It is always important to keep tabs on the web’s more prominent social networking platforms, and one of today’s biggest hits is Instagram. People use the network to share moments and stories in their lives with their friends and family, but their claim to fame is that it is done entirely through images that can be edited and filtered by users with a few quick taps. It is not just the everyday social networker that is spending time on the network, though. There are numerous brands that use the network, some of them being brands whose names are commonplace in everyday conversation. These top brands tapped into the network early, and have since seen that it has a lot of potential as a very useful marketing tool.
There is a problem that brands and marketers have had since Instagram’s beginnings, though. The network does not function like some of the other more prominent networks do, in the sense that they are a solely mobile service. When visiting the Instagram desktop website, all that appears is a simple page, welcoming users to Instagram, introducing them to the network, and directing them how to download the app. They do not have a desktop version of the network, so all of their traffic so far has come from mobile platforms.
This is what has kept many marketers from taking advantage of Instagram as a marketing tool, I’m sure. However, an announcement that the company made today will have brands and marketers really quite excited. Instagram has decided to do what they should have a while back; the company has announced new profile pages available to users on the web. These pages will still use images as the primary form of socialization on the network, but it will now allow for users and brands to view their Instagram feeds on the desktop web.
Here is a bit of the actual announcement from Instagram:
You’ve asked for Instagram on the web and we’ve listened. Over the next few days, we’ll be rolling out Instagram profiles on the web!
Your web profile features a selection of your recently shared photographs just above your profile photo and bio, giving others a snapshot of the photos you share on Instagram. In addition, you can follow users, comment & like photos and edit your profile easily and directly from the web. It’s a beautiful new way to share your Instagram photos!
It is pretty clear why brands should be excited about this announcement. For brands that have not already started using Instagram, the network will now be a more effective place to put a social media advertising campaign into action. Not to mention, images and video are rapidly becoming the most popular content among consumers. As a newer and more prominent social media platform, Instagram will offer a lot to marketers, as there are a large number of mobile users that are already using the network. Since the addition of web pages is a product of request from Instagram users, the company’s traffic will only grow from it, and as more people flock to the site, there will essentially be more opportunity for brands and marketers.
