Instagram Reels are no longer just funny or entertaining clips; you can now do some shopping while you watch. The platform has been testing the shopping feature on Reels for months, and it has finally rolled it out globally.
Shopping Infiltrates Instagram Reels
Instagram first announced that it’s going to be launching a shopping feature for Reels in October 2020. Reels is Instagram’s TikTok-inspired feature that allows users to create and share short clips on the platform.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, sent out a Tweet announcing the launch of shopping on Reels.
As of today you can shop with Reels. Creators can tag products in Reels, and, if you’re interested, you can find out more about them inline. I’m excited to see how this helps people find and share new things you love. pic.twitter.com/vA26LF6Bpm
— Adam Mosseri 😷 (@mosseri) December 10, 2020
With the introduction of the new feature, you’ll start seeing product tags in Reels. This makes it possible to browse and buy the products that you see inside a Reel.
Now that the shopping feature is in Reels, it has almost turned Instagram into a full-blown retail app. After all, you can already shop on your Feed, IGTV, Stories, and Live. Not to mention that Instagram has even rolled out a dedicated Shop tab.
At this point, it’s almost impossible to avoid seeing products for sale on Instagram.
Has Facebook Taken Shopping Too Far?
Facebook has forced shopping features into its entire family of apps. Facebook and Instagram already have sections dedicated to e-commerce, and even WhatsApp supports in-app shopping.
Shopping features may be beneficial for sellers and advertisers, but for users who just want to use the apps for social features, it may prove to be obnoxious.