More business for influencers: they will now also be able to sell the products they promote on Instagram
Monetization is booming on Instagram right now, and at F8 in May 2019, Facebook revealed one of the latest developments on that platform. The company said that creators will now be able to sell on Instagram by tagging items to sell directly to the people who view their posts and stories.
For now, this will only work on items tagged by businesses that are part of the new Checkout beta program running in the U.S.
It's also part of a larger transactional shift we're seeing on Instagram that extends beyond just catering to consumerism and influencers speaking to Instagram's more than one billion users.
Today, Instagram also confirmed that it would add donation stickers to stories, something we reported was in the works several months ago.
The tags that creators and influencers can now add are a significant development in product tagging, which until now had been reserved only for businesses and brands and was not open to individuals.
👉🏻 You may also be interested in: Mexican Influencers. YouTube Celebrities. 👈🏻
What is the purpose?
But for now, the purpose doesn't seem to be helping creators earn commissions on those sales. Facebook tells us that "at this time," creators will not earn any commission on purchases made as a result of someone clicking the links in their posts (which means this could eventually happen).
Rather, the point is to reduce some of the repeated questions creators get about what they're using and where to buy it.
"People are already shopping from creators by asking questions about products in comments and on live streams," a spokesperson said. "With the ability to tag products, creators can provide the information their followers are looking for and get back to expressing themselves and sharing what's on their mind, which will also make their followers happy."
But they aren't going crazy either. The spokesperson notes that creators will also receive additional insights with shopping posts, such as engagement and shopping insights. For those making a living from their influencer status, these could help them leverage better deals with those brands in the long run.
Instagram will begin testing first with a small group of creators in the coming weeks, including the accounts of Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian West, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, and Leesa Angelique (who runs @saythelees).
"It's my job to share beauty secrets and tips," she said about the new feature. "I usually write long, detailed captions about the latest products I've been using. Having this tool makes it so much easier to let everyone know what I'm using and where it's from, down to the shade."
Don't forget to share this post!
