Since the end of last year we have heard about testing various features for Instagram, which aim to make the social network a real online store. Well, some of these features have now started to be implemented. From now on, you’ll be able to use your Stories to fund-raise for various institutions and also buy products directly from Instagram.

In addition, a new interface for Stories will soon be launched globally, designed to facilitate access to key features and increase user productivity.

I recall that Instagram has already been established as one of the most important social networks of today, with more than 500 million users daily.

Support your favorite institutions with new donation stickers

This new addition does not come as a big surprise, since we had already talked about it when it entered the testing phase. Now it will finally be made available to all users. To start a fundraising campaign, users will only need to use the new Donation Sticker in their Stories.

When selecting this new Sticker, a list of several most popular institutions will be presented today. However, if the institution you are interested in is not present, you will also have at your disposal a search bar where you will be able to find many others.

Instagram also revealed that once the donation (through a swipe up), the total amount selected by the user will be donated to the chosen institution. That is, the social network will not charge any kind of tax on the donations.

It makes purchases directly from the publications of the ‘Influencers’

This is another feature that was already in the test phase and will be finally implemented. However, this will happen in a phased manner.

From now on, it will be possible to make purchases directly from the publications of various ‘Influencers’. By simply clicking on an item that is marked on the published photo, the user is redirected immediately to the checkout page within the social network itself.

At this early stage, this functionality will be limited not only to the number of ‘Influencers’, but also to a limited number of brands. For now, you’ll be able to buy products directly from the publications of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kris Jenner, Chiara Ferragni, Camila Coelho, Katie Sturino, Elle, GQ, HypeBeast and Refinery29.

As far as brands are concerned, they are still limited to Nike, Adidas, Burberry, Prada, Michael Kors, Mac, Kyle Comsetics, H & M and Zara. Certainly in the near future will be added many more brands to this already interesting list.

Instagram Stories will receive a new interface very soon

Finally, Instagram revealed that a new interface will soon be launched for the most popular functionality of the social network, the Stories.

In this new interface, the Stories were divided into 3 different tabs: ‘Live’, ‘Camera’ and ‘Create’. In the first option, as the name suggests, it is where users should turn if they want to start a new livestream for their followers.

The ‘Camera’ tab is where all of today’s most popular Stories features, including Boomerang, Superzoom, Focus and Rewind, will be clustered. That is, when you want to take a photo to publish in your Stories, this is the tab you want to open.

Lastly is the new ‘Create’ section, where users can create publications that do not involve photos. They will have access to text tools, questionnaires and stickers to convey their messages.