How great would it be if you were browsing through your catalog or magazine and could easily purchase any product that caught your eye with a simple tap of your finger? Now you can - with Flipboard.

What is Flipboard?

Flipboard is essentially a virtual magazine that allows you to customize and share the majority of the content you view according to your interests. There is also an app that allows you to “flip” through beautiful image filled pages containing the latest news, fashion, and more on your tablet or phone. If you like the physical feel of turning a page, Flipboard allows you to thumb through each page just like a magazine.

According to an article in Webpro News, as of October 2013, Flipboard had hit nearly 90 million users and those users were currently flipping (viewing) about 7 billion pages per month. Just as Pinterest has capitalized on their audiences’ love of imagery, sharing and shopping; so too has Flipboard. In November 2013 Flipboard added a shopping category among their news, technology and fashion categories.

Shop Flipboard

Currently, you can shop in a couple of ways. Flipboard has a select group of retailers and shopping sites including Banana Republic, ModCloth, and etsy.com. They even have boards that are curated by the likes of designer Cynthia Rowley and actress Alyssa Milano. Go to any of these boards and when you find a product you like, a single click will take you to the purchasing site.

You can also create your own magazines for shopping (in addition to ones that are just for your reading pleasure). By installing the + Flipit button (similar to the PinIt button on Pinterest), you can add items that you like to your catalog. With the + Flipit button, you select an image, add a price then save to a catalog. Edit your catalogs - add and delete content, set your cover photo - in the Flipboard Editor. You can share catalogs with your social network and the viewer can be directed back to the product on the website for shopping. Why not share your catalogs with your family and friends and make it easy for people to shop for you?
To see how to create your own catalogs, view this video by one of the curators at Flipboard.

Right now the number of retailers and shopping sites is limited, but the plan is to expand both retail partnerships and celebrity curators. Users of Flipboard can save and share content as well as now shop; but if Flipboard is anything like Pinterest, it will surely adapt to the needs of its customers as well as the business community - specifically, retailers. I for one am looking forward to seeing how Flipboard continues to grow.