The Superpowers of Social Media

The power of the Social Media tornado has touched every single molecule across the earth, enveloping millions and millions of people under its wings with every passing second. And Instagram is no different! Right behind Facebook & Twitter, Instagram is the biggest social media networking website on the Internet. Over the past few years, the platform has grown with bundles of ferocity thanks to its unique image sharing connection networks.

The Highly Anticipated Declaration

Instagram made this news public with the help of its blog post which states: “Instagram is a place where people come to connect and be inspired, and our focus with every product we build is keeping it this way”. The company further claims: “Our aim is to make any advertisements you see feel as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of you already enjoy from your favorite brands”.

Moreover, the post has also made it clear that users will be given the freedom to hide the ads they dislike, whilst providing astute feedback on how the customer experience can be improvised.

Instagram Ad Push

Money Money Money!

Now just like its forefathers (Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012), Instagram has lately announced that they will open the doors to their advertising feed to all suitors, right from the friendly neighborhood confectionery stores, to big shot media agencies, to Fortune 500 companies, and what not. Ergo, Instagram has finally decided to crank up the money machine.

That being said, Facebook has managed to successfully keep this image sharing platform free of all kinds of advertising up until now, barring a minority of juggernaut brands which were allowed to use astute commercial messages.

Once companies take the Instagram ad plunge, they can bask in the glory of feasting on over 300 million users segregated by a myriad of parameters like age, interest, gender, etc. just like the daddy of social networking – Facebook.

Instagram’s Transformation Inevitability

As many digital marketing professionals and media enthusiasts will tell you, the process of commercialization of Instagram was a foregone conclusion. Given the advertising natures of Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, Instagram is plainly and simply following suit.

Don’t you get a pattern here?

Step 1: Invent a top notch social media platform

Step 2: Keep all the services free

Step 3: Once you’ve reeled everybody in, bring out paid advertising services to pay your bills.

And just like all others, Instagram has ended up following the same protocol as well.

The ‘Why’ of Instagram’s Commercialization Phenomenon

Targeting the youth is the need of the hour for social media networking websites. As studies have now suggested, that over 35% of 18 to 28 year old who use the Internet have an Instagram profile, it has become a major channel if you are looking for a youth centric flow. This is a boon for B2C organizations as they can get hands-on access to one of the biggest markets out there. As a business manager, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this golden egg.

What’s in Store for all Advertisers?

Slowly but surely, Instagram is maturing and coming of age, having been raised as a mere image sharing baby, to becoming a social networking powerhouse. This is not just a mark of incessant sophistication, but a matter of survival-of-the-fittest.

Here are some noteworthy pointers to look out for:

• Advertisers can incorporate multiple images in a single sponsored post.
• Customers will now have the option to browse through additional content or visit the website all at once.
• Landscape format Video Ads – Yes its true! One can opt for 30 seconds long video ads to woo its customers
• Marketing professionals and analysts can now execute consolidated ad campaigns on both Facebook and Instagram in a cohesive manner giving its customers the best of both worlds.
• Thanks to the launch of a nascent premium tool known as Marquee, Instagram has come to the aid of advertisers who want to spread their wings, and do it quickly. Mass recognition is the buzzword here, which is ideal for events like product launches or movie releases.
• Last but not the least, retailers and e-commerce companies can now incorporate a Call-to-Action ‘Shop Now’ button.

Gone are those days when the entire billboard canvas was used as just a mere space to display the ads, as brands can now make good use of this new and improved carousel, and indulge in critical and dynamic ad campaigns spreading across images and videos and what not!