Shopping Coming to Instagram

instagram business, shopping on instagram, instagram, retail,

Mobile has changed the way people shop. You browse products while waiting to be seated for dinner, make purchases on your commute into work, and compare prices online when you’re at a store to see what’s the better deal. In fact, more than 84% of smartphone users in the US browse, research or compare products via a web browser or mobile app.* While browsing and discovery is easy on mobile, finding more information about the specific products you see isn’t always as simple. On a platform known for its power of mobile discovery, today we’re excited to announce an easier experience to shop the products you love on Instagram.

Starting next week, we’re testing a way for our community to learn more about the items they view within an Instagram post. Most mobile shopping experiences today take people from the shop window right to check out—without giving consumers the opportunity to consider a product and get more information. However, in an internal survey, we learned that the vast majority of purchases take a day or longer, with only 21% of purchases made within a day.** Knowing that Instagrammers are open to discovery on the platform, and that people take time to better understand the products they’re interested in, this test gives our community valuable steps along their shopping journey before they make a purchase.

To test the new experience, 20 US-based retail brands including Kate Spade, JackThreads and Warby Parker will share posts that have more depth, making it easier for Instagrammers to review, learn about and consider the items that interest them.*** Each post will have a tap to view icon at the bottom left of a photo. When tapped, a tag will appear on various products in the post—showcasing up to five products and their prices. Once a tag is selected a new detailed view of the product will open. This functionality will bring important product information to the consumer earlier in the journey, all without having to leave the Instagram app to search. Then, if the consumer taps the Shop Now link from the product details view, they’ll go directly to that product on the business’ website, making it easier for them to buy the product they want.

“Instagram is where we reflect the interesting life of the kate spade new york girl through relatable social moments which highlight the products that are characters in her story,” says Mary Beech, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Kate Spade & Company. “This post features our favorite new bag and elements from our new personalization program that, together, make the bag uniquely hers. With this seamless shopping experience launching on Instagram, the possibilities for selling our products are endless.”

“Our community uses Instagram as an aspirational discovery platform and they’re looking to us for inspiration,” says Ryan McIntyre, CMO, JackThreads. “This test is going to change the scope of what we, as retailers, are capable of offering on mobile. Instead of having to transition over to the JackThreads app, our customers will be able to shop seamlessly from their social media feeds—allowing us to reach guys where they’re already hunting for what’s new.”

“Instagram and Warby Parker share a similar appreciation for beautiful design and seamless experiences. But right now, there isn’t a simple, clean way for us to share details about the products featured within our posts. Customers often have to ask us, which creates a bulky experience on both sides. We love how seamlessly integrated and consumer-centric this new experience is,” says Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO.

Instagram already is a great place for discovery on mobile. While consumer research informed the first step of this test, we expect to learn a lot from the businesses we’re working with in this early test. During this initial phase, the new features will be available to a group of people on iOS devices within the US. As we roll out further, we’ll explore product recommendations, ways products are showcased to shoppers, global expansion and the ability to save content so Instagrammers can take an action later. We want to understand how to deliver the most seamless shopping experience for consumers and businesses on Instagram, and ultimately mobile.

Sources: *eMarketer US Mobile Time and Activities StatPack, July 2016; **Path to Purchase 2016” by Kantar (Facebook-commissioned survey of 3,927 people ages 18+ in the US who recently made a purchase in one of the following categories: automobiles, auto insurance, auto parts, electronics or fashion), Aug 2016. “Recently” is defined as three months for Retail and one year for auto-related purchases.

***Sample participating brands include: Abercrombie & Fitch, BaubleBar, Chubbies, Coach, Hollister, J.Crew, JackThreads, kate spade new york, Levi’s Brand, Lulus, Macy’s, Michael Kors, MVMT Watches, Target, Tory Burch, Warby Parker, and Shopbop.

Video

brand spotlight, fashion, lifestyle, retail, travel, instagram, herschelsupply, welltravelled,

Herschel Supply Crafts a Brand Narrative of Stylish Wanderlust on Instagram

With a growing collection of popular travel gear, Canadian retailer Herschel Supply could easily use their Instagram account as a visual product catalogue featuring glossy shots of backpacks, wallets, and duffels to showcase the brand’s trademark style of chic ruggedness.

But Herschel Supply’s online marketing team, led by social media manager Allison Butula, knows it takes more than beautiful images of standalone products to build a brand. And more importantly, she wants to tell the brand’s story.

We recently invited Allison to Instagram HQ to share some tips for other brand marketers who are looking to use Instagram as a powerful medium for visual storytelling. “When we look for photos to feature on our Instagram account, we’re looking for photos that fit into our overall brand story of what it means to be ‘well travelled,'” Allison shared. “We’re looking for photos that tell that story in a single image.”

Soon after joining Instagram in October 2012, the Herschel Supply team created two primary hashtags—#welltravelled and #herschelsupply—to build a follower base and engage with consumers across different social media platforms. On Instagram, the team encouraged followers to add the hashtags to photos of inspiring travel scenes and Herschel Supply products as they’re toted into the wild.

Herschel Supply’s followers offer glimpses into that wild—and espouse the brand’s sense of adventure—from locations far-flung or closer to home. “We’re trying to promote everyday travel, as well as aspirational travel,” Allison noted. “We often say 'well travelled’ which means exploring your surroundings, whether that’s across the world or in your backyard.”

For additional tips, watch this short video featuring Allison and examples of some of the great content published by @herschelsupply.

Photoset

nike, retail, brand spotlight,

Nike Builds a Global Community of Runners on Instagram

One of the insights that has made @nike so successful on Instagram and beyond, is its understanding that being passionate about a sport means being part of community, regardless of whether that sport is basketball, football (aka soccer), or running.

These communities are not defined by country borders, but are instead composed of fans and athletes from around the world. So with this in mind, in addition to its primary @nike account, the company created Instagram accounts that reflect these communities, including @nikebasketball, @nikefootball, @usnikefootball and @nikewomen.

While we could have featured any one of these in our Handbook for brands and brand video, we selected @nikerunning for the extraordinary way it brings the global running community together and gives them even more reasons to run, with hashtags like #werundirty that get runners out on the trails, or posts inspiring followers to “trade daylight for streetlight.”

The team behind the account is part of “The Run Dept.” at Nike, a community in its own right, which oversees everything running related at the sports company, from hosting events like the Nike Women’s Marathon to designing the shoes they sell.

All of this is brought to life on Instagram, with photos and videos that capture events, products, and inspiration, while remaining part of a larger story—one with lots of neon (or “volt” as Nike calls its signature color) and the message that as runners, we’re all in this together.