Instagram ads are coming. We don't know what they'll look like or when they'll arrive. But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised that Instagram won't be ad-free forever. The world's largest brands are already using the photo-sharing app and its new video tool to pimp their products.
Facebook is betting big on mobile ads, which went from being a blip on the social network's radar to accounting for 41 percent of the company's ad revenue in just one year. The network reportedly plans to run 15-second, TV-style ads in users' News Feeds, which could cost advertisers $2.5 million a pop. If that 15-second limitation—as yet unconfirmed by Facebook—sounds familiar, it's because 15 seconds is also the cap that Instagram put on its new video tool.
Companies are familiarizing themselves with Instagram video as they prepare for the inevitable launch of video ads and seek to avoid angering Instagram devotees in the process.
Sales without selling
Instagram video is not like television. It's not even like YouTube. It's a less obvious medium that requires more thought. Companies can't just pick a 15-second clip from their latest ad campaign and slap a filter on it.
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