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Instagram and Facebook content will soon have shopping links embedded in posts, essentially eliminating the need for third-party “link in bio” style widgets. Meta announced Tuesday that it is adding trading features on both platforms, though the functionality will be slightly different for each.
On Facebook, creators will be able to connect their affiliate accounts with brands and tag products in reels and photos. Typically when an influencer wants to send audiences to their affiliate link, they have to comment on a post with a link to the product, or direct audiences towards an affiliate platform like ShopMy or LTK. Now, approved products will be linked directly to the content in the form of a floating bubble that viewers can directly click on. Affiliate partners are limited at launch: In the US, the program will start with Amazon, with Temu and eBay added in the coming months.
On Instagram, influencers will be able to upload up to 30 shoppable products in a single reel. Products are not as limited as on Facebook: creators will be able to copy and paste their affiliate links to individual items directly. The only problem is that Meta linked items must be registered in the brands’ trade catalogue.
The new features will be relevant to anyone who benefits from affiliate revenue. For everyone else, it would likely make the platforms look like a shopping mall. Built-in affiliate content is similar to how TikTok Shop works, with easily accessible links to dresser tops and camera stands floating through video after video.
The new shopping features come just weeks after an Instagram influencer controversy Add shopping links to their content without their permission. The Shop Theme feature added links to similar, cheaper products rather than actual items, said one influencer who discovered the feature. Meta said at the time that it was a limited test and that the company was “exploring various changes” to the feature.