Instagram surprised us all this week with a fresh, modern redesign. The new Instagram (both the mobile app and desktop website) is cleaner, sleeker and user-friendly. The only “miss” is its new logo which seems cold and far removed from its roots as many continue to insist in various forums online and of course on Instagram’s own in-app profile. However, a new design was not its only offering this week. The photo-sharing social company also introduced dynamic ads to its platform, news that was largely overshadowed by its new look.
Dynamic Ads
Parent company Facebook has already had dynamic ads for some time and now they’ve arrived to Instagram. These are the type of online ads that serve as reminders for items left behind in e-commerce shopping carts or recently searched for items on business’ websites, making them a great way for marketers to ensure their target audiences are spot on. Instagram’s dynamic ads are managed through Business Manager and it’s even possible to arrange to have dynamic ads appear on Instagram, Facebook and the Audience Network (Facebook ads that appear in other places online) for the same campaign. The mobile market has serious market share. According to Instagram, mobile devices were responsible for over half of retail traffic in the 2015 holiday season and over 20% of purchases in the season were made via mobile devices.
Instagram Advertising Possibilities
Facebook and Instagram have recently revealed some of the results of their joint research for the photo-sharing app. According to the companies, “60% of users learn about products and services on Instagram. And 75% say they take action after being inspired by a post.” Marketers have numerous advertising possibilities available to them on Instagram as the social giant plans to incorporate more and more sponsored posts. What is most impressive about these ads is that they are excellent at maintaining the balance to keep users happy about what they see in their feeds while allowing marketers opportunities to do business. These ads are interesting, eye-catching and will be more and more personalized and targeted as time goes on. One such great advertising option is the carousel ad which allows multiple products to be prominently displayed in a single ad as users swipe to see each image or video in the post. Each carousel ad can features images-only, videos-only or a combination of the media.
