Instagram gave in to ads earlier in the year and is now beginning to increase the amount shown on the application. Instagram users are frustrated to discover that the app is now endorsing advertisements. One of the biggest reasons why Instagram for many users is better than other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter was due to its lack of advertisements. However, Instagram has found a way to sneak in those dreaded ads just like all the other social media sites.
Contrary to other social media sites’ way of advertisement, Instagram is sticking to the use of trendy pictures only in a way of abiding by its app’s main purpose. Advertisers have to use creative and trendy looking pictures showcasing their products to display on Instagram so that users can almost pretend like the ads are just regular posts. Advertising on almost all other sites has gotten a majority of negative feedback from users; however, Instagram is a different case. Instagram has found a way to please both advertisers and users by forcing ads to fall under the terms of the app’s unique style. Instagram’s main focus is to ensure that its users barely notice the addition of advertisements while still comforting advertisers in the fact that their messages are being seen on one of the most popular social media platforms out there.
While Instagram advertisements may not be the most popular among Instagram users, it has proven to be a hit for companies putting their ads out there. Instagram has helped companies like Hollister and Taco Bell increase their internal performance numbers. Taco Bell had a 29 percent point gain for its breakfast menu. This was thanks to Instagram’s use of a control group and test group. Taco Bell noticed a 400 percent higher rate on its promotions when using Instagram advertisements as opposed to its original way of advertising.
During the one month ad campaign for Taco Bell on Instagram, the fast food chain’s number of followers increased by 45 percent. Taco Bell mentioned how the use of Instagram advertisements was particularly popular among young male followers on the social media site. Numbers and figures like these are good enough reasons for Instagram to make the decision to increase the amount of ads shown on the social media app.
Hollister’s Senior Vice President of Marketing mentioned how usage of advertisements on Instagram leverages one of the “best visual platforms for social media.” He also mentioned how the cost of advertising on Instagram is pretty steep, but seeing the results makes it worth the price. Hollister went into the start of summer with the plan to increase its amount of advertisements on the app due to the result of positive feedback.
Instagram’s ads have proven to be so effective that the social media app is expanding its advertisements to international users as well. The Facebook-owned company will begin its advertisement expansion in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This form of branching out will allow Instagram to reach more users with its advertisements, leading to more revenue for those companies showcasing their products on the app.
Ads being displayed on Instagram continue to generate mixed reviews from users. Some enjoy the advertisements as they adhere to the guidelines of being a trendy photo as opposed to a traditional advertisement, while others are bitter that yet another social media platform has given in to the difficulty of ads. Regardless of whether users are pleased or not, it seems as though ads are staying on Instagram and the amount will only increase on the app over time.
By Amena S. Chaudhri
Sources:
Huffington Post
ADWEEK
Mashable
Discover more from Guardian Liberty Voice
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
2 Responses
Musically is the new instagram now.
I love the snarkiness of this article. Bemoaning Instagram for starting to use ads that match its style and content. Meanwhile on this very article there’s a Levi’s banner ad, a Honda ad partially obscuring the picture, a T-Mobile one attached to the bottom of the screen. Underneath the article (before the comments) are a row of popular stories, two rows of “Sponsored Content” (native advertising, in the industry). And of course, the right hand column is: AT&T U-verse, terrible click-bait articles, Adobe, McDonalds, “more posts” (read: shots of cleavage), two broken ads, Top Posts (hey cross-promo), click-bait articles again.
None of these ads matches the style or content of this article (which truthfully seems to do a good summary and landscape of Instagram advertising). But, oh well, the Guardian was able to sell three in-story ads, five side ads, a small army of cross-promotional articles, and a ton of dubious quality sponsored content.