It’s been a while since Instagram switched its focus from creativity to business, ads, and shopping. However, the platform is now getting rid of the Shop tab on your homepage to “simplify Instagram” and focus more on creativity, connecting people, and discovering the content they’ll like.
Instagram now lets you slide into sellers’ DMs to buy stuff
We all know Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app, and even its CEO confirmed it last year. But other than copying its biggest competitor, TikTok, Instagram has also become a lot of an online sales platform.
The latest addition to the app’s web store feature takes place in direct messages, or DMs as most of us call them. From now on, you can buy stuff without leaving your chat with sellers, and it includes everything: from choosing the items to tracking your order until it reaches you.
Instagram now lets you tag products in your posts
Over the years, Instagram has become way more than a photo-sharing app. In fact, it sometimes feels that it’s become everything but. To support this claim, Instagram has just made product tagging available for everyone. That’s right, other than people, you can now also tag products in your posts. It will make your posts look as if they were sponsored, yet you won’t get paid or get a commission for it.
Instagram’s new product tagging option is turning it into an online store
Instagram has just announced a new tagging option that will make anyone feel like an influencer promoting a product. From now on, you can tag products in your photos just like you tag your friends.
The feature has existed before, but it was only available to business and creator accounts. But over the next few months, everyone will be able to use it and turn Instagram into even more of an online store it already is.
Check out these 20 filmmaking gear items you can buy for under $20
For filmmaking and photography there are a lot of expensive pieces of kit out there that we either need to do our jobs or will make our lives easier and save us time in our workflow. But there are also a lot of very inexpensive items out there, too, which can make our quality of life much easier when shooting and working. There are also a bunch of cheap alternatives to expensive gear, too, if you get a little creative.
In this video, Caleb Pike at DSLR Video Shooter walks us through 20 of his favourite filmmaking accessories that each cost less than $20. It includes a variety of tools covering lighting, grip, power and various other aspects. Some of these are things that Caleb’s been using in his workflow for over a decade and still prove useful.
Instagram goes head to head with Etsy, will let creators sell stuff through the app
Shopping came to Instagram quite a while ago, and now it’s finally expanding to creators. Starting from 9 July, all creators will be able to access Instagram Shopping and offer their products to buyers directly through the app.
Security stops photographer from taking photos of umbrellas outside a UK mall
Earlier this week, 150 umbrellas were put up in Culver Square, a shopping mall in Colchester, Essex, UK. Although photos have been all over Instagram and Facebook, one photographer was recently interrupted by security staff when he pointed his camera to the umbrellas. They allegedly told him that taking photos was forbidden and that he should have permission from the management.
Shopping is coming to Instagram
Facebook’s takeover of Instagram becomes more apparent by the day. We’ve seen ads, selective algorithm driven feeds, business pages and other features. Some good, some bad. Now, we get online shopping, too. We already have ads popping up in our feeds as we browse. Now we’ll start seeing them inside the posts themselves.
Facebook’s own “marketplace” seems to have completely taken control over the iOS app. I’m constantly being told about tat that people have for sale in various groups with no way to shut it off. Hopefully, Instagram’s new shopping implementation will be a little less annoying.
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!