Christopher Ratcliff says, “In a perfect storm of storytelling and somehow trying to make Instagram a monetisable platform, your 14 year-old niece’s favourite social network introduced a clickable carousel function last week. Marketers have been clamouring for a way to turn Instagram into a source of measurable revenue instead of a mere engagement/brand awareness tool. As we reported a few months ago, there are ways that ecommerce sites can use Instagram but they are through third-party affiliate sales platforms that don’t exactly scream user-friendliness or best practice”. Monetising... [...]

Craig Kilgore says, “Since coming into existence in 2010, Instagram has given brands the opportunity to engage with their audience and tell their story through the power of visuals. The Facebook-owned app was one of the fastest growing major social networks in 2014, and is now home to more than300 million accounts. In addition to the network’s impressive growth, users are also highly engaged with the platform. Each day, half of all users use the app and spend an average of 21 minutes on the app. Top brands have quickly realized the potential Instagram presents. Simply Measured’s Quarterly... [...]

Martin Beck says, “Brands are now posting more content to Instagram than they are on Facebook, according to a new report by research firm L2. It’s not quite an unfriending situation. More like brands have found a new best friend. You can probably guess the reason. Giving plunging organic reach on Facebook, marketers have been cutting back on posting on Facebook and paying for reach with advertising dollars, the report says. On the other hand, Instagram is mostly a free-for-all. The Facebook-owned photo-sharing network has some advertising options but most brand activity is organic, and... [...]

Gina Broom says, “If you’re tackling the social media arena as a part of your business strategy, you’ve probably set out on Facebook and Twitter, and possibly either Google+ or Pinterest. Sound familiar? It’s just the way it’s been done across the board thus far. I’m going to cut right to the chase, and make some hefty claims. Instagram has surpassed Twitter, and the way it’s growing, it looks to have its eye on global social media domination. It’s getting to the point where you almost have to feel”. How to Use Instagram for Business Mark Ling’s  ’Affilorama’... [...]

Todd Wasserman says, “Instagram broadened its options for advertisers on Wednesday with a new type of ad unit that lets readers swipe left to learn more about the brand or product. Called carousel ads, the product was developed after marketers clamored for a way to “tell sequenced stories in beautiful, compelling ways that lead to meaningful results for their businesses,” the Facebook unit wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. Instagram has addressed that need with the new Tinder-like functionality, although here, you swipe left instead of right if you like what you see”. Instagram... [...]

Seth Fiegerman says, “Facebook‘s decision to buy Instagram looks smarter and smarter each year. Instagram, the fast-growing photo-sharing network, is projected to generate about $700 million in revenue this year and $5.8 billion in revenue in 2020, according to new estimates from analysts with Cowen & Co. That surge in sales, according to the report, is based on Cowen’s surveys of user and advertiser interest as well as projections for Instagram’s user numbers to more than double to 680 million by 2020 and for larger advertisers to follow. “Given the user scale, adv.... [...]

John Egan says, “In less than five years, photo-sharing app Instagram has grown from Internet infant to social media star. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that among social media networks, Instagram has surpassed Twitter in popularity among U.S. adults. Pew’s report states that 26 percent of online adults in the U.S. used Instagram in 2014. That’s up from 17 percent in 2013 and 13 percent in 2012. By comparison, 23 percent of online adults in the U.S. used Twitter in 2014. Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom told TechCrunch that “what began as two friends... [...]

Rebecca Baines says, “As Instagram surpasses Twitter for monthly active users, I set the microscope on the social network and explore how brands should use the platform to tell their story visually in 2015. Perusing Instagram is one of my favourite pastimes (sad I know) and I am not alone. Since its conception back in 2010, Instagram has grown a huge global audience, from the postman to the supermodel, we’ve become a snap-happy, filtering human race, with 300m users documenting their lives, one photo at a time. That’s right, 300m. Instagram has started 2015 with a bang, surpassing Twitter’s... [...]

Alex Ditty says, “Here are the reasons you may not be finding success with your Instagram Marketing yet. Successful social media marketing on Instagram doesn’t have to be difficult. Whether you’re a social media marketing agency, a major brand or even a one-man marketing team trying to promote your app with Instagram, it’s possible for everyone to find success with visual marketing. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take work. There are plenty of resources on how to grow your following on Instagram or how to increase your engagement, but if you’re finding yourself in a position where... [...]

Margot daCunha says, “Instagram recently announced that they’ve gained over 300 million users, even surpassing their much older cousin Twitter. “Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day,” writes co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom of Instagram, a Facebook-owned social photo-sharing app born in 2010. Not to mention users tap the like button 2.5 million times daily, proving that I am not the only like-aholic out there“. 10 Instagram Marketing Tips To Make People Love Your... [...]