Shopping on Instagram with Hashbag
Have you ever been searching through endless hashtags looking for something? Ever thought about using Instagram to sell something? Hashbag makes both scenarios easier. Sure, Instagram is not the first place you think of when you have something to sell but over two million items a year are listed for sale on Instagram. However, finding them can be complicated.
Hashbag turns Instagram into an eBay of sorts. Buyers use the search bar at the top of the Hashbag page to find items they like with hashtags like #fashion or #cars to find items that are for sale, as long as they are using the #forsale tag. When you find something you love, click the “buy” button and you will be directed to pay. If the seller is not a member of Hashbag, you will be sent to their Instagram profile, so you can arrange payment through comments or messages.
Taming the Wild West
Sellers list take an Instagram picture of the item you want to sell using the #forsale tag, set your price, and the item will go live and be listed in your personal storefront on Hashbag. You can also add this storefront to your Instagram bio, if you will be selling frequently, to attract more attention. When someone buys your item, they pay via PayPal, and you can then ship your item to them.
Hashbag was created by Mike Bodge out of the need to organize and collect Instagram #forsale posts. As he clicked through these posts he noticed, “that it was kind of a wild west of e-commerce. Some people wanted you to leave a comment to make an offer, some wanted you to email or text them, and other wanted to send messages via WhatsApp.” He realized there was no trusted way for people to sell their stuff so he created Hashbag. Now buyers can pay through PayPal and communicate quickly and effectively.
Hashbag charges sellers a flat $0.99 per transaction. There is no fee if you are a buyer.
