Instagram to allow influencers to sell things to users directly

By now it’s no secret to anyone that Facebook wants to transform Instagram into a shopping platform. After allowing brands to make shoppable posts, the social network is extending the functionality to influencers as well. Starting next week, Instagram users will be able to shop the looks of their favorite influencers by tapping on the photo.

“For brands, this means a new way to reach an engaged audience who are actively looking to their favorite creators for inspiration, and make it easier to shop a brand’s products”, the company wrote on its blog. “Today, creators tag the brands they’re wearing, add details in the caption and respond to countless comments and DMs. With the ability to tag exactly what they're wearing, creators can get back to expressing themselves and sharing what’s on their mind, which will make their followers happy too”.

The company will begin testing the functionality with a select number of influencers, including Camila Coelho, Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian West, Kris Jenner, Aimee Song and Nicole Warne. Publications such as Refinery29 and Elle USA are also included. To see the full list of participants, visit Instagram’s blog.

Instagram is also considering hiding the number of likes on posts to make the app a healthier place to be. The company is currently running a test in Canada to see how users react to it. “We are testing this because we want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get”, an Instagram spokesperson is quoted by CNN as saying.

Picture: Instagram newsroom