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| Image Credits: Instagram |
Instagram is launching its TikTok rival, Shopping in Reels, today. As part of a continuing series of shopping-related changes to the Instagram platform, the latest feature was revealed in October as something the firm had in the works. With today's launch, as they make Reels, all brands and producers will be able to tag products—the short-form videos that now have their own Instagram tab since the redesign last month.
Many Reels still have shopping stuff, such as fashion styles, makeup and skincare, or other product how-tos the company notes. When users with this content see an Instagram Reel, they will now be able to press a "View Products" button to either order, save or read more about the featured products.
In addition, producers can apply to their Reels a "Branded Content" tag to be clear on whether they work to advertise their goods with a company, which is a form of paid marketing.
The upgrade makes Instagram shopping an even greater priority than it has always been, which comes at a time when video-based shopping is seeing accelerated acceptance. A increasing number of companies concentrating on live-stream video shopping are gaining success in particular. In recent months, investors have funded businesses including live shopping sites Popshop Live and Bambuser, for example, while big tech companies, including Alibaba, Amazon, Google and JD.com, have all entered the video shopping movement in different ways.
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| Image Credits: Instagram |
Perhaps most notably, Instagram competitor TikTok recently collaborated with Shopify on e-commerce and today caters to companies that either advertise directly or operate on its site with influencers, cutting into the business of Instagram. As the Trump ban had pushed the business to enter talks around a U.S. departure, TikTok had also raised attention from Walmart. And the 2020 TikTok app edged out Instagram as one of the most downloaded applications in the country, suggesting a seismic change in how millennial social media users communicate.
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| Image Credits: Instagram |
Instagram has redesigned the platform, aiming not to be left behind, to much customer backlash as it migrated main home screen elements, with the intention of becoming a top online shopping destination, as well. When consumers checkout the app using Facebook Pay, the company earns sales, which would help it to make money outside of running advertising.
Instagram users can now shop from Stream, Stories, Live, IGTV and with this new update, Reels footage.
The company says the feature, beginning today, is rolling out globally.
