Everyone agrees that advertising is an integral part of our life these days. Ads are simply something that people encounter every day everywhere. But isn’t it interesting that there are so many more on major social media platforms like Instagram? Why are there so many ads on Instagram?

Quick answer: Instagram has a lot of ads because its reach and influence make it a great platform for marketing products and services. Several of its characteristics as an application guarantee and maximize the exposure of advertisements to users. The downside is that it can negatively affect the user experience.

To understand this, we must first see what makes Instagram so great that many brands try to market their products on the platform.

Below we will try to dissect the impact of Instagram and the characteristics that make it so suitable and attractive for the placement of advertisements.

Instagram in numbers

It would be good to know how big Instagram is to understand why it has so many ads. Instagram is undoubtedly in a league of its own. As a subsidiary of Facebook that launched independently on October 6, 2010, Instagram seems to be showing success across the board, and there’s no sign it’s stopping any time soon, if the latest trends are to be believed. of 2020:

  • With 1.3 billion users in total, Instagram managed to achieve an annual turnover of 24 billion dollars in 2020.
  • These users are mainly from India and the United States. United, with 140 million for each of them.
  • The 25-34 age group also dominates the user space, representing 33% of all users, followed by the 18-24 age group with 29.8%.
  • In the United States alone, it has been reported that 84% of teenagers use Instagram.

In view of these figures, it is safe to say that Instagram has enormous marketing potential.

What makes Instagram ideal for advertising?

Now that we’ve talked about numbers, what makes Instagram so good for ads?

The answer is that the platform is well enough optimized to maximize user engagement while catering to individual preferences and providing an easy platform to purchase products.

Instagram maximizes user engagement

Instagram is visually oriented. Having started as a photo-sharing app, Instagram has come a long way with new features while maintaining its core identity. From simple photos to videos to Instagram stories, there are so many ways to keep the user engaged visually.

Instagram’s feed algorithm

Instagram has a unique feed algorithm. In the beginning, users generally saw posts in chronological order. This means they saw posts based on when their friends posted them to their feed.

But finally, the algorithm was modified to display messages according to their relevance. This means users see more posts in their feed that are more related to previous posts they have interacted with or engaged with.

Instagram Shopping

Instagram was designed with shoppers and brands in mind. Instagram Shopping is an amazing feature that makes it easy for people to view, showcase and even buy stuff online.

Product tags on photos, videos and stories make it easy for users to view and learn more about the things they see and love. This feature even allows items to be linked to the shops that sell them. Shopping is so transparent on Instagram.

To know more, the home screen itself has a shop tab. Users can quickly search for brands and products online. Custom collections and Editor’s Picks are also available to make it easy to find the best.

Why does everyone advertise on Instagram?

Without a doubt, the numbers, and the functions on Instagram justify its excellent marketing potential. But what exactly is the benefit for brands and businesses to advertise on the platform? (Instagram statistics)

Get discovered. 60% of users said they learned about new products on Instagram. It was also noted that 63% made meaningful connections with brands through the platform.

Brand recognition. According to Instagram, of the 700 campaigns conducted on the app, 98% resulted in a better brand memory. If you want to be remembered, advertise on the app.

Increased engagement in Instagram stories. 58% of users would also have been more interested in a brand after seeing a story about it. Instagram is a great way to generate interest.

Integration with other platforms. Apps like Facebook and Shopify can easily be integrated with Instagram. This allows brands to sell products on different platforms seamlessly.

Too many advertisements?

Now we understand why it seems like everyone is putting ads on Instagram. But isn’t that a bit too much sometimes? Remember, ads on Instagram work based on user activity. The app then uses this data to figure out which products to show you.

But that’s not all. Instagram ad targeting is very methodical. It tracks a set of data to find ads that target specific audiences. This data includes

  • Location – city, state, country
  • Demographics – gender, age, language
  • Behaviors – in-app engagement
  • Interests – following, clicks
  • Custom Audiences – address email, phone number
  • automated targeting: Instagram “manufactures” the audience.

It can be argued that this ad expansion is just a way to keep a big social media platform like Instagram free. But the effects on the user experience cannot be ignored. Ads might end up becoming too intrusive.

Final Thoughts

Instagram is a staple of social media. Since its inception 12 years ago, Instagram has worked hard to become not only a hit but also the “app” of this generation.

So it’s no wonder that with this success, Instagram is a great platform for users to buy products and for brands to engage with customers. Ads are sure to flood users’ newsfeeds. But this is not without drawbacks.

People are already exposed to way too many ads on a regular basis. Having even more on Instagram might be overkill. It might even negatively affect the user experience. Only time can tell what adjustments Instagram will make to resolve this dilemma.