Dive Brief: 

• On Thursday, Instagram debuted a new private messaging feature allowing users to send photos directly to other users — even if those users don't follow them — rather than posting in their feeds.
• Reality TV's Kardashians jumped on the opportunity moments after the announcement, offering followers of their Kardashian Collection Instagram account an opportunity to win a direct message with a "behind the scenes" photo. 
• The Kardashians' quick use of the new feature shows marketers the potential in direct messaging, like contests and exclusive offers that can increase engagement. 

Dive Insight: 

With any new feature, social media marketers are bound to find a way to use it to their advantage. The Kardashians' quick use of the feature was smart, and it will be exciting to see what other marketeing uses may come about as a result of the direct messaging feature. So far, actual advertising on the feature seems unlikely.