
Instagram is ready to roll its new in Stories ads.
Instagram hit a big success with its Instagram Stories feature that has been around the block for just six months. The new update allowed the share of photos and videos among users. The catch is that the new content vanishes into thin air after 24 hours of its release. This transient characteristic is similar to one of Instagram’s rivals, namely SnapChat. Instagram Stories is also offering social media users the opportunity to stream videos in real life. This type of content has a lifespan of one hour at most. The new feature managed to gather 150 million users already. Instagram will begin to monetize the product with in stories ads.
This Wednesday, Instagram announced that it would allow publishers to insert their advertising videos within the Stories experience. Moreover, the company will introduce analytics tools. Thanks to this, businesses will be able to track their ads and collect valuable data to streamline their marketing campaigns on Instagram.
Facebook bought the social media company back in 2012 for $1 billion. It took the company almost three years to finally get to introduce ads in the network. However, the new move is not compliant with Facebook’s usual course of action. Although Instagram Stories feature is only six-month-old, it will already start hosting in Stories ads.
The new direction implemented on Instagram was the object of criticism for many people. The format seems to be too similar to Snapchat. However, this controversy didn’t stop social media users to like such new services. On Wednesday, the company disclosed for the first time that its user database reached the high number of 150 million. These users are turning to Instagram Stories on a daily basis.
This milestone is actually an almost exact match for the numbers from Snapchat. This sharp boom of popularity created the ideal circumstances for Instagram to start monetizing its feature. The new in Stories ads will last for only 15 seconds for the time being. Publishers can choose to introduce even shorter clips promoting their products or services. The ads can have a video format, but they can also be a slideshow of photos. As Instagram stated that 70% of its users are activating the sound while watching a video, the ads can improve their stats greatly if they have sound.
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