Instragram Shopping: A Great Way To Peddle Your Wares

Instagram is all about sharing.

Snapshots of mind-numbingly adorable felines, swirling cups of coffee, and artsy self portraits appear daily on the popular photo-sharing mobile app. Now there are an increasing amount of products being showcased as well.

An article by The New York Times reports that many entrepreneurs are finding Instagram to be a useful business tool. With approximately 100 million current users, the service affords business owners a quick and inexpensive way to expose their products to a mass audience. If they’ve gathered a significant amount of followers to their photo feed the results can be quite profitable.

Most frequently taking advantage of the profit gaining potential are homegrown companies and individuals. Many Instagrammers post photos showcasing items they are selling. These offerings frequently include clothing, jewelry, art prints, dolls, and other handmade trinkets. You’ll also find a large number of vintage items ranging from kitschy baubles to lovely beaded dresses.

The sharing process for sellers is not always easy. The New York Times goes on to say:

“Those who want to sell things on Instagram have to resort to surprisingly low-tech tactics. Instagram does not allow users to add links to their photo posts, so merchants have to list a phone number for placing orders, or hope their followers will type the Web address of their store into a browser.”

According to The Star Tribune, there are also a growing number of businesses that create products displaying your favorite Instagram photos. This group of sellers will place your favorite images on a variety of items from coasters to throw pillows.

You can even get your photo on a cookie by the New York company Baking for Good.

Owner Emily Dubner had this to say about her experience with Instagram:

“It is one of my favorite social media tools. We get the most response and interaction with people on Instagram, and I think that’s what sets it apart from the others.”

Have you used Instagram as a business or shopping tool?