This past year, Instagram has seen some major growth across their platform. According to the latest data pull, time spent watching videos is up by 80 percent and videos produced daily increased by four times the volume. With consumer behavior like this, it is no wonder why Instagram now has over two million monthly advertisers.
That said, throughout the year Instagram has updated the platform to be even more advantageous for advertisers:
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Ads in stories – This year, advertisers could target, reach and measure even more content through Instagram Stories. While users browse through the stories section, they are presented with a branded ad. Through a series of 15 second videos, brands can promote a service or product all while staying in consumers’ feeds.
- Share up to 10 photos and videos in one ad or post – Advertisers (and users) can now share up to 10 photos and videos in one ad or post. Whether your brand is posting organically or promoting an ad, you can now add more content to share your brand story.
- Instagram Stories available globally – Instagram’s global presence is ever-expanding. This year, the platform expanded advertising capabilities for Instagram Stories to global business.
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Better shopping experience – Are you a retail brand on the platform? If so have you used Instagram’s product tags? Upon posting your product, brands can tag the image so users can go right to the product page and learn more about the item’s details. One brand that has experienced immense success from this update is Kate Spade New York. Mary Beech, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for the brand noted: “Traditionally, our customer had turned to Instagram for inspiration, and we’re seeing that she’s reacting positively to the new shopping experience, which allows her to seamlessly tap and shop the product – going from inspiration to information to purchase in just a few steps – we’re excited to see where the feature continues to take us.”
If that doesn’t persuade you, get this;according to Facebook’s Holiday Study from 2016, 46 percent of users find Instagram highly influences holiday shopping. Mobile-first shoppers are two times likely to purchase gifts on Instagram as well as use the platform to find deals and promotions. So, if you’re looking to increase your presence this holiday season, consider making Instagram a marketing priority.
- Location and hashtag stories on explore – Since this platform has grown to be a major source for inspiration, be it fashion, food, lifestyle, makeup etc., the Explore page proved to be an area of interest. This page received an updated feature that allows for users to find out what is happening around them and find stores, restaurants, museums, activities and more.
- New objectives in ads – Whether you are seeking to build brand lift and awareness or drive action and traffic, Instagram allows more capabilities for your marketing objectives. Advertisers can now track video views, traffic, conversions and mobile app install.
- Blocking offensive comments – As part of an initiative to keep the platform a safe place for self-expression, Instagram developed a filter that blocks offensive language and comments on posts and in live video. Seeing that several businesses have noted that due toxic commenting, they have been discouraged to post certain content, Instagram’s new filter allows for business to weed out the spam and offensive content and reply to consumers’ inquiries, concerns and advice.
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New API features – Need to get a better understanding for your audience? Instagram’s API features allow advertisers to better manage their organic presence by tracking impressions, reach, followers reached, taps forward, taps back, exits and replies.
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