Instagram, Social Commerce and Influencer Marketing
You may not have heard of the term Social Commerce, but chances are you’ve seen a product tag on Instagram and been interested enough to find out more. When Instagram first introduced the product tagging feature back in 2016, many seemed excited to explore this new way of shopping. Gone were the days where you’d see a product and head straight to the #LinkInBio. The tags made the app a seamless product purchasing machine, and many, myself included, were excited about this move towards e-commerce… But as the product tags accumulated, so too did the amount of influencers turning towards Instagram to make a living. Thus, social commerce became a core part of the wider Influencer Marketing Strategy. In 2020, the Instagram Shop was introduced. The digital shopfront feature enabled eligible businesses to advertise their products in the same place on their profile. This user-friendly addition encouraged customers to browse, just as they would on a website, or more traditionally, in an actual shop. It was a savvy and convenient way to take the tagging feature and make it even better. Now, let’s rewind back to the beginning…circa 2010s. In 2010, the Instagram app was launched alongside the budding careers of several British content creators. A popular group of British YouTubers, collectively referred to as ‘The Brit Crew,’ had changed the face of YouTuber as we knew it. Now, the addition of a new platform was helping them take the internet by storm. From YouTubers to content creators, content creators turned influencers, the Brit Crew and many others managed to turn a hobby into a full fledged career, and Instagram helped them monetise their lives. In recent years, Instagram has been criticised for moving away from their photo sharing origins. In hindsight, it was almost inevitable that this was always going to be the case. Instagram paved the way for a type of social commerce that YouTube could never provide. By helping YouTubers become influencers, it changed the face of the Marketing industry as we know it now. And in turn, it opened doors for new areas of Digital Marketing to be explored. What are your thoughts on Social Commerce and Influencer Marketing? Let us know in the comments.
