Breaking News: Instagram Is Going Shoppable!

The time has come.  

Starting next week, Instagram will begin testing shoppable influencer content.  For now, the feature will only be available to a group of 55 mega influencers and 23 brands, but if the test goes well (and we expect it to) it will be rolled out to other influencers within the year. This change will have a major impact on the way creators interact with their audience. But have no fear. Obviously is here to guide you through this transition, and we honestly think it’s going to be great.  

Here’s why:

A better experience for you and your followers

Your followers come to you for advice on what to wear, where to travel, how to eat, and more, but it can be hard to stay on top of all their questions. With shoppable content, a user would be able to click on an item and purchase it directly from your feed. It makes the whole process more seamless - far fewer “link in bios” to go to for everyone!

Better data to market yourself

Engagement rate has always been the gold standard for measuring success, but recently brands have been putting a greater emphasis on sales.  According to Marketing Week, 47% of brands would spend more on influencer marketing if they could quantify the influencer’s impact on purchasing. This is a huge challenge, because most of the sales you motivate don’t take place through swipe-up links or links in your bio; they happen on the brand’s site or in stores where it’s almost impossible to track. The ease of shoppable posts will change that as users opt to purchase products directly through your Feed. Even better, Instagram is granting both you and the brand access to a shared dashboard where you can track your clicks and sales. Goodbye guesswork, hellooooo hard data.

Clearer partnerships

We know you already do a great job disclosing your collaborations, but we also know that not everyone reads the captions. There’s only so much you can do!  Shoppable posts will make it crystal clear who your brand partners are, eliminating any ambiguity for your followers.

We feel great about celebrating this change; it’s good for content creators and the industry as a whole. But, as with anything, there could be initial drawbacks.

Here’s our advice on avoiding potential pitfalls:

Backlash

There will always be trolls. This is the internet, after all. A great way to avoid backlash is to let your followers know ahead of time - maybe in a Story or IGTV post- that you’re going to start integrating shoppable content. Assure your audience that you will continue to partner only with brands you love and that all of your opinions will remain your own.  This way, you can get out ahead of any negativity and stop it from detracting from your work.

No commission

For the time being, Instagram is not offering commission for influencers on sales made through shoppable content. This means that you’ll need to continue creating firm contracts with brands ahead of time, so everyone is on the same page about how your compensation. If you’re working with Obviously, we’ll handle this part of the negotiation for you, as always.

Obviously’s CEO, Mae Karwowski says “The only constant with social media is that it's constantly changing.”  But influencers are born innovators and change doesn’t rattle you! And you can always rely on Obviously for the best advice and up-to-date information on everything you need to be successful. You got this!

Share your opinion in the comments!