Instagram Expanding Business Features on the Platform

Instagram has been moving forward to expanding its eCommerce over the last few months. Recently it added the feature to look at business points on the map and the ability to identify different products through the camera. This week Instagram presented a new function for users to explore. 

Now, all users can tag brands and products in their posts, as previously, it was available only to a selected group of creators. Unfortunately, this function is currently available only in the US. The platform wants to let everyone promote things they like, and with this, small businesses have an opportunity to grow their client base. For example, if you like a thing you’ve bought from a creator, you can link their account in your post, so your friends and followers can visit the shop.

It is also a possible big boost for major brands. They will be tagged in many posts and only grow in size. Of course, it can turn out badly, as there will be people who will use the feature in a negative way. However, accounts have the ability to remove the tag from their end, but it surely will be hard to manage thousands of mentions a day. We can expect some additions to the feature in future updates.

It can seem that Instagram is slowly turning into the market platform, taking the direction of the online business. At first, the app was all about sharing photos and videos to connect with people worldwide. It is okay for the company to expand in a different direction, but it would be nice for it to stay as a way of engagement. According to the statistics, over 1.6 million tags have already been used on the app. The developers believe that the numbers will only grow.

Will you tag your favorite brands in your posts? What opportunities does this update give to small businesses? Please, share your ideas in the comments below.