The move will let businesses go about their Instagram-based ad campaigns in a more automated – and therefore more efficient – manner, releasing them from the time-consuming need to negotiate directly with an Instagram sales rep over a proposed ad spot.
Significantly, the change means Instagram’s ad platform will now be available to many more companies, both big and small, so there’s a good chance you’ll notice a gradual uptick in the number of ads you see when you hit the app over the coming months.
In addition, more effective targeting, to enable brands to reach the right users, has been introduced thanks to the opening up of Facebook-developed tools for business.
Tuesday’s development is an important one for the photo-sharing service as it works to pull in more revenue from a larger number of businesses, many of which have been banging on Instagram’s door for a chance to reach the more than 300 million people who now use the iOS and Android app.
Other recent moves by Instagram to monetize its service include the launch of ads in more markets, among them Brazil, Germany, and Japan.
A “shop now” button has also been introduced, as well as multiple-image carousel ads that enable advertisers to showcase their wares in a more appealing way.
Keen to keep users on side, Instagram has so far been both cautious and shrewd in the way it’s incorporated ads into its service over the last couple of years, with careful monitoring mechanisms for its new platform no doubt firmly in place to ensure its user base remains content.
