Instagram announced this week that they will be offering a web companion to their photo sharing and filtering app. (Mashable article here)
One can assume that Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram earlier this year provided them the financial backing to support the move online but why do so now? Instagram has been one of the few social network apps that started as an app and seemed content to stay there rather than employ an online presence as well. Their stated reason as per the company’s blog is, “We’re launching web profiles to give you a simple way to share your photos with more people and to make it easier to discover new users on the web.” However I doubt they are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. One guess is that it will provide them with a better avenue for advertising revenue. Facebook’s IPO filings shed light on how reliant they are on online advertising dollars and the difficulties they have found with mobile advertising. Perhaps the 100 million new online profiles that Instagram creates will be valuable real estate for online advertising. Note: as of now there is no advertising on the website I am just guessing there will be eventually.
What does this mean for marketers? It instantly becomes another presence that companies/brands will want to leverage. It may make it easier for a large company like Nike (their profile) to manage their profile once users are able to upload photos online (which they are currently not able to do). It may also lead to a wave of companies whom have previously dismissed the technology because it is difficult to manage from a corporate perspective on mobile to create new profiles. The question they should really be asking is why? But instead many may find themselves asking how, as in how fast can we get a profile up and running? And the result could be more social media… done poorly.