Instagram is adding 30-second video ads and other features in a push to give businesses more ways to tap potential customers through the Facebook photo sharing app.
The company said in a blog post that large and small advertisers will be able to run campaigns on Instagram starting this month, and ads are now available in more than 30 new countries, including India, South Korea and Mexico.
Aside from video ads, businesses also will be able to use landscape-style photos and a product called Marquee that aims to quickly expand a company's reach in a short time frame for things like movie premieres and product launches.
It said businesses have been testing the app's new tools over the summer, and Instagram is seeing "significant" demand in areas like e-commerce, travel and entertainment.
Instagram is already an established marketing tool for small businesses like restaurants, bakeries and hair salons that sell items that photograph well.
The app was founded in 2010 and bought by Facebook two years later.
Its expansion comes as Instagram parent Facebook focuses more on drawing advertising revenue from where its users are, on smartphones and other hand-held devices. The world's largest online social network drew 76 percent of its total advertising revenue in the second quarter from mobile advertising, up from 62 percent a year earlier.
Shares of Menlo Park, California-based Facebook Inc. rose $1.12 to $90.65 about 30 minutes before markets opened Wednesday. The stock had advanced 15 percent so far this year, as of Tuesday's closing, setting several all-time high prices along the way. The latest came July 21, when the stock reached $99.24.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More