Instagram rolling out ‘enjoyable’ ads to its US users

4 Oct 2013

Photo-sharing and filtering app Instagram is introducing what it hopes will be ‘enjoyable’ ads to its US users in what it says is an effort to build itself into a sustainable business.

Those US Instagram users can expect to start seeing occasional ads in their Instagram feeds in the next couple of months, a post on the Instagram blog said, adding that ads will begin rolling out slowly.

“We’ll focus on delivering a small number of beautiful, high-quality photos and videos from a handful of brands that are already great members of the Instagram community,” the blog post said.

“Our aim is to make any advertisements you see feel as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of you already enjoy from your favourite brands … We want these ads to be enjoyable and creative in much the same way you see engaging, high-quality ads when you flip through your favourite magazine.”

If Instagram users see an ad they don’t like, they will have the option to hide it and provide Instagram with feedback about the ad.

Instagram user image via Shutterstock

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

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