Instagram ads: The next content marketing opportunity

It’s was only a matter of time.

In fact I had three conversations this week about it before it happened telling folks it would be here before the end of the year. And it’s not like I’m that smart—it was just inevitable.

Instagram is about to open up the floodgates. As reported in outlets like The New York Times and explained in more detail in places like TechCrunch, the marriage of Instagram and Facebook is leading to what will likely become a very profitable offspring.

By the end of the year, marketers will be able to advertise their products and services to Instagram users in the same direct and targeted way they do on Facebook…and Twitter and LinkedIn for that matter. They will also be able to push “call-to-action” buttons to “learn more” and yes “buy here,” which of course is the Holy Grail for business-to-consumer marketers.

Here are a couple of thoughts on what this will mean to content marketers moving forward…

• Instagram will become the fourth leg on the amplification stool: Until now Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were the social ad platforms of course. Now add another (and maybe another when Pinterest gets serious).
• This will be the way to reach Millennials, teens and…: Facebook is for the masses, Twitter is for a slightly younger demo, LinkedIn is for professionals but we were all waiting for Instagram to allow us to amplify content to THE younger generations.
• Photos and videos will become even more important: Quality is now crucial. Just because you will now be able target people who don’t follow you doesn’t mean they will follow you back, go to your content or buy. The quality of content (photos and video) is even more important as Instagram was built with visuals at its core.
• Don’t forget B-to-B: The ability to target your audience allows for business-to-business folks to use Instagram to not only reach younger audiences but specialty audiences with visual offers. Technology and education are just a couple of industries that can immediately take advantage of the new ad offers.

There will be the usual backlash and fallout from Instagrammers who don’t want to be marketing targets but as has been proven on social platforms across the board, the ads will eventually rule the day.

Marketers should learn as much as they can now to seize this opportunity when the floodgates open later this year.