Instagram was purchased by Facebook in 2012 for the whopping price of $1 billion (Rusli, 2012). This was a very smart purchase on the part of Facebook, because the photo and video social media platform has now amassed over 116 million users in the United States alone, as of 2020 (Chen, 2020). While people use the application to keep up with their friends, celebrities, and other public figures, Instagram has also mastered the craft of adding in a great deal of advertisements in a very clever and unassuming way. The ads that are presented on Instagram have been expertly tailored to match the interest of each user based on accounts they follow, how they interact, and what they are interested in.
Personal Connection to Advertisements
I have found that Instagram does a fantastic job at tailoring advertisement to my specific interests and hobbies. For example, I love to workout at different fitness studios in Las Vegas. Below is an example of a sponsored post that appeared in between my friend’s posts on my feed.
Instagram took my geo location, my interest in fitness and showed this ad, which in all honesty I would be very likely to click on especially since they are offering a free class in this post. A great aspect to this advertisement is that there is a clear call to action, and an offer for something free. This would prompt me to click through because I am receiving something of value that interests me for no cost. One thing that I also noticed while researching for this blog was that Instagram shows you advertisement every three organic posts on your feed. That ratio is very high, and I am being advertised to a lot without realizing it.
Instagram stories has been a big game changer in terms of how I use the app as well. I find myself looking at people’s stories more than their feed. It feels more natural and authentic, as opposed to very curated feeds. This is also another location where I find myself being advertised to, however as with my feed, it is curated to my interests. On stories I am usually advertised fashion or home decor items. What stands out most to me are flashy videos, and I tend to swipe up or click through just to see the pricing. The only items I have ever purchased however from an Instagram ad were both gifts. One was a custom children’s book, and the other was a candle company that made specific candles for people’s birthdays. There is also a trend of if I Google something, that item or something similar will appear on my Instagram account.
Overall I am very impressed with the way that Instagram has used their platform to host advertisements. As I mentioned earlier, we are shown one ad for every three posts which is a high volume every day. The app has done a fantastic job of making the ads flow within your usage, so it does not take away from the experience, and usually the ads are something that are of interest to that specific user.
References
Chen, J. (2020, August 28). Important Instagram stats you need to know for 2020. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/
Rusli, E. (2012, April 09). Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion. Retrieved from https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/facebook-buys-instagram-for-1-billion/
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