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Instagram announces Shopping feature to boost transactions within app
Shopping feature will ease small business marketing as it unifies product catalogue and transaction tools in one account.
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The Shopping feature will ease small business marketing as it unifies product catalogue and transaction tools in one account. (Shutterstock/wichayada suwanachun)
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nstagram has added the Shopping feature to the app to accommodate business and creator accounts in Indonesia to maximize their marketing strategy.
In an online press conference on Tuesday, Instagram said the platform had already helped many small businesses sell their products online prior to and during the pandemic.
“Instagram is a platform for business players in selling their products and push marketing, especially amid the pandemic,” Pieter Lydian, country director for Facebook Indonesia, said. “This Shopping feature is launched in batches starting today. It is a manifestation of our commitment to help small enterprises and creators in Indonesia to keep upgrading their service and become successful, both in Indonesia and abroad."
To use the Shopping feature, users are required to create their shop through the Commerce Manager. Instagram uses human reviewers to minimize mistakes, so it might take a few days before the account is verified.
When the profile is approved, the Shopping feature can be activated by connecting the Product Catalogue with the business account.
Lizzie Parra, founder of CMO BLP Beauty, said she supported the feature as her business had been helped tremendously by the platform.
Read also: Instagram rolls out new features to aid food businesses amid pandemic
“For BLP Beauty, this feature would be very helpful, especially when the pandemic encourages us to maximize the online platform,” she said.
According to Lizzie, she used Instagram as her main marketing medium as she found that it was only on the app that she could interact freely with customers. However, so far, she still used a website for transactions.
“The Shopping feature can help us simplify the process so buyers can have easier and faster transactions,” she said.
Marketing transactions are one of the most important activities for Instagram users. According to internal data in 2019, 90 percent of Instagram users followed at least one business account on the platform. Aside from buying products, users followed these accounts to find inspiration from business players, creators or public figures. (wng)
