Social media platforms have gone beyond "socializing." On Instagram, for example, things have stepped into providing shopping experiences.
Back in 2016, the platform first rolled out product tagging feature as part of its initial push into e-commerce, later supporting product tags in video posts, Stories, and also Reels. As Instagram evolved, the platform started having a native checkout feature that allows users to buy products directly from tags.
This also allows creators to have the ability to tag products directly to their posts.
This feature was made exclusive to businesses and creators. But this time, Instagram is rolling out the feature to all users, starting in the U.S..
With this feature, Instagram tags are no longer just for tagging other people's accounts.
With it, users can tag products from businesses that are set up for Instagram Shopping within their posts, the way they would normally tag people.
To tag a product, users can simply select a photo or video, and then add a caption. Then, they need to select the 'Next' button to select the 'Tag Products'.
Here, users can then select the products they want to tag on their post.
The company said that the expansion should make it easier for users to discover products from people they follow and for businesses to grow their audience on the platform.
"Scored a new pair of earrings from a small business you love? Tag the product in your Feed post so your friends and followers can learn more about the earrings and shop them," said Instagram.
"People come to Instagram to share and discover trends and inspiration. Product tagging will make it possible for anyone to support their favorite small businesses, share how they styled their looks along with the products they used and more."
Whenever a product is tagged, the owner of the brand/business will receive a notification.
They can view all tagged content on their profile in one place, and are able to control who tags their products by managing their product tag preferences in their settings.
Instagram is certain that the feature is ready for public debut, after seeing at least 1.6 million people tagging one brand on average, per week.
Through this feature, Instagram can open yet another source of engagement, where it too can earn revenue.
It's should be noted though, that having the ability to tag photos and videos with products from companies listed on Instagram means that theoretically, all generic posts on the platform can become advertisements.
But regardless, this feature is meant to show that Instagram doesn't want to be just a photo- and video-sharing app.
In the time when Facebook is struggling to keep its young user at bay, Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, wants Instagram to keep its users entertained.
And this feature here, is meant to make Instagram a place where people can shop, by streamlining the experience.
Back in December 2021, Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri said that it is prioritizing Reels and creators in 2022, which echoes a sentiment that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said would be part of a pivot that all members of the Meta family would be making in order to become a “metaverse company.”
