The Future of Marketing is in Facebook’s Instagram

The amount of digital content created daily on social networks is simply massive. Every second there are 2100 new posts on Instagram, and if that does not sound like a large numberhow about 180 million uploads every single day? New statistics prove that Instagram is the best method to reach the most sought after audience – the 18 to 24 year olds A.K.A the Millennials. Brands have gained great awareness of the vital marketing prominence of having a social media presence. they are just now catching on to the possibilities with Instagram which has lagged behind Facebook and LinkedIn, until now.

Instagram – Facebook’s Untapped Marketing Secret Weapon

When Facebook acquired Instagram for 1$ Billion in 2012, it seemed like a smart move, it was slowly gaining fame, and it was obvious it is not going anywhere. But many were puzzled how Facebook is going to generate revenue through this clean, ad-free stream of photos. In an official post on Instagram’s blog, the company said that it is expanding its advertising platform.  Instagram is a lot cleaner than Facebook, You cannot click outside it, there are no links and you cannot go anywhere other than the feed. It is smooth, pure, and even tranquil for a lot of people. But it also means that not one person makes any money off of it. Advertisers do not get anything publishers do not get links to their stories. No revenue involved.

Combination of Shopping and Targeted Advertising

While Instagram is developing its ad platform, it is “focused on three key areas: Expanding ad offerings to include action-oriented formats, enabling more targeting capabilities, and making it easier for businesses large and small to buy ads on Instagram.” – According to their Blog publication. Instagram declared their intention to add different function buttons in their paid ad posts. This is comparable to Pinterest’s new action buttons, but in Instagram’s case all buttons are basically paid advertisements. So far, funded ad posts on Instagram have been used frequently by major brands and have not been directed at specific audiences. These innovative interactive ads will incorporate Facebook data, which should permit additional small businesses to initiate advertising on Instagram, since they will be able to procure ad that target a narrower group of people.   The “action-oriented” set-up will show a button underneath an image relevant to the ad:

• “Buy Now” – for online shopping
• “Install Now” – for applications
• “Sign Up” – for registration to services

To keep the entire process smooth and clear, the buttons will open an in-app browser so that the user remains inside the Instagram app.

Some Important Instagram Marketing Statistics

In the Previous year, Instagram published 150 paid promotions with big companies. This year, they have an income goal of $1 billion backed by an army of Facebook’s finest marketers. Instagram is a community that flourishes on inspirational content.  The service currently has 50 times higher engagement than Facebook, Instagram has about 300 million monthly active users who devote an average of 257 minutes a month on the app or website. Instagram users are not just surfing through infinite content; they are discovering new merchandise and companies. Actually, 47 percent of users say they use the social network mainly to discover new products. Moreover, 45.6 percent of Instagram users are more likely to remember a brand marketing themselves on the social network over television commercials and other traditional media. What has driven this success is the company’s obligation to the user experience and putting fantastic graphic content front and center. It has permitted Instagram to develop and influence a global audience with real purchasing power and this is only the beginning.