Instagram unveils 3 new shopping features ahead of holidays

Instagram launched three new shopping features on Thursday that will help retailers gain more exposure for the products they’re promoting on the platform.

Instagram’s new shopping collection feature. Instagram users will now have a “shopping collection” option that they can use to save products of interest. After tapping a product tag in a Story or on a post in their feed, a user can tap the save icon in the bottom right corner of the image, which will prompt a “Save to shopping collection” option.

Users can access shopping collections from their profile to browse saved items at a later time.

Shop via video. Instagram has also inserted a shopping icon in the bottom left corner of branded videos that surfaces the products featured in the video, making it easy for users to view product prices.

A new shop tab for business profiles. Instagram business profiles will now include a “shop” tab that lets users browse products from the business. The “shop” tab will include a feed of product images that can be clicked to see product information and the post that featured the product.

Why it matters. With only four days go before we enter the busiest shopping week of the holiday season, Instagram is giving retailers more ways to get their products in front of users — without retailers having to put forth extra effort. The shopping collection, business profile shopping tab and new shop icon for videos are all positioned as user features, but ultimately they will benefit brands by widening exposure for the products they share on the platform.

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About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.