New tool helps retailers drive sales via Instagram.
Social media networks are by their very nature, well, social. They belong to people, not brands, and as hard as brands try, they will never quite “own” social media to the degree that they own other marketing channels. And that sometimes makes marketers nervous.
It’s why marketers sometimes struggle to demonstrate a neat and tidy ROI on a basis that is equivalent to other digital efforts. As Aegis Media Science recently reported, “Social is changing marketing, and other areas of business, at a pace that sometimes masks our ability to demonstrate its true value.”
The latest social media advancement – Like2Buy – may signal a giant leap forward in the quest for robust “social commerce.” Nordstrom is among a few innovative retailers who have found a way to let shoppers buy via Instagram. If these programs work and pick up momentum – and I think they will – it won’t be long until high-end home brands follow suit.
The concept works like this: from Nordstrom’s Instagram, a shopper can click on a product photo and be taken directly to the item’s product page for purchase. Like that pair of shoes on Instagram? Buying them is just one click away. Like2Buy calls itself “Instagram’s missing link,” and says that their product makes Instagram shoppable “without requiring a second of work from your ecommerce team.”
“Instagram claims to have 200 million regular users who have shared 20 billion photos to date,” says Slate.com, quoting a recent study from Forrester that said brands using Instagram “had 58 times more success in getting followers to interact with their posts than they did on Facebook.”
Assuming that this platform works for these brands, I think we’ll see other competing platforms rush to the game. As is often the case, high-end fashion is leading the way. But high-end home brands won’t be far behind.
Ask yourself: are we ready to allow consumers to buy directly from our Instagram? (Of course, this question assumes you have an Instagram!)
If you are not ready, your competition soon will be.
