What are Shoppable Posts? And Why Are They Important to Marketing?

Shoppable posts are a new technology that makes use of the power of social media directly to make a sale. As social media posts continue to add value to people’s experiences, shoppable posts add value to the consumer-buying journey by helping people find products on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. With just one click by the customer, companies sell on the platform itself or through a landing page that lessens the steps for the buyer from exposure to sale.

Shoppable posts work like your regular social media posts, but give your customers access to shopping directly from (or as if from) the social media platform. Unlike ads, they do not require companies to pay to be exposed, which makes them a cost-efficient alternative to paid marketing. But they are more than just another IG photo post. Shoppable posts incite action, making them invaluable to seamlessly connect the dots in the buyer’s journey.

Shoppable posts become more powerful once combined with other technology like online ads. Online ads concentrate on exposure, ensuring that posts are shown to the right audience by tracking their behavior online. The seamlessness of the sale, cost-efficiency, and ease of use of this technology give it greater advantages in a campaign.

Because of these advantages, many companies are starting to take notice and use the technology to their advantage. Nordstrom, for instance, has created a social media shopping gallery on Instagram by creating a gallery of their products, which resulted in a 30% increase in engagement.

Magnolia Boutique, another company that adopted shoppable posts, reported a 20% increase in Instagram revenue by shoppable posts with a combination of e-mail marketing, live videos, and their page feed; promotion is done across different channels. With the right information dissemination and cross-platform promotions, they were able to successfully increase their overall sales.

Here are two advantages you should take into consideration when deciding to adopt shoppable posts in your campaigns:

• Easing the buyer journey – Many consumers are constantly looking for the quickest and most convenient way to turn their interests into actual purchases. We have come a long way from roundabout webpages in the ’90s. Now, consumers don’t like jumping from one app to another. With the integration of checkouts with shoppable posts, your patrons don’t need to make the app jump. They can check out with a simple click.
• Influencer pathways – Many have been using the power of influencers, but their influence can actually turn to sales better when integrated with shoppable posts. Not only can influencers promote your brand, but they can connect that exposure with an immediate sale. As with ads, the exposure your brand gets can easily be turned into a sale with a click of an image.

However, as with every technology, there are things that shoppable posts can’t do. One of them is reaching a broad audience on its own. At the end of the day, shoppable posts do not function like ads and do not seek out people who might be interested in your brand. Shoppable posts do have to be integrated with other marketing tools in your campaign.

Secondly, posts are only half of the engagement process. Sure, you’ve created an amazing, engaging and super trendy post. But you still need to engage your customers on a more personal level. At the end of the day, the human touch cannot be ignored, so when they engage with your brand, you must engage back.

Finally, as with any technology, you have to be able to make sure that your shoppable posts are up to speed. Update your posts. Show new photos. Make sure your inventory is stocked with the products you are selling. Shoppable posts can be the beginning of your buyer’s wonderful shopping journey. Ensure that they are satisfied, from start to finish.