We’re all guilty online window shopping – and brands are making it easier than ever before to buy.
How many times have you scrolled through Instagram and have seen a product you were interested in buying? Naturally, you click on the product which redirects you to the brand’s website outside of the Instagram app – this is where the headache begins! These redirect, constant clicks and waiting for pages to load are no way to shop. Users always expect to have a seamless experience while visiting and browsing the web for a positive shopping experience – no matter which platform the brand is on. Because of this need, Instagram will soon be turning into a one stop shop!
In early 2018, Instagram announced they started testing Collection Ads. Collection Ads is an ad format that makes it easier for people to browse and purchase products from their mobile devices. With a Collection Ad, when you click on the ad of interest, you are able to browse products without leaving the app you are currently on – this is not a new concept, but is new to certain social media platforms. The first two innovative brands to eagerly jump on the Instagram Collection Ads train are beauty and fashion empire brands such as Birchbox and Revolve.
Facebook successfully launched Collection Ads in 2017.
Facebook Collection Ads are a brilliantly formulated to blend videos while providing the capability to swipe through product catalogs. This helps brands to tell a story and showcase products and features. An important fact to note is that Facebook owns Instagram. Their goal is to create a strong partnership and help businesses grow on both platforms. Facebook is encouraging advertisers and businesses to extend their reach and gain more real estate in a very competitive ecommerce market. Instagram is making moves to create a visual and user friendly shopping experience for its beloved users. This will undoubtedly be a huge game-changer in terms of increasing sales and revenue for that brands that will use Collection Ads.
Snapchat now has its own media channel where it is selling Snapchat merchandise. It may eventually lead to expansion and sales opportunities with other brands and businesses. If they are smart – in our opinion – they will follow Facebook and Instagram’s lead by dipping their toes into the ecommerce market.