Image-sharing site Instagram is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, forming an important part of Facebook’s growing family of brands and allowing hundreds of millions of people around the world to display their lives for all to see.

Now the firm has outlined its plans to make safe shopping online accessible within its platform, meaning that users will soon be able to access integrated basket and checkout systems without having to fall back on third-party sites and services.

It predicts that within two years it could be pulling down over $10 billion (£7.8 billion) annually from e-commerce transactions alone, meaning that it would not have to rely solely on advertising for revenue generation.

Instagram is arguably ideal for transitioning into a transactional platform, since it is widely used by influencers and brands to connect with consumers and get them interested in products and services which appeal to their tastes. 

Adding a native checkout solution would not only help Instagram make more money from its users but would also mean that they did not browse away to a separate app or site when they decided to make a purchase.

In the long run Instagram will effectively become a competitor of the likes of Amazon, adding in marketplace features to cater to the trends that are shaping the world of e-commerce at the moment.

Influencers who use the platform to gain an audience will also benefit, since they will be able to run their own stores on Instagram and once again retain the attention of fans more effectively.

There will no doubt be some issues that Instagram has to overcome in order to make its online shopping experience smooth and reliable, but it has the backing to achieve this.