The rise of visual social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram in recent years has hit home the idea that social media is a visual experience. Gone are the days of plain-text links and posts. Heck, are you even a real friend if you post “happy birthday” on your friend’s Facebook timeline without an accompanying photo collage or at least a string of emojis of cakes, dancing women, and balloons? Our feeds are now plastered with photographs of drool-worthy doughnuts (oh, just me?), elegant apparel, and jewelry so fantastic you just have to have it now. But that’s just the problem.
Scroll through brands’ Instagram comments, and you’ll see things like, “I can’t find this on the website,” or “Where can I buy this?” So, even as consumers fall in love with brands’ products, they’re thwarted by a not-so-seamless purchasing experience.
Even on Pinterest, a platform that 93 percent of users utilize to plan for or make purchases, according to eMarketer, consumers want more. We’ve learned from Facebook that users are often jarred when prompted to leave the app after clicking a link. Wait, I’m leaving Facebook? Back! Back! Back! So, on Pinterest, we find the best pair of sandals money can buy, but we still balk at leaving the familiar interface of Pinterest. Pin it, yes, but buy it? Sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through. In short, we want it, and we want it now.
So, in a recent move meant to please marketers and users alike, both Pinterest and Instagram have implemented new, easier call-to-action functions.
Instagram announces new paid advertising options
Instagram, a platform lauded for its simplicity, but loathed for its lack of conversion-driven options for brands, began offering paid advertising in 2013 and expanded to include conversion-driven carousel ads in March 2015. Now the platform has announced it will begin rolling out advanced advertising options — first to select Facebook Marketing Partners, then globally — throughout the year.
Previously, brands had to commit to an advertising spend of at least $200,000 to access Instagram ads. Furthermore, targeting was limited to basics like age and location, but did not include interests or consumer behaviors. Now, though, the Instagram Ads API will integrate with Facebook to provide ad flexibility and targeting options to brands with even small budgets.
What’s more, the ads will include a button prompting users to “install now, “learn more,” “sign up,” or “shop now.” So, users can more easily access the goods or services in their feeds, and brands can see direct action taken from Instagram posts. Win-win!
But the question remains, will our Instagram feeds now be inundated with annoying, poor-quality photo ads from weight loss programs and the repair shop down the street? Instagram says no. While advertisers’ photos may not always be the top-notch imagery users are used to, the platform is committed to preserving its user experience while balancing marketers’ needs and desires too.
Pinterest adds e-commerce to make purchasing easier
On Pinterest, retailers will now have access to new “Buyable Pins” without forking over any money at all. This function will likely increase the percentage of users who say they’ve purchased something because of Pinterest — which already stands at 87 percent, according to eMarketer.
Until now, Pinterest has been a platform for users to discover and share products, but purchasing has happened outside the app in a sometimes clumsy, too-many-clicks process. However, a new “Buy It” button will begin appearing in the platform’s iPhone and iPad apps on 2 million buyable product pins from retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom this month, providing an option for users to purchase products with a credit card or Apple Pay without ever leaving the app.
Pinterest will also launch enhanced search capabilities for users who want to filter Buyable Pins by price range and color, further cementing the platform’s place as a discovery tool that can compete toe-to-toe with e-commerce hard-hitters like Google and Amazon.
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Hurrdat is a Lincoln, Neb. digital marketing agency specializing in social media and content marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and merged with B² Interactive of Omaha, Neb. in 2014 bringing even more digital marketing specialties to both firms’ clients. Together they provide a full range of social media, SEO, and website development services to both national brands and local clients. The companies employ more than 75 people in Nebraska and have won multiple awards for their business efforts, company culture, and clients’ campaigns.
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