I think they should've released a business feature a long time ago. Actually, i think they should have made analogues of all the popular third-party app, including iconosquare.com, postso, fast-unfollow.com etc. really, i want to be able to check my stats, schedule posts or mass unfollow 5k people in one day right in the instagram application, without having to try so many different apps. And it's nice when an app has a free trial, like fast unfollow that gives 1000 unfollowings to new users, but many others are only available for payment.
This is terrible news! Instagram is a great platform, I'll use it less if it's going to flood us with advertisements in each posting.
Why not just show us an advert when we first open it and that's all?
Why not just show us an advert when we first open it and that's all?
1
Glad I never joined the Instagram bandwagon
- from an informed Millennial
- from an informed Millennial
3
Inevitable also will be users looking for the next new thing...that isn't cluttered with so-called targeted ads.
3
Why shouldn't they earn revenue? Why do you expect something for nothing? Just be glad it's been a free service and ad free for all this time.
It's also nothing unusual in the business world to encourage sales and get new customers you give stuff away free or cheap and then later on you start charging. Ever heard of a loss leader? Standard business practice.
It's also nothing unusual in the business world to encourage sales and get new customers you give stuff away free or cheap and then later on you start charging. Ever heard of a loss leader? Standard business practice.
1
Reading this article reminds me of a question I often have when reading NYT articles. I pay for a Sunday hard copy subscription (which costs more than digital access alone understandably) to the NYT which gives me digital access, and I'm willing to live with the non-intrusive ads that come with the digital access. However, the ads that pop-up digitally are more than a little annoying considering what I'm paying overall. As a side note, I have never once clicked on a NYT digital ad in any form. Say what you will, old-fashioned newspaper ads were much more likely to get my attention.
4
"By contrast, the automaker’s first Instagram ad, a panoramic experiment that made its debut last week, was sent to all American Instagram users ages 25 to 54."
I'm 61 and a loyal Instagram user. What am I, chopped liver? Oh yeah, that's right -- I AM chopped liver. No one in this brave new world wants my old, tired demographics anymore. Not sure whether to feel insulted, or relieved.
I'm 61 and a loyal Instagram user. What am I, chopped liver? Oh yeah, that's right -- I AM chopped liver. No one in this brave new world wants my old, tired demographics anymore. Not sure whether to feel insulted, or relieved.
7
I think, long term, Instragram will be a better platform than Facebook for effective advertising. Video is hot right now in digital advertising, on PC or mobile screens-- http://mobileadvertisingwatch.com/innovative-rich-media-video-mobile-ad-...
Goodbye Instagram.
10
No surprises here; "free" services are only paid for with venture capital money until the VCs remind the kids that they are required to make money and have the company valued at $40 billion and go public. Since the kids know that no one will pay for their app service, given the ease of competition, the only Plan B is advertising and the selling of user data to advertisers.
6
Perhaps if the social media with which many people seem obsessed becomes cluttered with ads, or, if it costs money to avoid the ads, people will start living their lives more and reporting on them less. Maybe they'll talk to their children, spouses and friends. Maybe they'll read a book. Maybe they'll just drive their car. Maybe they'll realized that a life or an experience unposted and undocumented is still a beautiful, worthwhile life or experience. People act as if this stuff is necessary. It isn't.
7
Just drive their car? And that is a more sociable and fulfilling use of time than being online? Social media has become a part of many people's lives and is certainly more interactive than sitting around watching TV. But thats the point, it is only a PART of their lives. Just like posting pictures of your dog on Facebook or talking about upcoming Animal Planet shows is only a PART of your life.
3
Good to know. I'll be looking for another social media website for my teenage daughter who thinks money just comes out of an ATM. I'm glad I never bothered to use social media. The ads on the NY Times are already too much for me.
14
This change is like the difference between window shopping on a main street and going to a mall.
5
The best (and most amusing) part about the current ads on Instagram are the comments that follow. It's kind of amazing that brands would pay to have their name associated with the vitriol that accompanies their paid content.
4
We should never be denied our god-given right to free service.
2
Word.
This was the only form of social media I currently partake in; but I don't think I will any longer.
16
Has there been a reputable study that shows the effectiveness of advertising? I can't imagine buying something just because of an ad, and, like everyone, I resent the "tax" on products that goes into advertising.
5
Free to users? Nothing is free. A person pays with money or time spent on ads or by offering personal info; personally, I would rather pay and not have to listen to ads that play automatically or figure out where the hidden x is to close an ad I scrolled over by accident. So, if there's an internet startup that wants to be a "disruptor" (hate, hate, hate that term) and go against the tide by charging $9.99 a month, I'm your woman.
14
What I like to do until I get totally annoyed (I do this with Twitter) is block every single ad that comes on the feed. Every single one. It makes me feel a little satisfied that I am screwing with those advertisers. I'll do this with IG until there is another beautiful site for photos- maybe I'll go back to Flickr. Advertisers totally rot and in fact I always go out of my way to NOT buy anything from advertisers who have ads on Twitter. I left Facebook a year ago because of ads. I hate advertisers and the way they buy up every gd space to put their trashy graffiti on- even in dark subway tunnels! Did you know??
16
As an advertiser, I'll let you in on a little secret: you're not screwing us over, you're actually making our ads more effective by ensuring they are seen by people who actually want to purchase product. But whatever makes you feel better - no skin off my my back.
5
hmmmm....i'll have to figure out a way around that! Thanks for the tip!
4
Sure, pdxreader, but you're still paying for the ads that get blocked so, yeah, a little skin off your back.
4
Facebook is looking at Myspace and seeing their future. The volcanic desire for ads predict it so. dp
12
Is anyone surprised? How could they say no to that kind of revenue stream?
6
It's gotten so that when I am scrolling on any number of sites it's inevitable that I accidentally hit an ad that aggravatingly takes me to the advertiser's site. Worse, they now think they know one of my preferences and target me. I can't believe all of this advertising spend is producing a return on investment. At least on TV I can minimize a lot of the intrusion with my DVR.
9
if you're using a computer (rather than a mobile device) you really should get ad blocker for whichever browser(s) you use. i use safari on a mac and don't see a single ad on nyt or facebook or most other sites.
however, for watching the daily show online, i use firefox or chrome because the ad blocker skips all the ads embedded in the video; safari adblocker doesn't.
there are also adblockers for phones and tablets; some work in browsers and others work to block ads that appear in free apps.
on a computer (mac):
in safari: go to safari menu, then Safari Extensions. get "Adblock". later, you can manage your extensions in the Preferences tab.
in firefox: go to Tools menu, then Add-ons, then click on Extensions. search for "Adblock Plus".
in chrome: Windows menu, then Extensions. get "AdBlock".
however, for watching the daily show online, i use firefox or chrome because the ad blocker skips all the ads embedded in the video; safari adblocker doesn't.
there are also adblockers for phones and tablets; some work in browsers and others work to block ads that appear in free apps.
on a computer (mac):
in safari: go to safari menu, then Safari Extensions. get "Adblock". later, you can manage your extensions in the Preferences tab.
in firefox: go to Tools menu, then Add-ons, then click on Extensions. search for "Adblock Plus".
in chrome: Windows menu, then Extensions. get "AdBlock".
8
Amazing. Thanks for the tip!
1
Actual people use Instagram? I had thought that was fully robotized by now.
5
people? robots? difference?
10
This was no doubt inevitable, as the article points out, but it is sad that Instagram will be less of "a place to relax and appreciate beautiful photos and videos posted by people and companies that users have chosen to follow."
10
I'll be cutting back on posting by 2/3 on my Instagram account, which I use to communicate with other artists. Myself and 400 fellow users share our work through the app. There has been a constant struggle to eliminate spam, users posting pics of half naked women to build followers. It's annoying, and I nearly quit a year ago because of it. Now this new policy means the once great experience is over, not because they are losing money, but for the same reason why Mark Zuckerberg is successful to begin with, greed. Adios IG, the last frontier of simply sharing artistic creations. Not exactly breaking news. That was the whole point of all social media anyhow, to get us all hooked until we need it, and then use us to generate money. Is anyone surprised? The culture, breeding ground for a bunch of sheep from reality TV to social media, the death of originality and integrity.
28
Stop! You're breaking their hearts! Oh, wait, they couldn't care less.
1
You could try Behance instead (behance.net) to share your work with other artists. I've been really impressed with the community and quality of work on that site.
*Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Behance or Adobe, nor am I any good at visual art!
*Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Behance or Adobe, nor am I any good at visual art!
7
@ M Of course they couldn't care less, but not less than I care about their app, as I don't have to face the trash they've cultivated. Money isn't everything. In fact i'd venture to say it's nothing to brag about, as a great deal of it is luck and timing. I know what I speak about this. We each have to face ourselves one day, and laying out all the charities one contributed what amounts to a nickel to doesn't erase the damage of pedaling the masses for the enrichment of only oneself and a few cronies. Sheep don't think about these things, people who care about the world do.
4