One of the factors in favor of Instagram’s rise is its simplicity: take a picture, slap on a filter, jot a caption and post to the world. However, Instagram wants to make the process of flipping through photos a little more commercial, though no less entertaining.
Anonymous sources told DigiDay that Instagram is currently testing new advertisements that incorporate 3D Touch for navigation and Apple Pay during the checkout process for certain ads. The sources explained that 3D Touch could be used to move through layers of a photo, for example selecting individual clothing items from a model’s entire wardrobe.
“From an innovation standpoint, Instagram is where a lot of brands are putting the most eggs,” one of the anonymous sources told DigiDay. “Force touch gets interesting, because instead of quickly tapping Shop Now to buy this one thing, you can choose from two or three offers. It makes for more frictionless shopping.”
The unconfirmed report comes a few short months after Instagram added “Shop Now” buttons directly into its timeline, enabling users to place orders without ever leaving the Instagram app. However, The Verge explained that some advertisers are slipping on Instagram’s earlier insistence that ads be made to look as natural and photorealistic as possible. Instead, some brands are simply posting product pictures like they would on any other social media platform, which may not create the engaging potential that 3D Touch capability could make excellent use of.
Interestingly, a spokesperson at Instagram told DigiDay that no such project is underway, though commodifying the Instagram experience remains a top priority.
“Mobile commerce is definitely a space we are looking at closely,” the spokesperson said. “However, this isn’t something we are testing at this time.”
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