Dive Brief:
- Instagram has moved beyond its iconic square format, adding vertical video and wide screen image options for its users.
- The new display options should also allow marketers more creative possibilities.
- The new options are available on both iOS and Android apps and offer the same filters as the square post.
Dive Insight:
The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, well-known for its recognizable square frame, has now expanded that option to include vertical video and wide screen images. In a blog post Instagram said, “The square format has been and always will be part of who we are. That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to.”
The move allows marketers on Instagram new creative options. And marketers, particularly fashion and beauty brands, are gravitating toward Instagram to the extent that to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimate sees a 170% increase in ad revenue. And the social media platform recently opened its API to third party tracking and ad tools for marketers.
Brands like Mountain Dew, Don Julio Tequila, Adobe and Mercedes Benz were quick to test out the new formats.
A photo posted by Don Julio Tequila (@donjuliotequila) on Aug 27, 2015 at 1:56pm PDT
AdRoll just announced its Instagram Beta that gives marketers access to premium inventory, provides a high level of targeting and gives marketers reach into Instagram’s 300 million users across the globe.
