Instagram shop-a-thon becomes the norm

 Instagram Shopping blew up in 2021, part of a surge in ecommerce that came from the perfect storm of pandemic habits and improved digital tools. Rather than directing customers to your website, Instagram Shopping allows them to select and purchase products easily from the app.

More than 130 million users tap on an Instagram Shopping post each month — foot traffic a brick-and-mortar shop owner could only dream of.

All signs point to a continued shop-a-thon in coming years — eMarketer predicts social commerce will be an $80 billion industry by 2025, and Instagram’s 2022 Trend Report announced that nearly 1 in 4 of its Gen Z users expect to shop through their social media feeds— so if you don’t have shopability enabled on your account yet… what are you waiting for?

 

Go learn how to set up your Instagram Shop now! This article will be here waiting when you get back.

Four out of five Gen Z Instagram users agree that creators have as much or more influence on culture as more traditional celebrities. And, with the rise of the creator economy during the pandemic, there are more of these content wizards out there on Instagram than ever before: 50 million, as of 2021, in fact.

In the U.S., 72.5% of marketers are expected to use influencer marketing by 2022, and Instagram’s Collabs and Branded Content ads are making the ability to collaborate easier than ever for brands. The platforms latest tools allow creators to list brands they’re interested in working with, and allow brands to filter and search for best-fit creators for specific campaigns.

Basically, Instagram is playing matchmaker the best way it can and really, really wants you guys to hit it off. A new special section in direct messages just for partner messages is intended to make it easier to chat with a potential collaborator, too.

Currently in testing is the ability for creators to earn affiliate income for Instagram shops or set up shops of their own in partnership with brands.

For the lowdown on working with social media influencers and creators in 2022, check out our guide to creating a great influencer marketing campaign here.