This is not a surprise move. Instagram will begin to squeeze video ads within Stories. But worry not, it will not disturb your experience. Not as much as you would imagine anyway.
Five months is all it took for Instagram to start monetising Stories. And I guess it makes sense, as advertising inventory continues to grow scarce on social, and Stories now count over 150 million users.
Instagram promises that ads in Stories will always be “immersive,” so as to not disturb your experience. And knowing how Instagram used to be tough on guidelines when it first launched ads, I’m pretty convinced ads will be of quality in Stories as well. To ensure the first ads are of quality, Instagram will start with only 30+ selected partners from around the word. Those include brands like ASOS, Capital One, Buick, Maybelline New York, Nike, Yoox, Netflix, Airbnb and Qantas.
Of course, ads in Stories come with full targeting, reach and measurement capabilities. Compared to the obscure Snapchat advertising model, that is nothing less than what I expected from a Facebook-owned platform.
Here is an example video ad from Airbnb:
Insights For Stories
Finding it hard to accept ads in your Stories? To smooth things out, Instagram is also adding something for us, number-loving marketers.
In the coming weeks, Instagram Business Tools will start including insights on stories. Yes, from your business profile, you will be able to see the reach, impressions, replies and even exit points for each individual story you shared. Cool, huh?
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