With the inclusion of the internet in our lives, so many things have become so easy to do like shopping. Year by year, more people gradually begin to shop online. To buy any product, on the internet, there are so many brands and websites to choose from. Even the number of websites is increasing, too. Once over, Instagram was one of these too with its live shopping Instagram feature.
Unfortunately, you cannot use this feature anymore because Instagram ended it. Well, did you know about this feature? Or did you know that it ended? In this article, we will dive into the details of live shopping and the reasons behind its removal. Let’s start!
What Is Live Shopping Instagram?
While shopping online, what people search for is safety, so they generally choose to buy something from trusted brands or websites. Adding, most of us know Instagram as one of the biggest apps ever and when we trust it because without gaining trust, we think, it would not be possible to grow this much. So, it can be said that because Instagram already knows that they are trustworthy, it is much easier to announce a live shopping feature. Also, Instagram already has millions of users so this kind of a feature would not remain unrequited, and it would probably be preferred to use. But what is this live shopping Instagram feature that was promised to the users?
First of all, this live shopping option is for brand owners to advertise and sell their products. As it is a live-action, it also allows customers and brands to interact in real-time. So, it is like a mix of going shopping and shopping from a website. It was a feature which you can also use. Do you wonder how it would be?
On your Instagram app, you need to swipe the screen right or you need to click on your story button on the top right of your feed. Then, again you need to swipe right and tap on “Live.” After tapping on the shopping bag icon on the left, you can now tag the products that you want to sell. When it is done, you can start to go live by again tapping on another “Live” button.
On the live broadcast, you need to click on the shopping bag icon and click on “Pin.” so that you can pin the product you want. By pinning you can tag the products you want on the live broadcast and even after. But if you want your products to be pinned after the broadcast, you need to save them after it is over. To do this, you need to click on “Download” so you can share it as a post or story. There are also some other features of live shopping, too.
Features of Live Shopping
While streaming online on Instagram, you may need people to help you. To do this, you can create live rooms and make the broadcast with your co-hosts. You just need to select “Rooms” and select your co-hosts. With this feature, you can also customize your video. For example, you can use filters like you are taking a story, or you can use some question stickers. With this feature, you can customize your broadcast.
While advertising your product, you may need to show it without action, like a photo of it. You can do it as well on Instagram Live and also you can use some videos or a slideshow to advertise your product. Another feature of live shopping is that you can interact with your audience. When they ask you some questions, you can answer them, or you can pin their comment for all your audience to see.
Different Ways to Use Live Shopping
Of course, Instagram live shopping is to advertise or sell your products, but there are some subcategories of it. First of all, you may have a new product to announce. As the user generally seeks to find and buy something new, your broadcast will attract attention. To seek even more attention, you can let your audience know about the broadcast date via a story.
One of the biggest struggles of buying something online is that it can be hard to imagine how it will look when you use it. But on Instagram broadcasting, you can see for example how the shoe you want to buy looks when worn, or you may want the host to try the product. So that you can decide better whether to buy it or not. Or if the product you are selling is complicated to use, you can show your audience how to use it and your product will have more buyers.
Why Did Instagram End Live Shopping?
This is all about the live shopping feature of Instagram but unfortunately, you cannot use it anymore. Because in March 2023, Instagram ended it. Firstly, this decision is about the plans that Instagram has set for itself, so they removed nearly all the features about selling something. As a similar feature, you can now give advertisements on Instagram to sell your products. Or else, you can put a website link where you sell products to your account bio.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did live shopping on Instagram start?
Instagram launched the live shopping feature in 2020. At those times, because there was a pandemic, indirectly there was a lockdown. So, people began to be more active on social media, and starting or watching live broadcasts was one of the ways to communicate. Thus, the use of Instagram live broadcasts increased 70% in one month those times, and back then launching a live shopping feature was a good strategy.
Was it possible to sell digital products on live shopping?
Unfortunately, no. When this feature was still active, it was only allowing you to sell physical products.