Despite the negative backlash against Facebook for the high number of sponsored ads sneaking into people’s newsfeeds, a similar thing is about to happen with Instagram. The social media platform is set to start running paid ads to Australian users within weeks”, according to AdNews.
After trialling paid ads in the US last November, Marketing Week reports that they began popping up in the UK this week for brands like Starbucks, Sony and Cadbury. Australian users are gearing up to experience a similar phenomenon in the coming weeks.
While a number of agencies are reportedly creating paid Instagram content for brands, Instagram will be strict on creative direction in an attempt to keep content premium and to avoid criticism from users frustrated with ads appearing in their feeds. To help ensure a high standard, Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom will allegedly be signing off on all creative.
The first paid ads in the US faced criticism from Instagrammers unhappy about the lack of targeting for the ads. Despite receiving a large amount of negative comments, the posts still attracted thousands of likes.
