

A Look at Ads on Instagram - yeukhon
http://blog.instagram.com/post/64973363225/adsoninstagram

======
wmeredith
This is a really good looking ad. Do you know what the problem with ads like
this is? They don't work. Ads that don't stand out, that blend into a seamless
UX that allows a person to navigate a content company's media platform quickly
in a goal-orineted manner; they don't fucking work. They get ignored.

So the marketing company or the sales dept turns up the juice a little bit.
They allow them to stand out a little more. They give them special bells and
whistles the user created content doesn't have. They let them animate, float
over content or auto play video or sound.

Why? Because it makes the product a little better for the customers: the
advertisers. Instagram, just like their Facebook overlords, are now in the
business of making their product as good as it can be for the advertisers
while keeping the users just happy enough not to leave.

I really dislike this cycle in the startup world. I don't know a good way
around it. I'd like to see someone disrupt that.

~~~
jrockway
_I 'd like to see someone disrupt that._

Ads are the only form of micropayment that is currently widely-available. If
you solve the micropayment problem, you have a chance of shifting control from
advertisers to consumers. I'd pay $0.001 to read your blog post.

Of course, many companies like to double-dip, like the NYT with their
subscription charges _and_ ads, so I think ads are going to be around for a
long time.

~~~
nemothekid
Should also highlight that these companies have a long history of double
dipping. Like getting commercials on your $59.99 comcast subscription.

~~~
fsckin
I signed up for cable without previously experiencing it, and I honestly
expected no commercials, since I was 'paying for it'. I was not a customer for
very long.

------
kelnos
I would gladly pay some yearly fee to be able to use Instagram (and most of
the services I use often, really) ad-free. I _really_ wish this was an option.

I assume either a) it's prohibitively expensive to implement such an ability
based on how much revenue they expect vs. lost ad revenue vs. lower user
engagement due to ads lessening the user experience, b) people are less
willing to pay to put ads on your service at a given price if there is a
segment of your user base that is guaranteed not to see them.

~~~
mcmoose
I'd expect, also, that the users that are engaged enough and affluent enough
to be willing to pay for such a service are also especially valuable as
targets for advertising, to add to point b) above. I'd expect CPMs to be
pretty profoundly affected by allowing that kind of option.

------
kyro
It'd be interesting to see them monetize on user content. With all the
pictures of cups of java, bowls of salads, plates of sushi and other food
items that are geotagged, Instagram could start including ads for promotions
at these restaurants or similar highly rated restaurants near me. I'd find
that sort of advertising useful and enjoyable.

------
pwhython
I just invented something (probably not). Voluntary Ad Photo Submissions™.
Someone takes a photo of their friend drinking Pepsi. Posts it, tags the
advertiser: @pepsi. Use a hashtag, whatever. Pepsi looks through their
submissions, selects a photo they like and uses it for their Instagram ad
campaign. BAM. Now it's a game. The "winner" is popular, they get the likes.
Pepsi gets tons of free advertising from everyone posting Pepsi photos.

~~~
zek
perhaps even pay out a small percentage to the user based on the number of
likes?

~~~
prawn
I don't think they'd need to. Plus doing that and avoiding it being gamed
would be a hassle.

------
loceng
The ads that get results won't be a subtle as this, and without that subtly
you'll start to hurt positive metrics - it's the game where users expect 100%
value towards them, and you must play it to win otherwise they are mobile and
will simply use a new service.

------
GBKS
Interesting how both Instagram and Pinterest are starting this transition at
pretty much the same time with a very similar approach
([http://blog.pinterest.com/post/61688351103/planning-for-
the-...](http://blog.pinterest.com/post/61688351103/planning-for-the-future)).
Tumblr is already down the exact same path of inserting native-looking content
with a small "sponsored" label.

I'm sure big, sexy brands will have no problem creating some nice-looking
visuals that will fit right in. Questions is for me whether this will ever
work for the long tail of advertising that is currently tweaking their
keywords on AdWords. Anybody have any insight or experience with this?

------
aram
It was expected, especially after those articles showing how Instagram has
been used as a selling platform on Middle East[0].

[0] Just one of them: [http://www.digitalks.me/social-media-
marketing/instagram/how...](http://www.digitalks.me/social-media-
marketing/instagram/how-brands-are-really-embracing-instagram-in-middle-east/)

~~~
madh
Apparently it has also been used as a platform for selling guns:
[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/22/people-
are-...](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/22/people-are-using-
instagram-to-sell-their-guns-and-it-s-mostly-legal.html).

~~~
eigenvector
Considering that in America you can walk into Wal-Mart, most hardware stores
and some gas stations and walk out with a gun 10 minutes later, I'm not sure
why people selling guns on social media is supposed to be news to anyone.

------
kepano
So the bait-and-switch begins.

There are a number of startups including Nitrogram, Olapic and Pixlee who seem
to be doing well selling analytics, user-generated content, customer service
tools and branded contests based on Instagram. Those business models seem like
a much better fit for the platform.

Sad to see Instagram take the lazy route.

------
slashCJ
Is it just me or does it seem like everytime Twitter announces something about
the IPO instagram writes a blog post about ads?

------
ewolfe
I don't understand why they don't just charge accounts with more than X
followers. High profile brands are (currently) getting a massive amount of
free advertising. I'm sure they would be willing to pay to keep up their
profile.

See Mailchimp, free up to 2k subscribers, paid after that. It's so simple.

