Today, Instagram has launched its latest standalone application, Boomerang.
Boomerang by Instagram
With just the press of a button, Boomerang by Instagram will transform a moving image into a mini video comprised of 10 images. It will then play silently while looping back and forth. It’s easy to use, and the app does not even require an Instagram account or any other type of registration – it may be downloaded and used immediately. The app may be used to capture moving scenes, people in motion or even be used to create silent video “selfies” with a reverse cell phone camera.
Boomerang is the third standalone app to be released by Instagram in the past two years. The first release was Hyperlapse in 2014 which allows users to create time-lapse videos (fast or slow) and the second was Layout, a photo collage app which was released earlier this year. The standalone apps allow users to enjoy more variety and excitement on their newsfeeds without disrupting the careful balance of aesthetics and features already at work on the popular application.
The Battle for the Teenage Market
Even more than keeping users entertained, Boomerang appears to be an effort to keep teenagers on Instagram as it offers a new way to stay engaged on the platform. Boomerang hopes to satisfy the tastes of young Millenials while also succeeding to be attractive for older users and brands alike. Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, are aware of the strong competition for the teenaged market by Snapchat which has also managed to woo top brands from around the world. Snapchat comes with a slew of features to play around with and Snapchat continuously releases more and more options for customization. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as far as future offerings from Facebook and Instagram for this demographic.
Millenials are a strong and attractive demographic for businesses across multiple industries and products and services of various price points. While the demographic of individuals born after 1980 tend to have economic stresses such as student loans for older Millenials, they are still an important and sizable market. Teens may be even more important for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms as it is during the teen years that many experience the building of the foundation of often lifelong relationships with brands. This translates to more users and greater engagement on these networks in turn making them more attractive platforms for marketers to turn to for such services as sponsored ads.
