In addition to entertaining and keeping up to date with what happens with our contacts, social networks can also be a great showcase for business. That is why different platforms are promoting shopping functions , an example of this is Instagram that announced the availability of Shopping in Reels.
Remember that Reels is the tab in the social network where users can see and share short videos, in the pure style of TikTok . But now it will not only serve to show the talent of content creators but to promote the articles of some brands.
It is worth remembering that this new feature had already been talked about since October, then it was announced that the company was working on it as part of its updates related to purchases in the Instagram application. Now that it’s available, both companies and creators will be able to tag products when creating videos for Reels.
The reason for including this new tool, according to the Facebook- owned platform , is that there are already many Reels with shopping content, such as fashion, makeup and skincare but, until now, there was no way for them to people could acquire the items they saw.
With the arrival of Shopping in Reels, when people see a video with this content, they will be able to touch the ” See products ” button to buy, save or obtain more information about them.
For their part, influencers can add a “Brand Content” tag to their reels to be transparent about when they are working with a brand to promote their products for which they will receive payment. So that your followers do not feel cheated when watching the video.
This addition to the platform is a clear sign that Instagram continues to drive its sales strategy. And it comes at a time when video-based shopping is seeing increased adoption and is a trend that more and more ecommerce companies are joining.
Instagram has long been driving its sales approach. Recently, for example, it relocated the key functions of the home screen, giving prominence to sales and Reels whose access is now located in the central part of the interface.
Instagram highlighted that the feature is rolling out globally as of today. However, the new options will begin to reach users little by little, as happened with the interface changes and the inclusion of the Reels and Store button on Instagram.
It should be said that with the sales function in Reels, users can now buy what they see in their Feed, Stories, Live and IGTV.
A new source of income
Facebook-owned platforms such as Instagram make most of their profit from online advertising. However, the company appears to be looking for new options to monetize its social networks.
Purchases represent an opportunity to earn a percentage of sales. And, considering that on Instagram users are already looking for inspiration to buy products, the company looked for a function that would make it easier for them to find and buy the items they see.
The social network found that users often ask creators where they can buy the clothes they are wearing or the accessories that can be seen in their videos and photographs, so it detected a business opportunity because now they not only earn from ads but also They generate revenue when customers pay in-app using Facebook Pay.
