Instagram has begun testing ads in the Instagram Shop tab, starting with a limited test involving U.S. brands including Away, Boo Oh, Clarepaint, Deux and Donni Davy to see if brands and users find the new initiative valuable enough to make a permanent feature.
The ads, which began Monday (Aug. 9), are on the Instagram Shop homepage. Users can click on the ads to pull up a product details page that includes information on the product, additional photos and access to other products from that brand. Users can save the products to wish lists and share them with friends.
Related: Instagram Rolls Out Feature For Product Drops
In May, Instagram added a feature that allows online shoppers to link to product drops, which eCommerce sellers use to hype upcoming products that are available either for a limited time or in short supply (or both), through its app.
Instagram Drops now are featured on the Shop tab, enabling users to find new and upcoming product launches. Shoppers can also sign up for reminders on must-have future product releases.
Consumers also have the option to buy items in the app through Instagram’s checkout tool, which allows Instagram to collect fees on purchases, which could be a way around Apple’s recent iOS privacy updates. Instagram has waived its selling fees to help pandemic-crippled business start to rebound.
The Instagram Drops feature works only with mobile devices — iOS and Android — and is not available on the web.
Instagram revamped its interface and options in November to include two new tabs to spotlight Shops and Reels, PYMNTS reported. The Shop tab lets users see recommendations from creators and shop directly on the Instagram platform. Reels was launched to compete with TikTok and initially rolled out in Brazil, Germany and France.
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in April that Instagram creators could earn more revenue via a marketplace that connects brands and creators.
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