Instagram creators have been able to tag specific products in their posts since 2019. Now, over the next few months, Instagram will be rolling out that same ability for all users, not just creators.
Tagging products allows any interested potential shopper on Instagram to find exactly where to buy any item with just a tap.
It’s evidence that Instagram continues working toward delivering on a 2021 promise: That they’ll move beyond simple photo sharing by, in part, boosting shopping functionality.
Product Tagging: What to Know
Once the feature has rolled out to your own profile, the product tagging ability will be accessible once your photo or video has been uploaded as a new post.
Before it goes live, you’ll get the option to tag a brand, and after that brand is locked in, you’ll be able to tap a second prompt to “Tag Products,” letting you browse through everything that brand has to offer until you find the product featured in your own post. You’ll be able to tag multiple products in a single post.
As a business owner on Instagram, TechCrunch reports, you’ll be able to manage who tags your products through an option for product tag preferences in your Settings. Your Instagram will be notified every time another user tags one of your products, and you’ll be able to see all the tagged posts in one location.
How Small Businesses Can Benefit
Currently, according to Instagram, an average of 1.6 million people tag one or more brands every week. Now, that number is poised to increase dramatically.
Product tagging could help a small business, both because they can tag products in their own images, but more importantly because other people who love their brand can now tag everything they make.
If you’re hoping to raise your own business profile on Instagram through the freshly expanded product tagging, your best bet is to make sure you’re signed up for the Instagram Shopping program, and then create products that look great on Instagram in order to spur interest in viewers for finding out where they can buy their own.
One thing that will help? Boosting your own Instagram presence with the right social media management approach.
