Instagram is a growing force in the mobile commerce sector as it continues to expand therein
Instagram may soon become the most powerful force in social commerce. The social network now boasts of more than 400 million users and has become one of the most prominent engagement platforms in the world. As a mobile-first platform, it has an engagement that is seven times higher than Facebook and Twitter. While Facebook owns Instagram, the social networks operates autonomously but may become one of Facebook’s leading forces in its constant struggle to establish a foothold in the social commerce space.
Social commerce is gaining steam in the digital world as consumers look for new ways to shop online
Social commerce is a relatively new concept. It involves engaging consumers over social networks and exposing them to new products that they may be interested in. Through these networks, consumers can purchase products. This is typically done through mobile devices, as they represent a convenient way to shop online and many of the people that use social networks access these networks with their smartphones and tablets.
Socially-enabled mobile commerce may be the way of the future
PoinSource, a digital marketing agency, suggests that socially-enabled mobile commerce is on the rise. The reason behind this may be because social commerce represents a more intimate and immediate way for consumers to shop online. The fact that Instagram is a mobile-first platform has placed it in an ideal position to take advantage of consumer interests, which it has begun to do tentatively in order to establish a foothold in the emerging mobile commerce market.
User-generated content makes it easy to expose others to popular products
One of the reasons Instagram has become such a powerful force in social commerce is because it relies on user-generated content. Users have found it easy to recommend products they enjoy to their friends and followers, and Instagram has implemented effective call-to-action tools that have encouraged online purchases through the platform. The challenge, however, is for brands to find ways to engage consumers and convert this engagement into purchases online.
By 2011, Facebook had convinced several large companies, including Nordstrom and GameStop, to open digital stores on the social media site. Through these stores, the brands would sell products, but consumers would be directed to a dedicated e-commerce site operated by the merchant they were purchasing products from. The initiative proved to be fruitless, however, as merchants saw no significant increase in sales or engagement. The companies participating in the initiative closed their digital stores on Facebook within a year.