Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms on the planet. Even before it was acquired by Facebook it had a huge amount of reach. 

The link up with Facebook has just expanded it into arguably being part of the biggest social media umbrella there is. With a user base of over 800 million people it’s hard to argue with the amount of influence that Instagram has. 

Instagram influencers

Because of the wide range of famous people who use Instagram, either famous beforehand or who have become famous because of building up a following on the platform, large brands have started using Instagram in order to advertise their products to people. In order to do this brands will pay influencers, to post a photo of them with the products the brand has supplied. With Instagram adding a shoppable photo feature this means that if something catches an Instagram users eye they can easily just click the photo and be taken to a page where they can purchase the product for themselves. 

How to use it?

It actually couldn’t be easier to use the Instagram Shopping feature. All you need to do once on Instagram is search for the brand that you would like to buy from. Go through the images that the brand have on their page and if something catches your eye and it has white dots on the page then you will be able to buy that product there and then. 

Just click on the white dot and price information as well as an item description will pop up. Once that happens it is a simple task of clicking on the product info and you will be taken to a page with more in depth information. From here you can visit the brand’s official website and purchase the product. It really is a simple process that Instagram have made easy for and intuitive for users.

Plenty of brands are already using this feature to give consumers discounts or just to show models wearing their clothes or using their products. The aim is to give consumers a good look at products being used in day to day life and make them appear aspirational. Instagram really could be the future of online shopping.