Instagram Launches New DM Shopping Tool for Businesses

Instagram, the app at the very frontier of social selling, just launched a new shopping tool that streamlines small businesses' interactions with their customers, a brand new venture into eCommerce. The latest tool is only one of many social network software solutions that aim to simplify and expedite the purchase of products on Instagram.

The DM-based shopping tool allows users to browse products with the help of a company representative in real- time. Open the DMs, send the brand representative a message, search and shop for products with their assistance.

Instagram’s DM-Based Shopping Tool Enables Chat Payment Requests

The latest shopping tool allows users to browse and customize products in chat and enables the seller to create payment requests right then and there. Users will now be able to get their desired products without ever leaving the chat.

The seller assists the customer until they arrive at the desired outcome, i.e., until the buyer gets the product customized to their liking. Once browsing and customization are out of the way, the seller creates a payment request using Meta Pay and forwards it to the buyer.

The payment request consists of the finalized item description and the price that the buyer needs to pay. The familiar Facebook Pay layout greets the buyer after tapping on the payment request, where they can then complete their order.

But that’s not where the convenience of the new DM shopping tool ends. Additionally, buyers can use the tool to track their orders after the payment is confirmed or to ask the brand representative any follow-up questions they might have.

DM Shopping Tool Removes the Need to Visit Company Websites or Social Media Pages

It’s not like visiting company websites or their respective social media pages was complicated in any way, shape or form, but having the ability to buy directly from brand representatives takes the convenience and user experience to a whole new level.

There’s more to it than just convenience, however. HubSpot's Instagram Marketing Trends Report shows that the app’s shopping tools and the DMs carry the highest ROI on the platform. No surprise there – engaging with the brand in real-time, with a real person on the other end, builds customers’ relationship with the company and boosts their brand experience.

Social Shopping Drives Gen Z and Millennials to Buy More

Gen Z and millennials are at the forefront of engagement with small businesses on social media. It’s no surprise, given the amount of time these generations spend on social media (a couple of hours per day on average).

Seeing as how they are also tired of being advertised to all the time, with little human contact or support, it’s easy to recognize the potential of a DM-based shopping tool.

There’s no telling what the future has in store for tools like this one, but the potential seems to be there. Although, it’s up to individual businesses how this potential will be utilized.