Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Social Media
  3. News

Like that food photo? Book a table — or tickets — without leaving Instagram

By

Instagram’s new tools for business means users can begin reserving tickets, booking a table or creating an order without leaving the social network. On Tuesday, May 8, Instagram launched two new upgrades for businesses, including enhancements to Direct Messages as well as a new integration for booking that even non-business users will soon spot on the platform.

For Instagrammers, the update means that, as businesses add those tools, you will be able to book a movie or a table at a restaurant from a button on the business’ profile page. The button will open up a browser page inside the Instagram app to finish the process. The integration means users can also select their profile to auto-fill fields for emails and other data already connected with the Instagram account.

Recommended Videos

For businesses, Instagram says the tool can help turn likes into actual action, with one of the businesses in the beta testing saying the button added 15 to 20 orders a week. Instagram’s new booking tools are similar to some of the existing options already inside Facebook with some of the same partners.

Related

Along with the new options for booking on Instagram, businesses will also see an updated Instagram Direct. Messages from new customers have moved to the inbox rather than the pending folder. A new star option will note messages to come back to while new filters will help businesses find specific messages quickly.

Instagram says they are also launching beta tests for quick replies. The tool will help businesses automatically respond to the most common questions.

Instagram’s new action buttons are launching with tools from a list of new partners, including Acuity, Atom Tickets, Booksy, ChowNow, Eatstreet, Eventbrite, Fandango, GrubHub, MyTime, OpenTable, Reserve, Restorando, Resy, SevenRooms, StyleSeat, Tock, and Yelp Reservations. Instagram is also expecting to add compatibility for the tool with Appointy, Genbook, LaFourchette, Mindbody, Schedulicity, SetMore, and Vagaro.

The tools come as Instagram continues to roll out more business-focused tools as the network’s business numbers continue to grow. Instagram says that 200 million daily active users head to a business profile every day. In December, the platform reached 25 million businesses with profiles on the network.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary K. Grigonis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day
Bluesky social media app logo.

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Read more
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more
I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened
An Instagram profile on an iPhone.

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.

Read more