Instagram Will Test New Features to Facilitate Activities Shopping

Next week, Instagram will test new features that can help users to shop, as written in the blog Instagram. This feature allows users to obtain detailed information about the desired product, complete with pricing information. With this feature, Instagram also will lead the user to go directly to the official website of the product to transact.

Instagram hope, a retailer can share more information in terms of the products they sell through these features, making it easier for users to learn, review and consider the products they currently see.

How it Work?

When uploading sellers post products, each post will have the features Tap to View at the bottom left of the photo. When you touch the icon, and tags from a variety of products in the photograph will appear, complete with pricing information. Sellers can put up to five tags.

When you select a specific tag, you will be presented with detailed information about the product. So, you do not have to exit the application Instagram to seek information about the products you want.

If you touch the icon Shop Now, Instagram will direct you to the official website of the product. At that site you can conduct transactions.

Follow the trend?

Previously, Pinterest had also launched a similar feature via the Buy It button on the platform. Facebook and Twitter have also been tested this feature on their social media, as quoted from Wired. However, Twitter removes the key from the platform.

In contrast to Twitter, Instagram precisely sure this feature will match their users. Because, according to Vishal Shah, Business Manager and Product Ad Instagram, users can search for and purchase new products through Instagram. "You may not know what you are looking for in Instagram. But you continually consume feeds from friends, family, and so forth. "

Instagram is currently cooperating with 20 brands of the United States to test this feature, among others such as Kate Spade, Warby Parker, and J.Crew, JackThreads, Levi's Brand, Pass, Macy's, Michael Kors, MVMT Watches, thus TechTime.

It's All About Data

Mentioned that this feature does not involve profit-sharing with the retailers. Instagram says it is more interested in collecting data from the system they created. This is the first time Instagram launched this tool on the platform.

Although these features look promising, Jason Goldberg, Vice President of Commerce of digital marketing firm Razorfish, doubt this feature would encourage purchase via Instagram. "I do not much hope this will bring great financial influence," he explained.

Even so, Goldberg sees this as a good step for Instagram and advertisers. Therefore, this product tagging feature can help Instagram collect more data about what people like and dislike, what they are looking for, and how they look for it.

In other words, this feature is helpful in the long run because it allows Instagram to deliver targeted advertising. This method proved to be effective as it has been done up. Currently Facebook has had a lot of data about the habits of the world's Internet users.

Based on research eMarketer, Instagram would rival advertising revenues Twitter from around the world in 2017. It is estimated that revenues Instagram will reach US $ 3.6 billion (around Rp47 trillion), while Twitter only US $ 2.53 billion (around Rp33 trillion).

So, it seems the addition of this feature is not a matter of mere convenience of users. Admittedly, this new feature will be a source of revenue coffers for social media.