Instagram is going to include ads in this popular feature
The way you engage with your favorite social media app is about to change, as ads are coming to Instagram stories.
When it was introduced last year, it’s safe to say that we were pretty excited by Instagram Stories. While it certainly drew some comparisons to Snapchat, the new feature proved very popular, especially given Instagram’s 100 million daily users. What’s more, the feature just got better and better, with the zoom function and Boomerang turning people’s Stories into hilarious and brilliant GIF-like snaps.
Now it seems that Instagram is keen to capitalize on the popular feature by introducing adverts.
According to a report in The New York Times, the company, which is owned by Facebook, said that over 150 million users were using accounts were now using Stories each day. Because of this, Instagram has decided that they are going to include adverts between some Stories.
The adverts will will show up between certain Stories, and take over the full phone screen, with the NYT stating that they’ll “seamlessly transition from one account to the next.”
"We’ll watch [how often the ads will appear] closely, but I think we’ll introduce it and over time it will be expected just like on home feed — you see the sponsored logo and know ads are just a part of the experience, said James Quarles, VP of Instagram Business. "This is going to be another great part of the experience, and I do think you’ll hear people say, ‘I discovered this from this business because of this story.’
According to the New York Times, more than 30 companies, such as Netflix, Airbnb, General Motors, and Capital One, will all begin rolling out adverts first.
"We have been really thoughtful and we are seeing this great momentum [with Stories], Mr Quarles said. “We absolutely don’t want this to at all change the experience that people have.
Given how popular Instagram and Instagram Stories have become, it’s no surprise that the company would attempt to find a way to monetize the features. We guess we’ll be seeing more ads as things go forward.
