It is no secret to anyone up-to-date in the digital world that Instagram has been on fire releasing new features this year. Initially, Instagram began as a straight forward image sharing platform in October of 2010. Two years later hashtags were added in order to help users find categorized photos and like-minded users. Now, close to 8 years later, the platform has boomed into an international multi-billion dollar social network with over 600 million active users.
This year alone, the platform has released various features that have turned the platform into a powerful business tool for business-owners and corporations all over the world. Not only has it successfully competed against other massive social media platforms such as Snapchat, it continues to release features such as IGTV that make Instagram the most powerful social media network besides Facebook (oh wait, it is Facebook – duh).
In 2018, Instagram has made changes to their API in order to better protect data and privacy. Also after high demand for an algorithm change, it has made changes to the order in which posts appear on users’ feeds. Besides direct changes to the software, Instagram has also released features that make using the platform for business much easier. One example is the fact that users can now use third-party apps to post automatically to Instagram instead of having to receive a notification and remember to post manually, making post consistency much easier to manage.
However, one of the most powerful features Instagram has released besides IGTV and elaborate Instagram Stories features, is the ability for all users regardless of follower counts to create shoppable Instagram feeds. Previously, adding links to websites and online stores was available only to users with over 10,000 followers or a “verified user badge”. Yeah, well if you’re a small business who’s just trying to get your product out into the world, getting 10,000 followers isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Adding the ability to tag products based on a catalog linked to Facebook either through e-commerce platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce, or by creating a catalog manually directly through Facebook Business Manager, has given users a huge opportunity by allowing them to use the social network as an e-Commerce platform.
It’s important to solidify an effective digital strategy when you’re planning to promote your business or product on social media. Having the proper material such as high quality photos of your products, a functioning and effective e-commerce website, and the right knowledge when it comes to hashtags and posting times on Instagram in order to reach your target audience are all very important when it comes to creating your shoppable Instagram feed.
Here at Mijo! Brands, a leading creative digital marketing agency with offices in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, we specialize in creating a personalized digital strategy for your business. Through close collaboration with our clients, we propel their businesses into the digital world by using effective strategies and techniques to communicate why they are the perfect option for their customers. Contact us today!
Sarah lives in her little bubble of compassion and love for the planet. She studied Literature and Communications at Camosun College in Victoria B.C., and is presently working towards obtaining her Herbology and Natural Medicine certification in order to start her own practice. When she isn’t spending her time geeking out in the digital world, tending to her plants, or reading books on natural medicine, you can find her running barefoot with her pups, looking up delicious new vegetarian recipes to try, or trying (and failing) to reach whatever is on the top shelf.
