Instagram, Snaps Team To Connect Brands, Customers Via Messenger API

Snaps is teaming up with Instagram as the social media giant gears up for the holiday shopping season by sprucing up its commercial appeal to the major brands.

New York-based Snaps announced on Monday (Oct. 19) that it has integrated Messenger API support for Instagram in its conversational automation platform.

The addition will further enable brands to have one-on-one conversations with customers, ensuring that online shoppers “can get always-on, personalized and intelligent responses about products, services and active eCommerce orders,” the companies said in a joint press release.

The integration comes as Instagram pushes to get the word out about its increasingly key role in the eCommerce ecosystem.

In particular, the social media giant says that more than 80 percent of its users now research, consider and discover products through its platform.

“We are thrilled that Snaps is launching its integration with Messenger API Support for Instagram,” said Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, vice president of platform partnerships at Messenger, which, like Instagram, is owned by Facebook. “Businesses and people are messaging each other more than ever, and Instagram is an important channel to connect with customers and build relationships. Messenger API support for Instagram means businesses and developers can now manage their customer communications on Instagram at scale.”

As a result of the integration, eCommerce brands can communicate directly with customers without leaving Instagram, with Snaps’ conversational automation platform facilitating “guided shopping experiences, FAQ responses and post-purchase order management experiences,” the companies noted.

“We are psyched to announce support for Messenger API support for Instagram,” said Snaps CEO Christian Brucculeri in a press release. “As a leading developer of automation solutions for Facebook Messenger, this is a natural extension of our value proposition to our customers. It’s no longer up for debate that consumers want to message with brands where they already spend their time.”