Department store chain Barneys New York is making purchasing via Instagram easier for its male consumers with the introduction of shoppable imagery.

One of Instagram’s main conundrums for marketers was the platform’s resistance to placing hyperlinks within the caption of a shared photo, resulting in links added to profile pages but stagnant conversions. A number of brands, including Barneys, have figured ways to navigate this issue by releasing Like2Buy programs to create a straightforward path to ecommerce within Instagram content.

Like it. Shop it.
Since advertising was first introduced on Instagram in November 2013, the social platform has shown an immense amount of growth and effectiveness that can easily be harvested by brands for their own advantage, according to a report by L2.

While Instagram itself originally expressed hesitation about embracing advertising, over the past two years the platform has introduced a variety of advertising methods such as carousel ads and videos. In June, Instagram announced it will take its advertising to the next level by including calls to action and more seamless links to ecommerce that will likely have a major impact on brands using Instagram to connect with consumers (see story).

Over the summer, Barneys released Like2Buy for its main Instagram account. Like2Buy enables Instagram content to be shoppable by placing a link in the brand or retailer’s profile. Following the Like2Buy link brings the consumer to a gallery of shoppable Instagram images that are ecommerce enabled through the Barneys Web site (see story).

The dedicated menswear Like2Buy program works similarly with consumers being able to make a purchase directly from the curated content executed by the retailer.

Barneys’ Like2Buy site for menswear 

Barneys’ Like2Buy page, accessible by clicking the link placed within the BarneysMAN’s profile, includes footwear, outerwear, leather goods and accessories sold by the retailer. When an image is selected the consumer is brought to the ecommerce page for the item shown.

When there is more than one product in the shared image, a window opens that numbers the merchandise and includes a sidebar where the item’s brands are listed. A click-through on a specific item redirects the consumer to that product’s ecommerce page on Barneys’ Web site.