According to a blog post by Instagram’s business unit, more than 200 million active Instagrammers visit a business profile every day, and approximately 150 million of those users are currently messaging their favorite brands each month. Starting today, Instagram’s updates will allow you to direct message your favorite brands more easily, and shop more seamlessly, without ever leaving the addictive app.
Your favorite Instagram business accounts, take Gucci for example, probably don’t follow you back. Which is to say if you Direct Messaged Gucci about an out-of-stock item, you’re probably not going to get a response. Those messages used to end up in an often unnoticed “pending” folder (similar to spam), but luckily now, your messages will finally go straight into said brand’s DMs.
And it appears the feature will come in handy for many fledgling brands and shoppers.
“A lot of our customers find us through Instagram, and it is much more convenient for them to simply DM us through [the app] than open their mail app,” said Alex Mazerolle, a writer and yoga teacher, @girlvanayoga.
Amira Kassem of Flour Shop, the Instabait brand that is known for its kitschy confections and rainbow-tiered cakes, credits much of her success as a business to Instagram.
“Instagram was Flour Shop’s first home. My company might not have existed without the opportunity created through the platform. Instagram has been my CMO since day one,” Kassem said.
But it doesn’t stop there. The platform is unveiling new “action” buttons that will allow people to make dinner reservations, book hairstyling appointments, buy tickets to events and more with a list of third-party vendors including Eventbrite, GrubHub, Resy and StyleSeat.
Get ready to spend a lot more time scrolling and shopping “on the gram.”