No longer are you hearing your favorite Instagram influencer use the worn out line ‘swipe up to shop’ and to be honest, we are totally here for it.
Instagram has decided to ditch the swipe up feature…
…which diverted users to external websites, in favor of a button or ‘sticker’. The decision was made in a bid to facilitate an easier way for content creators to earn revenue from the platform. The swipe up feature was available to instagram users with verified accounts or followings over 10K, allowing followers to easily access and purchase products endorsed by their favorite creators. Testing for the sticker began this summer, available to only a handful of users with both large and small audiences who were encouraged to provide their point of view and opinion on the revamp before the platform officially launched the button last month.
So… what does removing the instagram swipe up link mean for creators?
Although this may not be a tool that launches small creators into stardom, it is an interesting update to the app. Creators are now able to have greater control over the aesthetic of their stories, considering that the swipe up feature’s placement at the bottom of the screen was immovable. The update also allows for influencers to strategically position stickers to appear more obvious to their followers which will hopefully result in greater engagement and therefore leading to a greater opportunity to earn revenue via Instagram stories. Most importantly, and unlike the swipe up feature, the sticker has no impact on the direct-from-story messaging functionality. This is perhaps the preeminent benefit to the update; allowing followers to engage with influencers fosters authenticity and inspires trust in the creator, thus convincing followers to purchase the products endorsed.
Although this update is certainly compelling, we think Instagram should push this revamp one step further and roll out the update to creators with followings smaller than 10k. Why? Because nano-influencers have developed tight knit communities in their ability to connect with a greater percentage of their audience and foster authentic conversations surrounding the brands and products they endorse. Instagram has commented saying that they have been testing out releasing this feature to smaller creators. We hope that they follow through.
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