With Instagram announcing that it will start introducing ads into users' streams, there has been some outcry from its dedicated fanbase. Instagram will become "unauthentic" fans cry. Yes this may be true but it shouldn't be unexpected. With Facebook paying over $700M for Instagram, did we really think they were not going to incorporating advertising into the system?
As a consumer I too feel saddened by the change to an app that once felt like a private and personal experience. I like Instagram for its simplicity and instant connection to the thing that you want...photos. There are no posts, events, groups or advertisements (yet). And initially it felt like a community with only my nearest and dearest where we shared photos from memorable events or situations. Yet there was a shift a few months back in the tone of the experience. Suddenly it felt like an influx of users flooded the app and my community got bigger and bigger. You could feel that the app was on the verge of exploding and with that you knew ads were right around the corner.
As a marketer I feel numb to the news. Again it was inevitable and it's simply another place to put your brand out there and engage with consumers. It will be nice if the ads can be delivered in the spirit of Instagram and feel authentic and intertwined with the experience. But they won't be. By the very fact that users aren't opting to receive them, the ads will be intrusive and disruptful. No matter how beautiful the ads are they will still be ads and the tone of Instagram will change. Smart brands know how to leverage apps such as Instagram early on to speak to their audience without needing official "advertisement space." Creating content that people want to see and opt in for is the best way to engage with fans. But if that doesn't happen then I suppose leveraging sponsored ads is another way to go.
Who knows how user behavior will change. Maybe there will be loud voices complaining about the ads but maybe nothing will change regarding usage. Or maybe we'll have to wait until the next photo-sharing app is developed and we'll start all over again.
http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-reveals-ad-plans-photo-service-instagram/244563/
- Mallory Godwin
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