’ve seen that nearly 33% of people who tap to learn more about a product visit their site through ‘Shop Now’.
CONS:
Con #1— Availability: This feature is currently rolling out to the US only and is currently only available through a waitlist. Sign up to be on it here.
Con #2— You can only use the Shoppable Tags in single image posts: This feature is currently unavailable in carousel, boomerang and gif posts.
Con #3 — Engagement: With this new roll out, there is potential for a decrease in engagement as followers may no longer need to comment to ask about a product as often. However, with great content comes great engagement, so keep followers interested and intrigued to comment in other ways!
Interested in tagging products on your Instagram?
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
Make sure your page is converted to a Business Profile, you are selling apparel, jewelry, or beauty products, and your account is in English. Next, simply apply to the waitlist and get tagging!
Learn more about how LMS can boost your business’ social media presence by visiting www.wearelms.com.
