In the first quarter of 2019, Instagram garnered significant attention when it revealed plans to introduce a native checkout experience for a select group of U.S. brands, with intentions to expand this service in the following months. This new feature permits users to directly purchase products showcased in their feed, effectively bridging the gap between product discovery and the act of making a purchase.
In this article, we delve into the implications of Instagram’s checkout feature for brands and its potential impact on the broader e-commerce landscape.
A Logical Progression
Introducing checkout capabilities to brands on Instagram represents a logical evolution for a platform dedicated to brand discovery and engagement. Instagram’s proficiency in facilitating brand discovery is well-documented; Facebook reports that 83% of users credit Instagram with helping them discover new products or services.
In addition to brand discovery and awareness, Instagram boasts exceptionally high levels of user engagement and significantly influences user behavior beyond social interactions. Facebook indicates that 87% of users take action after encountering a product on Instagram, with 46% proceeding to make a purchase.
This data clearly illustrates that users are not only willing but enthusiastic about engaging with brands on Instagram. They perceive the platform as a place to uncover products, and a substantial number of them proceed to make purchases after being influenced by a post. The Instagram audience is ideally positioned to benefit from a native checkout option.
An Intangible, Aspirational Appeal
Many users on Instagram are drawn to content with an intangible, aspirational quality. The desire to emulate street fashion influencers or acquire the latest technology endorsed by a friend aligns seamlessly with an integrated, in-platform shopping experience.
The Future of E-commerce
The launch of Instagram’s checkout feature offers insights into the future direction of e-commerce.
Instant Gratification as the New Norm
As digital commerce continues to advance, the demand for instant gratification is on the rise. Brands like Amazon have achieved success by striving to offer nearly instantaneous satisfaction. Instagram’s checkout feature further reinforces this standard by narrowing the gap between the impulse to buy and the actual purchase.
Frictionless Experiences Are Paramount
Reducing the time needed for a purchase is important, but minimizing the effort required to complete that purchase is equally significant. Instagram’s checkout feature saves users’ information after their initial purchase on the platform. Subsequent transactions involve minimal effort. Moreover, Instagram checkout streamlines the entire process, from product discovery to delivery, within a single environment. Users won’t need to search or switch devices. Expect an increasing emphasis on frictionless shopping as users become accustomed to this convenient experience.
Improved Attribution
The introduction of Instagram checkout should help persuade internal brand stakeholders that investing in the platform is worthwhile, as attribution will become more straightforward when purchases occur within the app.
Marketers have long grappled with attribution challenges when measuring the ROI of social campaigns. Tracking the user journey across platforms and devices has been difficult or impossible in some cases. For brands using Instagram checkout, a significant portion of the attribution challenge will finally be addressed.
In Conclusion
The rollout of Instagram’s checkout feature fulfills the wishes of many digital marketers and signifies a natural progression for a platform that has evolved into one of the most potent engines for brand discovery in recent years.
Instagram checkout both reflects and foreshadows e-commerce trends. It provides an effectively seamless end-to-end shopping experience for users, further fueling the demand for frictionless commerce and immediate satisfaction of consumer desires.
