The Visual Web Gets Promoted and Beautified
The new Instagram ads will appear in user feeds, whether they follow the sponsoring brand or not, but Instagram wants the ads to feel native to the platform by being beautiful photography marked with a 'Sponsored' label. The new ads aren't available to all brands immediately. Instagram is partnering with select partners like Adidas, GE and Michael Kors to get the program started.
Instagram has expressed that ads should be creative, premium content that adds value to the platform. Most social media marketing efforts have been focused on crafting copy to date, but Instagram has officially unveiled a new chapter in social media marketing that emphasizes visuals. It's a trend that's been building to this climax for some time.
Making the Investment Count...
Facebook acquired Instagram last year for a few reasons, but the primary reasons were to push into the mobile space and to retain engagement among younger audiences, especially teens who were showing less interest in Facebook. Now, Facebook is making that $1 billion investment count with Instagram as another source for mobile revenue, but making that investment count means keeping control on quality.
...Without Alienating Users
Instagram has become known for providing a beautiful, simple experience, and they aim to maintain that reputation by publishing advertising guidelines, being involved in the creative and testing with already proven brands like Burberry and Lexus before opening it up to more brands. Instagram and brands have a lot to lose if this isn't done right. Brand messages that don't feel native to the platform and inundate users will be rejected by the community.
This represents a bit of a shift in social visuals to something more beautiful and professional. Some have taken the view that any visual is better than no visual, and in some cases this is true. Instagram, however, is upping the ante by encouraging quality. Some brands will need to evolve as the Instagramification of visuals extends beyond this platform to others, including Twitter, Facebook and even YouTube.
One potential challenge Instagram will have to address is clickable links. Brands who want some kind of CTA will want to include a URL in some instances. Instagram does not enable these to thwart spammers, so it will have to find a way around this for advertisers.
Instagram ads are here. Advertisers, be ready.