Last year, Instagram removed the feature that let you see what everyone else is liking. Now the company is taking one step further from being a marketplace of likes to become a central shopping hub. The social media platform began a global test to replace the “activity” tab with a “shop” tab, TechCrunch reported. This feed will highlight posts that link directly to products users can buy. Shopping on Instagram is expected to generate US$10 billion a year in revenue by 2021. It’s one of the most powerful tools entrepreneurs can use to grow their customer base, generate sales, and build consumer loyalty. Natasha Samuel is the founder and chief executive of Sol Studio, a marketing company that helps entrepreneurs navigate social media marketing. She sees Instagram’s shop tab as a major shift to e-commerce, not only for businesses, but for content creators and influencers as well. “It’s very apparent they want people to make money on the app,” says Samuel. She breaks down how Instagram’s new shop tab could affect businesses, should it become a permanent fixture on the platform. Here are her top three tips for how to utilise it in marketing strategies. Instagram takes on YouTube by helping video influencers make money off ads Think of your Instagram feed as another e-commerce shop, rather than a social media channel Samuel says updates like the shop tab will make shopping on Instagram more accessible for consumers and business owners, allowing brands to put their products front and centre. She says all e-commerce brands will need to begin thinking of their Instagram feeds as their websites. “It can't be an afterthought and just a social media channel. You really have to be shifting to an online model,” she says. Instagram influencer, singer and model – and computer generated: rise of the virtual kings and queens of social media But it also goes beyond making your brand’s feed shoppable to how you foster engagement with your audience. That includes using branded hashtags, commenting, tagging your brand, and posting content that goes beyond pushing sales. “Initially, Instagram was thought of as a place to build your brand and create a community. It’s definitely going to be that, but I think it’s shifting where there’s going to be a lot more balance on how you can actually sell those products within the app and make it so much easier for people to buy.” There will be a major shift in imagery to more user-generated content The best way to help your brand stand out is to adapt your imagery to how customers shop on Instagram and lean on user-generated content. When influencers and customers post photos of your products, it doesn’t feel like an advert and can generate more sales in turn. “People are so used to seeing ads,” Samuel says. “I think that’s why consumers are leaning more towards content that looks like what their friends are posting on their feed or influencers that feel like friends to them.” Who are the 5 highest-paid social media influencers on Instagram and how did they become millionaires? Samuel and her clients will definitely focus more on influencer marketing in their own strategies moving forward. This approach can build trust since it’s coming from people who consumers follow closely. “When people are scrolling on Instagram and shopping, they're much more likely to want to buy from someone that looks like them than something that’s maybe a flat lay or a lifestyle shot,” she says. It will also be important to try different types of content, such as videos and stop motion, which might rank and convert better than static images. Saved posts will become the “super likes” Brands may also have to test what works to find the right formula. Ranking higher than other brands on the shop tab could come down to the hashtags you choose, the images you post, or the comments you get on your posts. “What are the conversion rates for the different types of content that you’re pushing out to test different types of visuals,” she says. Samuel has a hunch that tagged posts will replace likes and comments as the metric for measuring engagement. And the posts people “save” will become the “super likes”, when brands want to measure their most valuable posts. “That means maybe people are wanting to reference it later when they do want to shop,” she says. Original Source: