What Happened to the Instagram Shop Tab?
Firstly, it was added in 2022 as a new way for users to get something new out of the app, and tap into the huge market of Online Shopping. YouTube videos were even posted by shopping creators to see if the algorithm gave them shopping ads that matched their social media data Instagram has learned from them. Of the videos posted the main consensus was the data on themselves collected from Instagram was mostly what they liked. Most would say that this was a “Win” for Instagram. The shop tab was great for all businesses big or small. No matter its downfall the shop tab did generate a lot of new customers for smaller businesses. Soon after its popularity the Instagram Shop Tab dropped off and more users were using the search page for watching Instagram reels instead of using the shop tab on the same explore page. In 2023 it was removed and on the outside, the public didn’t miss it. But why is that? Why wouldn’t the public like another shopping service like the Instagram shop tab?
SEO Success and Failures
Instagram and other social media platforms take many risks in evolving their platforms. Some work out for the better and some for the worse. Some success stories may be of creating a new vibrant look on Instagram and upgrading it from its old look. This makes Instagram more marketable and appealing to the eye with bright colors in the new logo. That is a huge part of accomplishing good SEO practices and it makes something look appealing to the majority of its audience, thereby making it more clickable. One failure stated by some is Twitter rebranding to X. Just scrolling on the internet lots of people commented on the fact that they did not like the new rebrand and wished the old Twitter was back and not changed.
The Finale of the Instagram Shop Tab
Firstly, shopping has not completely gone away from Instagram entirely. Shopping ads do pop up on Instagram user’s pages usually marketed towards things they click on in the app the most or show some interest in. To answer the question at hand, unfortunately, it is up to the consumer whether it was a mistake or not. All companies make adjustments in their tactics and it is unrealistic for consumers to expect perfection in everything from them. The shop tab had benefits like being encased in one space, but sometimes it was hard to navigate. Pros and Cons outweigh each other, and we can decide what takes precedence.
3 Responses
I never even realized that there was a shop tab on Instagram! I don’t have an opinion one way or another but I wonder if they thought it drifted too far away from their focus. Or it was way too similar to tiktok (given that they were flamed for adding Instagram reels)? Either way, I guess Instagram is just testing out what works and what doesn’t.
I never knew about this situation. Thank you for explaining and relating it back to SEO!
Great use of images and headings in this post. It really makes it much easier to read and it stands out from other posts.