Attention, InstaShoppers!

The photo-sharing site is warming up to commerce, but will consumers buy in?

- Ann-Marie Alcántara

Eight years ago, Instagram was nothing more than a new social media app designed to share grainy photos of food, friends and family. A billion-dollar acquisition and a few years later, Instagram is turning into a leading contender in the social commerce space, with the platform evolving from a place for influencers and normals to one where brands can thrive and create whole businesses.

Several data breaches at Facebook, and Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger abruptly leaving the company in September hasn’t done much to dissuade brands and analysts from seeing the future of Instagram as a social shopping hub. However, before the platform gets to that point, many are hoping for new tools to monetize the platform—as long as Facebook doesn’t get too involved.

“When we envision Instagram in the next few years, we hope the experience is clean; see beautiful photography, maybe shop here and there and not a flood of advertising from companies who are just [there] to flood the platform with ads,” said Karla Gallardo, co-founder and CEO of Cuyana, a women’s clothing company.