As one of the fastest growing social media photo sharing platforms in the world, with over 200 million monthly active users, it was only a matter of time before a brand leveraged Instagram’s capabilities to create a fun – and free – alternative to a website.
IKEA recently used the site to launch a web-based catalog and showcase its annual PS line targeted towards millennials. Upon searching the ikea_ps_2014 account on mobile, you’ll find what looks like a homepage resembling a typical IKEA catalog. Each main post or image represents a categorized collection of items offered as part of the line.
Leveraging Instagram’s tagging system, when an image of a product is tapped, hidden links to additional photos and specifics in that category open and allow for itemized navigation. Each product has it’s own account where users can view video demos, photos, product info and pricing.
This may not be the first time we’ve seen brands find a unique way to use Instagram, however it is the first time we’ve seen a brand exploit the sites user experience to essentially create website links out of Instagram’s tagging system.
IKEA’s latest use-case for Instagram may help the photo-centric social hub progress from a repository of selfies to a digital marketplace. We have seen over 2500 brands join Instagram to date and can expect to see these brands exploring more exclusive ways to leverage the site rather than expecting organic reach and engagement based on product shots and hashtags.
Since launching on June 21, IKEA’s @ikea_ps_2014 account has gained over 13,000 followers.
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Great blog post!