Instagram is becoming a popular social networking platform with over 300 million monthly active users. It is increasingly being preferred as a network to sharing photographs. It has undoubtedly become a place for marketing potential and advertisers looking for opportunities. It has become a powerful platform for advertisers. Now, the doors for advertising on Instagram have been opened up for a group of companies.
In the month of June, Instagram announced the creation of Ads API. This API (Application Programming Interface) is used by businesses to produce marketing campaigns. By opening up an API to advertisers, marketers can now start buying Instagram ads. The move has been made with the purpose to transform this photo sharing app to a major mobile advertising business.
Before this initiative, buying Instagram ads required contacting directly the sales representatives. This implies advertising was limited to those with big budget and plenty of time. Starting soon, all advertisers can plan their campaigns alongside the digital ads and can monitor their Instagram marketing activity. With ads API, they will now be able to schedule their campaigns on Instagram in the same manner as they do on Facebook and Twitter.
“Instagram presents an incredible opportunity to marketers – the ability to present compelling visual and video content in a community of 300 million incredibly engaged users,” said Jason Beckerman, Chief Product Officer, Unified. “I’ve not seen anything this powerful since the launch of the original Facebook advertising API in 2011, which has since driven substantial success and revenue for some of the world’s biggest brands.”
This program allows select companies’ clients to schedule and publish content on this popular photo-sharing website, monitor audiences and share access to accounts across the team. In addition to this, an ads API partner will be able to create team flows, including assignments and proposals. He can also cross-promote Instagram campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
Unified was one of the first to receive access to Instagram Ads API. Other companies which were identified as Instagram Ads API Partners at launch include 4C, Ampush, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, SocialCode, Networks, Kenshoo, Nanigans and Hootsuite. This is the first round of companies and more will be announced in near future.
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